Not So Travel Savvy

Remember the blog project I did in 2010 with three other women? Well, Froggie decided to resurrect it with me and we each got to invite another friend to join us. She invited a mutual friend (someone I met through her) and I invited a friend whose blog I really enjoy reading. So now it's Froggie, Mom of Many, Moma Rock and Merrylandgirl. Hope you enjoy the topics that we'll be exploring!

This week, Froggie picked the topic: What type of traveler are you? Are you über organized and have everything planned out so there is no last minute stuff? Or do you leave everything to the last minute?

Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock

I love to travel when it means I’ll be going on a relaxing trip and getting from point A to point B without much effort. However, I think the last time that happened was when my husband and I went to Las Vegas in 2006 and our older son (who was six months old at the time) stayed with my parents for a long weekend.

When I just had to pack for myself, traveling was relatively easy. I sometimes had trouble deciding what clothing items to include, but I knew I had enough room for everything. Sometimes I was able to stuff it all into a small carry-on suitcase. When kids came into the picture, it was quite a game changer. I not only had to pack for myself, but also had to include clothes for my kids...usually double the amount to prepare for messy diapers, spills, spit-up, etc. Then I had to include the diapers, wipes, formula cans, bottles, bottle liners, etc. I also had to fit some books in somewhere! Soon, the kids had their own suitcases because of how much they needed to take along. When it was with one or two kids, we usually flew. It cost even less if one of the kids was under age two and could sit on someone’s lap. The last time we traveled with our kids, we also had the baby, so we drove halfway across the country. It was much easier than flying, even though we overstuffed the large amount of space we had in the back of the van and my younger son was kicking my seat half the time.

Flying with an infant or toddler is not easy. While a stroller is good for getting them from one place to the next, it’s also a pain to fold up so it can go through the security monitor. Especially while holding the infant or toddler with one arm. There’s also the chance that they’re going to scream at some point of the plane ride, and they definitely WILL take advantage of that chance! There was no way we were going to take all three kids on a plane at one time. I’ve done it by myself with two kids, but that was when my younger son was three months old and my older son had his own seat. Thankfully, my older son was cooperative for the most part. I can’t say my younger son would be at his current age, as he likes to touch everything and kick seats. So trying to balance keeping him out of trouble and keeping an infant entertained would be tough. Hence, the road trip.

In terms of packing, I do everything last minute. I could have all week to pack, and I wait until the night before or that same morning. When we went camping, I forgot my older son’s cochlear implant battery charger, and he had chosen to leave without his hearing aid. That was a frustrating mistake! So now I’m super obsessive about packing all his hearing equipment. I have to do the same for my daughter, now that she has a cochlear implant, as well. In any case, I know I’ll end up forgetting something anytime I travel. If it’s an item I can pick up at Wal-Mart or Target, I’m much less anxious about it. When we go to visit my parents, they practically have a drug store in their house! (Still, I end up over packing because I like my own toiletries for certain things...like hair products.) The other annoyance is the charges airlines make people pay for luggage transportation and how much they tag on based on weight. Of course, I once lost $12 worth of specialty peanut butter because it would weigh down the suitcase, but TSA saw it as a security threat because it’s spreadable. It is hard to keep luggage underweight when traveling with kids though!

While traveling with kids can sometimes be a challenge, it’s also an adventure. The next time we travel, I really want to take our kids sightseeing as much as possible. There’s no reason to be stuck in a hotel room watching shows we could watch at home (like we did for part of our Richmond trip, but in all fairness, it was snowing a lot) or sitting around either my parents’ or my in-laws’ houses all day. They could just as easily go sightseeing with us. I know the kids love traveling, but if we could teleport ourselves and our luggage to wherever we’re going, that would be SO much easier!