3 trips I'd do so differently now that I'm a parent

Same destinations. Completely different itineraries.

From tagging along on a family friend’s trip to the Philippines when I was 13 to cage-diving* with sharks in South Africa, I look back on my travel memories with a lot of gratitude, appreciation and “I can’t believe I got to do that!”

And while I’m walking down memory lane, I like to play a little game. If I was on that trip to South Africa today, would I still be jumping into the water with the sharks? Would Colin and I be zipping Baby C into a little toddler-sized wetsuit? (Not if Grandma had anything to say about it!)

Obviously, my travels have changed a lot over the years and even more so since we’ve become parents. So what would happen if I revisited a few of my past adventures, this time with a toddler in tow?

*We were in a cage and there were sharks…but it was in a tank at an aquarium. So not quite as scary as out in the ocean!

My first trip to Europe in 2012

What the trip looked like then:

I was 19 years old, home for the summer from university and feeling pretty uninspired. A flight deal landed in my inbox and one week later, I was off on my first trip to Europe and first solo trip ever!

I spent three weeks getting lost and finding adventures through London, Paris, Nice, Barcelona, Madrid and Lisbon. I always say that this was the trip that started it all - that made me fall in love with travel!

What the trip would look like now:

For starters, I wouldn’t be able to book a trip and leave one week later! Well, I might be able to, but the rest of my family isn’t that flexible with Colin’s work, C’s childcare and a dog sitter for Ellie.

But assuming we could get our act together and hop on the flight, I definitely would slow down the itinerary. Six big cities across four countries in three weeks wouldn’t be my plan now. (Though I’m proud of 19 year old me for not trying to cram even more than that in!)

With three weeks, I’d vote to stay put in Portugal. Sadly, besides those few nights in Lisbon in 2012, I haven’t been back! I could see us settling into Lisbon, Porto or maybe somewhere on the Algarve and exploring one region for the entire three week trip.

I’m salivating thinking about all the pastéis de nata we could eat!

The big Southeast Asia trip of 2019

What the trip looked like then:

Back in 2019, Colin and I took off for three weeks in Southeast Asia. It was his first time to Asia and my first time to many of the countries we visited.

We started in Singapore, saw the temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia, relaxed on a beach in Phuket, hung out with elephants in Chiang Mai, overheated in Bangkok, and spent a whirlwind 24 hour layover in Tokyo on the way home.

It was exhausting and a totally different type of trip than we’d been on before, but also so incredible! Angkor Wat is still probably one of the coolest places I’ve ever seen and it’s hard to beat the incredible food (and low prices) of Southeast Asia.

What the trip would look like now:

While a 24 hour layover in Tokyo was fun (for me at least, Colin was very tired), I think it’d be brutal with a toddler. So if we were going on this trip today, we’d probably spend more to fly direct or else extend our layover for a few days.

I would cut Phuket and Bangkok from the itinerary; I didn’t love either place and I’d be looking to slow down the travel pace for our family. So our focus would be on Singapore, Angkor Wat and Chiang Mai.

I can see Baby C being so wowed by Gardens by the Bay and the Singapore Zoo! Colin and I certainly were. And running around the temples of Angkor (respectfully, of course!) would be a dream for a toddler. I wouldn’t change much about the 2019 version of those destinations.

And what little kid wouldn’t want to see elephants? Chiang Mai felt like it’d be a great place to settle for a while with a family, so I could even see us extending the trip and spending a few more weeks there.

Our 2023 New Zealand road trip

What the trip looked like then:

In 2023, Colin and I spent three weeks road tripping around New Zealand. It’s one of my favourite trips we’ve ever been on. What a stunning country!

We picked up a car in Auckland to tour the North Island. Highlights included geeking out at Hobbiton, sailing in Taupo, and seeing geothermal wonders, famous gardens and glowworms across Rotorua and Waitomo.

Then we flew to Queenstown and picked up another car to explore the South Island. We drove to Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound for two fiord cruises, up to Wanaka for a few chill nights, and ended our time in breathtaking Aoraki Mt Cook.

What the trip would look like now:

While I’m glad we got to explore both islands and road trip by car, if we were going back today with Baby C I think I’d make two big changes: Only one island and travel by campervan.

So many people explore New Zealand by campervan and it looks like a ton of fun! I went on an RV trip with my family when I was young and I still have such vivid memories from it. Plus, campervanning would certainly be better than having to pack and unpack all of our baby gear every few nights.

We also noticed that the playgrounds in New Zealand were amazing. Seriously, even the small towns had epic playgrounds! So now with Baby C, we’d have a good reason to add them to the itinerary.

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💌 I’m launching the TOA Postcard Club 📬

The best way to remember past trips? A postcard, of course! Which is why I’m super excited to announce that I’m launching the Teaspoon of Adventure Postcard Club!

What does that mean and how can you join? All you have to do is upgrade to a paid subscription and for just a couple of dollars a month, I’ll send you postcards from my travels!

All paid subscribers will receive a postcard from my upcoming trips, handwritten by me (and likely featuring a few of Baby C’s doodles), and mailed to you. I love snail mail and collecting postcards, so if you do too, then join the club!

I’m guaranteeing four postcards per year but if I travel more than that, they’ll keep coming. Click below to sign up now - and thanks in advance for your support!

PS: This is open worldwide! I will gladly send a postcard to any mailing address in the world.

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✍️ New on Teaspoon of Adventure

8 Fun Things to Do at the BC Parliament Buildings in Victoria

I don’t have to imagine our Victoria trip with a toddler because she was there and absolutely loved roaming the halls of the BC Parliament Buildings like she owned the place. Find out what other fun (and free!) things you can do inside one of Victoria’s most beautiful buildings.

Plan Your Trip to Niagara Falls From Toronto

I grew up in Toronto so visited Niagara Falls pretty often. And last summer we got to bring Baby C and my mother-in-law! Find out all the different ways you can travel from Toronto to Niagara Falls so you can choose the best option for your trip.

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One of the missions of my Substack (if that’s not too lofty a term) is to prove that travel doesn’t have to stop once you have kids - it’s just going to look different. And I think my new versions of past trips demonstrate that perfectly!

While all of these new versions look very different from the trips I actually went on, they’re all still adventures I would love to go on today.

I can totally picture us spending a month in Chiang Mai as a family, eating our weight in pastéis de nata in Portugal, and walking the Hooker Valley Track in New Zealand with Baby C, arms flailing as she runs ahead.

I’d love to know: Are there any trips from your past that you want to redo? I’m sure I’m not the only one who would think twice about cage-diving with a toddler!

Until next week, I’m wishing you travels so wonderful you want to repeat them again and again!

Yours in adventure,
Riana

PS: Looking for more to read? Catch up on my June recap, or get the full scoop on these past trips with my Europe 2012 reflection, itinerary for 3 weeks in Southeast Asia and itinerary for 2 weeks in New Zealand.

PPS: Any fellow fans of The Amazing Race Canada? Your girl might’ve started a little recap podcast, if you want to give it a listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.