Have kids, will travel.

Travelling with kids has been something I love and hate at the same time.

I love the exhilaration of connecting with old friends, the photos of beautiful moments captured.  I hate the panic of "what did I forget?" every time we leave a place, including home, as we head off.

I hate the anxiety of finding good seats for the family, how will we sit? Is it a full plane?  Will the kids scream?

Travelling for the first time since I've considered myself emotionally well has been a fascinating experiment.  I have maximized on my coping mechanisms and toned down anxieties.  With these in play, I think we are savvy travellers.  A few things I did well this time:

Started packing way ahead.  Started the packing process on Saturday, all bags packed by Monday, flew out Tuesday morning.  Of course, this was aided by the fact that 5 year-old Hannah was eager to pack her own suitcase.  All I needed to tell her was the number of each kind of clothing and that was one half of a suitcase.

Mentally decided to not be anxious.  Period.

Web-check in with empty seats secured for us! Yay!

While in the air and various anxiety potential moments surfaced, I simply kept cool and told myself. There is no point to lose it.  When Naomi was crying, I told myself, "as long as people can tell you are trying to do something about it, you're ok."  So I made it evident that I was talking to her, patting her back.  Ultimately, nursing her was usually a good final solution.

When we travel, I inevitably, always over pack.  This time, Graham even complimented me on packing lighter... by our standards, that is.

But half way into our travels, I realized that I had definitely over packed for Naomi by alot.  I had double the number of onesies and receiving blankets.  I felt very refreshed in having a fresh and objective perspective of my over-packing.  It was suddenly evident to me that my over-packing was an extension of my anxiety.  It's almost a compulsive behaviour.

Before I condemn myself for being compulsive, I remind myself that I am actually not locked into this compulsive behaviour.  I'm quite happy to pack half as much next time.  Ah, what refreshment it is to start to live anxiety free.  I feel like I'm shedding the weights off as I enter into these kinds of situations and evaluate.  This is freedom.

Along the lines of packing lighter, I also recognized what gets used and not used in our carry-on.

I brought my laptop... just in case I have a lot of time to myself and I'm bored.  I actually don't get bored when I'm on the road because I'm so interested in the various people and new things that capture me.  Note to self: don't bring laptop to BC.

I brought too many toys (although significantly less than last year.)  Still, I brought too many things.  I packed 2 kinds of Leap Frog toys.  One is bulky and has extra books with it.  The kids were not interested in it much.  That was not worth the trouble, especially considering the space it took up.
Note to self: don't bring bulky toys, especially if the usage of it is not for certain.

I brought the itouch.  That was a good one, little and very entertaining for all.  Especially Graham enjoyed his new "tap defense" game through much of the flight.

Headphones for all 4 of us was a good choice.  The second Leap Frog digital game was good to bring, however, it also created much conflict.  A sticker mosaic craft took up some time between Hannah and I, so I think for the little space that took up, that was a good choice.

Snacks were a must.  But I will definitely rule out granola bars.  I always bring them and they are almost never eaten up.

And for the diaper bag, I also quickly learned that I didn't need so much bulk in the diaper bag.  I had 5 bibs, 3 shirts, 4 receiving blankets, plus a nursing cover, 2 diaper creams, 1 pack of wipes, 6 diapers, 3 toys ... no wonder the diaper bag always was too bulky.  What was I anticipating?  The stomach flu?  So I don't even need a Note to self, because I have already adapted new rules to the diaper bag.

1 extra receiving blanket, 5 diapers, 1 cream, 1 extra shirt, 2 bibs, 1 soother... ah now I can actually enjoy how pretty and simple the diaper bag is that I got from Irene.

To sum it up, annually hauling the family for work functions to BC, to no-heat camp, to downtown T.O. over Christmas holidays and more, has taught me resilience.  It has taught our family to be flexible. It has given me plenty of opportunities to set aside my anxiety and enjoy the ride.

If I didn't "have to" drag 5 month-old Naomi to BC, I wouldn't have known how capable she is of sleeping on the go.  Nor would I have experienced just how much joy my kids bring to others and how much joy it is for our family to be with good people.  Ah, now that was a good haul.