I always try to be the minimalist mom and not drag an enormous bag of “shit” with me when I go out but it’s inevitable…if I don’t take something that’s what I’ll need.

So this week I ventured out with my new Phil and Ted double stroller (thanks to Nanna Lee). I was really excited to try it out and admittedly a bit nervous about taking “two under two” out alone in a stroller.

I LOVE going out and running errands on foot as where we live is a fantastic location and I can walk and get just about anything I may need. So the idea of the double stroller allowing me to continue with my old routines, etc. was very exciting!

Getting ready to go out actually takes quite the preparation. First I have to make sure the double stroller is set-up to actually take both of them out. Sometimes I use it for just one of them so some adjustments have to be made. This HAS to be done while both of them are pre-occupied as I need both hands free.

Packing my bag to get ready is probably the easiest but could be the biggest disaster. Right now as long as I have a snack or two for Stella and some water as well as some paper and pen and a few diapers for Seb and my sling I can survive. The sling has served as a blanket or sun blocker on a few occasions… And of course money, cell phone and keys…

Anything else is a luxury for both me and the babies.

I have to pack pretty light these days as with two in the configuration of the stroller I can’t fit much underneath in the storage area (more on my review of the Phil and Ted in another post) and I’m usually picking something up at the store. I have to hang bags from the handle bar most of the time (technically a big no-no but what are you going to do)…

So this week I made it out for a quick stop at the market and then to the park. No problems and everyone was happy.

But yesterday I got brave and took them both out in the afternoon for a bunch of little errands…big mistake. By the third shop Sebby wanted out and I ended up carrying him for much of the rest of my shopping and while Stella was at the park.

As we left the park I attempted to put him back but at this point he had a dirty diaper and wanted to eat now!

So we stopped at an apartment building for a feed and change. He was screaming, Stella started crying and I had milk going everywhere…we were a site to see…

Finally I just ended up carrying him home and pushed Stella and all our groceries up multiple hills..I’m sore to say the least.

All said in done I will definitely be going out a lot more but remind myself that too many errands with “two under two” is asking for trouble.

My Dad arrived on Sunday night after a very long flight (and 8 hour layover in Athens).  It was really nice to see him.  We’ve been hanging out, catching up on work since we have a little extra help again and doing some more sightseeing.

Paw-Paw and Stella

We hiked up the cliffs

Stella in the Kelty Kids Backpack

where the “Guns of Navarone” was filmed using our new baby carrier, “Kelty Kid.”  So far so good, very good hiking backpack.  Would recommend it.

We also checked out Prasonisi at the very southern trip of the island where the Aegean Sea meets the Mediterranean Sea.  A sand barge appears in the summer that you can walk across. Very pretty and tons of windsurfers out and about.

As our time here comes to a close I feel quite sad to be leaving but excited for the other adventures that lie ahead.  We have been hitting all our favorite spots one last time and went to Rhodes Town again for some shopping.

Octopus Drying at Tsambika's Tavern

Rhodes Old Town

The weather here has gotten a lot cooler and it’s very nice except I really like it to be hot when I go swimming!  A bit cold when you get out.

Everyone is getting excited about Oktoberfest next week.  Even Stella is learning to do a bit of the German beer hall dancing in preparation.

If you do anything, you must watch this video…you have to see it to believe it!

Goats Invade Our Villa

To give you a preview…there are goats everywhere here in Rhodes.  On the streets, in people’s yards and I even saw one hanging from a cliff munching on a small bush.  Well we’d seen quite a few in our neighbors yards in the early mornings chewing on grass and drinking the pool water.  We had made a point of keeping our gate closed to keep them out…

Well we finally got the gate remote control and had started parking our car in the driveway.  On Sat. night we went out to dinner and couldn’t get the gate to close.  I said, “it will be fine, the goats only come out in the AM…”  Well, to our shock, when we arrived home, parked the car in the driveway and finally shut the gate, there was a HUGE herd of goats (and later we realized, sheep) in our yard…  I’m talking a lot of GOATS.

So Justin and Brandon (Justin’s brother who was here visiting) opened the gate and herded them out.  You must see it to believe it.

Uncle Brandon and Stella

We have actually enjoyed the last few days.  We have just been relaxing and doing the things we came here to do (hitting the beach, eating a lot of seafood and hanging out by the pool).

Enjoying the Beach

Dinner at our Favorite Restaurant, Dionysus

Uncle Brandon arrived on Saturday and we went out for some nice meals and just relaxed.

When he left we hit the Old Town of Rhodes again and it was really nice to see the area at dusk.

Things seem to be quieting down and we are settling into a groove.  And the problems have subsided (if you don’t count the goats)!

