Moms What Is In Your Travel Bag

I'm almost 20 and about to travel solo and for the first time ever but my mother is afraid for me, how can I convince her that I am not a child anymore and capable of travelling alone?

Because she is your mom. We moms are very invested in the idea of the “buddy system.”For good reasons. If you want to travel freely, and be spontaneous, then all your mom is thinking about is “what if?” What if you get sick? Who will find you medical care and be your medical advocate? If you get very sick, how will she know? Without a travel buddy, who will find you a translator? Who will contact the American Embassy?What if you are kidnapped, just because you are a traveler, and have no connections in the country? To kidnappers, tourists are just an asset to raise money. Assets who often end up dead.Because for moms, any risk ends up with you dead, or kidnapped and dead.But mom has some good points, based on experience and lots of time to read, talk to others, and generally just worry about their children.A travel buddy will be able to contact her if you get sick or arrested for something for some reason you don’t know about, because you are unfamiliar with the place.A travel buddy will help you be seen as a team, and not a lone person, vulnerable to predators.What if you, in your inexperience, walk into a risky situation, or into a “safe” situation, but something goes wrong?When you are traveling alone, the only connection she has to you is YOU. If you go “dark” for some reason, she has NO idea how to look for you, who to reach out to, and who to contact for help.As a mom, the whole idea of you traveling alone, in countries where you know virtually nothing about, is extremley risky.Also as a mom, I want you to travel and have adventures and see the world outside of your hometown.Young people see themselves as invulnerable. Bad things happen to “other people.” Moms know better.Find a travel buddy. One who is responsible, mature, and who would do everything to help you should things go wrong.This is the same person who will help you have a really good time, who will be there to share your amazing experiences and adventures, and fight like a tiger should you run into trouble. Maybe it is your brother or sister, or your cousin or your gay friend, or your childhood best friend. Find a buddy.

How should a mother pack or organize a diaper bag?

Diaper Bag 101:Step one. Ditch the traditional diaper bag. Seriously. Get rid of it, return it, gift it to someone else, but don’t use a traditional diaper bag. They are too large, hard to juggle with baby, and not in the least fashionable.Step two. Get a smaller backpack, some diaper bag are.One that goes with most of your clothing but not too feminine so dad isn’t embarrassed to carry it.Step three. Organization is key. Empty your purse and put only the necessities in a small, zippered make-up bag. Put that in the backpack. Four diapers. A travel pack of wipes that is refillable. DO NOT CARRY THE HUGE BOX OF WIPES. Two pacifiers, on keeper clips. One utilitarian outfit, two onesies (accidents happen). A light weight blanket, to use for cuddles, breastfeeding, a place to lay baby for changing diapers, a prop for peek-a-boo. If bottle feeding, put bottles with water in the drink holders, put formula in snack bags by serving size, mix when needed. DO NOT CARRY THE CAN OF FORMULA. Two empty gallon sized ziplocks, because carrying smelly throw-up clothes stinks. Consider putting a little t-shirt for yourself in there too, accidents happen.I got a baby bag that was a backpack at Babies’r’Us. It was quilted black polyester canvas. Super cute. Came with a changing pad. I used that thing for years, even after the kids were out of diapers. It was washable too, that meant a lot.