It’s been more than three years since I was last in another country.
Wow. Time flies (but I don’t) when you’re a new dad and there’s a global pandemic happening.
My boy just turned three today, which means it’s also three years since I last had a decent sleep-in. I also have a daughter, who turned one a couple of weeks ago. They’re not quite of an age yet that I’d consider suitable for taking on a long overseas holiday anyway.
Perhaps I would take them to Australia, if I could. That’s just “across the ditch” from here in New Zealand. We could hire a car and drive up the Sunshine Coast, reliving our last overseas adventure, our babymoon, just over three years ago. At least Mrs Man vs World would be able to imbibe some wine this time.
But where I really want to take my kids when they’re older is the United States. We could visit Disneyland with kids, which is something I swore I’d never do, when I went there the first time and saw how exhausting it was having to shepherd your kids around the place, lining up for hours, and having to take out another mortgage to supply them with swag and snacks.
Now it seems like it’d be fun to pose for a family photo with Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, and the whole gang.
My boy kinda likes sports now (he’s got no choice, given how sports-mad both of his parents are). So I’d like to take him to an NBA game. I’ve been to a Major League Baseball match once in Houston, which was heaps of fun, but there’s no way he’d be able to sit through that. American football doesn’t interest me, so that’s out too.
I’d still like to do a roadtrip on the east coast. I’d like to see New York City again, visit Boston and Philadelphia for the first time, and stop by the Carolinas.
But arguably more family friendly would be another trip to Hawaii. I loved the blissed-out beach vibes, craft beer, and shopping in Waikiki. The kids would appreciate it too (well, maybe not the beer), and it’s not a long flight from New Zealand, at least as far as long flights go.
I might be able to keep the kids entertained for just over eight hours, right? I know I could if we timed the flight so it was overnight. Though I’m pretty sure they’d be a freakin’ mess when we arrived at our destination, so we’d need a day or two to catch up on sleep and acclimate.
What’s the best age for a kid to travel?
That’s not a rhetorical question. I’d really like to know the answer.
Both of my kids walk now, but they’re not that great at listening to me or doing what they’re told. We’d need to take a pram, at least for the little one, and they’d both still need car seats if we’re planning on travelling anywhere by car.
Then there’s that small thing called Covid-19 to think about. Come to think of it, perhaps we’re better off staying here for now, travelling domestically, biding our time.
Still, a man can dream about travelling the world once more…
