International Travel with Baby (on the move) and Toddler: All the Way to the USA

I've spent the day packing. It really does take all day to pack with little ones. We are taking two suitcases that are filled with our stuff and two others that are nested together but otherwise empty to bring back all the Christmas gifts and things we buy. I really need to go shopping! For carryons, we have two small roller bags, a back pack, a shoulder bag and Curt's brief case. We did very well packing light (for us) in the checked luggage, but for carryons, I packed a lot:

1. Shoulder Bag: has diapers, wipes, changing mat (my JJ Cole Diapers and Wipes pod plus more diapers), snacks, two lego cars with lego people, a small stuffed animal, baby food, a water bottle for Ian, a few crayons, pens, a travelcase with Crayola Color Wonder paper and markers (not a big fan, but it won't make a mess), hand sanitizer, baby tylenol, baby motrin, teething tablets, extra underwear for Ian, a few books (thin and light). I think that is it for this bag. This is the go-to bag that will be left out during the flight.

2. Backpack: has pajamas for both kids (2 sets for Eva), an extra pair of pants for Ian, a couple extra onesies for Eva, tissues, throat drops, and my wallet/passports, etc.

3. Roller Bag #1: two fleece blankets because I am usually cold on the plane and the familiar blankets are comforting to Ian as well. It also contains a full package of diapers. I've never seen diapers in an airport. I always over-pack diapers. The amount of diapers I've brought is enough to handle diarrhea and being stranded due to weather.

4. Roller Bag #2: our two laptops (I was going to leave mine but with the frozen water pipe problem and the skill of the "fixes"so far, I am worried that something is going to have to the apartment while we are gone, and our big camera bag with our SLR, pocket cameras, ipod, card reader, small video camera, US cell phone, Magic Jack. Finding all the chargers and getting everything charged was a huge pain and took a long time. Ian's hats and gloves will be in this one as well.

5. Curt's briefcase: whatever he puts in there.

We won't have a stroller on the way there because we are bringing the double stroller back, but I will carry Eva in the pack and hope for the best with Ian. I think we'll be o.k. once we get the checked baggage in.

International Travel with Baby and Toddler: Back to Seoul

We're back in the ROK! We made it and here's some travel advice based on the trip.

I traveled with Ian a lot during his first 2 years of life. I wrote a post about traveling with baby a long time ago. You can read the recommendations here.

Traveling with an infant is a lot easier than traveling with a toddler and much easier than traveling with an infant AND a toddler! But, if you are prepared, even though it is long, it won't be bad or traumatic, just long.

So, I am going to give the specifics of my situation and then give general advice. Hope it helps!

As most of you know, I went back to the US mid-December to spend Christmas with family and then prepare to have baby #2, due March 9. I was preparing to be in the US for 4-5 months, so I brought a lot of stuff, including, mailing a few boxes back. We were traveling with our dog (a 65 lbs boxer) as well and had to have two vans to drive us to the airport. I did not bring my stroller with me because we just didn't have the room and I figured that I wouldn't use it much in Erie, Pennsylvania during the winter. I brought my Ergo with me to carry Ian, if necessary. This turned out to be a mistake because, at 28 weeks pregnant, I could carry a 30 lbs toddler on my back for reasonable distances, but when we landed in Chicago, we had to walk miles to get through customs and it was not pretty. We checked Ian's carseat because he wouldn't have sat in it for such a long flight and we couldn't have managed dealing with it while switching flights. I arranged to borrow an infant carseat from a friend in Erie so I would not have to bring the infant carseat with us as well.

Now, onto the trip back.......

After Eva was born, we went to the State office to get a raised-seal birth certificate. Babies born in Pennsylvania have an official birth certificate sent in the mail for free, but the time-frame is within 6-8 weeks of the birth. You must have a birth certificate to apply for a passport, so we went to the office and paid for two copies. You also need a social security number to apply for a passport. The hospital usually handles this, but make sure they do it. Once we received the SSN in the mail, we sent her passport application in and paid to expedite it. Let, me emphasize that WE turned her passport application in, because both parents have to be present to submit it, or you need a notarized document from the absent spouse giving you permission or a court document demonstrating sole custody or a custody agreement, in order to get a child a passport. We received the passport back, 10 days after we sent it in.

We did not book her flight until we had the passport in hand. Not even a baby can fly internationally without a passport. Government bureaucracy is unpredictable and you cannot count on a quick turn around. It turns out that the free official birth certificate that was supposed to take 6-8 weeks, arrived in about 2.5 weeks, but you can't count on that. Also, it is a good idea to have multiple copies of the birth certificate anyway.

