My Travel ABCs

Let's take a fun look back on over two decades of travel

Jen from Devour the World invited me to share my Travel ABC’s.  I can think of no better way to wrap up 2011 and ring in 2012 than to take a fun look back at past travels.

A: Age you went on your first international trip: I was 16 when I headed down to a little town just outside of Monterrey to visit missionary friends with my aunt. It was transformative and kicked off years of travel.

B: Best (foreign) beer you’ve had and where: I hate beer. With a passion. It tastes like bread to me. If I wanted to taste bread I would eat an entire loaf. Let’s talk about a cup of chocolate instead. I had a great cup of chocolate along a river in Provence, France. I still dream about it.

C: Cuisine (favorite): This is just too hard. I love Italian, Singaporean, a good Indian curry, Mexican, a Sunday roast at a British pub, and you will never see me say no to a decent burger or slice of NY style pizza.

Our first trip to Rome, Italy (November 2007)

D: Destinations, favorite, least favorite and why: I’m not sure how to pick my favorite destination. There have been so many. Hong Kong, China and Singapore are incredible. Portugal was stunning and delicious. London, Venice, Hawaii… I could go on and on. If I have to choose one it would be Rome though. It was the first international destination my husband and I went together. It taught us a lot about each other and the way we travel and would travel together in the future. Plus I had the best pesto linguine pasta ever there.

My least favorite really isn’t very fair to the location. It’s not Phoenix, Arizona’s fault that I was over 6 months pregnant and had to fly down to deal with a project going horribly wrong. It was over 90 degrees the entire trip, I was away from my hubby and I was pretty much just miserable. I’ll probably have to give it a second look one day. 

E: Event you experienced abroad that made you say “wow”: The Forbidden City made my jaw drop. I have been to some pretty amazing places but the sheer scale of the place when you first step inside is overwhelming and awe inspiring. Someone built that place! It pretty much went head to head with the Great Wall on my “wow” factor scale.

The Forbidden City, Beijing definitely put the "wow" in our travels (December 2010)

F: Favorite mode of transportation: Walking. It is the best way to slow yourself down and really see a place. Next up would be flying. It gets you were you want to go faster and so far we are not successful in the car with the toddler.

G: Greatest feeling while traveling: Elation over a new discovery. I love the tingles I get as we turn a corner and see a sight we have been dreaming about for years. Or better yet, we round a bend and find something wholly unexpected. There is nothing like it and nothing I have found to replace it. Now that I have a child that excitement over a discovery has only grown. Not only do I get to check out new things, but his whole world is transformed every time we walk down a street.

H: Hottest place you’ve traveled to: Singapore was the hottest, knock me off my feet, place I have ever been. I absolutely love it there, but I have never been so thankful for a/c and a pool in my life. Hong Kong in the summer would be the second runner up. Even Mexico in June could not compare. Savannah, GA is probably the closest I have come.

Drinking loads of soursop juice in the shade to keep cool in Singapore (2008)

I: Incredible service you’ve experienced and where:  Cathay Pacific airlines went above and beyond when I was traveling alone with my then 20-month-old son Dek. I have never had an easier flight. I just wish the flight had been longer than 3.5 hours (Hong Kong to Osaka) so I could really bask in the service of the airline.

J: Journey that took the longest: Getting to Singapore and Hong Kong sure took a long time in terms of flight hours. Trying to get to Orcas Island, WA by ferry took about as long. But if you really want to get into delays it would be from London back to Seattle. Never have I seen so many hiccups by one airline. We were delayed in London so long that we missed the only flight back to Seattle from Philly. It took 3 hours waiting in a line (and on the phone) to find out there were no more flights to Seattle though. We rescheduled our flight for the next evening and headed to my parents for some unexpected family time. The next day as we were checking into our flight we were told we had missed it. How could we have missed it? We were 3 hours early! Well apparently the booking agent had put us on a totally different flight than she had written down for us. So instead of our lovely direct flight home, we were now on a flight to Las Vegas that would then connect to Seattle. This was not my most gracious flying moment as I fumed at the ticket agent who really could have cared less about our predicament. Cie la vie. Obviously it did not turn us off flying.

