Just a Carrier: Four Countries in Eight Months
My little one is about to turn 8 months with four countries under her feet. We spent at least a month in each country, if not more. Being nomad means living in the place I am in, not just flying though. This is my learning so far in my nomadism with baby on board.
I have to begin with an ode to breastfeeding. It is beyond food though the food part of it makes travel so seamless. It is comfort and intimacy in the most challenging of moments. She has never drunk out of a bottle. I offer her water and rooibos tea out of a cup. On the go she has learned to drink water out of a plastic bottle with me and the bottle acts as a toy once we finish up. Some days my breastmilk has been all she could get or want. The long haul flights, taxi rides and drives (car seats were not in our reality in Turkey, Greece and South Africa) were all made easier with milk on demand. Being able to carry her food in my body has given us freedom to move, with a sense of constancy.
The location changes. I keep her routine constant. I am her rock. She gets the same kind of day everyday, everywhere. So except when there is jet lag the naps stay constant. Waking always starts with the same song sung to her, making tea and a ritual of throwing the cards. Bedtime always starts with some food, then bath, then books and bed. There is Ruya time and mama time. On busy travel days, I give her dedicated play time and let her decide what happens. Bath time can be a challenge: tiny bathrooms in a cramped hotel room in Athens, showers that don’t really work, bath tubs that don’t drain. I found it best to just wash with her and make it a game. When we have a working bath tub we both relish it.
Getting there is always exhausting. The flights are hard. I have had long haul flights of 14 hours without a bassinet and held her the whole way. She adapts. The beauty of traveling with a child is how fast they learn: play in the seat, walk up and down the aisles, check out the view of humans in sardine mode. When we are at airports no matter how tired I am I make it a point to play with her and walk her around - she walks holding onto both my hands. This tires her, a good thing pre-boarding. She is just starting to look out the window and think the clouds are cool.
I seldom had a crib. Even when I had one I let her get into bed with me when she needed to. Breastfeeding and co-sleeping on demand makes her feel safe and close. Moving around with minimal stuff makes co-sleeping a necessary option. I have learned to sleep deeply with my arm wrapped around her to make sure she doesn’t roll. I put pillows on the sides of the bed.
When the jet lag hits my only advice is get out in the sun at noon. Nothing else really works. She adapts faster than I do. I get up at three in the morning with her and just do a normal routine, but keep her up a bit more during the day until she just has to crash asleep. I have learned to let time adjust us both. No use in forcing the process. Just find the sun when you can.
Baby led weaning on the move means laundry. I avoided hotels as much as possible and Airbnb’d. We ate what was local and seasonal, so her diet changes with place. I get basics like pear and yoghurt, but otherwise we work with what we have. I cook fresh everyday and I steam the veggies. As the weeks pass the mess gets less and less. She chews well now on her gums. Anything on my plate she wants to try.
In all our travels all I used is just a carrier. No pram/stroller and no car seat (except for the US where you have to). The ergo carrier I have is working well. It requires me to be strong and the payoff of speed, ease of movement and lightness is priceless. Plus she feels close and secure.
I don’t have many clothes for either of us. She grows so fast that only a little wardrobe makes sense. We travel light so we can travel far.
Ruya is learning to love exploring the world. She seems very happy, well tempered and I feel blessed to share life with her. Time will tell the rest.
