 | « Back to article | Print this article |
Want to take your wanderlust to the next level -- bring along your newborn for the trip.
That's exactly what Karen Edwards, 31, and her partner Shaun Bayes, both experienced backpackers, did when their baby girl Esmé was born.
Karen is a nurse, but took maternity leave from her job in order to take her baby around the world.
Shawn and daughter Esmé shared just one backpack between them when they stayed in New Zealand for several months before exploring Australia and Asia.
The trio set off when Esmé was just 10 weeks old, with Shaun leaving his job as a landscaper to go on the 10-month-long family adventure.
They sold their car, rented out their house and packed just one backpack between them before boarding their first plane to New Zealand.
They have since visited an array of exotic places in the country, as well as Asia and Australia.
Karen set up an Instagram page documenting her travels, on which she regularly uploads pictures of little Esmé twinkling amidst a range of scenic backdrops.
She has also launched a blog , named Travel Mad Mum, to provide insights on the places that she and her family are visiting.
Rediff.com takes a look at this awesome jaunting family that's tripping on across the globe.
Karen’s family told her she was “completely nuts” when they heard she was planning to spend her maternity leave travelling. Photograph: travelmadmum/Instagram
The tot, who has already travelled to Ireland, Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, New Zealand, Vietnam, Taiwan and Hong Kong, pictured with her first ever passport when she was just a few weeks old. Photograph: travelmadmum/Instagram
Mother and daughter celebrated Christmas even as they traveled across several continents. Photograph: travelmadmum/Instagram
The family take a selfie during one of their moments on the trip. Photograph: travelmadmum/Instagram
Little Esmé looks at a camera as she nibbles on a cookie dough biscuit. Photograph: travelmadmum/Instagram
Karen said they were able to fund the trip -- which she estimates costed about £10,000 (around Rs 9.8 lakh) -- with her maternity pay with the NHS, and Shaun doing landscaping work in New Zealand to 'earn a bit of extra cash'. Photograph: travelmadmum/Instagram
Karen does also admit that travelling with a baby is sometimes hard. The main issues include the family all being in one room together when Esmé needs to sleep -- as well as having lots of people around them while travelling, and while their daughter is having a tantrum. Photograph: travelmadmum/Instagram
"One thing I do hope has come out of having a social media presence is inspiring other parents to go travelling and to let them know that having a baby doesn’t have to be the end of their travelling days," Karen said about the trip. Photograph: travelmadmum/Instagram
The new parents also ensured the little girl had all of her travel vaccinations before they departed. Photograph: travelmadmum/Instagram
Karen’s family told her she was “completely nuts” when they heard she was planning to spend her maternity leave travelling. Photograph: travelmadmum/Instagram
The mother and daughter duo ride on a bicycle as they explored Hoi-an. Photograph: travelmadmum/Instagram
Esmé smiles as she sits in Hoi An -- a city on Vietnam’s central coast known for its well-preserved town. Photograph: travelmadmum/Instagram
She said she stored the family's liquids and lotions in empty baby food pouches to make extra room in the backpack. Photograph: travelmadmum/Instagram
"We have no regrets, she got to experience new sights, scenes and smells as she grew and that is incredible," says Karen about Esmé experiences during the trip. Photograph: travelmadmum/Instagram