Tuesday 18 February 2014

Some thoughts

Now Alec is back to work (really nice to have a three-day weekend happen to fall now!) so Clementine and I will be left to our own devices during the day.  This has caused me to consider something which has been pulling at me particularly since returning to my homeland.  How does my life change with a baby?  Also, what made us think we should travel internationally with a three month old?

I think it comes down to the fact that we never considered that we shouldn't.  At home, we've had Clem out and about since the day she came out of the hospital.  I feel very comfortable going into the city and getting on and off of the train.  I'm still working up to the tram because it's above ground and you have to shlep that stroller up a few stairs, it makes me uncomfortable to rely on someone else to help me get up there.  If I'm going to go anywhere in San Francisco I'll have to put my big girl pants on and do it anyway because all the trams are above ground!

Here, and especially now that Alec isn't with me, I'm a bit more out of my comfort zone.  I was nervous this morning to go to breakfast alone with Clementine.  We've been going to this small diner around the corner called Irving St Cafe and it's just a counter with a few tables, I didn't want to be that woman who crams her pram into the only available walking space.  I tried it anyway, what's the worst that could happen?  Turns out it was completely fine, the cafe wasn't busy because I got there early on a Monday and Clem slept while I enjoyed many cups of coffee and a new magazine.

Alec and I had a long conversation last night where we both admitted that sometimes we feel momentarily very frustrated about the prospect of doing things like travel or eating in a cramped restaurant with a baby.  We've moved spontaneously all over the world and this tiny girl is making us slow down just a bit.  It's so easy to go, nope it won't fit, better just stay home!  But if you wait just a minute past that inclination, it usually turns out okay but a little different.

So that is our travel motto I guess, slow down just a bit, try the thing you wanted to do anyway even if it feels uncomfortable at first.  So far it's worked marvelously.





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Ps.  No pictures on this post!  We left yesterday with the camera for our adventures and then when I got it out to start taking pictures realized I'd left the memory card in my computer.  Poo.  I'm going to try and write more in the future.

1 comment:

  1. You'll never "be that woman who crams her pram into the only available walking space" because you're American and it's a stroller dammit! You could just moved back to Phoenix and I could solve all your problems for you- that's always worked before, right????

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