Traveling With a Baby and a Kid

As many of you know, I was in Colombia last month introducing the baby to her grandparents, great grandparents, and cousins. We had a few challenges travelling with a baby, and it was a very different vacation from those I’ve taken in the past but, overall, the trip was fantastic.

I have been to Colombia before. We went when Evelyn was 4. We did a lot of exploring on that trip. We went to Bogota, Cali, Cartegena, and Santa Marta. She doesn’t remember any of it but I am sure world-travel at such a young age was good for her.

Mi español es mucho mejor de lo que era hace tres años y mi acento es mejor también. My Spanish is better than it was last time I was there and I enjoyed my newfound ability to engage with people beyond the necessary phrases, “Donde esta el bano?” and “Cuanto cuesta para esto?”

What was most interesting about this trip were the new experiences of traveling with a baby and traveling with, not one, but two kids.

This time we basically had to settle down at a home base. So we spent a week in Bogota and then a couple of weeks in Cali. If you follow my Facebook, you know that we left the baby with the family for a couple of days and took Evy to the beach in Larilleros (pronounced Ladeejedos). I am so glad we did. We basically spent the whole time in the water during the day and hanging around the beach at night. Definitely couldn’t have done that with a baby.

The flight

The flight out was in the middle of the night. We got wicked cheap tickets in exchange for paying hell. Julian and I didn’t sleep a wink. Evelyn slept the whole time. And Maya played, sucked, and dozed here and there. Many passengers told us that Maya was the most well-behaved baby ever, and that was in the middle of the night!

The other flights, from Bogota to Cali, and then back home three weeks later, were not as good. On one flight I was practically out of milk. I had been very sweaty and too busy to drink enough water. So that flight sucked. (Breastfeeding is great for air travel. Just let the baby suck till its heart’s content and all is good.) Then we missed our connecting flight in Florida so we had to stay there for 24 hours. So it was like two straight days of travel. She was tired. I felt bad for the passengers.

The weather

Once away from Bogota (8000 ft above sea level), it was hot and humid. Maya didn’t like the heat. She woke up at night a lot and didn’t nap as much. She was a big fat sweat machine. My milk seemed to be always low. I blame the heat. I’ve never had a low milk supply before, so I can really empathize with this issue now. It’s stressful.

Maya is an amiable and agreeable baby. She loved all of her new family like she’d known them forever.

Even though it was hot, she didn’t mind the carrier. She took most of her naps against my chest. Since we were out a lot, I had to relax a bit more about breastfeeding in public. Usually I try to find a private place. When you’re carrying a desperate baby, though, modesty goes with the wind.

The food

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Colombians eat a pretty simple diet. I think that’s why I like it there so much. They don’t do lots of garlic and onions and spices, and they keep their meals really basic. Anywhere you go, you can find plantain, yuca, meat, fish, soup made with the bones and organs, and fruit. Honestly, Colombia is Paleo heaven. Colombians themselves eat a lot of sugar and a lot of fried foods, but you can easily skip that and go for the available natural choices.

Don’t wait until they’re older!

We travel for fun and we travel to relax and unwind but we also travel for new experiences. While a seven month old baby won’t remember any of it, you will, and your older kids will, and all of the people you meet on your travels will too. Don’t stop living just because you’ve had kids.

Have you traveled lately? Where have you traveled with young children?