“I cannot believe you would take a three hour plane ride with a newborn!” – Crabby millennial in the middle seat next to me

“You’ve traveled how many miles with Lucian?” – My friends and family

“How do you do it? Why do you do it?” – Curious onlookers

“Are you out of your mind?” – Everyone who hears our story

These phrases (and sometimes worse) play like a broken record in my life. I see people cringe as I’m getting close to taking a seat near them when I’m traveling with my little one and I get the evil looks from the other passengers as I board a plane. None of this is a surprise when you’re traveling with children but the surprise is….I deserve it!

Not that long ago, I was just like these people. I was the cool, young, wild, world traveler, who felt like the $400 plane ticket I purchased shouldn’t be ruined by a crying, snot nosed baby and that kids shouldn’t be allowed on planes. Go ahead…digitally punch me in the face because I deserve it!

I specifically remember on one occasion, saying in my head as a family sat near me in the airport, “You’ve got to be kidding me! Where can you possibly have to go that’s important enough to take your entire tribe of brats and ruin all these other passenger’s travel”.

Yup….I was THAT person. I was the eye rolling, arms crossed, eye bud wearing traveler that was completed annoyed by families that travel. I simply could NOT understand why on earth anyone would put themselves through the challenge of travel with kids.

Then it all changed.

Lucian Everly came into my traveling world. At first, not by choice, but as a necessity. I had an important job to get to that was 2,000 miles away, my baby was just five weeks old and was nursing, so I made a nerve wracking decision to pack up my family and head out on our first trip.

I’ll admit it, I was full-on, crap yourself nervous! I was crazy worried about the flying, worried about how I would be able to hold a nine pound baby for three hours on my lap, worried she would scream her head of the whole time and just plain worried about everything. As it turns out…she’s a rockin’ Tiny Traveler! She slept most of the time, smiled at the flight attendants and I actually had a really GOOD TIME!

As we were going to bed that night in our hotel room, I remember thinking “What was I so worried about? That was a breeze!” This thought was followed by, “Who am I? I just traveled with a BABY!” I also remember feeling so thankful that I didn’t have to be separated from my little one and having that moment of full clarity, where I realized that being together and enjoying this time was the whole reason why families did this. It finally all made sense.

So now, as I board a plane with my Tiny Traveler and receive dirty looks from passengers, I laugh inside remembering the days when I didn’t get it and am thankful that now I do. I deserve those looks as karma for ones that I once dished out and I wear them as a badge of honor. I’ve had a full-fledged transformation into a travel momma and it’s ok that not everyone understands. When I lay down at night, thousands of miles from home, and my family is by my side, all those dirty looks were totally worth it.

I want to hear about your moment where you realized it was all worth it! Share your story!