April/May 2019 by Everywhere Magazine

APRIL/MAY | 2019

YOUR SOURCE

FOR FAMILY ADVENTURE

BEGINNINGS NEW LIFE, NEW EXPERIENCES

BIRTH ABROAD

ARGENTINA WITH TWINS

TRAVELS WITH AN AUTISTIC CHILD

CO N T E N T S APRIL/MAY 2019

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Feature Welcome to Holland Layover Portland

Outside the Classroom Monterey Bay Aquarium

Go Wild Sea Kayak Dubrovnik, Croatia

Choose Your Own Adventure Kaua'i Outdoors Essay Midwifery in South Sudan

Up & Coming

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Upcoming Events — What’s happening when Gear Up — Our favorite gear for making long-haul flights more comfortable

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Sketches — Artwork from the kids

Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

Travel Trends — Brands that are taking a stand Little Heroes — Adventures of the Ferguson boys

Feature Argentina with Twins

Features

Connect

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Welcome to Holland — Travel with an autistic child Birth Abroad — Would you consider delivering your baby in another country? Argentina with Twins — Exploring Buenos Aires, Iguazú Falls, and Salta with babies Supplement — Tips for packing light

Editor’s Note — Beginnings Op/Ed — What are today’s youth doing to save our oceans? Families Worth Following — Families redefining adventure Interview — Vagabonding with Kids Just Go — Tips for changing time zones Essay — Midwifery in South Sudan Cultural Immersion — The ins and outs of visiting a Japanese onsen Go Wild — Sea kayak Dubrovnik, Croatia

Cultural Immersion Japanese Onsens

Tips & Tricks

Feature Birth Abroad

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Navigation — parkrun, where to see spring flowers, and ways to speed through customs and immigration Layover — What to see in an afternoon, a day, and a week in Portland Skillset — Saving on accommodations through home swaps, house and pet sits, couchsurfing, and Workaway Choose Your Own Adventure — Hiking, kayaking, and touring farms in Kaua‘i Bon Appetit — Portland beer scene with kids, sushi, and dulce de leche and alfajores Outside the Classroom — Underwater Explorers at Monterey Bay Aquarium In the Field — Learn about SCUBA

Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

In Guanacaste, Costa Rica, we hiked the enchanting Rio Celeste with our 2-yearold and explored Diamante Animal Sanctuary. He saw sloths, alligators, and jaguars; hopped around with toucans; and walked in awe through the beautiful butterfly sanctuary.

Travis Preece At the Brevard Zoo on the Space Coast of Florida, we learned that Komodo Dragons have evolved to reproduce all by themselves — no mating needed — to which my mother-in-law quipped, “might be more efficient, but I bet it’s not as much fun!” That prompted a flurry of questions from my 9-year-old twins. It was a very educational day, thanks to Grandma.

Editor-in-Chief Mandy Mooneyham

Publisher

Operations

Kara Rodean

Marketing

Amanda Bird

Social Media

Advertising

Creative Design & Photography

Accounting & Finance

Ali Nelson

Astrid Vinje Kathryn Alexander Meagan Haberer Katie Nelson Katie Wallace Melanie Selvey Travis Preece

Senior Editor

Darcy Tuscano

Copy Editor

Marie Reymore

Layout Designer

Aleksandar Cvetkovic COVER – RONEN; CONTENTS – HOPE; THIS PAGE – SUSHYTSKA (ALL STOCK.ADOBE.COM)

We asked our staff to describe something new they’ve experienced on a recent family trip.

Darcy Tuscano In Vietnam, I had the opportunity to take my class of 10-year-olds to practice their English in a small village in Ha Long Bay. What an awesome experience! The children in my class taught basic English to the young kids of the village while we had a traditional Vietnamese meal overlooking the infamous bay. I learned a lot that day about the Vietnamese culture, and I know my class had a blast!

Meagan Haberer We recently had an opportunity on our travels to release baby sea turtles back into the wild. While our family was living in Puerto Escondido, Mexico, we visited a turtle sanctuary and spent some time learning about sea turtles, then released the baby sea turtles onto the beach and helped them go into the ocean. It was truly a humbling and incredible experience.

Astrid Vinje 4

Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

Everywhere Magazine is published six times each year in both digital and print format. Single issues are priced at $4.99 per digital issue and $9.99 per print issue; subscriptions are priced at $29.95 for one year of digital issues and $59.95 for one year of digital and print issues. To subscribe, visit everywheremagazine.com. Postage paid in Boise, ID and at additional mailing offices. For questions, contact Everywhere Magazine LLC at hello@everywheremagazine.com, 1.833. EVERYWHERE (1.833.383.7994), 1650 Targee St. #5322, PO Box 5322, Boise ID 83705. © Everywhere Magazine LLC. All rights are reserved. No reproduction is permitted without the prior written consent of Everywhere Magazine LLC. Everywhere Magazine LLC is not liable for any incorrect information or return of any submitted materials.

