The Early Bird Catches the World: Our Joyful Family Travel Adventures
Looking back at the early years of traveling with the kids, I can now breathe easily, but that was far from the truth 12 years ago. We highly considered leaving the baby with the parents; a 14-hour drive seemed like a nightmare. But no, the desire to see the look in his eyes when he first saw, heard, and smelled the ocean was too strong. We packed up the diaper bag, the pack play, the boppy seat, and all the other mountains of stuff. We knew it would be a challenging ride, but wowzers, that 14-hour drive became much longer. The diaper changes and bottle feedings while on the road were exhausting, and a hotel stay at mid-point was essential to regroup, but still, no one slept. Nothing was familiar, and he was not a happy baby, so no one was happy.
We eventually made it to the destination and, finally, the beach. It was magical and everything we thought it would be. His eyes lit up, and everything was great. We sat him down and let him feel the sand. I’m glad I got some happy pictures because they didn’t last. Yeah, he had sand in his eyes and tears as well. We retreated to the condo for a nap. We learned that the pool was much more baby-friendly. It was a rough trip, but guess what? We did it again and again with his newborn brother. Now we had 2 packs-n-plays, 2 sizes of diapers, formula, and baby food. Oh, the potty training and road trips, oh my. Once, a gas station manager said, “No public restrooms.” We were like, for real, he’s two years old; please let him use the bathroom. We went outside and instructed him to pee on the side of the building.
The experiences were adding up for us and the children. We didn’t know it then, but by taking them out of their element and the comfortable sights of home, they were learning to adapt to new sights and situations. Traveling with babies and toddlers can drive you up the wall; everything is unpredictable. You don’t even have time to guess what’s around the corner; things happen, which will keep you alert and on your toes. We learned that Sammy hated boats. He cried the entire time on the pirate ship. We thought maybe it was because of too many people, so the next day, we rented a boat and went out on our own. Nothing changed. He cried himself to sleep, and then, in the middle of the ocean, Elliot said he needed to go number 2. Hahaha. Yea, he pooped in his sand bucket. You do what you have to do.
Over the years, things have become way better. It is much better to look back at the early years and realize how important it was to have them be as comfortable as they were in unfamiliar lands. Our family bond is tight; we know we’ve got each other’s back while walking down the dark alley. When we say we must run if we make that flight, those little legs run like the wind. We now have maps on the wall, and they enjoy putting up pins when they go somewhere new; they study the map and ask, when can we go there? I want to have tacos in Mexico. Now, at ages 10 and 12, they have the confidence to fight over who leads the mile-long walk to lunch, navigating the streets of Chicago. They are always excited about every turn and discovery. All these experiences help develop empathy and open-mindedness. While traveling, they see that the world is not all roses. They see the good, bad, and ugly side of society.
