5 Things I Learned Taking a Toddler on an International Trip

Nora Daniels |

I was elated to take Saoirse on her first international trip to Paris and Normandy this past September. I’ve had many people give their opinions on whether this trip was wasted on her, and I’ve formed my own conclusions on the matter. In no particular order, here are some of the main topics learned from our trip:

  • Comfort Zones: As Saoirse is in her formative years, every experience helps her to grow into the person she’s going to be. While she won’t remember exactly what she saw on this trip, it will have shaped her comfort zone to much larger than it would’ve been if we’d just sat at home.
  • Languages: When Saoirse reached the second floor of the Eiffel Tower, she bounded out of the elevator, opened her arms wide and shouted out, “Hola!!” It was her first time speaking Spanish and we had a good laugh that she chose to start speaking Spanish while in France. I think hearing us speak French all day rubbed off in an unexpected way!
  • Kindness: With a toddler, we had many stops in parks and playgrounds. Everywhere we went, Saoirse made a new friend. A smile is universal, and we witnessed a lot of them even when we had no other way to communicate. We had many people offer help, whether it was holding a door open or giving up a seat for her to sit.
  • Rolling with the Punches: Saoirse witnessed many a wrong turn during our trip. Instead of getting frustrated, we decided to look at it as a beautiful stroll off the beaten path. Also, with a toddler who needed naps, we’d occasionally have to change our plans at the last minute. We still had an amazing trip even when it didn’t unfold as originally planned.
  • Time: We may never go to Paris again as a family, and certainly never with Saoirse as a one-and-a-half-year-old. I kept that in mind during this whole trip, which made me pause to really take in every moment.

My final verdict: I’m incredibly grateful to have had this opportunity and I’d do it all over again. I’m already looking forward to the next few trips I have planned with her, and I’m writing this the morning after I got back from a solo trip with her to NYC!

 

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