Ink print we picked up in Rome, Italy

K: Keepsake from your travels: On our first trip to Rome my husband and I started collecting street art or local cheap art to hang around our house (or rentals as they were at the time.) We never spend more than $20 on anything we pick up, but it has extremely sentimental value to us. Unfortunately we have built up such a collection our walls are busting at the seems. Might be time to switch to something else, like Christmas ornaments.

L: Let-down sight, why and where: I have yet to really find one. We tend to seek out the fun in any place we go or we just avoid the stuff that doesn’t interest us. Although Mike did just point out that Leavenworth, WA was a bit of a let down. We didn’t do any research, we just showed up. The town appeared to be one big tourist shopping trap. We have friends that adore it though. And well, we did get to ride a horse for the first time in years, so I guess it wasn’t a total loss.

My life transformed by a trip to Mexico in 1996

M: Moment where you fell in love with travel: I was 16 and sitting on a ranch in a small town outside of Monterrey, Mexico. It was the first time I was traveling without my parents (at least that I can remember.) I was visiting friends with my aunt. I had choices and had helped in the planning. I’m sure that I feel in love with travel long before this, but this is the one trip that sticks out in my mind as the catalyst to a life long love of hopping on a plane and discovering something new.

N: Nicest hotel you’ve stayed in: The Carlton in Singapore was my first taste of luxury travel. I had to fly out on business and my company always stayed in the same hotel. I had no idea what to expect. Heck, I had no idea there were bellhops in the world. My previous hotels weren’t hostels, but they weren’t exactly top notch either. I like to travel on a budget. The service was impeccable. Check-in and Check-out was smooth. There were bathrobes and slippers in my room. There was room service! Anything I needed was at a touch of a button. I have since stayed in some very nice places, probably of equal standing, but this place will always be the nicest, because it was my first.

A local woman counts her change in Lisbon, Portugal (November 2003)

O: Obsession—what are you obsessed with taking pictures of while traveling?: Windows and food are my usual obsessions when I am not taking pictures of my husband or my son. I also love to capture local older citizens just going about their day.

P: Passport stamps, how many and from where? Canada, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Moldova, Poland, England, France, Italy, Portugal, China, Macau, Hong Kong, Singapore. I think that’s it. I’m doing it from memory and since many countries don’t even stamp your passport these days who knows really.

Q: Quirkiest attraction you’ve visited and where: Window of the World was the kitschiest attraction we have ever seen. Located in Shenzhen, China, it houses many of the world’s top attractions at a fraction of the scale. It was hilarious and a must see if you are ever in the area.

Window of the World takes the cake for fun, over-priced tourist attraction (Shenzhen, China 2010)

R: Recommended sight, event or experience: 

• Obviously the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City should be at the top of your list.
• The quiet, hidden beaches of the Kauai and the Big Island of Hawaii should not be missed.
• Kyoto, Japan is just about the most relaxing location we have been to in a long time, but still full of beautiful sights, sounds and smells to keep everyone happy and walking all day long.
• Hong Kong at night is a must, but check out the Fa Yuen Street Market during the day instead of the Temple Night Market unless you are just there to eat.
• Walk the back streets of Rome; don’t just stick to the main tourist path. You will come across ruins not noted in any guidebook.
• Always eat like a local. If it’s packed, check it out. If there is a line up at the local street vendor, get in line. They must be doing something right.
• Lastly, if you are ever in Singapore during the F1 race, just stand on a street corner and listen. The whizzing of the F1 racecars echoes through the street. Then head to a local pub to catch a soccer game. You will swear you are in British pub- hooligans and all.

S: Splurge; something you have no problem forking over money for while traveling: Food, food and more food. I have never regretted money spent on a delicious meal.

