Planning an International Trip with Kids, How Do I Make This Happen?

So we've touched upon the mental preparation of choosing to travel internationally with kids, sharing some ways in which travel has a positive impact on young minds, and now we are ready to dive into the nuts and bolts of planning. This is one of my favorite parts!

As an A-type personality, researching and making lists turns me into a giddy child, and that's what this next step in our international travel planning process is all about. Are you ready to figure out where to go, how to find transportation and accommodation, and figure out what you'll do when you get there? Here's step two!

Planning an International Trip with Kids, Three Part Series

Take the Leap!   |   How Do I Make This Happen?   |   Don't Pack the Kitchen Sink

Planning an International Trip with Kids, Take the Leap

For those who have never traveled internationally with their children, the thought alone can be sweat-inducing. Some days, it seems like you can hardly manage a grocery store trip without losing every last shred of dignity and sanity, let alone dragging them across borders and into cultures, languages, and landscapes completely foreign to you.

But as the mama of three kids under the age of four, I'm here to tell you that it can be done. You can not only survive traveling internationally with your kids, but you can thrive! And they will, too.

What follows is part one of three steps on how I encourage others to travel internationally with their kids and walk through our methods for preparing mentally, deciding upon the destination, and packing light but smart.

Planning an International Trip with Kids, Three Part Series

Take the Leap!   |   How Do I Make This Happen?   |   Don't Pack the Kitchen Sink

Beaching with Babies

I rarely went to the beach as a child.

My mother disliked sand, and with six children, an excursion to the beach more closely resembled an invasion of enemy territory than a joyful, memory-making opportunity. Because of that, as soon as I became mobile (read: drivers license + car), I made beaching my job whenever I wasn't actually, you know, at my job. Day trips, weekend trips, corn hole on the sand, day-drinking, wave jumping, body surfing, driving on the beach in a jacked up pick-up truck, raising the Jolly Roger high to the croons of Jimmy Buffett - these are all essential parts of the American beach experience!

Up From the Ashes (Life Lately Recap)

Hi there! It's been a while, hasn't it? My absence has dragged on considerably longer than intended, to the point where I debated whether this space deserved a proper retirement or whether it ought to be resurrected.

I've chosen resurrection -- for now at least!

The Road Goes Ever On

For the times they are a-changin'...

These lyrics from Bob Dylan's iconic song have been our theme for the last few months, and in part, they explain the silence here. Some of you wonderful people who follow me on Instagram have an inkling as to these changes, how it has and will affect our travel, our personal lives, our careers, and aspirations, but for those of you courageous people who eschew social media, this recap is for you!

Topsail, North Carolina - Turtle Haven & Toddler Heaven

The beach is my happy place.

No matter the season and through nearly any type of weather, I experience a great peace when I hear the waves crashing and can feast my eyes on the great expanse of the water. At the end of last summer, we drove to Topsail Island, North Carolina, to spend five days just steps from the ocean, and despite sick children and a less than ideal house situation, we had a great time worrying primarily about applying sunscreen and rinsing the sand off our feet.

Go Fourth & Travel

When we began the Thrifty Gypsy's Travels in 2014, we had a loose objective to record our travels and hopefully motivate others to travel.

Four years, two babies, several countries visited, and countless adventures later, our mission here remains the same: chronicling our adventures, on a budget, with the hope to inspire others to do the same. Our activity on the blog (and the road!) fluctuates with each season of life, but I'm so proud to call this space ours and to continue sharing our trips and life with you all.

So in honor of completing our fourth year around the blogging sun, we're makin' it rain ... postcards!

Finding Nemo at the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Life Center

So we found Nemo at the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Life Center, and that's all that mattered to our Nemo-obsessed toddler.

Even before the trip began, I had high expectations... and reservations. The aquarium admission price for an adult is by no means cheap, and after factoring in the other costs (Airbnb rental, food, gas), my thrifty side nearly scrapped the whole trip. But wanderlust prevailed, as did the toddler's increasingly-cute obsession with sea turtles and marine life.

Well-Laid Plans of Mice and Men

I had so many grand plans this year. For the blog, for travels, for my job. Then February happened!

January was a solid month. I managed to publish five posts, which is impressive considering that I only published fourteen during the entirety of 2017. February came in like a wrecking ball, though, bringing the dreaded flu and leaving chaos in its wake. I spent half the month sick or tending to sick babies. I've done more than my fair share in contributing to the bonuses of Lysol executives!

