Before Liam was born, we bought and borrowed a number of books about getting a new sibling, and they really seemed to help Benjamin understand what was going on. So, last year, as we started to prepare for our astonishingly adventurous move abroad, I wanted to get a book to help with that change, but I couldn’t find anything that was really appropriate. So I wrote one for him. It was short and simple, and it explained all of the changes he would be experiencing over the coming months. I explained about how our things would get packed, the movers would come, we’d say goodbye to our house, we’d stay at Grandma’s for a while and then we’d go to the airport. I explained about how Bailey would ride in a crate (but would still be on our airplane, even though we couldn’t see him), how he’d get to watch tv, eat and sleep on the plane. I explained about finding a new house here, having our things delivered (luckily I didn’t specify a time frame) and how we’d make friends, travel and have visitors while we were here. He loved his book then, and he still loves it now.
Posts Tagged ‘travel’
Books for Benjamin
Sunday, February 12th, 2012On the other hand
Tuesday, January 31st, 2012I love sharing the fun, adventurous experiences we have here, like going to Innsbruck and sledding down a mountain. I share all of this in part to document the experience, and in part to encourage others to do this kind of thing — to travel with your children, to push the envelope of what you think is possible, to explore the world. But, it isn’t all sweetness and light, and I want to share that part, too. I was so euphoric from our trip to Innsbruck when I wrote about it the other day that I didn’t include the other side of the trip, and I think it’s only fair to capture that part, too. Travel with kids is challenging. There are going to be moments where you think, “Why did we do this again? Wasn’t this supposed to be fun?” But those moments will pass, and it is fun, and you’ll be glad you did it (I am).
Just go
Sunday, January 29th, 2012Innsbruck was wonderful. We had a good time, we played in the snow, we explored, we saw the Alpine part of Austria. I now feel comfortable saying “I like Austria”, rather than just “I like Vienna” (I’ve been saying, “I like Austria” but I really didn’t have much data beyond Vienna). We’re already planning for the next time we go to Innsbruck — what we’ll see again, what we’ll do differently. I want to go again in the winter and also in the summer, but I also have a long list of other places we want to explore, so we’ll have to see exactly how it works out.
To Innsbruck
Thursday, January 26th, 2012First off, I’m going to brag a little: I think I may be the world’s best packer. When we laid out all of the things we needed to bring with us on this trip, I thought there was no way we were going to get away with only packing two suitcases and a backpack . . . but we did. It’s impossible to really pack light with kids, and winter weather makes it harder (snow pants, wool socks, long underwear, hats, gloves, mittens, etc., times two) but we got away with only a little luggage.
Benjamin’s first mountains
Monday, January 23rd, 2012Later this week, we’re taking our first multi-day trip outside of Vienna, to Innsbruck. Innsbruck is in western Austria, 5 hours from Vienna by train, in the Alps (and probably most famous for twice hosting the Winter Olympics). We’re all very excited about seeing the mountainous part of Austria, and about getting to (hopefully) play in some significant snow.