Flying Solo

I admittedly have been terrible about updating this blog which is too bad because we've been busy. Well I guess that's why I haven't updated the blog. Mike's been in Ukraine and Hungary for work, I have been working on some contract work and we've been trying to get out of Pristina as much as possible. Maybe I'll do some retro posts on Istanbul and Montenegro as they were both awesome trips.

As of this post, the whole Manella clan is back in the US until January 3rd. Zoe, Zack and I travelled back to New Jersey (more on this harrowing adventure below) on November 29th and Mike flew over on December 9th for a training in DC. We'll all be reunited (FINALLY!!!) at Newark airport on Saturday on our way to go spend a few days in Myrtle Beach with Mike's grandparents, aunt and mom. His grandparents haven't met Zack yet and haven't seen Zoe in 2 years, boy are they in for a pleasant surprise...

While embroiled in the 18 hour door to door journey from Pristina to Newark with the two bambinos, I started writing down all of the things I learned traveling alone with my kids. Come to find out, you learn a tremendous amount about yourself and humanity in general taking something like this on. At the end of the day, it wasn't all that bad. Don't get me wrong, I'm hoping to never have to do it again...

Here are a collection of my lessons learned, tips and general musings from my solo journey with Zoe (33 months) and Zack (6 months)...
1. If you are traveling with two kids and a stroller, you will need to ask someone to hold your baby to get everything on the conveyor belt. My approach was pretty straight forward...just thrust the 6 month old at the closest security agent. Generally speaking, European security staff are happy to oblige you. In Munich the security guard danced around with Zack and gave Zoe candy.
2. People will look at you with a mix of awe, pity and confusion. I may have also sensed a bit of anger, but I'm not 100% sure...
3. Your toddler being potty trained will be a mixed blessing. God bless Zoe for her unbreakable determination to not have an accident during the trip even though she was wearing a pull-up. Her commitment to the potty lead to her only breakdown of the trip when she didn't want to pee in her pull up but we couldn't go to the bathroom because they were de-icing the plane while we were on the runway.
4. It is important to keep in mind that whatever sweater/jacket you wear may become any of the following: blanket, napkin, tissue or fort. Keep the cashmere in your suitcase.
5. Bulkhead seating is the way to go with kids, the extra space is invaluable. The only problem is that pesky flight monitor screen that will be glaring out at you during your 9.5 hour flight letting you know that there is still 8.5 hours left. Kind of messes with your head a little. This will undo any psychological benefits of #8.
6. It's very tempting to make up an outrageous response to the question, "Where's daddy?"Here are a few I considered...
     *On the international space station
     *Sailing around the world
     *Flying the plane
7. Stewardesses that have travelled alone with their kids will become your biggest ally.
8. Creating milestones during your trip that you can literally check off as your traveling will help you feel like you're making progress.
9. Don't underestimate the importance of having many plastic bags with you for trash, dirty clothes, stinky diapers, etc...
10. Sometimes it is the most unlikely thing that will provide the most entertainment on the flight. Nope it wasn't the iPad Zoe played with most, it was a red ribbon and my shoelaces. For Zack it was an empty water cup and a bag of mini-pretzels.
11. You shouldn't feel rushed while changing diapers in the airplane bathroom. Nobody else rushes for you, so don't sweat it.
12. Whatever you do, keep the bottles and sippy cups full at all costs. As soon as they are drained, fill them up. Trust me on this one, it will save you lots of tears.
13. You can in fact use the airplane bathroom while holding a 6 month old. Key to doing this successfully is wearing pants with an elastic waist.
14. Don't bother bringing a neck pillow or book and don't plan on watching any movies on the plane as you will not have any chance to sleep, read or do anything for that matter. This helps with #15.
15. Keep your carry-ons to a minimum. The more stuff you have the more chances are that you will leave something somewhere.
16. Get to know the other parents and kids on your flights. This seems to happen naturally, but if it doesn't it won't hurt to strike up a conversation with the other poor souls traveling with their kids. The families on a plane end up forming an unbreakable alliance for baggage handling, elevator holding and stroller wrangling.
17. Embrace the fact that your kid will cry at some point (and most probably many times) during the flight and that there will be nothing you can do to comfort him/her. The sooner you accept this, the sooner your stress level will drop.
18. Think of the trip as an opportunity to work on your creative thinking, problem solving and patience. The experience will likely age you but you will all survive it!!!