Travel before kids vs. travel after kids.

This weekend, I am packing two sets of bags, getting ready for an overseas trip.

When I tell people I’m flying to Phoenix, Arizona, they get all excited for me. In the next breath, they stop and say, “You’re not taking your son, are you?” When I say that yes, my two-year-old and I are both going, their faces drop and they say something like, “Oh. Well. Good luck,” before shaking their heads and walking away.

The truth is I’m excited about heading off into the wild desert yonder. My best friend had the audacity to relocate to the States several years ago and I can’t wait to visit her and catch up. I’m well aware however, that travelling with a toddler in tow means it’s going to be a very different kind of holiday.

These are the key differences to travelling before and after kids:

More baggage than Kim Kardashian.

We’re talking literal baggage though, not the emotional stuff.

Parents don’t travel light. There are whole new categories of stuff to bring for the flight alone.

Along with my trusty e-reader I’ll be lugging along colouring books, stickers, hand puppets and all kinds of snacks. I’ll have to squeeze a change of clothes for us both into the carry-on bag, because I know a travel sized portion of orange juice is going to be hurled in the air at some stage and I want to be prepared.

Sleep ins will be non-existent.

The best thing about holidays is turning off the alarm.

Unless your two year old is the alam. So far I am yet to find an off switch, or even a snooze button hiding behind my son’s ear or under his armpit.

Kids wake up when they’re ready, no matter where you are. Your only hope is jet lag forcing them to sleep in, but then you get the catch-22 of a child who won’t settle and allow you to enjoy your evenings.

Limited itinerary.

Remember being young and traipsing all over foreign cities fuelled only by a bread roll that you pinched from the breakfast buffet? You could fit in four museums a day and then climb to the highest lookout point to watch the sun go down.

Well, when my son and I visited Phoenix for the first time a year ago, we hit every indoor playground in the city - and that was about it. He was overwhelmed at being so far from home and wasn’t up for a lot. I didn’t want to freak him out so we spent a significant amount of time chilling out at my friend’s place watching Barney and Friends on Netflix.

While I’d have loved to experience a cattle ranch tour (or whatever it is they have in Arizona, I don’t know because of the whole kid thing), it was actually a really relaxing trip. Instead of sprinting around trying to see and do everything, we paced ourselves. I felt like I had some proper down time and didn’t end up spending too much money like I used to when I went travelling.

Say no to the hangover.

Ok, so technically there is nothing stopping you from having a hangover on holidays. All you have to do is book a nanny and you can take the night off and hit the town.

But read the above point - no sleep ins. Overdo it on the celebratory cocktails at your peril.

You’ll make very different memories.

In the old days, holidays were a way of getting away from it all. The thing I love about holidaying with my son is that we’re getting away from it all together.

At home, I always have something to do. There’s endless housework and I’m flat out running my own business. But when we take off, my only priority is him. We get to experience new things together. I get to see the world through my son’s eyes and he gets Mummy all to himself, which is more exciting than any indoor play centre at this point in his life.

Yes it’s different, but it’s not necessarily worse to travel with kids. We are making memories together and I know as my little one grows he will appreciate our global adventures.

What's your experience of travel with kids?