Hamming it up on Siloso Beach on Sentosa Island, Singapore (2008)

T: Touristy thing you’ve done: I’m sad to report that we have never taken a picture with a London Guard or Roman Centurion. Why? I have no idea. When we were in Shenzhen, China we did join the flood of local tourists headed to Window of the World though. Talk about kitschy goodness. My local colleagues just laughed when we told them we visited the attraction. It was over priced and a total tourist trap. We loved it! Nothing could have been more entertaining or fun with a toddler in tow. What was bizarre was that we soon became the tourist attraction since we were the only western visitors that day.

Two years before I had visited Sentosa Island with a Seattle colleague in Singapore on one of our days off from work. We knew it was a tourist trap and ridiculous, but sometimes those types of places are the most fun. We mainly stuck to the beach since that was free, but still had a blast wandering around that morning before meeting up with local colleagues for some of their favorite wanders.

Tottering around the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, China (December 2010)

U: Unforgettable travel memory: Again, there are too many. I feel like every trip has had it’s own moments. Lately, I will say that watching my son master the art of walking in Beijing was pretty darn cool. He may not remember it, but I always will. I have about 500 pictures of him tottering around in a huge winter jacket with his arms out to balance (and, well, from the jacket too) as he made his way through the Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Great Wall, Tiananmen Square and so on. 

V: Visas, how many and for where? I’ve only had to get one visa that covered two separate trips to China in 2010-2011.

W: Wine, best glass of wine while traveling and where? I love red wine but it hates me. Before I realized it was a big migraine trigger, I had an amazing local red in the small town of St. Remy in the south of France from a female owned vineyard. With a hunk of cheese and a loaf of bread from the local market it was the perfect lunch on a warm summer day. 

A surprising white was had on Whidbey Island, WA with two friends of ours when we first moved to Seattle. We were at the Edgecliff Restaurant (now closed) in Langley having a fantastic lunch overlooking the water. We choose the Island White by Whidbey Island Winery to pair with our meal. It was delicious. Not too sweet, but not too dry, with some fruity hints snuck in there. It went great with my pasta and was a refreshing break from our morning drive around the island. Our waitress happily informed us that the winery was just down the way, so we stopped by for a tasting of their other wines and stocked up.

X: eXcellent view and from where?: I have a picture of myself looking down on Florence from the town of Firenze up the hill. My travels through Florence with a college group had been hectic and at times very frustrating. Stepping away from the chaos of the city with 3 friends was a wonderful way to step back and really take stock of all the city had to offer. It put the trip back into perspective.

Y: Years spent traveling?: 15 years international and domestic, at least 10 domestically with my parents and sister before that.

 Z: Zealous sports fans and where?: I am not personally a big sports fan, except maybe the half pipe in snowboarding, but my boys sure do love soccer/ international football. English Premiere League is the footie of choice in our house. We are already angling a trip to visit friends in London so Mike can catch an Arsenal game next fall.

Ballard Seafood Fest 2011 proved that local travel can be just as fun and delicious as international (July 2011)

Have you thought about your Travel ABCs lately? Join in on the fun. It’s quick, easy and really makes you look back on some trips you may have forgotten about. 

Two Years After Baby And We Keep On Traveling

Baby's 1st trip to Maui (5 months old)

This holiday weekend has meant a little more to me than your average person. You see 2 years ago my little guy showed up. He was 8 days late and testing his mama’s patience, but he finally made his appearance.

In honor of this most memorable occasion, at least for me, I thought I would look back on some of our travels since he was born. Travel is something I didn’t know if we would be able to tackle. It was the first thing I panicked about when I found out I was pregnant. Happily Dek has proven to be a pretty decent traveler. He has also changed the way we travel in so many unexpected and wonderful ways.

Hiking around Mt. Rainier at 1 year old (September 2010)

Checking out the drum dancers in Hong Kong at 14 months (November 2010)

If not for him, many of the moments I have captured on film (OK, so it’s digital, but you get the point) may not have been possible. Dek has slowed me down. He has made me really look at where I am going. He has dropped my perspective down about 4 feet to his level, where there truly are some amazing things happening.

