D and I are avid travelers. We love it. This whole baby thing, though, has put a big damper on our traveling. Recently, I had been getting very antsy to get away. It had been almost a year since our last trip and that's a really long time for this spoiled lady.
We have been talking about a trip to Europe this summer to visit family and combine it with a work event for D. Most people who hear that respond by telling us that we are crazy. Some give us the thumbs up while staring with Rafa-esque dropped jaws and bug eyes. We are really looking forward to it, though. In preparation, we thought it would be important to take a shorter trip, particularly before getting on the plane with Sylvia and Rafa for a transatlantic flight. Just to see how crazy we are, how big a mountain of gear we need, and learn at least a few of the things we're not thinking about.
Our mission, to find a place to go that is one short plane trip from H-town, with baby friendly activities, that we would enjoy. We considered many cities where we have friends. And then it hit us. Spring training. Oh, yeah. We love baseball almost as much as we are traveling. Perfect! And the icing on the cake? Oma loves baseball, too. And she has always talked about wanting to go to spring training. This was our golden opportunity, to go on a great trip, share it with Oma, and have an extra set of hands for the babies to boot.
Now we just need to figure out: two rooms or suite? Double stroller or singles? Snap-n-go or umbrella? Bring car seats or rent them?...
Of course, what did we spend time thinking about? Little Yankee Stadium or new Red Sox? Tickets behind home plate or behind the dugout? Multiple Astros games or just one?
3 comments:
Yes! I want to hear how your transatlantic travels go. People do tend to think you're crazy if you mention plans to travel with little kids, but in our case there's no question about it. There will be annual cross-Atlantic flights, regardless of how nightmarish they turn out to be... so hopefully you guys will reassure us by proving that it's totally doable! :)
Before we had kids, I used to get so annoyed with people who would say, "Enjoy your life now before you have kids. Travel as much as possible!" Anyway, we still enjoy life and have done a ton of traveling, both domestic and international. Kien got his passport when he was 3 weeks old. I was nervous for the first trip, but being well-prepared helps and now we don't fret too much. Then again, we didn't have twins. We try to schedule flights during nap/sleep times. Definitely rent car seats so it's less gear to bring and less hassle at the gate. Pack extra sets of clothes for babies and you (for worst case scenarios where you get slimed too). I recommend getting a suite so that the babies can sleep in the room and you and D can still hang out without disturbing them. If you get two rooms, bring your baby monitor so you can be on the balcony or the other room if you want. For international flights, request a bassinet. It's a life saver, and it gets you in the bulkhead row for more space. Safe travels! I think your babies will love it!
Tuuli - I think you'll be fine. It's mostly about your attitude. My niece traveled with us to Europe when she was 15 months and it was not a problem at all.
Dabbler - Thanks for the tips! Unfortunately, we were told that United has freestanding bassinets and so they wouldn't give us the bulkhead without paying gobs extra (D's elite status ran out the month before we booked. Doh!). If I can stand another 2.5 hour hold before I get to talk to someone, I might try calling again to see if the next attendant is more generous and compassionate about traveling with twinfants. In Florida, we did get a suite and it was perfect. That's how my family traveled with us when we were kids. Lots of good advice!! Thanks!
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