First Trip

I took a little break from winter weather, and it’s been a week since I got back to the US from abroad. I was gone for ten days with my toddler. It was his first vacation, his first flight, and his first long distance trip. It had its ups and downs; but overall it was a very expansive and a big learning experience for both of us.

As I predicted, the time at the airport was the most challenging. I was not looking forward to it from the beginning. I wouldn’t say that a two year old is too young to go on a four-hour-long flight because every child is different. But I will say that airports and commercial airplane flights with big crowds, big lines, and big space restrictions are usually not very pleasant for most children. I took the flight by myself and I do not recommend it. Taking care of a toddler is hard enough as it is, and it’s even harder in such circumstances. However, I do recommend something like an iPad or a tablet-which my toddler doesn’t normally use, but in this particular case it helped me to keep him entertained during the flight and during our time at the airport. I made sure it was fully charged and packed with games and/or your toddler’s favorite media.

On the other hand, the best part of the trip was spending time in the backyard with my toddler, swigging him on the hammock for hours. He would nap there while I enjoyed the perfect weather and amazing breeze. It was so relaxing and peaceful. I also visited my grandmother, and other family members, every day. They lived literally a door away from me. And it was a great experience that my toddler got to interact with relatives he normally couldn’t.

I wanted my toddler to be exposed to a lot of different things like people, language, ways of life, customs, food, scenery, and experiences. And it made a big difference as I noticed his language and social skills growing. I also noticed him growing physically, mentally and in pretty much every way. However, not everything was positive. He did end up scraping his knees and elbows from falls and he got sick. I took him to a doctor and he administered a shot. He immediately felt well again and I was pleasantly surprised.

overall, I’m grateful for the experiences and the growth from this trip, and I definitely will not wait another five years to travel abroad again. It was also my first time traveling with a child, and it was definitely challenging at times. So, next time should be easier and better.