As summer moves into fall, think about where the past year or two has taken you. You may be surprised just how far you have gone. Even if it’s just down the street. Then start to dream about where the next year will take you.

We already have plans in the works. So far the Big Island of Hawaii is set up. We are hoping to get to Europe to visit friends as well. I can’t wait to see where life takes us between now and when Dek turns 3 years old.

Window of the World in Shenzhen, China at 14 months (November 2010)

Learning to walk through the Temple of Heaven, Beijing at 15 months (December 2010)

Splashing around Longwood Gardens, PA at 17 months (February 2011)

Sweating it out in Macau (Hong Kong) at 20 months (May 2011)

Walking through miniatures at Splendid China in Shenzhen (May 2011)

Helping mommy work at the printing plant in Shenzhen, China (May 2011)

Toys, castles and wonders of the sea greeted us in Osaka, Japan (May 2011)

Historical masterpieces were at every turn in Kyoto, Japan (May 2011)

Hopping into summer near Wolfeboro, New Hampshire at 22 months (July 2011)

Living the quiet country life in Wellsboro, PA at 23 months (August 2011)

For more information on all of these trips, check out our posts on Hawaii, Beijing, China, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Japan, New Hampshire and coming soon…Wellsboro, PA. And just think, these trips don’t even count all the times we have been to Philadelphia and New Jersey to visit family.

Want to keep up with our travels as they happen? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Keep travel dreaming with Mother of All Trips this week along with other bloggers as we all take a moment to do a little Monday Dreaming. 

Baby Jet Lag Blues

Sometimes sleeping just isn't that much fun

I’d like to rip my ears off, drown them in a stiff drink and sit alone on the beach. That’s what I am thinking as I am trying to get my son to sleep in Seattle after a 3 week trip in China and Japan.

Now traveling with my son is worth it in every way, and I will continue to do it, but this week sure has tested my resolve.

Bottoms Up

If you follow me on Twitter, then you know how hard the adjustment has been for Dek this week. We got back to the States on Sunday night (May 22nd) and have been ever so slowly creeping our way back to Pacific Coast time.

Oh, and did I mentioned that Mike and I both had to go back to work on Monday? I’m only in my office on Mondays and Wednesdays, so obviously there was some poor planning on my part, but every vacation day is precious. Why waste one on jet lag?

When we first got back, Dek was waking up from around 10pm to 4am. We allowed this the first couple of nights since he was still not sure when was day and when was night, and when exactly he should be sleeping. Mike and I took turns going out to the living room with him and watching a movie or playing with toys, and having some food.

Separation Anxiety In Full Effect

Dek also suffered from some separation anxiety while we were away and who can blame him. First he didn’t see his dad for two weeks. Then I threw a crazy babysitter at him for a few hours a day for a week while I was working. He was sleeping in a new room every few days, there was new food on the table at random times, and his usual sleep schedule had been thrown out the window. For a boy who thrives on a schedule, he managed remarkably well for the 3 weeks we were gone. I still can’t believe how awesome he behaved and all he put up with.

I guess I am paying for my good fortune now though. Naps have been easy. He goes down without a peep. He even goes to bed at his normal time without a peep (well, apparently not tonight). Then 10 or 11pm rolls around, which is exactly when we are trying to go to bed ourselves most nights, and he tries every trick in his book to get out of bed.

So what is he yelling? “Down,” his new favorite world and one he learned on our trip.  Now my boy who once would go to sleep without much of a fight, and definitely could not sleep if we were near him, won’t go to sleep unless we are physically sitting in the room. Except he isn’t actually going to sleep. As soon as we think he is firmly passed out, he will wake up as soon as we leave. This goes on and on.