Editor’s Note

BEGINNINGS New Life, New Experiences

Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

experiences, providing a perspective different from on land. If travel is new to you, we welcome you to join us on this adventure. If you’ve already discovered its joys and yearn for more, we invite you to continue to look for the newness in the world and to seek out ways to find your own beginnings in travel. BEACH: JAG_CZ/STOCK.ADOBE.COM; GIRLS: BETHANY BLAIR, BETHANY BLAIR PHOTOGRAPHY

ince the last issue of Everywhere Magazine, we’ve been busy creating, building, adding, and writing. Our spring issue is all about beginnings: new life, new family, new locations, and finding new ways to approach travel. Our team has recently added two babies, one of whom is my own. After my husband and I finalized our adoption in February, I became fascinated with the way the articles in this issue told parallel stories of new life and experiences. Learning to adapt to the circumstances that life gives us and finding joy in them is something that all parents and travelers will find familiar. New babies, in particular, come with a lot of changes. All parents ponder the enormity of change as children join the family. How will life change? Will travel still be an option? What gear can make travel with kids easier? We learn to start over when things go awry, arming ourselves with perseverance and experience. When I’m exhausted from parenting, I look for renewal. I find great peace in the ocean’s constantly shifting tides, water shaping the coastline over time through storms and gentle persistence. It’s brimming with flora and fauna, perhaps even those still undiscovered. Oceans are mysterious and playful, new and yet old. This constant renewal of the ocean continues to draw us to new

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Contributors

Meet some of our talented writers

Fiona Croucher

Fiona’s first overseas experience was at age 16 on a stopover through Kuala Lumpur. Equal parts terrified and thrilled, she has since traveled to 43 countries and worked in the UK and Turkey. She is based in Western Australia with her husband and three young children. Her family travels at every opportunity, locally and overseas.

Darcy Tuscano

Darcy developed wanderlust at age 5 when The Sound of Music showed her that a vast world existed outside her life in the Midwest. Her volunteer work and travels have taken her throughout four continents and 35 countries. In 2015, with her wife, Kate, and their twin boys, she set off on her biggest adventure — moving to a small village on the Spanish Mediterranean coast to live, work, and educate. She is a writer, lover of the outdoors, and humanitarian aid worker.

Laura Ambrey

Laura, a writer and mother of two, is currently based in the Pacific Northwest. She has studied in Australia, backpacked through Southeast Asia, given birth in Malaysia, climbed the Great Wall with her then 2- and 4-year-olds, and taken both kids to an emergency room in Papua New Guinea. (They’re totally fine!) She studied journalism at Washington State University.

Genny Arredondo

Travel enthusiast, adventure seeker, environmentalist: many titles can describe contributing author Genny. These days, she lives in Seattle and is known as “Mama” by her two young boys. She previously spent 13 months traveling around the world with her husband and plans on living abroad with her family in the near future.

Karen M. Ricks

After one planned year in Japan turned into 10, Karen sold it all (including the international Montessori school she founded there) to pursue her passion for food. Attending cooking school in Italy was just the beginning of her family’s full-time travel adventures. They’ve lived in eight different countries on four continents and have learned to communicate in five community languages. Currently residing in the capital city of Tirana, Albania, she is currently working on her fourth book, this one about traditional Albanian cuisine.

Whitney is a mental health therapist in Portland who applies her professional knowledge to coaching families who want to see the world. For over a decade, Whitney and her husband have been traveling internationally with their now 11- and 13-year-old children. As a family, they’ve ticked off 20 countries and four continents. Outside of travel, Whitney loves gardening, amateur photography, spinning, and all things tasty or beautiful.

Tonya Miller

Tonya is a stay-anywhere-but-home wife and mother to an adventurous 5-year-old girl and a 3-yearold Golden Retriever in Charlotte, North Carolina. Her favorite trips include backpacking and rock climbing in Southeast Asia, getting married and SCUBA diving in French Polynesia, and paragliding in Iceland. Most recently, she took a solo trip to learn to surf in the Dominican Republic. When she’s not tending to or traveling with her clan, you will find her in hot yoga or reading something riveting.

Mary Donné

Mary first picked up her backpack in her twenties and began traveling solo, taking in New Zealand, South America, and Southeast Asia along the way. Now a mother of two, she is the founder of a small business that creates online training programs and teaches English. She lives in beautiful York in northern England and loves the seaside and the rainy English weather. She spends her free time learning languages and drinking tea.

Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

TONYA MILLER: TAMARA HART WITH BUMP MEET BABY PHOTOGRAPHY

Whitney Preece Crofut

CONTRIBUTE YOUR WORK

Pitch us your idea for an upcoming issue. Share your stories about your round-theworld trip with your toddler, your thru-hike on the PaciďŹ c Crest Trail with your teenager, or how you taught your little girl to ski, or share your travel secrets wtih our readers.

Send us the photographs from your last family trip. We love to feature real families on real adventures. We need your images of interesting architecture, close-ups of bugs, action shots of kids snorkeling, and mountain vistas that can ďŹ ll a 2-page spread -- photos of families out in the world that will inspire another family's next adventure.

writers@everywheremagazine.com

photos@everywheremagazine.com

For more information, visit our website at www.everywheremagazine.com/opportunities

April 13, 2019 — Keukenhof Bloemencorso (Flower Parade), Lisse, Netherlands: the theme for this year’s parade (the 72nd annual) is “Changing World.” keukenhof.nl/en/flower-parade April 20, 2019 — First Day of National Park Week: free entrance to U.S. national parks! April & May 2019 — Stone Soup Family Pop Up in Panajachel, Guatemala stonesouppopup.com May 5–11, 2019 — National Travel and Tourism Week: the U.S. Travel Association’s event map highlights local events around the country celebrating National Travel and Tourism Week. www.ustravel.org/nttw-event-map May 24–June 9, 2019 — Portland Rose Festival, Portland, Oregon, United States • May 24 — Opening Night Fireworks • June 1 — Starlight Parade • June 5–9 — Fleet Week: Portland is a port of call for the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, and Royal Canadian Navy; ships docked on the waterfront are open for tours. • June 8 — Grand Floral Parade • June 8–9 — Dragon Boat Races www.rosefestival.org

10 | Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

June 17–July 1, 2019 — Project World School Family Learning Adventure in Sacred Valley, Peru projectworldschool.com/perufamily-2019 July 2, 2019 — Solar Eclipse: this eclipse traverses parts of Argentina and Chile, ending just to the west of Buenos Aires at sunset. Bonus: a second eclipse will be visible in nearby areas of Argentina and Chile on December 14, 2020. www.eclipse-chasers.com/html/tseFuture.shtml July 5–14 — Crested Butte Wildflower Festival, Crested Butte, Colorado, United States www.crestedbuttewildflowerfestival.com August 2–11 — Feria de Las Flores (Flower Festival), Medellin, Columbia discovercolombia.com/medellin/events/the-flower-festival August 16–18, 2019 — Family Adventure Academy, Seattle, Washington, United States: conference organizers say this event for parents will “teach you everything we wish we had known when we started our family travel adventures.” www.familyadventureacademy.com

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3 Cultural/Historical/Adventure Tours of Regional Attractions 3 Fully-Hosted FAM Trip Opportunities

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GEAR UP

In-Flight Comfort for Kids

ometimes an overnight flight is inevitable. Red-eye flights are dreaded by many travelers, but they’re a great way to get kids to sleep on a plane. Even with the hype of the journey, circadian rhythms take over, and the child should eventually fall asleep. And whether a flight is overnight or midday, packing the right products can help kids fall asleep (and stay asleep!). The right travel gear can make night-time sleep more comfortable and encourage napping on daytime flights as well.

Tux, The 3-in-1 Armrest Buddy $24.99 USD The Armrest Buddy, Tux, is a 3-in-1 product. Its blanket will make any flight cozier, the padded cover can slide over an armrest to create a comfy pillow to lean or even lie on — and it’s also a toy, so kids can play with Tux instead of packing additional stuffies. This product is useful for so many travel situations and looks really cute, too! Available at roam-wild.com or Amazon

12 | Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

Fiona Croucher

FEET: NADEZHDA1906/STOCK.ADOBE.COM; ARMREST BUDDY: COURTESY OF ROAMWILD; NECK PILLOW: COURTESY OF BCOZZY; HEADPHONES: COURTESY OF COZYPHONES; INFLATABLE PILLOW: COURTESY OF FLY-TOT; HUSH SLEEP MASK: COURTESY OF DREAM ESSENTIALS

