Panama: Planning

Let me tell you this…coming from a seasoned traveler…planning a trip when you have a small child is no easy feat.  You want to make sure you have everything you need but you don’t want to take too much stuff.  Here are some of the challenges that we faced planning our first trip with our daughter.  When I get back, I’ll be sure to update you on all the unforeseen ones!

Challenge 1: When to fly? OK, This was a toughie…  We could fly the shortest travel time and depart extremely early and arrive at a decent time (daylight) or travel later with longer hours and arrive at dark.  We chose the early fight, which means we will be leaving our house at 3:30 am.  I know what you’re thinking…she must be smoking bath salts to wake her child up that early…I will let you know how this goes when we get back!

Challenge 2: Where will we stay? We are not usually the types to stay in a resort, but I would be lying if I told you I didn’t consider it for our first trip out of the country.  The idea of convenience temporarily blinded me.  After I gathered my senses, I started looking at rental houses.  I could not stand the idea of the three of us cooped up in one room (can you imagine the nap time boredom?).  For just a little bit more money (about 300 dollars for the week) we could have a house on the beach with a pool.  I started daydreaming about yoga in the gazebo while Sutton napped, breakfast on the lanai over looking the ocean, and cocktails on the porch after a long day of surfing…this could be really nice! 

 Challenge 3:  Where will our child sleep? Our pack-n play was huge and heavy! Since we had decided to stay in a rented house instead of a hotel, we need to provide the sleeping arrangements.  Our daughter is too small for a bed, and too large to sleep in the car seat.  Baggage fees are be seriously ridiculous and we would already be traveling with a surfboard, car seat, stroller, and luggage.  After some research online, I found the perfect option: the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib.  This thing only weighs 11 pounds and can fit inside our checked suitcase.  Not to mention, it is very easy to use!! I am oddly excited about a purchase that I will not actually be the one to use it…motherhood is an interesting state. 

So today, I started thinking…other than packing…I kinda got everything together.  But then I had a thought…could this be the calm before the storm? Is it really going to be this easy? I feel like I’m bracing myself to the proverbial “shit to hit the fan” because there is NO WAY it could be this easy.  There is still the biggest unpredictable factor that no amount of planning can prepare us for and her name is Sutton!

Don't let that innocent face fool you!

A funny little Side note...

So the other day I was talking to my Pop Pop on the phone and it was one of the funniest Conversations I have had in a long time.  Let me paint the picture…My Pop Pop is a 75 year old Italian Godfatheresque  type of guy.  We’re talking Marlon Brando, kiss my ring, and pass the gravey (that’s what Italians call sauce) type.  So before my Mom Mom handed the phone to him she had mentioned something about a picture of a camel to me…here was the conversation with my Pop Pop:

Pop Pop: “She looks like a camel…” (teasing my Mom Mom)

Me:  “No she doesn’t look like a camel, she just has a camel toe.”

Pop Pop: (deep, muffled giggling) “Camel toe…hehehehe”

Me: “Do you know what that is?”

Pop Pop: “Of Course I do.  When are you leaving for Panama?”

Me: “Next Saturday”

Pop Pop: “Ok, Well, call me when you get back…you know it’s a third world country!”

Me: “Ok, we will…it’s not like were going to Uganda or anything.”

         The really funny part of this is that he just got back from a cruise with my Mom Mom to Central and South America and the only place that he actually got of the boat to see the port was in COLUMBIA!!  When I asked him why he got off there he responded “I needed to get my great granddaughter some blood diamonds for her birthday.”  I guess I know where I got my sense of adventure from….

As you can see, they are a real hot mess!

Destination: Unknown

A week before my daughter was born, Luke came down stairs one Saturday morning.  He sat down at the dining room table beside me and I looked at him and said, “We need to have a talk.  I need to go somewhere, I need to take a trip.”

With out even looking up from his email, “Now? You’re about to have a baby.”

 “Yes, I know…but how soon can we travel after she’s born?  It’s been six months since we went to Tortola and I’m starting to get the ‘Itch’ ” My Dad was getting ready to go to Fiji with my sisters and I was secretly hoping that we could take our three week old and go too…I guess one could say I was feeling Luke out about it.  “Ash, this is ridiculous.  What do you want for breakfast?” he said as he walked into the kitchen to refill his coffee.

After having our daughter Sutton, I quickly realized that traveling would have to wait for a few months while we readjusted as a family.  Fast forward to a year later….

With our anniversary a month away and our daughter had just turned one, we decided it was time to take our first international trip.  We had been taking long weekend trip to visit friends and family since she was four weeks old and we both felt like it was time to go international.  Now the big question…where to go?

Being the thoughtful and loving wife that I am, I encourage Luke to pick a spot that would have good surf in June.  This way we could both be happy!  Now let me tell you something about my sweet husband…he likes his research and prefers not to be rushed on such important decisions that involve weather patterns, swells, and waves.  Needless to say, after about a month, we finally had it narrowed down to three places: Cabo, Costa Rica, and Panama.  After another week and some more research (safety, surf swells, and flight time) we decided on Panama. 

As we shared our travel plans with friends and family, I noticed there were two groups of people: the “That’s so cool you’re taking the baby” group and the “I can’t believe your taking the baby” group.  Need less to say this second group can really make you second-guess you choices.  The best thing that we could do is listen patiently to all concerns and then roll our eyes when they left the room. However, it will lead to a roller coaster of emotions....

"Yay!! Were going to Panama!!!"

"OMG...Were taking a baby to Panama?!?!?!?"

"It's cool...we can do this"

"WTF...Can we do this?!?!"

We consulted our pediatrician about our plans and made sure all vaccinations were up to date for our daughter to travel…it’s really the best you can do.  

A New Pin on the Atlas

My husband and I are travelers with a thirst for adventure and excitement…one could suggest that we might benefit from Traveler’s anonymous if it existed.  We’re not your average vacationers choosing a sunny resort that serves unlimited food and an endless supply of alcohol induced napping by a pool.  We like off the grid, sports adventures filled with culture and lots of good food. 

While we were expecting our first child we felt very strongly that our travel addiction would never change just because we had a baby and that we would still be those cool, jet-setting young parents with their kids in tow.  We daydreamed about bilingual children that ate any foreign food that was placed in front of them and that slept on airplanes….then we had our daughter and we got a new view of reality. 

This is our story about how our family tries to maintain our travel lifestyle and the new challenges that we face along the way.  These are our adventures and memories as we live them...