Last night Mike finally got Dek back to sleep a little after midnight after lying on his floor for over an hour. We’ve been trying the Sleep Lady shuffle method this time since nothing else seems to be working.  Twenty minutes later, Dek was up. I gave up and finally brought him into bed with me. This had worked while we were away, so I was hopeful we could all finally get some sleep. Nope, he didn’t want to sleep with us either. So now what? Finally he started signing for milk. I gave him a quarter of a cup of milk and put him back down. Finally he went to sleep.

At 6:58am he was up and ready to go, or so he thought. He had to have a morning nap by 8:30am. He was a wreck.

Mishaps along the way

Granted, we have had some mishaps as we have tried to adjust Dek back to Pacific Time. Our first full day back (Monday), I had to go to work, so I had our old nanny come for the day. This was both good and bad. It was good, because she has a baby and this was a very nice distraction for Dek after the nanny had to wake him up around 9am. The bad part was that Dek’s separation anxiety was put to the test. Mommy had disappeared. Would she come back? We had to do the same thing on Wednesday when I went to the office. This schedule had not been upsetting before we left, but after having mom for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the past three and a half weeks, he wasn’t sure what to expect anymore.

My second mishap came on Tuesday. I had been up with Dek until 4am. In my exhausted brain, I never set myself an alarm. When I finally woke up to Dek yelling for me, I assumed it was 8 or 9am. It was 11:59am. Almost noon! This was a disaster. How was I supposed to get Dek back to a normal schedule if we were sleeping half the day away? We were both up till 2am that night, possibly longer. I’m starting to block out how little sleep I’ve gotten this week.

Our third mistake has been to not stick to a method of getting Dek to sleep and really sticking to it. Kids thrive on routine, schedules and knowing exactly what to expect. We have been so tired, Mike and I are just desperate to get him to sleep in any way possible so we can sleep too.

The Grandparents Come to Visit

My parents arrived on the Thursday after our return. Their visit had been planned for months. My last-minute trip to Asia was a bit of hiccup in our plans to wander with them. We would now be sticking closer to home so we could all try to catch up on our sleep. Normally a trip from my parents, or any family for that matter, would be enormously welcome. My mom normally gets up with Dek, so we can get some sleep on the weekends. It’s heaven. With Dek sleeping in late and up all hours of the night though, there was not much my parents could do except let us take a few naps during the day if we needed too. This conflicted with my desire to actually see my parents though and spend some quality time with them. I only see them 1-3 times a year.

So Now What Do We Do

I have one more week left of work and then I will be home with Dek full time. Hopefully I will have a little more sleep in me, and have the energy to tackle all of the bad sleep habits and other naughty behavior Dek picked up while we traveled in Asia. I spoiled him while away and certainly let him do stuff, like sleep in my bed and eat stuff with sugar in it, that he normally does not do at home, so I need to reverse some of the effects of that.

As far as sleep goes though, what am I doing wrong? How do I get this baby to sleep as well as he used to, or even as well as he did while we were away? Coming back from China has been so much harder than when we came back in December. Dek is six months older of course, and much more aware of his power over us. I think he is also hitting the “scared” stage. A nightlight has now been added to his room, which helped initially.

I have heard it can take up to three weeks to get over jet lag. Can I really wait that long? Not sure I have much of a choice. I’ll just keep reading the other mom blogs and sleep books to see if I find a bit of advice I haven’t tried yet. If you have some wisdom to share, I am all ears.

Follow-up coming: as soon as we are on a normal schedule I’ll post what we did and didn’t do. What I did wrong, and what seems to have worked and what didn’t. Either way, I do know that this will just take time.

Helpful Crew On Cathay Pacific Airlines

In general, I do not think much about my airplane experience each time I fly. It is a means to an end. I usually fly United or US Airways just because they have a non-stop from Seattle to Philadelphia, and my company flies to Asia on United. All of my miles are with them. I had never flown Cathay Pacific Airlines until Dek and I took a morning flight from Hong Kong to Osaka this past weekend to meet up with Mike for a week of wandering around Kyoto before heading home.