The Hit List

Almost everyone has a travel wish list. Or bucket list. Or whatever you want to call it. It's just a list of places and experiences that you'd like to see and do before a specified time. I've decided to throw out all my buckets, though, in lieu of something a little more spicy:

A hit list.

A Tale of Two Gypsies: Corporate Climber Edition

While chatting with another travel blogger, comparing lives and wishing our cyber chat were actually occurring in person over a glass of vino, this question was raised: what does my "thrifty gypsy" life look like on the daily?

I err on the side of under-sharing my personal life here on the blog, but since our travels have morphed to being more local or regional, our way of life has become more relevant to the types of places about which I am writing. When I think about the blogs that I enjoy reading, I tend to follow those writers who share enough about themselves to be interesting while not giving enough away for a stalker's dossier. It's kind of like having a first date over and over again; you reveal enough to make them want more without ever airing your dirty laundry.

A Tale of Two Gypsies: Hausfrau Edition

While chatting with another travel blogger, comparing lives and wishing our cyber chat were actually occurring in person over a glass of vino, this question was raised: what does my "thrifty gypsy" life look like on the daily?

I err on the side of under-sharing my personal life here on the blog, but since our travels have morphed to being more local or regional, our way of life has become more relevant to the types of places about which I am writing. When I think about the blogs that I enjoy reading, I tend to follow those writers who share enough about themselves to be interesting while not giving enough away for a stalker's dossier. It's kind of like having a first date over and over again; you reveal enough to make them want more without ever airing your dirty laundry.

Applying for a Child's Passport

So you've got a kid and you want to travel. What next?

Applying for a passport in the United States is relatively straightforward, albeit not inexpensive, whether you're an adult or if you're a parent looking to acquire one for your little bundle (or toddler tornado) of joy. I've broken the process down into three steps, found below.

Time Flies When You're Having Babies

Written Christmas Eve 2017

I blinked, and my entire life changed.

Today we are celebrating the second birthday of our oldest daughter, Toddler Gypsy. It has been such a joy to view life through her eyes! A simple trip to the grocery store turns into a game; an excursion to a historic site becomes an adventure; a camping trip may as well be a visit to another world. She has a big imagination and loves to go to new places, just like her parents.

So Long & Thanks for All the Fish (2017)

Just one more hour until 2017 makes her final exit. It's been quite the year, and it's been quite the mixed bag, both on a personal level and culturally speaking. But for my part, if 2018 is half as exciting as 2017, it will be a great year.

Pretty, Photogenic Prague

Despite spending summers in Germany as a child and teenager, my husband's experience in Europe did not extend much farther than Bavaria or the occasional ski trip to Austria or Switzerland during their infrequent winter visits. That is, until 2012 when we visited Prague together. It was his first true sightseeing experience outside Germany, and that's possibly the reason why he thinks back on Prague so fondly! But seriously, why wouldn't you? It's so beautiful!

Have you been to Prague?

*** 

Want more Thrifty Gypsy? Follow me! 

Instagram | Facebook

Return of the Prodigal Blogger

Hello, there!

It's been a long time since I've lurked in these parts. Nearly seven months to be exact, but who's counting?

Finding Small-Town America - Mount Airy, NC

There's a certain stereotype to small-town America, and it's no coincidence that it looks a lot like Mount Airy, North Carolina. Small shops. Old-timey buildings. Locals greeting each other on the streets. Vintage and knickknack shops sandwiched between local food joints!

In Search of Pretty Places

Very rarely do I call attention to or endorse other travel bloggers and enthusiasts, but when I do, it's either because I know them personally or have followed them long enough to trust their content and have developed a cyber-relationship with them over a mutual love for all things travel. Emily falls into both categories. I've known her personally for over 16 years, having grown up in the same county, attended the same social settings, and everything else that comes with growing up in a rural small-town.

How Having a Baby Improved My Travel Experience

Did you do a double-take when you read the title of this post?

Most people would assume that having children would diminish the travel experience, and if you read some of my tongue-in-cheek posts about flying with babies and how we survived a total of 19 hours on a plane with an 8 month old, you would think I'd be among that crowd.

I didn't say traveling with a baby is easier. But I do think it's better.