Oh the Miles. . .

After four years, two continents, seven countries and hundreds (thousands?) of miles, our faithful stroller finally had to be laid to rest this week.

What a good life it had, and oh, how it served us well! We first got it just before we went to Florence on Summer Project four years ago. We went with an Italian brand, thinking they probably knew how to make strollers to survive the streets of Italy. And believe me, we tested its endurance in every way possible. We pushed, pulled, pummeled, dropped, beat, squashed and extreme-weathered it. Never did it hesitate or complain. Until recently.

Because we walk almost everywhere, and I almost always have a kiddo with me when leaving the house, I once commented that I didn't know what to do with my hands when I left our apartment without pushing the stroller. I felt like they were permanently attached to these handle bars. Good thing they were so cushy. :)

And oh, the places these wheels have gone! All across the US. The streets of Bologna, Florence, Rome, Venice and countless other Italian cities. Scotland. Austria. France. Belgium. The Netherlands. Pavement, gravel, sand, dirt, cobblestone and brick. . . you name it, our stroller tackled it. Superbly. It's been with us through some of the most significant changes in our lives--our family's first trip overseas, the birth of our last child, an international move. It's lugged groceries and backpacks and luggage, all the while allowing a child to sleep peacefully in its comfort. In Italy, your stroller practically gets more miles than your car. It's literally felt like an extension of our family.

And though it's exceded our expectations by two years and 500 miles, time has finally taken its toll. We've known things weren't good for a while, but we kept hoping we could make it 9-12 more months until Benjamin could make it on his own two feet. She just didn't have anything left give though. A piece on the wheel snapped, and in addition to making a horrible sound every time the wheel rotated, it drove like a car with four unbalanced tires. S-h-a-k-y.

It was time to say good-bye.

We've replaced her with the exact same stroller. We were excited to learn that Italian strollers are cheaper in Italy. The new one is tan. Not the same, but a reminder of all the ground we've already covered. The Inglesina Trip. More than just a stroller. A member of the family.