It may be silly, but one of my proudest accomplishments of 2018 (aside from completing my junior and senior year at Lipscomb in under 6 months) was our trip to Sweden. Before we became parents, Joshua and I promised ourselves we would keep traveling, and we've kept that promise.. I'm not gonna lie... traveling with kids is hard. But I like the challenge of the planning and the packing and all that comes with it, because it means we get so many epic memories together. This was our first trip internationally with kids, and we nailed it, y'all.
Honestly, the kids did great. They slept well on the planes and were up for the new adventure. We planned to do a lot, but we also planned a fairly equal amount of downtime at the airbnb to adjust from jet lag and just relax... it is a vacation after all!
We made ourselves at home for the week in the cutest airbnb. Making ourselves at home is one of the best things we could have done for ourselves and our kids. When traveling, there is a lot going on, and it gets exhausting quickly, so it's nice to have a respite. And the more organized, the better, which brings me to my little travel tip of the day.
When on the move with a kid in diapers, we stick an extra tote bag (like this one) in our suitcase, so when we arrive, we can make this our "changing station." We fill it with everything we need to change a diaper... wipes, rash cream, powder, baggies for the smelly ones, etc. We also keep anything else in it we might find on our changing table, such as lotion or nail clippers. With this, we can have everything we need for changing diapers and getting ready for bed, just like we would at home, without having to rifle through our suitcases or dig through the diaper bag. It also helps establish a routine on vacation, because we always return to that spot, and I'm a firm believer that when kids have a routine and know what to expect, they're easier to manage.
Below I've shared a handful of my favorite film snapshots from our trip! It was such an incredible experience and I'm so glad we looked past the hard parts. Now it's time to plan the next adventure!
-Jenna
PS: If you're all about having awesome experiences, have you checked out my Family Portrait Experience?