My neighbor and good friend Richenda reminded me that when traveling it’s best not to have too many expectations.  While I know this, it was a very timely reminder.  I think often when we go away (especially for an extended trip with so much excitement and anticipation) and if things don’t end up as we had hoped it overshadows the entire purpose of the trip…to have an enlightening experience and to live something different.

So on to sunnier and laid back days.

I’ll leave you with a “cheers” as it is now Stella’s favorite thing to do.  We had been teaching her to do this since the beginning of the trip and now she wants to do it at every meal, the entire meal.

CHEERS!

Baby tip:  you’ll see in the picture Stella’s “Klean Kanteen.”  I have brought along 2 sippy cups, both “canteens” which have been great for keeping her water cool in the heat here (as long as you keep them out of the sun).  And they are plastic-free so no BPA worries.

***Thanks to my brother-in-law, BLee…always a catchy phrase when you need one!

If you’ve been reading you know that we’ve had a lot of issues and road blocks along the way. I can’t say that arriving in Greece has been much easier. Not to dwell on the negative here but I’ll just say that if something could go wrong, it has.

The good news is our replacement villa is brand new. The bad news is that the villa is brand new. If you’ve ever bought a new house you know that it takes nearly six months to work out the “kinks…” We are only the second group of people to stay here so we are working with the management company to fix all the issues. They are trying their hardest but it is an island mentality here and a country in Europe where they still take siestas and consider them almost sacred.

The owners (the Sleepers) of our previous villa actually met us when we arrived and brought over loads of food and drinks for us. They really helped us settle in and were very apologetic about what had happened. If you are ever going to Rhodes I’d recommend the Sleeper’s villa.

On the positive side, I’ve been checking email poolside and we’ve had some nice meals out and been exploring the island of Rhodes quite a bit. I’ve also caught up on a lot of sleep which has been really nice. Justin and I finally seem like we are almost in our “travel groove.” For anyone who has “traveled” for a few months to a year you can relate. It takes nearly a month to actually shed the mental baggage of home and actually figure out what your groove is. I think we are almost there which is really nice.

Some highlights so far are:

1. Our first night out in the town of Pefkos we stumbled upon a bar that actually had a playground…Stella was thrilled and we were able to have a nice cold beer while she played. Note that this was at 11:00 PM…Stella has adjusted to Greek nightlife very well! (She takes some serious naps now that we’ve been here due to a combination of the heat and much playing and activity – and is also able to stay up quite late).

2. Exploring the village of Lindos. It’s a beautiful old Hellenic village that is traditionally whitewashed and tucked into the hillside with winding streets. We plan to explore the Acropolis there this week as Nana (Justin’s Mom) arrived today and she wants to check it out.

3. Attending a wine festival in Lardos. Very quaint town that we’ve actually been to three times. Our favorite town so far and quite Greek. We already know quite a few of the locals there already which is nice.

4. Rhodes Old Town. We only got to explore for a bit today on our way to the airport but it looks amazing. We plan to go back a few times to the walled city when we pick up or drop off family at the airport.

5. Our pool at the villa. We love just hanging out there and playing with Stella in her little boat. She loves the water and now crawls along the edge faster than I can swim to keep up.

Some lessons I’ve learned along the way traveling with baby…

I’m still not organized enough. I thought I was a very organized person and had everything sorted but it seems we keep losing things or realizing we should have brought something.

Things we wish we had brought:

Backpack carrier: We never bought a back-pack carrier thinking we’d get one in Europe… no luck finding one so all we have is my one small sling. This would be fine but with some of the sightseeing we want to do it really is making things difficult.

Mountain buggy tire pump: See problems below.

Aqua socks: While the Mediterranean is my most favorite place to swim most of the beaches are rocky. It’s really hard to get out into the water on your own without having aqua socks but to also carry Stella is almost dangerous.

Extra baby sunblock: Thanks to Nanna, we have a big supply now.

Beer huggies: I know, pathetic, but do you know how hot your beer gets here before you even get a sip…

Things we really didn’t need:

Baby clothes: We have way too many. For the most part Stella is in her swimmer or running around in her “birthday suit.”

Disposable Swimmers: I only brought a handful but realize they are completely unnecessary. The cloth swimmers you can buy are great for the pull and reusable and when she’s at the beach it just seems silly to even bother with one.

Half the clothes we brought for ourselves: We really didn’t bring a lot but I’m realizing we aren’t even going to wear half of them. But this is usually the case anyway.

Workout clothes: It is entirely too hot to actually think about running. But I do hope to get a run in here or there in September if it cools down a bit.

