Having a baby is a lot like backpacking around the world. Over the past few weeks with my new horse, Nova, I’ve been giggling to myself as the similarities keep popping up can’t believe it? Here are 7 reasons…
More Friends
You might not believe it before you start your trip, but staying in hostels (especially dorms) is an easy way to make friends. It’s as easy as entering your room and taking advantage of your bunk. You smile at your new bed friend and soon a game of beer pong begins, leaving you both hungover.
Having a newborn is a surprisingly easy way to make new friends. Whether it’s sharing random calming techniques while waiting in line at Tescos, comparing sleepless nights with your new girlfriend’s NCT friends, or attending all the delicious mummy-girlfriend baby classes in your neighborhood, you’ll be right there with your little one. You can become a friend magnet.
Rinsed Camera
When traveling, your camera will break in within an inch of its life. Everything is shiny and new and awe-inspiring. RTW Coming back from a trip and trying to organize a billion photos can be an impossible task.
The same goes for having a baby. From the first smile shot to the snapshots of each milestone week, approximately 1,356,789 photos will be accumulated in her first two weeks.
Sleep Skills
If you travel a lot, you’ll find it easier to sleep on a plane or while sitting in a cramped bus. Does the light come on? No problem, I can still sleep. Loud noise? Who cares.
Babies nurse every few hours and have no concept of day and night. This means waking up your dormant skills quickly (pun intended) so you don’t get too taken away. You can easily fall asleep within minutes of taking a power nap.
Back to Basics Eating
On a trip to RTW, you’ll probably be living off 12p Super Noodles. Because super noodles are cheap and quick to prepare. When you’re cooking for about 50 people in a shared kitchen where he only has one microwave (let alone a stove), you want to cook as quickly as possible (if you can call it that). At the end of the day, the time and money you spend on nights out and bucket lists is more important.
Eating super noodles may not be important when you have a baby, but getting back to basics definitely is. If your baby is always attached to you and only has one arm free (usually the weaker one), any dinner that can be eaten in 30 seconds is a favorite.
Unwelcomed Advice
As soon as you announce your next RTW trip, you’ll be bombarded with advice from friends, family, and even strangers. Combine this with advice from the Foreign Office, travel agents and representatives and you end up with a flood of contradictory information. One person will tell you it’s dangerous to travel to the country, and the next person will tell you to stop worrying.
it’s the same as Bambino. Everyone becomes a so-called expert, sprouting (sometimes dubious) words of wisdom. The scary thing is that advice from experts who are supposed to follow the same guidelines can vary so widely confused.com
Packing Dilemmas
If it’s your first RTW trip, chances are you have an oversized bulging backpack that contains everything but your kitchen sink. You can use all the gadgets and have tons of clothing ready for any eventuality. You’ll probably get tired of lugging everything around and end up paying to have half your (unused!) luggage shipped home.
The same is true for babies. Travel systems, blankets, diapers, muslins, wipes, change of clothes, gadgets of all kinds…
Language Skills
Whether you’re learning Spanish or French for your next trip, or just using a few cheeky phrases to get by while ordering drinks, your language skills are likely to improve.
Having a baby means learning to interpret different cries, purrs, and grizzly calls. Screams when you’re hungry or cries when changing a diaper are the sounds you hear most often, so it’s no surprise that they’re easy to learn!
Read more: Pregnancy is a lot like traveling (honestly, it really is!)