8 Simple Rules to Traveling with my Toddler

Hey everyone! I have decided to dust off the ole blog for another try. Why? I've been feeling a little frustrated with Facebook/Instagram because I can't tell the whole story. Chris and I realize we are extremely lucky to live in Germany and explore Europe easily. But between the cute Lily photos are moments where we are just learning how to parent. Now with our goal of "24 countries in 24 months" in reach, I would like to document these stories. I'm hoping this can be a space where I can tell you about our (mis)adventures. I think some of our stories are funny. Maybe you'll find them funny too.

As a re-introduction, here are our "8 simple rules"
1) Babywearing
For me, babywearing is a must in Europe. Most European sidewalks and buildings aren't stroller-friendly so it's the easiest way for us to get around. It's also the easiest way for me to carry a baby up hundreds of stairs with no end in sight. I'm looking at you, St. Paul's Cathedral. Many people ask me why I am always wearing Lily. The answer: teamwork. Chris is in charge of carrying the backpack and taking photos. I carry Lily and grab supplies as needed off Chris (see point 8). Lily doesn't like standing still for long periods of time so if Chris wants to read signs in a museum I'm free to walk around, keeping both Lily and I happy. She's getting heavy so this summer I plan to switch to a back-carry.
2) If the baby needs a drink/snack, so do you
This one is pretty self explanatory. We like to use these "baby breaks" to try out the local fare every few hours.
3) Rent a car and go
I find road trips are easiest with a baby. While we've done plane trips, it always feels like a stressful ordeal for me. Driving allows you to make your own timeline, make changes, and be spontaneous. It also gives you lots of room to pack snacks and change diapers. Which leads me to the next point...
4) No changing table? Make it work
In Europe changing tables can be few and far between. And bathroom stalls are tiny. So you have to get creative. Which can lead to hilarity. And sweat. I just make sure Chris has my next drink order before I brave the elements.
5) Splurge for the extra hotel space
This point I can't take any credit for. I'm the frugal one in our marriage, so if it was up to me we would stay in "one level up from a hostel" for our travels. That's why I don't book our hotels. Major husband points here- Chris is very good finding spacious hotel rooms that suit our all our needs. The smallest hotel room we had was in Paris, France off the Champs Elysees. Even though Lily was only 4 months old it felt like we were on top of each other. Since then we always look for suite steals.
6) Location, location, location
Going off the last point, it's important to us to have a centrally located hotel while traveling. Sometimes cafe "baby breaks" just don't cut it. So it's nice to be able to go back to our hotel for afternoon nap (for all) and recharge before some evening exploring. The more time you spend trying to get to places the more time you allow for a toddler to get restless.
7) Hope for the best, plan for the worst
If you're going to see a priceless work of art or a sacred temple, just expect that your baby will discover the power of her echoing voice in that moment. Have a game plan and an exit. We try to have a list of main attractions we would like to see and try not to get too hung up on what happens in between. Stay flexible because even though you think you're steering this ship the baby is staring at you from her babywearing throne like...

8) KinderKeks
Always have kinderkeks available and ready to go. They come in four packs of ten and they are magical. Hide them in every pocket. And when your kid is about to lose it, break off a piece, and let the calm set in. I will take to my grave the places I have slipped Lily these wonderful cookies.

A Day in Bamberg

Bamberg was established around the 10th century and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A World Heritage Site is a place of significance based on six criteria. For comparison, places such as the Grand Canyon, Statue of Liberty, and Redwood Forest are World Heritage Sites.
After finding a parking spot with our friends, the first thing we did was eat! Chris and I both ordered Bamberger Zwiebel (meatloaf-stuffed onion, topped with bacon) at the tavern Schlenkerla. It was delicious! We also enjoyed one of their famous smoked beers with our lunch.

Next we walked up to the Neue Residenz (new palace), which housed bishops after the 17th century.

The back of the palace has a majestic Rosengarten (rose garden).

The views of Bamberg from the Rosengarten were spectacular!