Just before my flight, blogger mom Pit Stop For Kids, posted her top 5 airlines for traveling families. Her sister had a horrible experience flying solo cross country with her two small children, and Pit Stop For Kids wanted to make sure people were aware that there are airlines out there who recognize that traveling with kids can be challenging, but is also necessary, and a good attitude from the crew makes all the difference in everyone’s experience.

From her list, I can only attest to my experience flying on Southwest and Alaska without kids, but both experience were quite enjoyable. I will be flying Southwest later this summer with Dek, so I’ll be able to get a better sense then. I do know that Southwest used to offer pre-boarding to families, something United has stopped doing, but really is essential when traveling with small people.

I would like to add Cathay Pacific to the list of airlines that know how to treat families right. From start to finish, the ground crew and flight crew were helpful in every way. When I entered the Hong Kong airport I was directed to the correct area for Cathay. I was about to get in a horribly long line, when I noticed a lane that said Seniors, Infants and Disabled passenger check in.

Are you kidding me? I get my own check in lane! Family security lines I am used to. Seattle has a family lane, but a family check in line was a first. The woman checking us in didn’t blink an eye when I checked 3 bags. I wasn’t charged a dime in fact, and only one of them was baby gear (a crib). She also put the stroller gate check tag on Dek’s stroller for me and handed me a large plastic bag to put the stroller in once we were ready to get on the plane.

Security was a breeze in the Hong Kong International airport. You don’t have to take your liquids out, you just have to have them all in one bag. I also didn’t need to take Dek out of his stroller to roll him through the metal detector, although I didn’t realize that before I had already taken him out. Oh well.

The woman who had checked me in had also given me detailed instructions on how to get to my gate. It was a bit of a hike, she was very apologetic, but there was a tram and she wanted to make sure I knew how to get there so I didn’t try to walk the whole way. Looking back, I’m not even sure I could have walked there even if I had wanted to.

I didn’t get a seat when my ticket was booked. I had bought a multi-stop ticket through Travelocity.com so I could fly United for the bulk of our journey (I get Economy Plus seats for free now. Those 5 inches make a huge difference), but my flight to Osaka was through Japan Airlines, operated by Cathay Pacific. I think that is probably the only way I could have flown on Cathay. Generally their ticket prices are more expensive than other airlines. I had tried in vain to get a seat assignment before we left and once we were on our way, but to no avail. When the check-in agent gave me our tickets, I asked her if it was an aisle seat and she assured me it was.

Little did I know how great that aisle seat would be. We were in the bulk head section. I have flown many times with Dek and never once has the airline given us bulk head, even on international flights. Isn’t that what bulk head is supposed to be reserved for? People with kids who need a little extra space and also to hang the baby bassinets? I guess not, at least not according to United.

Before take off Dek was also given a Disney activity pack to keep him entertained. There was a puzzle, stickers, coloring book, colored pencils and a few other things I’m still trying to figure out. I was also asked if I needed a pillow or blankets several times to make me more comfortable. When I said yes to a pillow, they came back with two. One for my back and one for Dek to lean on while he was seated in my lap.

The airline also offered child seatbelts. I’m not sure how safe these actually are, but it entertained Dek for a bit at least. Basically it’s a seatbelt that loops onto the adult belt. You strap on your seatbelt and then sit your child in your lap and wrap the child seat belt around them. This way you are both connected.

As the drink cart came by, I asked the flight attendant if I could have some milk in Dek’s sippy cup. She did not have any on hand, but she took his cup and went back to the galley to grab some. It came back on a little tray. How luxurious (can you tell I’m not used to being treated like a person by airlines yet?)

When we landed, I was asked if I needed help out with my bags and when we off the plane my stroller was waiting for me and an attendant opened it up and helped me get Dek strapped in. God bless the people of Cathay Pacific. If it were not for them, I would have been so much more frazzled when I finally saw Mike after 2 weeks of separation. Instead it was a joyous reunion.