I mailed a few boxes to Korea from the US. We have a US government mailing address in Korea, so it wasn't that expensive. It wasn't cheap, but the value of the contents exceeded the cost of the postage so it was worth it. After the birth, Curt went back to Korea to work while we waited for the documents to come through. I also wanted Eva and I to have had our 6-week check ups before we went back. Curt flew to the US to bring us back because with all the luggage we had, I did not want to attempt that trip by myself. He brought Eva's carseat in one of his suitcases so we had it to bring with us and could return the borrowed seat. Also, while in the US, my mom bought me a MacLaren Volo for the times when I might need a stroller. This is an excellent stroller. It is the entry-level MacLaren and is very light, but has nice features and is definitely much better (as far as pushing/sun shade, etc.) than the $20 umbrella stroller you can buy.

We had 7 full suitcases (we were entitled to 8 since Eva had her own seat). We planned to check Ian's carseat, gate-check the MacLaren Volo and bring Eva's seat on the plane. We also had two small roller bags, my husband's laptop bag/briefcase, a diaper bag and another shoulder bag for carry on.

Our trip began at 3am when we left Erie to drive to the Cleveland airport (just under 2 hours away). My parents came with us so we needed both the van and the truck to get all the people and luggage to the airport. My parents stayed with us until we got checked in to make sure that our bags we not overweight and then we went through security. Both kids slept through the drive and the first flight to Washington, DC. We had a 5.5 hour layover in DC so we arranged to meet a friend (pictured above with her baby) at the airport to pass the time. Also, it didn't take long to realize that we had made a mistake by bringing Eva's carseat on so we checked it in, during our layover. Between our laptops, cameras and baby stuff, we had too much to carry-on to deal with the carseat.

The flight from DC to Tokyo took off on-time and was a surprisingly light flight. We had 4 seats together at the back of Economy Plus. Ian had fallen asleep in the stroller in the security line and slept for a few hours. Enough time for me to watch a movie and for Curt to get some rest. When he woke up, we used snacks, stickers, books, etc. to keep him entertained. Eva woke up periodically to eat. Neither one had ear trouble. Ian fell asleep about mid-flight and slept the rest of the way. He didn't even wake up when we got off the plane. The stroller was far away, so it was a pain, but my husband carried him and managed both roller bags and his briefcase by stacking the roller bags.

The flight from Tokyo to Seoul started boarding shortly after we got to the gate. It was probably the longest 2 hours of the trip. I watched a program, slept and there was still an hour to go. It was also very light so there were plenty of extra seats.

Curt's friend brought his van to pick us up. It was a tight fit, but we got everything in and finally we made it home about 9pm last night. All-in-all, it wasn't bad because the kids slept a lot, but it was very long!

Now for the general advice:

Documents

Whether your baby is born here or in your home country, you should find out the procedure and timeframe for getting all the documents your baby needs to travel and be a citizen. Even if you are married to a Korean and your baby will be a Korean citizen, you need to make sure that baby can travel so you can go back to your home country to visit your family. You don't need to have immediate travel plans to get these documents as soon as possible. You may not be able to accomplish much of anything beyond baby care for a few months, so if you don't make it a priority, time will pass and then you might forget and then have to scramble when you want to travel.

What to Pack/Carry On
Like all my advice, this section starts with,"It depends." As I wrote on my original blog piece, you can't travel light with a baby, so you have to try to travel smart. Here are some questions to ask yourself to help you make smarter decisions:

Do we really need this during the trip?

To answer this question, ask yourself: Where are we going? How long will we be gone? Will I be traveling alone or will I have help? (You can request help from the airline, but you should still prepare to be able to handle things yourself) How old are my children? What do their personalities tell me about how they will react?

*Laptops, jewelry and other electronics need to be carried-on to prevent theft or damage. With all the baby stuff you will need to carry on, do you really need your electronics and jewelry? I had a big camera bag and my laptop. I was going to be in the US for months and there was no computer at my parents' house. They have work laptops, but nothing I could use whenever I wanted to use a computer. I determined that I needed my electronics and big camera (digital SLR).

*Clothing: If you have easy access to laundry (like at your parents' house), pack fewer clothes, especially for yourself. However, you need to bring layers to account for the temperature changes on the plane and you need to bring a change of clothes on the plane in case of an explosive diaper. For toddlers, I like the second outfit to be pajamas. You can put them on when it is time to go to bed to help them get in the mood to sleep and use them as a spare outfit if they have an accident.