CozyPhones Headphones $20 USD Headphones are one of the most common pieces of gear packed for air travel, both for in-flight entertainment and for blocking out disruptive noises in close quarters. But the rigid plastic and earbuds used by many brands of headphones can cause discomfort for long-term wear or sleep. The solution? CozyPhones! They are lightweight, washable headbands with speakers sewn inside and are available in both adult and child sizes with designs the whole family will love. The CozyPhones for kids are volume limited and connect to their devices via a durable cord, while the version sized for adults connects via cordless Bluetooth. They’re perfect for kids (and adults) who like to listen to their favorite songs, stories, or white noise sounds while they fall asleep. Available at cozyphones.com or Amazon

BCOZZY Neck Pillows $25-45 USD There’s something a little distressing about seeing a child asleep with their head hanging forward, and a good neck pillow is one way to prevent this when travel plans leave no choice but to sleep in an upright position. The BCOZZY neck pillow has an innovative shape with an adjustable under-chin support to provide proper neck support for sleeping sitting up. The back is flatter than more conventional neck pillows, so it doesn’t push the head forward from the back of the chair. Adult and child sizes are available in several colors. Available at www.bcozzy.com or Amazon

Fly Tot Inflatable Travel Cushion $79 USD Fly Tot is an inflatable cushion for placement in the footwell of the airplane seat, effectively extending the seat all the way to the seat in front. This allows children to stretch out their legs, making an area large enough for a child aged 6 and under to comfortably lie down without ending up in mom or dad’s lap. Fly Tot can easily be deflated during turbulence or on arrival and is light and compact enough to carry between flights. Note that some inflatable travel cushions are not allowed on certain airlines, so research any restrictions before purchasing. Available from www.fly-tot.com

Dream Essentials Hush Children’s Travel and Sleep Mask $29.90 USD

Whether shielding a child’s eyes from bright light or from fellow passengers’ inappropriate movies, an eye mask is the answer. The inside and outside fabrics of Dream Essentials Sleep Masks are 100% cotton, making them soft and breathable. They are secured at the back of the head with an adjustable strap and are available in multiple sizes. Buy different designs for everyone in the family to keep organized. Available at www.dreamessentials.com or Amazon

Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

TRAVEL. Learn how to save thousands of dollars on your family travels while having enriching experiences that bring you closer together as a family and fill your journey with meaning. FINANCES. It doesn’t take millions to travel the world. Learn how you can fund your travel adventure by taking your work on the road, creating a business, or investing in a passion project to fuel your family adventure. EDUCATION. Give your kids a “world-class” education by making the

The 3-day intensive program for parents who want to take their family on a long-term travel adventure.

world their classroom. Gain the

By the Family Adventure Summit team.

CONNECTION. Our kids are only

confidence and skills to guide them from birth to university or wherever their path takes them.

young once. Learn practical skills to make the most of these years by opening to an authentic connection with yourself, your family, and the world.

Seattle, Washington August 16-18, 2019 Whether you’re dreaming about taking your family on the road or you’re an experienced digital nomad, entrepreneur, or homeschooler looking for support, you’ll get what you need at Family Adventure Academy.

www.FamilyAdventureAcademy.com

TRAVEL TRENDS

Genny Arredondo

Top Brands Making a Statement in 2019 W

ith so many options on where to shop, choosing and supporting a company that does good may feel like a daunting task, so Everywhere Magazine has done the research to help take the guesswork out of the buying process. Below are a few companies working to make the world a better place. Some may be familiar, some may be new; all are worth checking out.

Haiku Haiku Bags is a woman-owned company that makes welldesigned and eco-conscious bags that “help women live healthy and active lives.” Haiku’s unique and environmentallyfriendly manufacturing process involves converting used plastic bottles into thread that is woven into fabric for its bags. It claims that, on average, nine plastic bottles are used in the manufacturing of each bag. This company is worth supporting solely based on their eco-conscious manufacturing process, but it goes beyond and donates a percentage of its profits to organizations that empower girls. It might be hard not to purchase more than one of Haiku’s stylish bags and support its efforts! haikubags.com

Hand in Hand

KATIE WALLACE

Hand in Hand’s mission says it all: Buy a bar. Give a bar. All in all, Hand in Hand counts its donations at over 1 million bars of soap donated to men, women, and children living in poverty in Haiti. What kind of difference can a bar of soap make to someone’s life? Five million people die of water-related illnesses each year, and a staggering 45% of those deaths could have been prevented by simple hand washing. A bar of soap could literally save a life — in fact, good hygiene saves up to 2.5 million lives annually. And Hand in Hand doesn’t just sell any bar of soap; its soap is palm oil-free and made from sustainable, vegan, and non-toxic ingredients. Hand in Hand’s inspiring public health mission and safe ingredients will make buying soap feel rewarding! www.handinhandsoap.com

Target

Bombas

That’s right, the clothing and retail giant Target made the list. This company deserves recognition for its design and rollout of the Cat & Jack™ Kids’ Adaptive Clothing line with apparel to “meet the needs of every kid.” Each item is carefully designed specifically for kids with disabilities and includes adaptive features such as sensory-friendly tags, seam-free construction, side and back snaps, strategically-placed zippers, and sizes that fit over diapers for bigger kids. All pieces are made to blend in with the rest of the Cat & Jack™ kids’ line, and prices are kept low to ensure families shopping to meet a special need have affordable clothing options, too. Now that is sure to leave a shopper feeling pretty awesome.

