In 2008, I quit my corporate job, sold off everything I owned and moved overseas with my husband Drew. Since then we've traveled around the world, started our careers over as creative types and nurtured our love of sleeping in late. Oh and we had a baby. Cole, our almost 2 year old has been traveling since he was four months old and probably knows more Thai than me (not that he brags).
A Year with Cole
This weekend my son, Cole, turned one. They say the time will fly by, that you should embrace every moment, and I took this seriously. I remember times when I just laid with him and watched him sleep in the hopes of soaking him in. Still, it did fly by. He’s bigger now and although he’s still my baby, I’m seeing more and more of the little boy he’ll become peeking through.
I made this post for myself. That’s the truth. I don’t usually share too many personal photos on this site, and much of my private life is just that, private. However, in lieu of a scrapbook or some kind of momento, I put together this post. I think this is the safest place for it. It’s a photo essay of my first year with Cole. Feel free to take a peek at our life. (Warning, this is a long one).
Bend, Oregon
Cole is born by emergency c-section on March 5, 2010.
I write a blog post about it and I sob through writing most of it. The most personal details I leave out. Still, it’s hard for me to read that post to this day.
Four days later, they send us home, and it’s blissed out baby time.
He’s so little.
Already he’s a good traveler, as we bring him out to lunch a few weeks later.
At four weeks, he’s suddenly more alert.
At four months we leave Bend, Oregon and hit the road to begin filming our documentary around the world.
New York City, New York
We stay at the lovely Hotel Giraffe while attending a travel writing convention (TBEX10).
Bogota, Colombia
We’re completely stressed out at this moment, having our child in a taxi with no car seat. Little did we know how much our standard of safety would change, in the next 4 countries.
As a four month old, Cole practically lives in his wrap, always close to momma.
Medellin, Colombia
He was extremely popular with the locals. Here’s Cole and I getting swarmed by a school of Colombian women. (Photo: Troy Floyd)
We’re eating lunch at a restaurant made famous by Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations. I think the food was okay. Cole discovers limes. (He likes them. also, Photo: Troy Floyd)
He’s five months old now.
We’re filming at the Flores de Feria in Medellin, but first Cole gets a ride on the burro. (Photo: Troy Floyd)
Zipaquira, Colombia
Aracely, from TwoBackpackers.com, takes a break from being filmed to hold Cole. He absolutely adored her.
He’s almost always sleeping. Meanwhile, we ate lunch with Jason and Aracely.
Cartagena, Colombia
Cole is almost six months. Life is pretty good.
We discover that Cole likes lollipops. The world is stunned.
Did we say we’re filming a documentary? Yes, really. With the baby.
He was a total trooper, but if you think we made it look easy, well we didn’t. It looked exactly as hard as it was.
Bath time! Cole learns how to stick out his tongue and spends a full week with it protruding out of his mouth.
Burning Man (event), Nevada
We make up Burning Man costumes at a dollar store in California, on our way to the event.
Cole gets naked every chance he can get and we keep him cool with our ad hoc bath tub. (Photo: Robyn Esrock)
San Francisco, California
I love this city. Cole tolerates us walking it for hours and hours at a time as we spend a month catching up with friends and filming some travel experts.
Bangkok, Thailand
We’re at the Royal Palace in Bangkok. A group of tourists (maybe three dozen) turn in unison to take Cole’s picture. It freaked us out. This was the only picture I got.
Thailand!
Momma keeps Cole cool with a hand fan she bought on the street.
Wat?
So begins the great love affair with placing Cole in front of famous attractions (Wat Pho) and running away to quickly take his picture.
Photobombed by an ancient warrior!
Imagine if this picture was actually 200 hundred pictures of the same thing, and you might understand what it’s like to travel with a baby in Thailand.
Penang, Malaysia
Colin from OurTravelLifestyle.com takes a break from filming (or eating Butter Chicken) in order to have a very important conversation with our now seven month old.
Sleeping baby leaps over invisible barriers.
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Cole likes Pocky! He is our son!
Wow, we are looking like bad parents here. Cole, also, um, likes chocolate. Shush.
Sleepy baby sleeps. He’s now nine months.
Our friend from GotPassport.org holds Cole and tries think of ways to make him stay in Chiang Mai forever (her last attempt, Pumpkin Curry Soup was very close).
Dragonfruit and watermelon, two of his favorites while in Thailand.
We visit the White Temple. (See I told you we love the baby vis-a-vis attraction photo).
Cole falls in love with Dave Dean from What’s Dave Doing? and then tries to eat him.
I love this kid.
Shoes! $30 at the Chiang Mai mall and then he never wears them.
Cole and his friend Hayley.
He’s ten months old now.
We get our passport photos for our India visas.
We celebrate Christmas in Thailand. Cole gets a cold but we still go out for proper turkey dinner.
Bali, Indonesia
Cole is now almost 11 months old. Damn it.
He’s walking around things, always holding on to keep his balance.
We tour the temples and our driver asks to hold him. He doesn’t put Cole down for the rest of the day.
Cole’s favorite foods, despite the exotic locale are: bananas and apples. Also, since he’s never used a highchair, he’s able to sit at the table on his own for the past few months.
He’s very curious. He’s constantly trying to climb off the bed or down the stairs or straight into the pool.
Monkey Forest in Ubud. Cole wants to pet the monkeys. Or to hold them, perhaps. Or to at least kick them with his pudgy foot. He’s quite disappointed in our refusal to let that unfold.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Guess where we’re going?
Goa, India
Our friend Troy from FoggOdyssey.com holds Cole but what Cole really wants is to touch the camera. (Yes, same Troy that took some of these photos).
Saturday night market.
Cole receives a blessing and we pay 20 rupees. How did that happen?
The waterfalls outside of Goa. We weren’t impressed either, Cole. He loves the water though and wanted to dive in.
Hampi, India
Visiting the temples with Cole is intense. The locals are incredibly interested in him… it feels like we’re celebrities.
Cole in the Lotus Mahal, where two women asked me to take their picture with them and then gave me their addresses so I could mail them a copy.
Back in Goa, India
We’re waiting for Daddy to come home from his India Rail Trip.
Very sweet to see the two boys together again.
Cole is ONE YEAR OLD. The staff at our favorite restaurant, make him a T-shirt.
It’s your birthday, Cole! That means cake!
Happy Birthday Sweetie! I can’t wait for another year with my wonderful little boy.