Some thoughts on traveling
Being the worrier that I am, I’ve always fretted about traveling with kids; my primary concerns were that Zoe would cry and fuss and that everyone on the plane would hate us. There have been a few rough moments on various flights, of course, but the truth is that we’ve never had any major problems when flying with Zoe. And, I’m happy to report that adding Avery to the mix hasn’t been too difficult (yet): on our recent flights, she mostly slept (see below) or sat in my arms quietly. But traveling involves a lot more than just getting to and from your destination – and the hard part often involves dealing with kids once you’re on the ground. Zoe can get quite grumpy when off-schedule, and Avery clearly has a tough time adjusting to the new time zones. (It was rough on both ends of our recent trip, and she hasn’t slept a normal night – i.e. waking up just once to eat – since before we left.)
Despite the rough moments, and my anxiety about them, we’ll still continue to travel. (And I’m even doing a first – flying alone with the baby – tomorrow. I’m nervous, but trying not to stress too much about it.) Our families live far away, so we don’t have much choice, plus Q and I made a pre-Zoe vow not to let kids keep us on the ground. And besides, as my mantra goes (and as with everything involving parenting and little kids), it will get easier!
-M
