Flying to the states (ALONE) with a one year old!

I recently (okay a month ago) returned home from a month long visit to my family in upstate NY. My husband was unable to join us and I worried for weeks prior about how I was going to fly alone with my active and crazy little boy. I researched tips and tricks on how to manage this. Here are the tips I used, how they worked for me, and a few of my own. 

-To carry a carseat and a baby: use a baby carrier

This would be an excellent tip only problem, I have a wrap that I've used twice. I am nowhere near proficient enough to figure that thing out while carrying everything and trying to board a plane. My tip, use a carrier that you KNOW HOW TO USE! :D 

- Wrap multiple toys and bring them on the plane, unwrapping them will entertain your baby. 

I was super excited about this one I thought it would work wonders. What happened he wasn't into unwrapping anything the first two hours and slept the rest of the way. So I literally packed an entire bag (12 toys) that I didn't need :'( However I think if your child loves that kind of thing, definitely worth a try just don't go overboard. 

-Pack LOTS of Snacks!

This is the best tip ever for plane travel with a baby/toddler. When all else fails snack food usually shuts him up fast :p :D

-Don't overpack, even your checked luggage.

I encountered a terrible problem when flying in to the states alone. I had to recheck my luggage between connections. I was in trouble. I had to push a stroller all my bags and two suitcases through customs and FAR down a hall to recheck them. It was a nightmare. When I arrived in Germany on the way home, similar problem. My husband was past customs, baggage claim was not. I also walked by where I was supposed to claim my stroller (in an oversized luggage area for some reason) and had to search the airport. Absolute nightmare. I also of course overpacked my carry ons taking as much as allowed. Me, a stroller, a carseat, and 3 bags, not fun. 

Overall I was lucky my son slept ALOT and it was exhausting and stressful but I survived. My biggest advice DON'T do it :D Really I will never go again without my husband but I understand life isn't always convenient like that. It will suck but if I can do it anyone can. :D

Brugge, Belgium

I must admit...I have never been interested in Belgium. It just wasn't on my to do list. Today after returning home to Germany from Brugge, Belgium I must say, it is my favorite city in the world (so far). Sometimes refered to as "Venice of the North" Brugge is a shockingly preserved medieval city in which beautiful canals run through. From our wonderfully located hotel (Hotel Prinsenhof which I HIGHLY recommend, look at Trip Advisor reviews and BELIEVE the hype) we could walk to everything we wanted to see, easily. The truth is we didn't know what we wanted to see. Immediately after arriving in the city my husband and our son spent 4 hours simply wondering the city and stumbling upon wonder after wonder. The Market is home to a HUGE and gorgeous church and many restaurants. This area was the busiest we encountered. 

The nearby Burg was my husbands favorite area of town

The best part of Brugge was that you could simply wander and be sure to encounter something beautiful. We were recommended a restaurant just off the square where I had the best chicken I have ever tasted, and I eat ALOT of chicken (like seriously, I need to start being more adventurous). In the morning we ate Belgian waffles from a stand also near the hotel. They were even more delicious than expected. Common things "touristy" things to do in Brugge include a boat ride through the canals and carriage rides through the streets (which are almost all cobblestone). We did neither on this short trip, but definitely plan to in the future. I could go on and on about Brugge and will likely add to this in the future :D 

& yes the beer and chocolate are amazing.