Traveling with a 2-Year-Old

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

30 Apr 2006 11:52 PM

On this last day of April I decided to review all of the blogs I have written in the past 30 days. In doing so I was struck by two things. First, time sure flies. Cliché, but true. I remember starting the month wondering if I would be able to pull off an Easter party with a group of out-of-town friends and family members. Now here we are... just a few hours from the start of May...where did the time go? I'll ponder that later. Now, back to the subject of this travel blog. In reviewing my April blogs I realized that my 2-year-old daughter is quite the little traveler.

Whether by car, plane, stroller, bus, tram, or wagon, in blog after blog she is often the impetus for many of our "adventures." Day trips to the zoo, the aquarium, botanical gardens, state parks, nature conservatories, the list goes on and on. It's not to say that my husband and I hadn't visited some of these places prior to her birth, but now many (if not all) of our travel plans are centered around her. Not just where we go, but how we get there and what we do while we are there.

It's hard to believe that at her young age she has flown close to 25,000 miles (many of them accrued going back and forth from Wisconsin to Hawaii to see my parents), ridden more than 20,000 miles in the backseat of our car, and been pushed approximately 1800 miles in her stroller. When I was her age I barely left my house let alone the state. I didn't board my first flight until I was seven. Granted, I grew up on an island surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, but my husband grew up in the Midwest and he didn't fare much better when it came to traveling as a child. Chock it up to 21st century living. But, whatever the reason, I couldn't imagine having a sweeter travel companion. The joy I get from seeing her face light up as she watches dolphins fly through the air, as she pets an iguana for the first time, as she watches a butterfly take flight from the flower she has just sniffed; then hearing her say, "See dat Mommy," makes it all worth the trip.

Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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Jaime Egan (2178) 01 May 2006 12:29 PM

How cute! I live about 250 miles away from my parents now, so I am constantly taking my daughter on these trips with me. She generally does pretty well, usually falling asleep within the last hour of the trip. I am working on getting her to the aquarium...

Michele Cheplic (37339) 01 May 2006 02:31 PM

Jaime, your daughter sounds like a seasoned traveler. Good luck with the aquarium. I'm sure your daughter will love it.