That’s something Sona says a lot, and it always makes me laugh. I’ve never heard anyone else say it. But, regardless, I agree: let’s get out of here!
We have our first real (i.e. not a visit to see loved ones) family vacation coming up next week, and we could not possibly be more ready. We’re heading to the Caribbean for 8 days, staying in St. Thomas the first night and in Virgin Gorda for the rest of the time.
Sona and I haven’t really taken a significant trip together since our babymoon back in January of 2015. (There was a little trip to NOLA, but Sona was attending a work conference. So, I’m going to say that doesn’t count.)
The years leading up to Finn, we were fortunate enough to travel quite a bit–often going on several different trips each year. We knew that Finn’s arrival would put a damper on our dreams of being nomads, but we also knew that we wanted to do our best to bring him along on our adventures.
Last year, Sona’s maternity leave ate up all of our her time off. This year, we’re hoping to make up for that a bit.
Since the Caribbean is our favorite place on the planet–a place where we have a lot of great memories and a place where we hope to live, one day–we figured it would be an appropriate first trip for all of us. My parents are coming along with us. We travel with them a good bit, and I think we’ll be more comfortable taking Finn on his first international trip if we have the help.
There is a lot to be excited about. I can hardly wait for Finn to play in the sand for the first time. (He’ll probably eat his fair share of sand, too.) We’ve already taken him swimming at a local pool, and we know he loves the water. So, I’m pretty sure he’s going to be crazy happy about having all-day access to swimming pools and beaches. And I’m already sentimental about his being in the ocean for the first time. He comes from a long line of ocean-lovers, and I hope he got that gene. I can already visualize the Finn Meets The Ocean video montage that will result. (You know I’m not kidding, right?)
We’re also really looking forward to having some quality family time. I get a lot of time with Finn, as my work schedule is blissfully flexible. But Sona works five days a week and, since weeknights can be a bit fraught, she often feels like her quality time with Finn is limited to our weekends. And, of course, those fly by.
We haven’t had this much uninterrupted time together, as a trio, since her maternity leave, and we are all ready for it.
But there are some things that are a little stressful, too. Let’s be honest: traveling with a baby complicates things. I don’t think it is as complicated as people think, and I don’t think it should be a disincentive, but there is just… more to think about.
Do we need to hire a car service so we have a car seat on the way to the airport? Should we get a bevvy of prescriptions filled for Finn, just in case? Will he be okay in the sun? Is he going to poop in the pool? If he does, will we all die from the ickies? Will he sleep well in a new location? And what about the time change? Will Sona get enough chances to pump? Should we really plan to go on that hike with him? Will he meltdown on the airplane (he didn’t, last time)? Do we have enough sunscreen? What toys should we take? Why the %*#! won’t he keep his sunglasses on?
You get the idea.
Ultimately, we want our to have a lot of adventures as a family. We want to travel the world with our kids. And, eventually, we’d like to actually live abroad. So, these questions nag us, but they don’t deter us.
Next week, I’ll do my best to share some photos–and stories–while we are still on the island.