Unforeseen Problems:

Mountain Buggy…still my favorite stroller and glad to have the all terrain tires and shocks but it has been an utter nightmare dealing with the tires. So far this trip I’ve had to change out 4 inner-tubes…We have now realized the heat here is making the tube expand and bust inside the wheel…We think the solution is to not leave it outside or in the car when we aren’t using it and to deflate the tires a bit so they have room to expand. If anyone has any suggestions PLEASE pass them along. This has become the biggest pain of our trip in many ways.

Losing things…I never lost anything in my life really until I had a baby. Now add to the mix traveling thru 4 countries in less than 4 weeks and you can imagine how hard it is to stay organized. I’ve now started putting things into bags and organized for different outings and Justin and I have now designated each other in charge of keeping up with different things (he’s got the camera, I’ve got the passports…).

Translating detergent, cleaning supplies and washing machine instructions (just to name a few) into English. This is the first time I’ve actually “lived” in another country where I don’t speak the language. I didn’t even think about the little things of “living” in a different country that we’d have to deal with and figure out. It’s definitely been fun and all a part of the adventure.

A final word on traveling. Justin and I love to travel. We’ve learned how to meld our tastes, desires and interests into a mutually enjoyable adventure. I love traveling with Justin. It’s honestly our most favorite thing in the world to do. I think that experiencing life on the road with your partner – especially a long-term trip- has to be the biggest test of your relationship. We’ve always come out stronger and happier.

However, this trip is different. We are now a family with little Stella. It’s funny how your priorities change. Last night it wasn’t trying to find the best restaurant and club to go to but rather picking out the best balloon to buy Stella at the wine festival…

I know that Justin and I both have amazing memories of trips the two of us took on our own and sometimes look back longingly for those days (especially as we passed all the hip bars in Lindos tonight), but watching Stella take in all the new sites and experiences I get so overwhelmed with happiness that we are doing this together as a family.

If anyone is contemplating a long trip with your child or future child/children, I highly recommend it. It takes a lot of patience, planning and flexibility – and I mean a lot – but you will be richly rewarded.

It has been a real treat to spend the past 6 days in Atlanta.  For anyone in need of “hug therapy” I highly recommend you visit Atlanta.  I’ve gotten more hugs in the past 6 days than I can even count.  Nicest people I’ve met in a long time.

Which brings me to my great review of Sheraton Gateway Airport Hotel Atlanta

The people there couldn’t have been nicer.  From “Ernest the Engineer” who spent nearly a half hour fixing my Mountain Buggy tire, to Sally the very nice lady who brought us room service twice and loved Stella.  And ofcourse there were the very friendly waiters and breakfast server in the Club Level lounge.

Ernest the Engineer Deserves a Raise

As well as the shuttle driver from Peru who drove me to the grocery store, waited on me to get the few things I needed and then drove me back.  All around the nicest hotel staff I’ve encountered in a very long time.  For more details on the Sheraton Gateway Airport Hotel see my Hotel Reviews.

My Dad left yesterday in a “tearsy” goodbye.  It’s always hard to say goodbye.  We will miss him but we’ll see him soon in Greece!

Saying Goodbye after a Nice Weekend

Atlanta airport redeemed itself today.  The terminal we flew out of had a really nice little sunlit area and we had a quick bit at Atlanta Bread.  I recommend it as it is quite good.  It was also amazing to see how many military go thru that airport.  Having been out of the US for nearly 3 years now it was a reminder that the US is at war.  Those men and women deserve a lot of respect.  I overheard a few of them leaving our airport say”take a good look at the green grass as you won’t be seeing any for quite a long time.”  While we were standing in the airport a group came thru and there was a huge loud standing ovation for them.  Quite moving.

Chad, Kathy, Addy and the Lee's at Tony Lukes

We flew into Philadelphia for a long lay over so we met up with Chad, Kathy and their sweet new baby Addy.  It was really nice to see them and we all got a fantastic pork sandwich from Tony Lukes.  Justin and I were looking forward to it for weeks (along with a Yeungling Lager) as we can’t get either in Vancouver.

We were lucky to have a very nice cab driver from Morocco who gave us some good ideas for a trip to Morrocco.

Our Friendly Cab Driver in Philly

The Philly airport is quite nice.  I have to say though we did decide to splurge and fly first class this leg so we spent the rest of our long layover in the Star Alliance/Envoy lounge which is fantastic.  Stella is sound asleep right now in the work area.  She was quite a tired girl (as you can see in the picture above).

We are off to England shortly and it will be nice to be back in the UK for a bit.  I always enjoy my time there.

