Travel has always highlighted to me, the importance of remembering that expectations of a trip or location may not always be the same in reality. This is something I have discovered a number of times. Especially when visiting major landmarks, where you might expect or hope for it to be quiet with minimal people, so you can get a nice photo. That never happens unless...
Becoming a parent is one of the most incredible experiences I have had in my life. The creation of human life, and watching a little person grow before your eyes is absolutely wonderful and I feel so privileged to have a little girl who I am able to care for. However, it is not always wonderful. It is also hard, very hard. There are sleepless nights, tears and...
Do you remember how travel changed after 9/11? Suddenly security was much stricter and we were made to put all our liquids into clear plastic bags. Then there was the shoe bomber incident shortly after, which meant everyone was taking off their shoes and various other items of clothing to be scanned. That was back in 2001, and granted I wasn’t travelling that much...
I started writing some reflections about what I have learnt through the lockdowns in June 2020, and now suddenly it is March 2021; one year since the virus started wreaking havoc globally. Phrases such as covid, lockdown, new varriant, tiers, and social distancing are now all part of our everyday language. Sanitiser has become a staple in our handbags, that is when...
Over the past decade I have travelled very frequently, taking some 30 flights per year at my peak. Flying has always felt like the norm to me. Like getting a bus. Then I had a baby, and things slowed down a bit. However, we did manage to take our first flight with her in March 2020. Then there was a pandemic and no one was flying for a while. As I started my...
Just like with our first experience of travelling with our newborn, our first experience of air travel with our baby gave us mixed feelings. Excitement at the fact that she would be going on her first flight, but nerves at how it would go. Normally I love air travel and airports (even those early morning flights). I love getting there and sitting in departures...
As with many stages of parenthood, I dived into the weaning stage with a mix of anxiety and excitement. I remember saying months ago that I couldn’t wait for our little one to try ‘real food’ mainly as I had hoped she would need less milk feeds, and therefore reduce the amount I would need to express milk for her. Starting to wean Initially we had...
Self-isolation with a baby. What a title for a blog post, and one which I had never thought I would be writing. 4 weeks ago, I was in Mallorca and excited to be writing things such as “flying with a baby” and “Mallorca, Spain: our first family holiday”. Hopefully, I will write those posts one day. Somehow it doesn’t feel that appropriate to be writing about travel...
Before having a baby, my daily essential items would more or less consist of my phone, purse, keys and a bottle of water. If travelling I’d also have my camera and passport. When preparing to have a baby, we looked at a number of lists of so called baby essentials (google it, and you’ll get one hundred and one different lists). We also talked to friends...
As the end of the year closes, it often leads to a lot of reflections and aspirations. Reflecting on the year just gone and aspirations for the year to come. I often think about the year that has just gone and how quick it has been. However, this year is a little different in that we are now entering into a new decade. Yes the roaring twenties are back! With that in...