I haven't been great about sending out my newsletter, so this is me trying to get back on my weekly updates...
and updates do I have!
Oliver is 6 months old now (7 next week) and he's sleeping through the night, which is giving me so much more optimism for traveling with a baby.
Don't get me wrong, our trips to Denver and New York were amazing, but waking up multiple times throughout the night with the baby while traveling does make things more exhausting.
I'm extremely excited and optimistic about the chapter we're at with Oliver, so I've wasted no time planning trips.
First up, I'm taking my first trip away from Oliver — my best friend and I are traveling to Bermuda next week! This is really exciting as this is also the first travel campaign I've gotten in a long time due to the pandemic...followed by a pregnancy...and a baby.
I'm super grateful to have the support to leave Oliver and retain some of my independence to travel alone. And, also, for travel partners to still be offering a "mom" these opportunities — it helps me feel a little bit more like my 2019 myself lol.
Next up, we are officially returning to Cape Town as a family!
We left Cape Town in March of 2020 and returned once when I was 10 weeks pregnant (and in the full throws of first-trimester nausea). I was already having a fairly miserable time... but then Omicron was announced while we were there.
All flights out of the country were canceled except for one. It was a very uncomfortable and stressful experience and that's pretty much all I've been hanging onto for over a year.
I really can't wait to see our friends and family there and for them to meet Oliver for the first time.
I'm also planning on staying on a bit longer than Meyer, six weeks in total, so I'll be really making up for lost time,
And lastly, we will be traveling to Italy with Oliver this summer! It's a place that's very special to us as Meyer lived there for five years before we met, playing rugby for Treviso. We'll be returning for Oliver to meet some of our close friends and to take a proper "vacation" as a family.
The current plan is to spend about 7-10 days in the north, a week in Tuscany, and ending with a week on a catamaran in Sardinia. If you have any tips on sailing with a baby, I'm all ears lol!
It's so fun to be dreaming of trips again. I really struggled through my pregnancy and the "4th trimester" adjusting to life with a newborn.
I've come a long way and am finally feeling like I'm back to myself. And, even more, I'm so happy that I feel capable of embarking on these experiences and sharing them with Oliver!
That's one big update for the new year! Thank you for sticking with me through all of the crazy transitions these past few years.
Wishing everyone a wonderful 2023 full of adventure!