*As for toys, don't bring a lot. If you are going home to see family, they will most likely give the children gifts. If you are going on a tour, there won't be a lot of time to play with toys. Bring light things like paperback books, two little cars, a note book and crayons, stickers, etc. for the plane ride and leave most everything else at home. If there is a special doll or stuffed animal or security blanket, bring it. Even for us, I mailed some of Ian's toys and brought some in the suitcase, but I really could have left everything because between what my mom had at her house leftover from my brothers and what Ian received as gifts, he didn't need anything, even for such a long stay. He did use the toys I sent/brought, but he didn't need them. Some people swear by dvd players. I don't have one, but if your toddler has favorites, you might want to bring one if you have room. If you are in Business Class and above, you'll have your own screen and will be able to choose movies, however, Economy Plus and Economy, it varies by flight and airline. Every time I fly, even on the same airline, it is different. Sometimes we have individual screens and sometimes we don't. Don't count on it.

*Carseat: This depends on the age and personality of your child and where you are going. In general, if your child can walk, you are better off checking the carseat on a long flight because the child won't sit in it and you'll appreciate the extra room. On a short flight with no transfers, you might be better off carrying it on to avoid it being handled by the airline (can get dirty or beat up). If you are going to see family and there is one you can borrow, then maybe leave yours at home and borrow one for the trip. For an infant, I still prefer to check it, but I hold my baby all the time anyway. I would rather have the room than be able to put her in a carseat.

*Strollers: Gate check your stroller. I like to carry my baby and push carry-ons on the stroller. Or now, with Ian being too heavy to carry for long distances and too young to be expected to walk quickly for long distances during a grueling trip, I like to push him in the stroller. In the future, I will bring my Volo (ultra lightweight umbrella stroller) to push Ian and I will just carry Eva. When I just had Ian, I brought my Inglesina Zippy so I could push the luggage or the infant carseat through the airport and then I gate-checked both. If you are bring a stroller, gate-checking is a good idea because it lessens the dirt and damage to your stroller.

*Snacks/Drinks: There are liquid restrictions, but I was able to get some juice boxes through security. Even prepared formula and pumped breastmilk have some restrictions on how they much be packaged to bring them on. Double check with the airline before you fly so you can comply. If you are going through the US, Europe, Japan, they are very strict. Other countries, like Egypt were not. I brought a few juice boxes and then an empty sippy bottle for Ian.

As for snacks, bring lots. Small bags of M&Ms will provide portion control, but go a long way in occupying a toddler. Don't worry about toddler nutrition when flying, bring things that they like and are snackable. We brought like bags of candy, cheddar bunny crackers, raisins and granola bars. Kids don't like to wait to eat. It is expensive to buy things at the airport. Snacks will keep them in the seating area.

*Diapers: Bring twice the maximum amount of diapers you could possibly need for the trip. They do not sell diapers at airports. Most likely, unless your baby gets diarrhea during the trip or you get stuck in an airport overnight due to weather delays or political uprising (like Thailand last year), you will have plenty of diapers leftover so that you can last until at least the next day before you have to go out and get more. Now, I do cloth diaper at home, but not on trips. The diapers take up too much room and who wants to spend vacation doing diapers? I did bring them to the US for this recent trip because I was there for so long, but if I had to do it over again, I would have left them at home. Washing them wasn't a problem because I had free laundry at my parents' house, but they take up a lot of room. I just hate to pay for diapers, but truthfully, it was easier for Ian's school to use dispoables when he was at there and then with all the side trips to Pittsburgh for appointments and other places to see other relatives, I ended up using a lot of disposables.

*Medicines: Carry on several days worth of daily prescription meds in case you get stuck in an airport due to weather, etc. and bring a few of whatever you are likely to need like a pain reliever and an antacid. Bring all medicines that baby could possibly need: baby tylenol for fevers/teething pain, anti-gas drops, ear analgesic for ear pain, teething tablets for teething pain, saline nose spray for stuffy noses, bulb syringe if baby needs to be suctioned regularly. I didn't need any of this stuff, but I was glad to have it. Again, liquids must be in a quart-sized ziplock bag to get through security.

*Blanket- the airlines have blankets, but they aren't the warmest or cleanest. Even in the summer, it can get cold on a plane. I like to bring a blanket that is big enough to cover me as well.

