No Hands? No Problem! Outnumbered in Jamaica
Every year, late in winter, I feel anxious with the need to get away. Get away from the early sunsets, away from the same route to work and away from the same errands. With Covid, it hasn’t been easy and with a 4th baby on the way, I wanted to take advantage of traveling with only three kids for what it was worth. Initially, I planned on an adventure in a tree house lodge in the Amazon jungle in Brazil. We were watching Rio a lot that week and I think I wanted to see a blue macaw bird in real life more than Skylar and Maverick did. We could stop in Rio, take in the city and then a short flight on a mini-plane into the rainforest to experience the wildlife. When I told Ricky this plan and the flights involved, he was skeptical. He didn’t think the toddlers would be able to appreciate a trip like this at their age and perhaps, it was an itinerary for when they were a bit older. It was our first trip as a family of five and we were outnumbered by 3 littles ones, we needed a test trip. It took a while to come up with something else. I started with direct flights less than 5 hours. I also wanted sunshine and warmth. This essentially limited us to the Caribbean and Central America. Ricky suggested all-inclusive resort. I cringed at the idea but understood the practicality in not having to plan meals and walkable entertainment. After checking off all of the destinations I had already been to since I like to avoid traveling to the same country more than once if I can help it, and some other considerations, it left me between Belize and Jamaica. When the search for all-inclusive resorts in Belize didn’t come up with many options, Jamaica it was!
The RIU resort in Ocho Rios seemed like it would be perfect. There was an onsite water park built for toddlers and babies, three pools, 24-hour access to food and snacks, art & crafts every morning and steps from the beach. I discovered a couple of off-site excursions that allowed infants and booked them on the sunniest days. The eight days plus travel were nonstop but unlike home, filled with things we were more than happy to do and it went a little something like this.
Flying international during Covid with 2 lap infants and a 2-year old took some more planning than usual. Skylar, Ricky and I needed negative Covid tests within 72 hours of arrival. Luckily, we found a convenient urgent care that could accommodate us. I ordered the Binax tests just in case but they didn’t get delivered in time. The resort had a suite with on-site testing that we could schedule online within 24 hours of our departure, which was ideal.
With regard to travel, I was bound to make at least one rookie move. We were going to bring the double stroller for the toddlers and baby ergo carrier for Naomi with plans to get through security and gate-check the stroller. Our double stroller would work for the trip too as shade, napping, storing our diaper bag, beach towels and floaties everywhere we went. Except I didn’t weigh it and we had to check it in with ticketing so there we were, two wild and free toddlers in Philadelphia airport who thought holding hands and running away from Daddy was hilarious and had to walk themselves through the metal detector. Luckily, American Airlines was more sympathetic on our way home and the staff in Jamaica waived the weight of the stroller. “Oh no no no. You guys are going to need that!” He insisted as he gave us a gate check tag when he saw us unloading the kids to collapse the stroller. I have always found people in other countries to be more child-friendly than the United States and wonder why the lady in Philly couldn’t have granted us the same waiver!
For the flight itself, I downloaded all of their favorite shows and games on their tablets and charged them to the fullest. I ended packing wireless headphones but the bluetooth hook up didn’t work so we had to the keep the volume low. The white noise on the plane blunted Coco melon songs from nearby passengers anyways and I’m sure they preferred that to fussy babies. I also packed plenty of snacks. Three and a half hours is nothing for us but for a restless 2- and 1-year old, it was never ending. Especially considering that one of us had to be holding Naomi at all time and Maverick was also expected to me in the other’s lap. Traveling already requires so many things to carry on the plane so I packed some stuff that I knew I wouldn’t care about if I left it and was disposable when they didn’t want the tablet anymore. For us that was stickers! They stuck them on the stroller, on the flight menu (sorry!), each other and our luggage. It was simple enough, cheap and stalled them for at least 30 minutes.
Ocho Rios is still one hour away from Montego Bay which is where we landed in Jamaica. We booked a private van for round-trip transport between the airport and resort for 2 reasons: 1. We didn’t want to have to go through customs, handle our bags and our kids and worry about how we were getting to the resort. 2. We didn’t pack any of the carseats. It’s not against the law in Jamaica and it left us with a much lighter load! So Skylar in the middle, Naomi in the carrier and Maverick' in Ricky’s lap. My kids hate the carseat so it worked out and the driver knew well in advance what to expect.
The first few days were wonderful. The weather was dry, 80 degrees and sunny. The first fews are also the most exhausting. Everyone is excited and no one can fall asleep in our new environment. Sometimes, for us as parents, we can call it what we want but it doesn’t feel like true vacation when you still have to get up at 6am and look after your crazy children. Skylar is 2 and a half so she, at least, can verbalize some of her needs, will listen every once in a while and can feed herself. But for the rest, they need you for everything. Getting ready for the pool or beach means getting 4 people ready for the pool or beach. 4 people to dress, 4 people to rub sunscreen on, 4 people to put shoes on for, 3 diaper changes and preparing a diaper bag. On the first night, I suggested to Ricky that we give each other a little alone time every day. He wanted sleep. I wanted endorphins. I’m a morning person so I let him sleep in as I woke up with them every day and when he woke up, he let me go have a 30-minute work-out as we passed off the babies. I would recommend that to anyone traveling with their little ones. You need a break too!
Then we did two excursions. Again, a little stressful but worth every bit of it. The first was swimming with dolphins! Remember, two of us, the three of them, none of which can swim. Ricky and I juggled them down a slippery underwater boardwalk in seawater deep enough for dolphins. Once we got settled and they warmed up. Wow. It was so fulfilling for me to see them interacting with the dolphins with curiosity and courage.
The second excursion was a hike through the rainforest to see their most visited site: a water hole and waterfall called Blue Hole. This was even more tricky because then I made rookie move number two. I didn’t bring Naomi’s carrier and you can’s push a stroller through white water and uphill over slippery rocks. So there we were, three free children in bathing suits, about to hike so we could see Daddy leap off of a cliff into the water hole. We had two tour guides which ended up being perfect. One of them had an infant at home and offered to hold Naomi through the parts that I had to focus on getting myself and my 5-month bump through. They loved seeing Daddy jump into the water as they bounced in the water themselves.
There were days where we pushed through nap time because they were immersed in so much joy that we didn’t have the heart to tell them they couldn’t get on the water slide one more time, or jump over another wave, or build another sand castle because they had to go sleep now so they would feel better later. Toddlers don’t understand that and we get it! Inevitably, this made rest of the day harder but, on vacation, we get to live in the present. So if the evening is fussier or the next day is harder, who cares? We have no place to be and no obligations but to them.
There was a five-minute period that is highlighted in my memories of the trip. After swimming with dolphins there is a nature trail where you could pet and feed birds and there it was: a blue macaw bird, straight out of Rio with beautiful blue feathers and a bright yellow chest and into our lives. The same bird that I wished to see if we were to go to Brazil and that somehow found us in Jamaica. The universe was telling me that no matter how crazy it got, keep doing what you love and share your passion with your family as long as you are fortunate enough to do so. So when people ask me how I do it, or even WHY I do it, but they’re thinking about going somewhere… I tell them to hold their breath, close their eyes and book the adventure! Whether it’s the next city or on the other side of the globe, emotionally and mentally prepare for it then just roll with it when the days come because you are about to create the most brilliant memories of your life!
