I hope someone remembered to pack the baby

I used to travel light…besides my cultural baggage.  I’d throw a pair of underwear in my backpack and hit the road.  I didn’t write the book on Travelin’ Light, but I did used to write the column on it.

But now that we have a baby in tow/in car seat/in jogging stroller/in arms, the packing list has expanded exponentially.  Could someone tell me why a 17-pound baby requires 500-pounds of gear?

Annie, Harper, and I are in Michigan on vacation. It’s supposed to be a beach vacation, but sweatshirt weather has dictated otherwise.  It took half the morning to pack all of our stuff into the four-door car, Pontiac (don’t get me started) G6 that we bought when Harper was on her way.  We bought the car knowing that we would need more room than our two-door vehicles could provide.  We have a little extra room, but need a U-haul trailer’s more of extra room.

We haven’t done much. We haven’t made it to the beach, a park, or seen many sites yet.  But we did spend all day together.  Harper is exploring a new laugh that sounds like she is trying to hock up something. It cracks up Annie and I, which cracks up Harper even more…well…you see where this is going.

As I type this, I’m watching Annie and Harper sleep on the couch. That’s better for the soul than most beaches, especially ones in Michigan when the highs are a chilly 65.

This is what it looks like when I used to travel (Actually I’m hiking on New Zealand’s Stewart Island with a week of supplies and rations):

Travelin' Light

This is what it looks like now (on the way to Michigan for a weekend):

Where's the baby?

 
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Kelsey, that’s hilarious! Welcome to parenthood. 🙂

Kelsey says:

Thank Joanne. It’s worth it…I think.

Let your voice be heard!