Motherhood didn’t take away my love of travel so I take my son on adventures

I’ve always loved to travel—it’s something my parents have encouraged and inculcated in our family. Before I could even walk, I had been to more countries that my tiny hands could count.

So before I became a mom, I considered myself an expert traveler. I would have my packing list down to a science in order to fly with the least amount of things so nothing could slow down my adventures. I had all the loyalty cards you can imagine and accrued more miles that I could spend. It was a mix of pleasure and work, but it got to the point were flight attendants recognized me on planes.

And then I had a baby and I assumed it was time to slow down.

The first three months were spent in New York getting to know each other, snuggling on the couch and visiting local attractions. But my itch to travel was hard to ignore. My husband, who is way more of a homebody than I am, insisted that it was too early for us to get on a plane with our son. I was determined to prove to him wrong, so I booked a weekend trip to Miami for the three of us.

Sure, I was nervous. Anything new you do with a tiny baby for the first time is nerve-wracking, from the simpleness of bathing them in your kitchen sink to embarking on a three hour flight filled with unknowns. But I reminded myself that if my parents could do this 30-something years ago, so could we, especially with all the new baby technology made for travel to be easier.

Like for example the Bugaboo Ant, which is so compact when folded it even fits in the overhead compartment of most planes and is super lightweight. Unlike any other travel stroller, the Ant also can be rolled when folded, making it easier for traveling parents to handle the millions of things they need to do when at the airport.

Fortunately, the flight was so easy. Too easy dare I say. He slept in my arms the entire flight and when we landed we were excited with the change of scenery.

I look back at the photos of that first trip and still get teary-eyed. He looks so small but was already experiencing so many firsts. He swam in the pool, touched the sand, met some of our friends and was all giggles and snuggles.

Our first adventure as a family was such a success it encouraged us to keep doing it. Soon after, we embarked on a 12-hour overnight flight to Argentina (where I’m from) to meet the rest of my family and take a break from the winter weather. The anticipation was making me so anxious. I was confident with short trips, but what about an overnight flight? Would he be able to sleep? Would I have a crying baby (and therefore a crying mom) all night long?

But, again, it was such a breeze that by the time we landed my husband and I were giving each other high fives.

We have been on so many adventures together, it’s hard to count. My son has been on planes rides, road trips, and boat rides. To be honest, compact strollers are practically our most-used form of transportation nowadays. He’s been to three different countries and countless states.

And in this journey, I’ve learned that as long as you have the right gear, it’s still possible to pack light even with a kid. Sure, you need the light Bugaboo Ant travel stroller, an easy to fold pack-n-play and car seat that you can lug around without losing your breath, but once you have the right stuff, you are ready for any adventure.

You have to roll with the punches. Granted, not every flight was as easy as his first. Now that he is a toddler he requires way more distractions than before. There have been times when a seven-hour drive has turned into a 10-hour one because we’ve needed to stop for all of us to decompress. So as long as you are ready to go along with whatever happens, which is basically what you do when you have children anyway, you’ll be fine.

I can’t wait for more adventures with him. To build memories together around the world just like my parents did with me. And hopefully he’ll continue to go on adventures of his own way after leaving our home because the world we live in is so magical, it deserves to be explored over and over again.

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