Warm socks are the number one requested clothing item at homeless shelters. Bombas seeks to address this problem by donating a pair of socks for every pair they sell. To date, they’ve donated an impressive 14 million pairs! That’s 14 million homeless people with warm, dry feet as a direct result of Bombas sock purchases. The company says it donates mostly anti-microbial, dark socks with increased durability that meet the needs of the recipient, who may not own other pairs or have the opportunity to launder socks on a regular basis. The good news is that Bombas socks not only do good but are durable and soft — so they feel good, too! A new pair of Bombas socks is sure to leave feet AND hearts happy!

www.target.com/c/kids-adaptive-clothing/-/N-1laue

Bombas.com Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

op/ed

Darcy Tuscano

Children are the Future to Saving the Environment H

ow far is far enough to help save the environment? What can kids do to help? When 15-year-old Greta Thunberg stopped attending school last fall to begin her “Strike for Climate Change” protest outside Sweden’s parliament, few could have predicted how her bold actions would spur a global movement. Less than a year after she began her strike, Greta has inspired thousands of school children around the world to take action through striking, conducting beach cleanups, and demanding that their local politicians do more about climate change.

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Greta, nominated for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize and named by Time magazine as one of the world’s 25 most influential teenagers of 2018, encourages adults to be supportive when kids tell them they’re striking and taking a stand for climate change. “Everyone keeps saying that the young people should be more active, and [that] they’re so lazy, but once we do something we get criticized,” Greta said. Greta’s efforts show just how powerful kids’ actions can be. All over the world, children and young adults are tired of waiting for world leaders to take action, and they are taking matters into

PRO_VECTOR/STOCK.ADOBE.COM

now consuming plastic-tainted seafood. their own hands and making their voices [T]he reality of life today All of this trash comes from somewhere. heard: they refuse to stand by while the Throughout the world, there is enough planet and its oceans are being destroyed. includes the seemingly plastic in circulation to place about five In 1997, the Great Pacific Garbage insurmountable challenge of plastic bags filled with plastic along every foot Patch was discovered by sailor and ocean keeping our world clean. of coastline. By 2050, plastic could outweigh researcher, Charles Moore, during a voyage fish in the oceans. through the Pacific Ocean. This garbage We aren’t going to recycle our way out of this problem. The patch — a swirling vortex of plastic particles, human refuse, and focus has to be on reducing or eliminating single-use plastics. fishing nets — is now twice the size of Texas and three times the Everyone should be able to find at least one small way to reduce size of France. It is made up of enough trash to represent 241 his or her plastic footprint: bring reusable shopping bags, pieces for every human on earth. The world has known about decline plastic straws, carry a refillable drinking bottle, order the situation in the North Pacific Ocean for over 20 years and tap water instead of drinking bottled water, provide eco-friendly still has not taken the appropriate actions to slow or contain the to-go containers for take-out or leftovers when dining out, and growth of its 1.8 trillion tons of plastic. refuse all single-use plastic. Eight to 13 tons of plastic enter the world’s oceans every year The threat of the plastic takeover is obvious at nearly every (imagine two garbage trucks filled with plastic every minute). local beach. Despite neighborhood efforts and the work of Ocean debris kills nearly one million sea creatures annually and concerned citizens, plastic and garbage continue to accumulate. is threatening the marine life, birds, and even humans, as we are On my family’s last beach cleanup, participants gathered an estimated total of 1.2 tons of garbage in just one morning session. What is the source of that much waste? We collected fishing nets, plastic straws, lollipop sticks, cigarette butts, plastic bottles, diapers, rubber tires, food wrappers, umbrellas, beach chairs, eight broken boats, and a diesel motor engine. My children and I now treat every beach walk as a challenge and carry a reusable bag for a mini cleanup with an empty bottle to collect cigarette butts. We all pitch in and make it a game to see who can gather the most debris. I wish I didn’t have to worry about the endless amount of trash, plastic, microplastics, and yes, sometimes even syringes that I pick up, but the reality of life today includes the seemingly insurmountable challenge of keeping our world clean. In 2015, Afroz Shah, a young lawyer and environmentalist in Mumbai, India, started a beach cleanup on a local beach. The pollution was so bad that no one could walk or swim along the beach; in some areas, the plastic reached 5 ½ feet high. Taking matters into his own hands, Afroz started going doorto-door, explaining to the locals the severity of the situation and encouraging them to go out and help him clean the polluted marine area. Eventually, more than a thousand volunteers were participating in his beach cleanup. After less than two years, they had removed over 12 million pounds of garbage, the majority of it plastic. For his vision and hard work, the UN awarded him its “Champion of the Earth” award. With leaders like Greta and Afroz, the world can create a movement one person at a time — and it starts with us and our children. United, we can all make small changes to leave a lasting legacy to future generations. How will you help? Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

