Flashback: Trip to Get Caleb

The idea for my kids travel blog came about about 18 months ago when Jonathan and I spent 23 days on the road with Xander shortly after his third birthday. Both our boys were adopted from Russia, and the 2008 trip was to bring home our youngest Caleb.

Over the next six months I'm going to write a series called Blog from the Past about that adventure. I will also continue to write about our current adventures as well. This years trips include Fort Lauderdale Fla., Cheboygan, MI and Washington, D.C. and New York City for Thanksgiving.

Jonathan and I vacillated a lot about our decision to take Xander on our 2008 trip. We were very concerned about the prospect of traveling for that long with a three year old. Especially in a country like Russia, where the typical couple goes out to eat twice a year, and kids are a rarity at restaurants. We read several books on the subject, some better than others.

I had extensive travel lists, I packed and edited, and packed and edited again. We needed to plan for three distinct trips,  with three micro-climates, and dress to fit in two very distinct cultures.

As part of the trip we spent 10 days vacationing in Austria, it was less expensive then flying all the way home to California. We also spent five days in Moscow, and of course we were in Stavropol Krai, the region where both my boys were born.

The trip was a success, and it reinforced our love of travel. Many of our friends and family thought we were crazy to travel with a three-year old abroad for that long. What we learned is that we don't have to limit our trips to the continental United States, or "family friendly" tourist spots. We can continue to explore and travel the world, and with a little planning bring our sweet little boys a long for the ride.

Xander remembers the trip fondly, and was a dream to travel with. The trip brought us closer as a family, and helped make the transition from only child to big brother easier. Xander was part of the process, we didn't disappear for a month, and then surprise him with a sibling. The transition was also easier for Caleb, having a three-year old made the funny talking strangers less scary.

We continue to explore because it is fun. Jonathan and I love to travel.  I grew up as a military brat, and my best memories are of my family trips. I want my boys to have the same.

Happy 2010, I look forward to sharing our adventures.