Khancoban

A friend of ours who was back visiting from moving abroad invited us on his annual family vacation down to Khancoban, which is near Kosciuszko National Park and the Victoria border. It is a beautiful area of the country, with small towns and rolling farmland. We both got to try "wake surfing" for the first time - surfing on a wave generated by a speedboat, directly behind the boat. It's similar to waterskiing, but more fun because it doesn't feel like you're getting sprayed with a firehose while someone tries to yank your arms off. We were both really happy with the runs we did; I was pleasantly surprised I had a good run over a minute long. I was also happy to get a few moments to myself to SUPboard on the beautiful "pondage". 

There were a few hiccoughs along the way that weren't anyone's fault - a booking issue with the cabins, and a closed road due to a bushfire that meant we had to change our route - but over all it was a good trip. I find travelling with Penelope, in general, more stressful than travelling without a baby to be concerned about. I'm sure most mothers would agree with this sentiment. There is much more packing (you have to bring her bed and carseat and other specialty items, extra food and diapers and wipes, etc.), I have to make sure she is getting fed at regular intervals and napping, etc. Also, when you are travelling on other peoples' schedules, this adds to the stress because then you are not always in control of addressing your child's needs as they arise. I suppose there were moments that I came across as the overprotective or stressed mom, but I know where I generally fall on the spectrum, so I don't really care what other people think. When you're the main advocate for your kid's needs, you're just going to come across that way sometimes to other people, even if you're usually easygoing. I find that most tantrums are easily avoidable when you meet the kid's needs, in my several years of experience working with young kids. I try not to wait until a kid gets to the breaking point, because I find it like unnecessary torture for everyone. I'm not saying to spoil kids so that they never have to be uncomfortable, but there is a fine balance where you can keep them reasonably content most of the time, in order to maintain your own sanity. Anyway, all this is to say that the trip was not stress-free, but despite that, we had some really great moments enjoying the outdoors. We got to partake in activities that we otherwise would not have been able, so we are pretty thankful for that.

Live that learn. Every trip with take with PJ, we learn better how to be prepared, without being overly so.