Families Worth Following

Astrid Vinje

Redefining Adventure

Full-time travel This Australian family of four quit their jobs and sold their home in 2018 to travel full time. They’re exploring a life of minimalism as they travel and homeschool as a family.

Taking it slow Travel can change drastically when kids come into the picture. But for this family of five, that simply means an opportunity to see the world through their children’s eyes.

hat does adventure mean for families who love to travel? These traveling families on Instagram are showing the world what family adventure means to them!

@_dontwannagohome_ Diving deep into a culture For this New Zealand family of five, adventure means diving deep into a culture and experiencing its day-to-day life. They’re living and working in China, exploring as much of the country as they can. @wanderfamilytravel

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Getting back to nature This family of four spent two years exploring the United States and visiting every national park! They're now working their way through National Recreation Areas and other sites managed by the National Park System. @theamericanfieldtrip

FAMILY ON BEACH: JOANNA ROGERS; GIRL ON BEACH: MAYRA BAZAVILVAZO; DRIVING: HANNAH MAUNDER; BOATING: DAVID BOWMAN

@worldstompers

Interview

Amanda Bird

Vagabonding with the Turners

AMANDA TURNER

hree girls pretend to catch mangoes with an imaginary lasso in the Amazon jungle of Brazil, giggling as they take turns leaping, throwing, and holding their imaginary juicy reward. Two of the girls speak English and one speaks Portuguese, but they find a common language in play. The two English-speaking girls, Emilia and Ivy, are the daughters of Amanda Turner, the New York Times bestselling author of the Vagabonding with Kids series. Watching the girls play was the moment that wiped away any doubt she may have had about her decision to travel as a family. “Watching them create this bond without any common language was amazing,” Amanda said. She and her husband, Mike, have lived with their two daughters in various locations around the world for stints lasting between one and three months. Their first trip took them to Mexico, where Amanda’s in-laws live, for one month when the girls were 2 and 4. Amanda said the short trip to somewhere familiar allowed them to dip their toes in the water as a “sort of test voyage.” Since that first visit to Mexico, they’ve lived in Australia, Brazil, Spain, Ireland, Scotland, Thailand, and on a remote island in Alaska — all very different climates and cultures from their hometown in Idaho. Amanda believes that exposure to other cultures fosters compassion and gratitude and broadens

perspective; not just for herself, but for her family. “I can honestly say that I don’t take things like clean water and appliances and plumbing for granted,” Amanda admitted. “It’s a wonderful gift. It makes me a happier person because where I used to get annoyed, I’m now a much more positive person. For my kids, it gives them perspective, and I think that’s... most important at their present ages.” Emilia, now 11, said she enjoys getting to do so many different things, such as trying new foods and meeting new people. Ivy, 9, said she likes traveling because she gets to experience more cultures. “They understand that not every child has the same experiences, education, neighborhood, or customs,” Amanda noted. “If all they knew was Idaho or even the Pacific Northwest of the U.S., they’d have a more limited view of the world.” It’s easy to assume the Turners can afford extended stays in various parts of the world because they are wealthy. While the assumption that living abroad must be expensive is wrong, it’s one that Amanda had herself before they gathered the courage to take their test voyage seven years ago. “For too long, I believed that people who traveled extensively were either paid to do so, were spending a long-saved retirement fund, or were millionaires,” Amanda said. In order to make vagabonding a reality for their family, the Turners look for opportunities to exchange their home and Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

car with other traveling families, use airline miles for cheap tickets, and continue to work while traveling. They shop at local markets, prepare their owns meals, do their own laundry, and complete other day-to-day tasks that life back in Idaho would demand, such a taking out the trash. While much of life on the road is the same, there are a lot of adjustments to make as well, including education for the girls. The Turners have tried homeschooling, online schooling, worldschooling, and foreign Montessori schools, but Emilia and Ivy prefer to be enrolled in their local public school when home in Boise. They read, journal, and do lessons to keep up with their classes while traveling. “To those who would let questions of education hold them back from travel, I would encourage them to consider what children gain from travel,” Amanda stated. “It’s far greater than what they might miss out on at home. Also, kids grow up fast. We have a limited window of time in which to have these experiences with them.” After living in 15 locations worldwide since high school, one would be inclined to call Amanda an expert in vagabonding. She laughed at the label. “[I am] no such thing as an expert. At anything. I’m always learning. At everything,” Amanda said. “Learning is the fun part. Learning languages and customs and, of course, there

