Travel while it's Cheap!

I have 2 pieces of important advice for new parents:

1. before baby is born go out as much as you can (go see every movie, go dancing, go to dinner parties, theaters, take a vacation)
2. between 3 months and 2 years -TRAVEL!

On #1, soak up the luxury of not having to worry about a babysitter, or returning home on time, or the natural disaster that is going to rip through your house and take your newborn with it, or wondering if the sitter is secretly a drug lord who is currently at your home making crack (not that any of these thoughts EVER crossed my mind).

On #2, call me a romantic cheapskate but nothing beats not having to pay a full fare plane ticket for baby AND getting on the plane first AND exposing the little one to all the coolness that airports and travel bring. * The biggest complaint I hear from my friends when I tell them to travel is that 'they are too small to get anything out of it.' That is a load of baloney and even if it were true at the very least YOU would be out and about enjoying the trip. We were recently on a weekend trip to Lisbon with the Little Man (who is 21 months) and we saw lots of churches and museums. Yes, some of it got a little tiring (that is what the stroller is for) and then the rest he was wide awake and in awe. He went around saying, "WOW!" Seeing his excitement and awe re-inspired me to appreciate architecture, sculpture and just the general landscape of sight, sound and smell. He's not a jaded traveller like I've become and seeing things with him has given me a new appreciation of the mind blowing transformation in one's world view that only travel can accomplish.

*N.B. You absolutely positively must be organized to do a venture like this and to help you along I'll supply you the ingredients for my magic bag of tricks in a future article.