Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead in Overland Park, KS (near Kansas City) the perfect place for kids (and kids at heart!). Before my first visit, I didn’t know much about it except that there were farm animals to pet, an old-fashioned town, and hayrides. I’ve wanted to go for years, and I finally committed to going after others in my Mommy & Baby class said that my little guy would love it.

Still, it seemed like a schlep. I felt like it wouldn’t be worth going for the short amount of time we could fit in between Baby’s naps or bedtime. I thought it would be too difficult for me to go by myself. I asked my husband if he wanted to come with us, and his enthusiasm for the idea was beyond underwhelming. So when my dad was in town and up for anything, we planned to set off as soon as Baby woke from his nap.

But then Baby woke early, and I tried to put him back to sleep. When that didn’t work, I was already getting discouraged by the time we lost. We set off anyway and getting there was faster and easier than I imagined. But then when we turned in, the parking lot was packed. There were so many cars! Should we even go? Will it be too crowded on this beautiful day? We were debating turning around, when we started to see more and more open spots as we drove closer to Deanna Rose. Surrounded by sports fields, it seemed the cars might be for all of the baseball and soccer games going on instead of the farmstead. For only $2 per ticket (Baby got in for free), we decided to risk it.

I’m so so grateful we did. There were lots of other young families there, but nothing felt crowded. I was initially a little hesitant around the goats (I screamed the first time they jumped on me), but I loved feeding them. The baby goats were adorable, and nibbled on both my and Baby’s hands. We also saw a chickens, pigs, an owl, a cow, and buffalo. There were also old-time shops (the taffy was amazing), a one-room school house, and a wonderful new accessible playground, all of which Baby might like more when he’s a little older. Baby wasn’t as into the animals and I hoped he would be, but I think he had a good time. I loved it. My dad enjoyed the stores, seeing a bald eagle, and taking pictures to show off his newest grandbaby on Facebook.

When Baby got hungry, we strolled into the nature trail, and sat on a quiet swing to nurse while my dad chilled on a bench at the other end of the path. As soon as we sat down, we were serenaded by a beautiful set of giant wind chimes that I hadn’t even noticed was there. It was the most peaceful moment I’ve had in a very long time.

We made it back home with just a little time to spare, and Baby settled into a glorious two and half hour long nap. Still excited by our day, I was already planning to go back again. The $2 admission was more than worth it, and if we go on a Monday-Thursday it is free for all. Why had I never been before? I asked my husband just that. He didn’t have a good answer (at least in my book).

Like so many other things, now that I’ve actually been to the farmstead, I feel more than comfortable going back with Baby by myself or meeting up there for a playdate. But when it was an unknown place, the idea was a lot scarier. What if it’s hard to wrangle Baby by myself? What if it’s lame and the other moms or kiddos don’t have fun?

What’s lame are all of the doubting questions in my head. I need to just go for it, whether it’s going on a new adventure with Baby or setting up that first playdate with a new mommy friend. I love doing things as a family and with my husband. Yet with his crazy work schedule and our different interests, I’d rather spend our time together on things that we’ll all enjoy. And if I don’t want to go it alone, I need to work on making some new friends (or calling up some old ones) to join us on our citywide excursions.

I wish that I would have visited Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead sooner, and I am carrying that lesson with me going forward. Whenever I want to go somewhere new, I’m going to put on my big girl shoes and be brave enough to go check it out by myself or with Baby in tow. When I think it would be more fun with friends or as a playdate, I’m going to invite others to come, too. Even if it is a disaster, that will just make the story that much better when reminiscing about it in the future. Let the adventures begin!

What fears have you faced and conquered?