#travellingwithkids Reflections

I can already look back at our photos from Costa Rica and Panama and feel nostalgic. We are having such an amazing adventure and I am really glad we made the decisions we did to be able to do this. At the time it made me feel very uncertain and unsettled. Probably because of the huge amount of unknown, leaving all the things we put in place to feel settled and secure. Literally once we were through NZ customs though it felt strangely liberating and there was nothing we could do, we were on our way! If we had forgotten anything we'd have to buy it. If something went wrong we'd have to fix it. So far the only thing we have really had to buy is an extra t-shirt for Rob and a sun hat for Olivia. We also wish we had brought Rob's SLR Camera. iPhones are great but we are seeing such amazing things that it would have been so worth better capturing...continued below

Of course we have actually bought lots of other things but that has all been food, drinks or costs for actually doing activities.

And so far the things that have gone wrong have been limited. We lost Sophia's sheepy toy for 18 hours yesterday which has been the worst thing to date. After painstakingly going back through the day, calling up and then a revisit to McDonalds we eventually did get Sheepy back. If he had been lost it would have been devastating as both girls are really attached to one, or in Olivia's case three, soft toys. They go EVERYWHERE with us and I think are a real comfort especially at bed times.

Both of them are nonplussed by the travelling and moving every week or so. They seem to take everything in their stride and all of this is no big deal. I thought they would be more overwhelmed with how different some places have been or what amazing new animals they are getting to see. Olivia did say swimming with the turtle yesterday was "amazing" but by the end of the day is was more of a "oh yeah". I am pretty sure they will look back when they are older though or at least look at the photos and realise more so the wonder of what they are seeing and doing.

One of our hopes from the trip was that we could enjoy some extra time together as a family and do some of the travel like we previously did pre kids but now adapted to family life i.e. a slower pace and longer times at each destination. One or a maximum of two big activities a day. Days where we don't really do nothing but swim and hang out like today. To be fair this is probably what I like a balance of anyway.