Currently on vacation with our almost 3 years old daughter in Costa Rica. I feel like I haven’t really gotten to explore this country as I usually like to on my own terms. The activities that we do find for her, often are a failure resulting in a melt down and she just wants to go back to the hotel. She doesn’t even want to play on the beach or at the pool. This trip in Costa Rica she’s been a complete home body, trips outside have been a melt down. So this leads me to the main question.
Does it get easier as they get older? Please tell me it gets easier…
We’ve done a fair bit of traveling with her already. Cabo when she was 10 months old, visiting family members in NY, MA and SC multiple times per year. She’s a great flyer, so no worries there. But when we’re at the destination, everything is very much centered and catered to her. I get it, she’s a toddler.
Photography is a hobby of mine, but it’s impossible to do any sort of composition with a camera while a wiggling child is hanging off my shoulder. We have grandparents traveling with us this trip, and they’ve sometimes been helpful for an hour or two but…man kids are a lot of work. I may need to work with my partner on building in a solo vacation for myself occasionally because traveling to new places with a kid kind of sucks.
Rant over.
I identify with this soooo much. I was solo traveling back in 2016 and 2017 and was taking so many pictures. Then I had a kid in 2022, figured I’d get a fancy new 25mm f2 Zeiss as well to start documenting, but my phone has been my main camera these past few years. The saying goes, the best camera is the one that you have on you at the moment.
I appreciate the perspective. Good point about the car as well! I was more just hoping to air some grievances with a toddler who’s been a home body this whole trip. I get it though, you have to meet them where they are. Just needed to vent after being frustrated at my lack of adventure these past few days.