Although we have only taken Jasper on one big trip so far in his short life we learned A LOT throughout the process. I have come up with a few pointers for those of you who are contemplating doing the same thing.

1. Take advantage of the "Under Two" rule. If you are planning a big adventure try to do it before you have to pay for your child's ticket. Also, try flying mid week when you might luck out with the entire row to yourself.

2. If possible book a red eye. This might seem counter intuitive, but starting your day out in a an unfamiliar place in the morning rather than the evening is much nicer for not only getting your bearings. If you need to go to the grocery store for milk or for stocking up on everything you wished you would have brought you will be happy the stores are open.

3. Don't pack enough diapers for your entire stay. Diapers will easily take up a ton of precious space in your bag, bring enough diapers to get you through at least the first few days. Also, don't wait until you almost run out before you buy more. Not every store might have your child's size.

4. Surprise your child with fun things to do on the airplane which are new to the both of you. My thoughtful mother went out and bought a myriad of little items to entertain Jasper on the airplane. Everything from light up squishy balls to pipe cleaners and even a small top. Even if the item can entertain your child for ten minutes, that is another ten minutes of the flight that has passed.

5. Buy a variety of soft covered books for those days when you plan to spend a lot of time traveling. Jasper is on a big Peppa Pig kick right now. Although I am not a fan of letting him watch t.v. at home I don't mind at all if he wants to read her books.

6. Don't spend a lot of time in the car. Three or four hours might not seem like a big deal to you, but for a toddler sitting in a car seat that long feels like torture. Break up the monotony with a picnic where they can run around and burn off enough energy so maybe, just maybe they will nap part of the way.

7. Create a comfortable and safe home base where your child is free to run around. If you are staying at a hotel or a Airbnb make certain anything hazardous, breakable or potentially dangerous is out of your child's reach. That way they are free to explore and you are not constantly having to say the dreaded "no" word all the time.

8. Take lots of breaks. Whether you are walking around a city, shopping or driving somewhere. Stopping to feed the ducks, throw rocks, or eat ice cream will make it an engaging adventure. One of my favorite memories was watching Jasper run around in the rain on the roof of the Oslo Opera House.

9. Consider eating dinner before everyone is hungry and tired. One evening, for the first time in his life Jasper feel asleep at the table in a restaurant. It was equally adorable and sad that he was so tired that he passed out. For entertainment at the restaurant we found coloring books that include stickers to be his current favorite. He loves to stick and restick those stickers for hours.

10. Eat dinner at a place close to your hotel or rental. That way full tummies won't have the opportunity to lull your child to sleep before you get back to your room.

11. Plan on accomplishing one big thing a day. This could be a museum, a tourist attraction, a restaurant etc. Once that item is done consider the day a BIG success.

12. Ignore the naysayers who tell you your child will not remember the trip. You will remember it and it will be worth every penny.

13. Traveling with a child will be different, but there is no better person(s) to show the world to your child than you. Although we were not able to hit the ground running early each morning and stay out until way past our bedtime, we were able to enjoy things and interact with people on a new level. Jasper has not only made us more approachable, but more open to randomly striking up conversations with strangers both young and old.

14. There will be melt downs! And quite possibly from all members of your family on any given day. Traveling with a toddler can be stressful, that in combination with exhaustion, jet lag, getting lost etc. can make anyone a bit grumpy. Have patience, not only with your child, but especially your spouse and yourself.

15. Encourage flexibility. Bring along a special toy or stuffed animal for them, but realize their entire room or toy box does not have to come with you. There will be a myriad of interesting new things and people to peek their interests. And when all else fails surprise them with a sticker, balloon or carton of fresh strawberries.

16. Pack light. There is nothing worse than trying to wrangle a toddler and a zillion bags. Try to limit your bags to the number of people traveling. That way each person can carry one or two bags without much trouble.

17. Do Laundry. Pack enough outfits for half the number of days you will be gone. It is easy to do laundry most places and a lot of hotels will do laundry for a nominal fee.