Some of the most popular posts I have written here are about being a mom:
I find this interesting because of all the roles I play in my life—writer, friend, daughter, mom—mom is the one with which I have the least experience. I haven’t even been a mom for three years, and yet anyone who has ever become a parent can tell you frankly that even merely one minute into parenthood you have been fundamentally altered. There are the emotional changes, of course, but there are also the practical ones.
A particular practicality of my life that has drastically changed since becoming a mom is the way, and the frequency with which, I travel. I used to travel often, I spent years living abroad, I loved (and still love!) adventures and new places and seeing as much of the world as I can possibly see. Babies make that hard. Toddlers make it feel nearly impossible. Toddlers, mine at least, are not interested in new cities or the perfect hotel; they’re interested in routine, in going to the playground, in staying home and playing with their toys. When you do bring toddlers out into the world there is a lot to keep track of: snacks, travel potties, changes of clothes, stuffies, not to mention the children themselves. Haggard travel mom is often the one keeping track of these very many items, and picking a screaming limp-bodied toddler off the floor when they’ve decided they don’t want to walk through the airport terminal anymore. Haggard travel mom is someone who is new to me, but she and I are now one. That’s not how I ever traveled before.