A new experience or simply just a very different way of traveling to what I am used to has begun. Going from traveling alone with a backpack to traveling with a currently 8-month-old baby is definitely different and the first thing that strikes me is, how much packing is needed. Whether it is a weekend trip or a 6-month trip around the world, the baby needs the same no matter what. Luckily the second-hand market is fantastic and you can find everything for a reasonable price, less fun though that one-piece suit we bought for the little one from a nice lady in Högdalen tested positive for explosive substances at the security check, the fact that we also had a thermos in our luggage actually made the whole thing even more fun.
However, we were let through and have now landed in Faros, Portugal. A rental car was picked up at the airport and after a couple of minor mishaps we are now in Armação de Pêra where we have rented an apartment for a couple of nights before we move on. Another thing about traveling with babies is that they really need their rest, and we need ours. This means that even though we landed fairly early in the day, we haven’t had time to do much more than get here and land in the apartment with the purchase of various basic goods that may be needed and now we are completely exhausted so it will be an early evening.
Despite or regardless of whether this is a new way of traveling, it feels very, very good to be on the road again. There are few things that can make you feel as alive as carrying a backpack, discovering new environments, cultures or just a new neighborhood. Sometimes it doesn’t go as planned, like today’s lunch where I ordered a fish stew that would have been enough for a whole football team, but most of the time it just generates a laugh and a happy memory to think back on.