Why Cathay Pacific Rocks:

• Infant Check In Lane
• Priority Seating
• Helpful ground and in-flight crew
• Disney activity pack
• Assistance offered without having to ask
• Milk on a silver platter (well, a tray anyway)
• Help with strollers and bags

Lessons Learned By A Solo Mama Traveler Abroad

Double checking that mom is still close

I’ve learned a lot in the past two weeks as Dek and I travel in China and Hong Kong together. Overall, I was the same mom I am when we are at home, but there were a few things I had to figure out and adjust for along the way.

1. If you need to hide in the bathroom so your kid will go to sleep, don’t forget a book or your laptop. It can get very boring in the bathroom and there are only so many makeovers you can give yourself and so many eyebrow hairs that need to be plucked.
2. Mommy is the ultimate playground. Dek liked to climb on me before, but nothing like he has on this trip. My abs, checks, neck and bladder have gotten one heck of a workout. Who needs Pilates, I have a baby!
3. It is OK if your baby cries in a hotel. Babies cry. That’s just a fact of life. Whether it’s because they are too tired, scared, don’t feel well, are hungry or just need an extra hug, they are going to cry and make some noise. Dek liked to scream as loud as possible if he wasn’t getting his way. At first I tried to shush him, because I didn’t want to annoy other guests, but after a while I just gave up. He was going to make noise and that’s just life and part of traveling.
   

   Testing the boundaries by seeing how far he can go

4. You can not reason with a 1 year old. Yes, I know we all know this, but it’s been reenforced a lot on this trip. Giving options doesn’t work either. I wish they did. My life would be a little easier at times.
5. Bending the house rules is not only OK, but also necessary when you are on the road. For example, Dek never sleeps in our bed. Since we started this trip I can’t seem to get Dek out of my bed. No amount of crying it out will get him to sleep. If that is the only way he can sleep, fine. I’d rather he be rested than both of us be miserable. Dek is also eating things he would never eat at home. Breads and cereals with sugar in them, a little fruit juice on a hot day, scones…you get the picture.
6. Straws are a mom’s best friend. I now have a handful of straws in my mama purse for emergency milk stops at convenience stores and sharing my food. I prefer the bendy king. Straws are not only good for drinks, they are also endless sources of entertainment. They can be chewed on, twisted into various shapes, and one day I’m sure he will figure out how to use it as a spit ball gun.
7. You can never have too many napkins or baby wipes in Asia. When I have traveled in Singapore, China, Hong Kong and Japan, I have noticed a definite lack of napkins. You may get a small pack of tissues, but only if you are at a restaurant. If you love street food like I do, then you should always have baby wipes and your own pack of tissues on hand. Babies are messy as you know, so be prepared.
8. Your iPhone is not just for calls and taking pictures, it is also a built-in entertainment center. I forgot I had movies loaded on my iPhone until our last night in Shenzhen. Suddenly I remembered that I had The Princess and the Frog loaded, and maybe it would distract Dek long enough for me to eat. He was mesmerized by the frogs and quiet throughout the entire meal. Hallelujah. As he gets older, I will be investing in a few games for him to play as well.
9. Slow down! I know I have mentioned this before, but I tend to run myself into the ground when I travel. I want to see everything. As a single parent traveling with a small child, I just could not keep up with this pace. We both needed a nap by 1pm. I still pushed us pretty hard, but I think I finally started to listen to what both of us needed to be happy travelers.
10. Less is more, or at least nicer on your back. Even for a day trip, I tend to bring more than I need. My back is usually aching within an hour. Every day I would take one more thing out. I stopped packing an extra bottle of water for Dek. I just made sure his sippy cup was full and then picked up more along the way. I did the same thing with food. I brought a few light snacks, and then bought more as needed.

I have learned much more than this, some of it is subtle and some of it had a drastic impact on the way I will travel in the future. I’m sure I’ll keep adding to this list as more and more comes to me. For now, I’ll just keep living in the moment and figuring out how to handle each new situation as it comes.