Chit Chatting with Wandermama

I’m really excited for you all to meet Kristyn, a globe  trottin’ mama with so many tales to tell!  Gosh, where to start?  Let’s see, how about the basics first.  In 5 sentences, introduce yourself and give us a taste of who Wandermama is.

I am a traveler, mother of two, partner to a wonderful man, doula and an advocate for mothers.  Despite the fact that I didn’t leave the country until my sophomore year in college, I have managed to visit more than 35 countries and have lived in 3: Russia, England and Thailand.  Over the past year, working on the Burmese border, in Cambodia and Uganda, I began to understand the absence of maternal healthcare in the developing world.  I am now working to set up a small organization promoting clean birth, helping to prevent maternal and infant death.

I have to admit, I’ve been suffering from extreme wanderlust for about 4 years now.  A used-to-be traveler, we haven’t left the country since our first daughter was born (sigh).  It’ll happen again, I know, but it’s shocking how our overseas adventures have literally come to a screeching halt.  Tell us, how did you and your husband resolve yourselves to keep traveling with babes in tow?  And inquiring minds want to know, Where In The World have you traveled with your kiddos?

Our first child was born in the UK, so he was a traveler from birth.  The paternal grandparents live in Moscow, which is the kids’ home away from home.  When baby #2 was born, we started planning to move to Asia.  We had lived in Thailand after we got married so we felt confident that it was a good, safe place to be with kids.  And we were both itching for adventure.   While living in Thailand, we traveled throughout Cambodia – and they even have Burmese stamps in their passports.

Alright, give us a good story.  Tell us about your best memory traveling/living overseas with kiddos to date.  You know, a moment when you said to yourself, “THIS is why we travel.”

I have almost daily flashbacks of our life in Thailand.  Memories galore: visiting 4-year old Nikolai’s “favorite” temple in Bangkok, 1 year-old Nadya and I biking at dawn past saffron-clad monks, riding elephants in Angor Wat, etc…

One especially special memory that comes to mind took place at the Royal Palace in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia.  Nikolai, curious about a traditional wooden home within the palace compound, took off his shoes (standard practice in Asia) and started climbing the stairs.  I wasn’t ever sure that we were allowed to go in.  He wasn’t afraid.  By the time I got to the top, he was seated behind a traditional Khmer instrument following the instructions of an old master musician.  The old man was charmed by Nikolai and then Nadya.  I even had a turn.  I marvel at how brave Nikolai was and how willing to explore on his own.

Before we fast-forward to your life now in New Haven, we need some traveling tips from Wandermama!  Give us a list of your best tips for traveling overseas with kids.  Ready?  Go.

The most important thing is to have an appropriate outlook.  Expect to be out of your element and often feel out of control.  Try to live in the moment.  Forgive yourself for lowering your parenting standards.  I always say my kids were raised by wolves the year we traveled.  They received little formal education; we were often too tired to sing nursery rhymes and read books.  Today, they are all caught up and have amazing memories.

Things that make life easier, whether the trip is 3 or 365 days.

1. X-Large Ziplock bags.  For everything from food to dirty/puked-on/wet clothes.
2. Bed stuff.  ONE special pillow/blanket/stuffed animal – don’t go overboard.  For under 2s a Pack-n-play (we’ve lugged ours everywhere).
3. Car seats.  They will make you feel safer and may save you from screaming at bus/car drivers to slow the heck down!
4. Portable DVD player and DVDs.
5. Legos or other creative toys.  Things they won’t get sick of.
6. Long sleeved swim shirts.  If you are headed to a hot spot, these will save young skin and may not be available everywhere.
7. Hotels with swimming pools.  Hours of down-time can be whiled away poolside after (stressful) sightseeing.  An absolute must in sultry climes.
8. Pack light.  Unless you are headed to North Korea most places have the basics.  Lugging too many bags leads to ill-temper and lost items.
9. Other parents’ blogs.  Find and read before you go.  They will know where the playgrounds and Pampers can be found.
10. Food.  Save yourself the room service rip-offs and pack some ramen noodles, crackers, nuts, cereal, juice/milk boxes.

So now here you are, back in New Haven and I’ve got to ask, how long did the reverse culture shock last for you and for your kiddos?  It took me months to even step inside an American grocery store after living in Central America for nearly two years (and ten years later, it still kind of gets to me).

I was not expecting this but I was grateful more than anything else.  Don’t get me wrong, I had the “ugh we have so much crap” reaction to America upon return.  But this return journey, I was a mother.  It was lovely to have world-class doctors at the ready, grandparents nearby, clean playgrounds, level sidewalks, and …wait for it…a car.  In Bangkok, it was 100 degrees and walking with kids was out of the question.  We took cabs everywhere.   Being able to throw the kids into the car and be off is liberating.  That having been said, I think about Thailand and our adventures every day.  And so, plans are in the works for future travels.

In your blog Wandermama, you wrote about a strong desire for Simplifying your life and on your list of Top 4 Important Things is, “To Contribute to Society in Some Way.”  Love it.  Let’s talk yoga and doula-ing.

I feel like I am on a decidedly non-linear journey to contribute in some way.  When my daughter was 3 months old, I started my yoga teacher training with an emphasis on trauma-sensitive teaching. I then worked for almost 6 months with Burmese refugees fleeing into Thailand. I used relaxation and gentle yoga bodywork to compliment trauma counseling.  A few months later in Cambodia, working with HIV+ moms and babies, I learned that pre/postnatal care are almost non-existent.  Upon my return to the US, I started a doula training and then traveled to Uganda to learn more about birth in the developing world.  Learn I did.  The major take away is that women in these places, and the birth attendants and clinics that serve them, lack resources.  I am hoping that I can use my connections, my education, the privilege of having been born in the US to help other mothers.  I am specifically focused on Clean Birth Kits (CBKs).  Check out my blog: http://cleanbirthkits.wordpress.com/ for all the information I have found about CBKs.  I will document my own project here as it moves forward.

It has been really lovely Chit Chatting with you!  There is only one more question I HAVE to ask.  As a born traveler, there’s always someplace I’m dreaming of going (even especially during a dry spell!) and it’s usually not just one place, but a list of places.  So, what’s on your list, Kristyn?

I love this game.  My husband and I play it all the time and now Nikolai is joining in.  Honestly, I’d go anywhere so I’ll just do 5:

1. Nicaragua

2. Peru

3. India

4. Mongolia

5. Lebanon