Optional items:
Diaper/wipes case click the link for the review
Go Go Kidz Travelmate: It turns any carseat into a wheelable item with a retractable handle. This is good for carseats that are bigger than the infant carrier models because they are too heavy to carry and don't fit in a stroller.
Cases for carseat/stroller: They protect the carseat/stroller from dirt and damage. The airline sometimes puts a plastic bag over them, but it is usually ripped when you get them back. The bags are definitely worth it for frequent travelers.
Back pack kid leash: Good for toddlers in the airport during layovers so you can kept track of them in a busy airport but let them explore. My son went limp and wouldn't hold my hand so this really helped to give him some freedom but keep him safe. ( I brought it on this trip, but he is 2.5 now and II didn't need it.) However, it doesn't work if you really have to go somewhere quickly. You are better off using a stroller. If you buy something like this, don't spend a lot of money because they are of limited use to most people.

That is all I can think of for now. If you have any other helpful travel products or travel advice, please comment!

Luggage for Frequent Travelers

The airlines are brutal on luggage. If you are a frequent international traveler like I am, it is really disheartening to see what just one trip can do to your luggage. With the stricter weight limits, you need to have light weight luggage, but it would be nice to have something durable as well.

Two years ago, we got up early on Black Friday to go to Kohls to get a really cheap luggage set. Not only was this a colossal mistake because Black Friday brings out the worst in humanity, but the luggage was trashed after one flight. We've continued to use it, but every trip brings new holes and shattered plastic on the inside. We have to wonder if the bag is going to hold together every time we take a trip.

You can buy luggage in a variety of price ranges but it all tends to look the same. The PX has a very limited selection and it is not that cheap, so we wanted to get some new bags for Curt to take back to Korea tomorrow. He already has two long trips scheduled for January so he needs some more reliable bags. I did some research online to see the best reviewed suitcases and a few recurring comments came up:

1. Avoid the 5-piece cheap luggage sets available at discount stores unless you will primarily be using the bags for car trips and only a few airline trips.

2. Choose bags made from ballistic nylon instead of polyester. I have a bag from college that is one its last legs but it has lasted at least 10 years. I think it is made of nylon instead of polyester. One review used a butter knife to stab luggage and it went through on some bags. The ones we got at Kohls would have definitely failed the butter knife test.

3. Avoid bags with designer names on them because they are usually poorly made and can also attract thieves.

4. Spinner bags did not get good reviews.

5. It is worth spending more on luggage if you are a frequent traveler. Briggs and Riley was mentioned as long lasting luggage with a great warranty and customer service. Travelpro was mentioned as a decent lower-end luggage.

We went to Macy's today because they carry Travelpro. They also had Samsonite and a few other brands. We found some Pathfinder bags on clearance which ended up being cheaper than the Travelpro. The original price of each bag was $460. Crazy. It might be worth it if they really do last, but I don't have $920 to spend on luggage. They were marked down to about $80 a bag and we had a coupon for 15% off on top of that. It was more expensive than the 5-piece cheapo sets we've been buying, but affordable enough for our experiment. If they work out, we will keep an eye out for more sales to get more bags. Luggage tends to be put on sale periodically.

Anyone have any favorite luggage brands?

*Update: The Pathfinder bags are awesome! High quality. Great compartments and divisions. Smooth gliding as you pull them. Easy touch one finger expansion feature.They have been on 7 international trips (Curt's return to Korea after Chistmas and then 3 roundtrips after that) and are holding up very well.

I bought one hard-sided Heys and several Delsey Helium Breeze bags. I bought them at TJ Maxx and Marshalls. It is hard to tell what you are getting because not all the tags are on and not all tags say all the information you need. I didn;t buy any Samsonite because no Samonsite bag said what material they were made of. There are several quality levels in each luggage line and they look and the names sound very similar, so you have to be careful. The Heys and Delsey bags have done well on this first trip, but there aren't as nice as the Pathfinders. I still don't think you should ever pay $460 for a suitcase, but if you are rolling in money or you find them on sale for under $200 a bag, I would highly recommend them.

Traveling with Baby

This post is for ltrajman and anyone else considering traveling with a baby. Ian has been through 10 take-offs and landings in his short life, including a trip from DC to Frankfurt and then Frankfurt to Cairo. The rest have been fairly short flights in Egypt and the Middle East. I have found that traveling with an infant is slower, but easy. You can't move as quickly, but with priority boarding and the right attitude, it is fairly painless. As soon as the baby starts to walk, it will get harder, so go everywhere you can before your baby walks!