Next we walked across the street to the Alte Hofhaltung (old palace), which housed bishops in the 16th and 17th centuries. I also had my first "pay to use the bathroom" experience here, which set me back €0.50.

We then entered the Bamberg Cathedral, which was founded in 1002. Chris enjoyed translating all the Latin signs for us. It was the first time all day we had a solid grasp on a non-english language!

 Pope Clement II and Emperor Henry II are buried in the Cathedral.

We then continued our tour of the town, enjoying food and drinks along the way.

I really enjoyed Bamberg and I cannot wait for future visits where we can explore even more of the city. I will say, being in the German economy was definitely a culture shock for me. I have a new motivation to expand my German because it was so unnerving trying to speak to Germans only knowing a few words!

MonroadTrip: A Quick Recap

Since my camera is dead and Chris is over in Europe, I'm relying strictly on my cell phone photos for this recap. 3 weeks, 4,000 miles, and 15 states (plus the District) was quite the adventure!

Maggie was such a trooper. We made sure she was as comfy as possible in her crate as we drove across the country.

Our first day took us to Bozeman, Montana. We then spent the second day exploring Yellowstone National Park.

I can't wait to share my camera photos from Yellowstone, it was so beautiful!

After camping in Yellowstone, we made our way to Rapid City, South Dakota. It was so cute! They have a statue for every US president.

The next day we got up early to see the sunrise at Mount Rushmore. Besides the park ranger, we were the only people in the park!

From Mt. Rushmore we made our way through South Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin to have with a weekend in Chicago. We were able to see some of our closest friends and experience THIS:

From Chicago we made our way to Michigan for 10 days. We spent most of our time in Michigan seeing family, filling up on Biggby Coffee, and enjoying our home. We also went to a Detroit Lions pre-season game!

After Michigan we drove to Washington, DC. We enjoyed up our last few days together in my favorite city. Besides all the fun we had, we also had to take our car to the VPC so that it could be shipped to Germany.

So that leads us to where we are now. Where am I? Michigan. Where is Chris? Germany. 

At first I was pretty disappointed to not fly out with Chris. This was going to be our "true" first move together, and somehow we added a period of separation to it. Even though we didn't want it this way, there are some positives to situation. He's over there, figuring out housing, cell phones, and all his paperwork right now so when I get there everything has settled down. I should be arriving right around when our boxes and car arrives, which will be nice. 

I can't wait to get to Germany and get to work, but until then I'm soaking up some "Pure Michigan" and my family.

Überraschung! We're moving to Germany

To say I've been in denial about moving to Germany would be an understatement. Dealing with the military, you expect plans to be delayed or cancelled. Then I saw the orders for September and Chris's assigned unit. It's really happening.

The first question people ask is: "How do you feel about this?" To be honest, I'm not sure. The best way I can sum it up is that my inner teen and adult are at war.

In my head, teen Julie (believer, dreamer, and eternal optimist) says:

"THIS IS AMAZING. I've always wanted to live in Europe! I'm going to see the world! I can finally witness a Tour de France! I should start learning German now. I'm downloading all the language apps I can find! Think of all the fabulous food in Germany! Oktoberfest and Christmas Markets! Wine in Italy, beaches in Greece, the Alps, Buckingham Palace, Eiffel tower- I WANT TO SEE IT ALL!"

And my adult self replies:

"What is the housing situation? What am I certified and licensed to work as? Will I be able to find work? I need work, I have student loan payments! How will this affect my career path? I'll have to do most of my CEU's online. I should start studying for the driving test. Which car do we bring? How much stuff should we move? What paperwork needs to be done to get Maggie there? I need to buy outlet adapters. I have a hard enough time talking to friends and family now with a 3 hour time difference, now it will be 6! What are the gas prices like? How often will I be able to fly home?"

I'm constantly bouncing between excited and terrified. I'm terrexcited.

There is one piece of information about this move that warms my heart. We will fly out of Baltimore to our new home. Which means after spending some time in Michigan with family we can spend our last days in America in Washington, DC.

It will be the perfect place for me to say "see you later America."