Two years ago, Ted and I landed at PDX International Airport in a little prop plane on December 25th, home at last from roaming the globe for 350-some days with a couple tattered backpacks and way too many electronics.
We crossed the tarmac in familiar rain, gave hugs and took reunion pictures with parents and siblings, and returned to rural Oregon where we dropped our bags, ate home cooked meals, and eventually announced our plans to spend nine months preparing to welcome little babyOregonian.
A little later that spring, rumors of an extended family trip to Hawaii circulated, and the notion sounded so lovely…and so far off. The end of 2014? Twenty months away! Enough to keep a wanderlust heart fed with hope, but laughably beyond the realities of life on the ground.
AND: Announcements for a giant 2014 extended-family Hawaii trip brighten the travel horizons! Crazy to think of #babyOregonian joining us ;)
— Bethany & Ted (@twoOregonians) April 1, 2013
Fast forward through those twenty months: we returned to NE Portland…had a baby…watched her grow…took an air travel trial run (sigh, that post still lives in the “drafts” folder)…celebrated her first birthday…bought a house…and snuggled in for a doozy of an autumn with promise of a bright sunny Christmas getaway in the tropics.
If shopping for swimming suits was any indication, though, I learned quickly that travels with a toddler were an entirely different beast that travels with just the two of us…
Trip Planning: a.k.a. The Swimsuit Search
Nope, you can’t just try on endless strings of swimsuits with a crawler creeping her way around the dressing room floor. I promise this is true: I tried. On my first Hawaii-suit-search, I took Lucie along and attempted to set her up with a blanket and books and snacks while I did the spandex-dance. She lasted all of seven minutes. Long enough to put a few things on hold and attempt another try later…
The good thing? I went straight to the best-bet source: Popina, Portland’s great spot for all swim-things classy and well made. (I couldn’t manage to wrangle a baby and a brew, but did you know they’ll offer you a free Kona beer while you shop?)
I went back again, this time sans kiddo, narrowed it down to my three favorites, and eventually pulled the trigger on Suit A (the perfectly luxurious/cute/kid-chasing-friendly Summer Garden Boyleg Maillot by Australian brand Seafolly).
And then, departure day…
Too Late to Second Guess the Packing Job: Flight’s Boarding
I won’t bore you with details, but it was a laughable job, packing for the three of us. Cramming clothes into the travel crib bag. Popping toddler snacks into pillboxes for the plane ride. I pictured friends who still travel frequently with their little ones and gave them imaginary gold stars as I spent the better part of a week assembling luggage, outfits, and just-in-case baby medicines.
And then: be still my heart.
It all paid off when my eyes landed on my two favorite people, together, with me, at that most magical place: the airport.
We left early out of Portland, flew to San Jose, and then set westward toward those little gems floating in the Pacific.
I’d like to imagine I’m raising another little-miss-intrepid-adventurer…
Please note: My best trick for a plane ride with a 15 month old? A healthy supply of sticky notes.
And a pom-pom.
And pipe cleaner.
And seat-back pocket paraphernalia…
And row upon row of happy-to-help-out uncles and cousins willing to read the emergency exit instructions over and over (and over)…
Perks of traveling with extended family!
Arrive Alive
I wish I could say that this photo was indicative of the entire flight. No, sadly, Lucie’s not much of a sleeper on planes. But for this quick moment, the three of us were sorted and (mostly) happy: ready to land, ready to step out of that airport and into warm rays of sunshine, ready to give hugs and take reunion pictures with parents and siblings and cousins and grandparents and aunts and uncles, ready to drop our bags and eat tropical meals, ready to sail and whale watch and sample Maui coffee and enjoy BBQs on the beach and let the change of scenery and the thrill of adventure serve to underscore the very best part of travel: sharing time and making memories with the ones you love.
When we descended toward the ocean and spotted the island shoreline, that familiar little thrill rose up in my heart…this time, though, infinitely compounded by the joy of watching my little girl take in the scene for the very first time.
Popina Swimwear | the place to go for retro swim suits in Portland
Similar Suit by Seafolly | in case Popina is a bit of a drive…
BabyBjorn Travel Crib Light 2 | truly, packed as checked luggage and filled to the zipper with baby sunscreen, baby ibuprofen (just in case!), baby clothes, baby blankets…you name it.
Copious amounts of Sticky Notes | I swear. They kept her attention so well during that flight that I now keep them in the diaper bag at all times.
Best little travel (and anytime) shoes for baby | In that photo of Lucie crawling her way down the airport terminal, you can spot her little yellow Faas moccasins. Seriously (and nope, no one is paying me to say this), in the spirit of going heavy on quality while living/packing light, I love these little shoes. Keep an eye out on her @faasdesign Instagram account for sales. And just in case you want to surprise Lucie with a new pair…she’ll soon be outgrowing her size 3s. You know, just in case.
6 Comments
Ha! I always feel like deserve a trophy after I make it through a flight without having any crazy kiddo meltdowns. Just think of it as traveling with an extra challenge. Love the post-it notes idea!
Exactly! Slaps-on-the-back for all. (So much for those days of splurging on an in-flight drink and taking a nap.)
I’m going to pass along the sticky notes trick to my friends with kids.
I was shocked at how well it worked. Thankfully we lucked out and hit that window of time where kids of a certain age are fascinated by paper ;) Hope you’re well! Any plans to return to Portland in 2015?
And you thought the backpacking would be the adventure.
Hi Jane! So indeed… Life’s adventures build one on top of another, eh?