First things first, for international travel, babies need a passport. Ian had his passport picture taken at 6 days old because we knew we were going to Egypt. Also, if you are going somewhere that requires a visa, chances are the baby will need a visa as well. In places like Egypt and Qatar, you can just buy a visa at the airport after you land, but some places require an application. This is just a bit of trivia, but if you go to Israel, don't let them stamp your passport. You may have trouble getting into Muslim countries if you do. They can stamp a piece of paper and then remove it when you leave.

Next, on a long flight, if you can afford to purchase a seat for the baby, do it. The extra room is well-worth the extra money. It makes feeding, changing and entertaining so much easier. Even if you decide against buying a seat for the baby, you must get a lap ticket when you are making your reservations.

As for what to take, bring a baby carrier like the Beco or Ergo Carrier. These carriers are wonderful. I can't say enough about them. They are two-shouldered carriers with waist and chest straps. They can be used in front, side or back carries and are adjustable to fit a wide range of sizes. They are both lightweight and foldup, unlike a frame back pack. You can do lots of vigorous site-seeing with these carriers. I would probably leave your stroller at home for most international trips. If you do buy a seat for your infant, you need an airline-approved carseat for take-off and landing (most US seats are airline approved, but you should check). In that case, I might take the stroller to push the car seat around in th airport. The airline will gate-check your stroller and bring it back out to you when you land as you de-plane. I am actually trying to decide if I will take my stroller with me to the States in April. I will have the carseat to contend with, so I think I will. I will still carry him in my Beco Carrier, though. It keeps him calmer.

Luggage allowances for infants vary from airline to airline and also depend on what type of ticket (lap or seat) you have purchased. Generally, though, you can check the carseat in checked luggage and gate check your stroller with no extra charge, even for a lap child. Also, you can bring a diaper bag for the child at no extra charge. If you haven't travelled in awhile, the weight allowances per piece of luggage have decreased. Some airlines will weigh your carry-ons also and take them away if they are overweight. Others aren't as precise. Still, it is better to be well within your limits at the beginning of the trip to make room for any souvenirs you might bring back with you so check with your airline so you don't get caught throwing things out as we did on the way back from Japan last year. Another option is to pack an empty duffle bag so you can off-load some weigh into another bag. Weight is checked on each bag. It doesn't matter if you are under your total weight allowance, if you are over it on a particular bag, you will have to pay. Excess weight allowance charges can be hundreds of dollars. It was going to be $800 to get our excess weigh from Japan. Like I said, we just threw a bunch of stuff out.

For carry-on:
1. Baby Tylenol, Ear Numbing Drops (you can get these by prescription, they are usually for kids with ear infections), Anti-Gas Drops and any other medicine they are currently taking. Put them in a sandwich-size ziplock bag. The clear zippered bag is a requirement. Some airports with have these, others won't.

2. Feeding: If you breastfeed, you are all set with the exception of any solid food your baby might need. Travelling is much easier if you breastfeed. I have been on a few flight where they gave me baby food (Ian doesn't eat baby food, yet, we are starting tomorrow), but you should have what you need, plus water or expressed milk for mixing with the food. If you formula-feed have the bottles you need for the double the length of the trip (transport to your destination, not length of vacation). Delays can be long, be prepared.

3. Diapering: Bring twice what you think you will need for traveling. This should cover you in case of delay or lost luggage.

4. Miscellaneous: extra change of comfortable clothes like a onesie and a sleeper; a blanket; a toy or two.

Try to limit what you put in your carry-on other than the baby stuff and absolute essentials, especially if you don't have the help of another adult.

To Pack in the Suitcase:
1. Manual or battery-powered breast pump and extra batteries because the current is different so you won't be able to plug it in. If you think you will be separated from your baby for any length of time during the trip, say to climb a mountain while leaving the baby with daddy at the bottom, or you have problems with engorgement, or want to keep up your supply because you are a milk bank donor, bring your pump. Otherwise, leave it at home.

2. Diapers: you can get disposable diapers most places, but they aren't always the same quality (like here in Egypt) or the same price (like Europe), especially when you factor in the exchange rate. Consider what day and time you are arriving so that you at least have enough diapers to get you through to when the stores are open.

3. Miscellaneous: Clothing to layer (to account for drafty hotel room and unpredictable weather), sun protection, hat for the baby, etc., any additional bottles or feeding supplies you need.

At the Airport:

1. Take advantage of family pre-boarding policies. In some parts of the world, people push and cut and family pre-boarding is not enforced. If that is the case, board last. Don't fight the throngs of people if you don't have to. It is a lot harder with a baby and all the accompanying equipment, so just sit down and wait until most people have boarded if you can't pre-board.

