Where do we start?

I collect stamps. Stamps in my passport that is, and currently I have 78 different ones. It begun with collecting a different "stamp" for every year I was alive, that has developed into two... and then I became an addict. A travel addict. For years we delayed having children. "Just one more trip" we would say, "well you can't take a baby on safari", "hiking would be difficult with kids". Then we started thinking, why not? Is it really that difficult to travel with children? Who says that you are stuck with holiday villages in Spain once little ones arrive?

What if we could show the world to our son? See everything again with new eyes?

So, we became parents to Thomas in April 2016. In precisely two weeks time our mission to create the next generation struck with the travel bug begins. We are going around the world. With a backpack and our 7 month old son, Thomas. I am beyond excited!

Admittedly, we've picked a fairly careful route. We will be starting in the USA, travelling via the Pacific Islands to New Zealand. We'll spend Christmas and New Year in Australia and return to the UK via Singapore. Relatively straight forward by our standards but then, we are learner parents! I'm very much hoping that our competent traveller status will help us out along the way and that, with a little adaptation, Thomas will fit right in.

I mention our learner parent status particularly in relation to travelling. I have already discovered (with a little help from the Lonely Planet Guide to travelling with children and babies!) that there is a whole new world of things to learn when travelling with a little one. We bought new luggage. Do we take a travel cot and car seat? What kind of things do we need to take for him? More about that later. It is surprising though how little you actually need to take. We did a "training trip" with our car to visit family in Ireland when Thomas was 3 months old. This was invaluable for learning what we really could live without. A couple of weeks ago I went overnight to London with Thomas on my own with just him and the pushchair by train (photo below) and managed fine, even with the trusty travel cot strapped to the pushchair.

We really can do this. And I cannot wait!