Some tips for flying:

All in One Wallet: Holds passports and plane tickets

1.  All in one wallet:  I finally broke down and bought one of the all in one travel wallets.  It has been great and for “family” travel and all the documents you have to carry it’s worth it.   I must admit though that I almost lost it today…I decided to get a black one which blends right into my stroller bottom…

2.  Muslin blanket:  I got the blanket for a trip to Florida last year but it has been invaluable for flying as it’s light weight and doesn’t get Stella too hot; I can use it to cover up while breast feeding and it’s also great to drape over her stroller to keep sound/noise out.  Tonight I’m using it for the first time to see if I can drape it over her bassinet that will be attached to the wall for the international flight.

3.  Toys:  I try not to bring too many but have found ones that have rings attached or can have rings attached to them are best as you can easily attach them to the stroller, your purse or bag (sorry folks, I’m ant-diaper bag but if you must, you can attach them to your diaper bag too), and the best part is you can hang them on the back of the seat pocket so they are at easy access.  Some people have recommended buying new toys for a flight but as a minimalist I think this is unnecessary.  If your child is like Stella, just hide a few toys for a few days and she’ll think they are new…but more importantly, she doesn’t usually even want to play with them…she’d rather play with an empty cup or bottle…and I’d guess so will your child!

Ringed Toys for easy access

4.  Small bags for dirty diapers (note:  take these to the bathroom to dispose of, the stewardess doesn’t want to have to throw them away for you)

5.  Snacks.  Depending on how old your baby is you can decide what’s best.  I also like bringing along some old plastic breast milk storage containers as they have screw tops and don’t come open like other tupperware.  I can store fruit in there without it getting squashed.  I find ziplock bags are fine but they often get holes in them and a mess in your bag.

6.  Changing pad, diapers, wipes (PLENTY OF THEM):  I personally don’t bother with a big changing pad but instead carry a cloth diaper.  However, my friend Kim swears by this all in one gadget http://www.patemm.com/ She’s used it on 12 trips alone with her little Mason who turns 1 soon!  I may look into it as it looks like a great find.

Enough for tonight.

Off to relax a bit before our flight.

I figured there was no better time than the present to finally start a blog…

Tomorrow we embark on yet another adventure, but this time with baby!

This will be my fourth “adventure;”

“mini-retirement” as the internet world likes to dream about;

or, as I like to say “skedaddle”***.

My first “skedaddle” was right after graduating from the University of Virginia (1996) and finding myself with no job and realizing my degree in “Foreign Affairs” really didn’t mean that much.  So I decided to go put my degree to a test and experience some “foreign affairs” in Europe.   Went alone…had very little cash…sold everything and worked 3 jobs to get there.  Had the most amazing educational and mind broadening experience of my life (at the time, 22 years…).

The second “skedaddle” was after Justin (my husband), was laid off from the telecomm industry in 2001.  I quit a high profile lobbying job – living the “dream” life in Washington, DC – to join him on a round the world trip throughout SE Asia.  Words can’t even explain how amazing that trip was. Enlightening and liberating.  It was truly the biggest “skedaddle” I ever did.  We did not really talk to anyone back home for nearly 4 months.

The third and most recent “skedaddle” was when we drove cross country for 2 months after fleeing the crazy world of DC to join the laid back life of Vancouver (2005).

So, what to do when your life includes an adventure every 2-3 years and then along comes baby (2007). Of course, first thing I thought was…no more “skedaddling.”

One year later and here we go, off on another “skedaddle…”

Stella's First Birthday

Can’t say this has been the easiest one to plan but that brings me to the subject of the blog.

How do you travel with a baby?  How can you make it as simple as possible?

Well stay tuned because I’m going to share with you all the preparation and even take you step-by-step as we travel for the next 6 months.

Tomorrow we leave on a direct flight from Vancouver to Atlanta.  First stop, Atlanta.  We will be attending a conference on Internet marketing.

So what about baby (Stella)?  I’ve packed her one small wheeled bag and I’m carrying on a few items.  The only other thing we are taking for her is her stroller (the luxury item because it’s a 3 wheeled Mountain Buggy).  The best stroller for off-roading and just about anything else…I log more miles on my stroller than I do my car. (More recs to come)…

Believe me…you can travel lightly with a baby if you try!

***I must lend a reference to my use of the word “skedaddle.”  Recently I read a book about a crazy family from West Virginia who were “always on the run” and their father used to say it’s time to “skedaddle…”  The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls.

While her memoir chronicles the adventures (and misadventures) of a very disturbing family, I like to think my “skedaddles” are a bit more enlightening and I’m better for it afterwards…I hope some day Stella will agree.