2. If your baby has a seat and will be in a carseat for take-off and landing, have a bottle or pacifier ready to go in case baby's ears won't pop. After you get airbone, take baby out to nurse, if you are nursing. If you are holding baby on your baby, you can probably nurse on the way up, though, I think you are supposed to have them upright on your lap facing out for take-off and landing. Nurse, pacifier or bottle on the way down as well.

3. Don't rush getting off the plane. You will have to wait for your stroller anyway, so it is better to take your time. Especially with international travel, people will push you. The "zippering" concept does not exist everywhere, most international flights I've been on people take their big bags and push. When you've got a baby, it isn't worth it. Keep your hands over the baby's head as you exit to avoid falling luggage or pushy people knocking you into something.

In summary, when traveling with a baby, it is hard to pack light, so to pack smart instead. Know the resources, culture and accomodations of your destination when planning what to bring. Take your time and breathe. You can do and see a lot while traveling with a baby, just maybe not as much as fast as pre-baby.

A note for ltrajman: Great picture of Gideon on the front of his blog. I love that new baby look.

Camels or Jet Skis?

Our choices in Qatar

Cultural Differences in Familiar Signs in Qatar

For the most part, Qatari men wear thobes (white robes and headresses in the summer, various colors with red and white headresses in the winter) and the women wear abayas and face veils (black robes). Here are some shots of signs that depict people in Qatari dress crossing the street, throwing out trash and swimming.

Breastfeeding All Over the World: Arabian Gulf, Qatar

We (and most of the international community) call it the Persian Gulf, but the Arabs of the Gulf States like Qatar, call it the Arabian Gulf. I am wearing my nursing swimsuit from Motherwear. There is more fabric in that suit than any other in my life, but it covers the post-partum tummy, is easy to nurse in and is surprisingly flattering.

It was warm enough to sit on the beach, but not quite warm enough to swim, though we did put our toes in!

Camel Racing in Qatar

While visiting friends in Qatar, we stopped by the camel racetrack to see the camels practice. Robotic camel jockeys are used instead of people. The owners ride along-side the track in Land Cruisers with remote controls. It is like a live-action video game.

We met Sallah Ali, a camel owner, who took us in his Land Cruiser to ride along during a practice race for young camels. Luckily, camels aren't very fast. I think a dog race would be faster. It was fun and crazy. Afterwards, he took us to his camel stables and we got to ride. Curt fell off because he didn't get on fast enough, but he managed to stay on his feet.

Being in Qatar is so different than Egypt. There is no bakshesh (tips). In Egypt, people will ask for bakshesh for telling you things you already know like which airport gate you are supposed to go to. No bakshesh in Qatar. It was refreshing. So, we got to ride camels without paying for it. Sallah Ali was just being kind to us.

Not only does Sallah Ali participate in camel racing, he enters his camels in camel conformation competitions, "camel beauty pagents" as he puts it. My cousin raises show dogs, Sallah Ali, raises show camels. I'm hoping my friends keep in contact with him and attend a camel beauty pagent.

Ian did not get to ride a camel this time. He was asleep in the Land Cruiser and we decided not to move him. Camels aren't safe for babies anyway.

Another One Bites the Dust

We fly back from Qatar last night after a wonderful visit with friends, but one of our suitcases did not make it. International travel is rough on luggage. The fabric was ripped all around the pull out handle and the support sides were crushed to smithereens. We were lucky the contents were still contained. So, black roller bag, you are officially retired. You were cheap, but you lasted longer than expected.

More Jerash Pictures

Ian is pictured with Moustafa, our guide.

Breastfeeding All Over the World: Petra, Jordan

I hope Petra wins New Seven Wonders of the World. Ian is a great traveler and breastfeeding makes it so much easier.

Going Up Was Much Easier Than Down

While at Jerash, Ian and I climbed to the top of the theatre to get a better shot of it and the bag pipe-playing former Jordanian Army Officers. Then, I looked down and it was pretty steep, although it wasn't actually that bad.

Weekend in the City Formerly Known as Philadelphia

We just got back from the city formerly known as Philadelphia, Amman, Jordan. We went to Petra, the Nabatean sandstone city that is a finalist in the New Seven Wonders of the World finalist and Jerash, a well-preserved Roman city. We spent most of our time in Amman at the hotel, though we did go out to dinner a few times. Ian is pictured above with Adam who is one week older than him.