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is a fair amount of learning the hard way. I love figuring out how a metro system works, or the dos and don’ts of sacred places, or proper etiquette at a meal. I love learning those details.” The experiences are both good and bad, and Amanda said both are laughable. “A sense of humor is incredibly important. If you’re going to travel, you need to be able to laugh. And paramount is the ability to laugh at oneself.” To laugh like the time she woke up on Christmas morning with food poisoning in Florence, the “really awful kind [of food poisoning] where your body is determined to expel all contents from all orifices.” Their room didn’t have heat, so her family piled all of their clothes on top of her to keep her warm. Or the time a snowstorm grounded all flights, so the Turners embarked on a series of buses and trains, only to find out upon arrival that the hotel in Prague had canceled their reservation. Amanda admits there’s always a moment on every trip where she thinks life would be easier if they’d just stayed home, but she doesn’t equate an easier life with a better life. There’s some level of discomfort and difficulty at every location, but Amanda believes no level of comfort is worth giving up the experiences she and her family have had while seeing the world. And surely, a family of four must have an excessive number

WOULD YOU RATHER?

manda’s daughters often keep themselves entertained during travel with a game of “Would you Rather.” Amanda played a round with Everywhere Magazine. Tell us your answers on everywheremagazine.com! Would you rather… …live without the internet or live without AC and heating? “Live without heating and AC. And that’s saying a lot, given that I am a colossal wimp when it comes to heat (and yet we often travel to extremely hot places... currently writing to you from Bangkok). As previously mentioned, we have to work in order to travel like we do. Internet is imperative to that. I love the idea of unplugging, but that’s for vacation.” of suitcases for trips that last months? Not the Turners; at least, not anymore. On one of their recent six-week long trips, Amanda told her daughters to pack three pairs of shorts and three t-shirts each. They traveled without checking any bags, carrying only three backpacks and one computer bag total. “They looked at me like I was crazy,” Amanda recalled. “We had so many trips where we lamented hauling around an excess of luggage. Now that my kids see how much easier it is, they wonder why we ever needed actual suitcases in the past. It feels great to travel light.” Amanda is an award-winning author, wittingly telling tales about her family’s travels in a series of books, Vagabonding with Kids. She tackles subjects like working while traveling, budgeting, and schooling by telling real-life stories. Amanda’s humor and honesty make her feel like a lifelong friend who is eager to share her failures and the how-tos that she’s learned as a result over a glass of wine. “For me, vagabonding is moving about the world to experience different cultures,” Amanda explained. “It’s less about destination travel, sightseeing, tours, and crossing things off bucket lists, and more about opening up your perspective to gain greater understanding and appreciation of the world beyond your borders.” She doesn’t shy away from the hard stuff but highlights it in an effort to show that what seems impossible is possible — and totally worth it.

…have a horrible job, but be able to retire comfortably in 10 years or have your dream job, but have to work forever? “Dream job, work forever, which I feel like I already have. My husband asked me what I wanted to do when I retire. I said, ‘exactly what I’m doing now.’” ….have unlimited sushi for life or unlimited tacos? “Sushi! My family would all vote for tacos.” …go back to age five with everything you know now, or now know everything your future self will learn? “Know now what my future self will learn. Even with greater knowledge, I don’t think I can handle teens and twenties a second time around.” …get one free round trip international plane ticket every year or be able to fly domestically anytime for free? “International! Which isn’t to say that I don’t love seeing the U.S., and I have a lot of stateside exploring yet to do, but I never tire of learning about the world beyond my home country. There’s still so much more to see.”

Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

JUST GO

Laura Ambrey

How to Overcome Jet Lag as a Family uffering jet lag as an entire family tests even the most seasoned adventurers. No one wants to start a long-awaited trip off on the wrong – and extremely exhausted – foot. Luckily, a little bit of planning, along with a conscious effort to ease into a new time zone, will make overcoming jet lag feel attainable rather than arduous. The American Sleep Association classifies jet lag as a disorder of the circadian rhythm, the internal, 24-hour clock controlled by part of the hypothalamus. (Alongside sleep, the hypothalamus also controls body temperature, hunger, thirst and emotions. You know, no biggie.) The hypothalamus doesn’t work alone, however; the eyes send that tiny-but-potent part of the brain a signal when they register light and dark, telling the body to release melatonin and induce sleepiness. So stepping off the plane to a bright morning when it would still be dark at home can make life disorderly. According to the National Sleep Foundation, the circadian rhythm works best when it adheres to regular sleep hygiene — going to bed at night and waking up in the morning around the same time from day to day. When external factors like jet lag or daylight savings time get in the way, the disruption to the circadian rhythm makes most people feel out of sorts. So how can jet lag be avoided for an enjoyable and uninterrupted trip? It’s nearly impossible when crossing several time zones; it can take up to a day of fatigue per time zone crossed before the body settles into a new routine. But using the tips below can make jet lag recovery more bearable and help reduce downtime.

Consider shifting toward the upcoming time zone before leaving the current one.

Consider arriving early for an event.

Get out in the daylight.

If traveling for an event (a wedding, for example), try to arrive a few days early to allow time to adjust. This is certain to make the event – and trip altogether – more enjoyable.

Exposure to light signals the brain (and that wise hypothalamus) to stay awake and reset the internal clock. Make an effort to play outside, open the curtains first thing in the morning, and maybe skip the underground tour – especially during the first few days in a new place. Exposure to dark at the corresponding time helps as well, so try to keep bedrooms dark when it’s time for sleep, even just for naps.

Decide whether to adjust to local time. If the time difference between home and a destination is less than three hours, it might not be worth the bother and disruption in routine to get everyone onto local time (unless plans include staying for more than a week).

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To shift to a local sleep schedule, sleep expert Kim West recommends on her blog, The Sleep Lady, that travelers (with or without kids) “make small adjustments.” For traveling west across time zones, which will generally result in keeping children up past when their little bodies think it’s bedtime, she advises to “take a week to slowly shift your entire routine later in 10 or 15-minute increments. That means bedtime, naptime, and mealtimes.” For traveling east across time zones, the opposite is true; “where your children will be going to bed earlier than ‘normal,’ … slowly shift your routine 10 to 15 minutes earlier over the course of a week. Doing this ahead of your travel dates ensures that your children will already be acclimated to the new time zone when you arrive, making sleep a bit easier for everyone.” Upon arrival, switch to an acceptable local bedtime right away. For westward travel, take strides to keep everyone awake until the last minute possible after landing at a destination. Little ones may need a super short nap to allow them to stay up a little later, but going for a walk, swimming in the hotel pool, or getting a sugary treat (fruit or sweets) can also help stretch kids past an early local bedtime to help get them on local time faster. For trips eastward, try skipping a nap or wearing kids out at the pool to get them tired enough to fall asleep earlier than normal.

Keep early risers quiet for as long as possible. If an early wake-up does happen (and there’s a good chance it will), keep things quiet and dark for as long as possible and gently remind any early risers that it’s still nighttime. Setting an

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alarm that gives kids a clear signal that morning has arrived can sometimes help. Alternatively, take advantage of the early start to the day to begin exploring a new location by getting everyone out for a walk to track down coffee and breakfast at a local café. Try grounding. Also called earthing, grounding is the theory that the earth holds a minor negative electrical charge and that direct skinto-ground contact breaks up the positive charge that builds up in the body’s cells, reducing inflammation and improving general well-being. Skeptical? While there is not a lot of science to support this theory, who wouldn’t feel better after running around barefoot at the park or beach for a little while?

Consider melatonin. Melatonin is advertised to help reset circadian rhythm more quickly. Unisom, which contains the same active ingredient as Benadryl, can help kids over 6 and adults fall asleep and stay asleep. Consult with a doctor before using any supplements (over-the-counter or otherwise) to help address jet lag. Remember to anticipate similar sleep disruptions upon arriving home. Plan for disruptions after returning home as well by building in a day or two, if possible, before everyone has to return to school, work, and real life. With a little advance planning and intentional adjustments to a family’s schedule on the road, jet lag doesn’t have to slow down a trip or the return.

Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

ESSAY

Aerlyn Pfeil

Midwifery in South Sudan T

he floors of the maternity ward are cracked — worn out from the beating sun and time — sand filling in the deep fractures in the concrete like powder or foundation spread over the wrinkles of an old woman’s face, and there is blood too. Those hospital floors hold more stories and history than most places I have stepped. My father, upon seeing a photo, remarked that the maternity ward looks like the epicenter of an earthquake. Some of the fissures run up the walls where they meet panels of torn, wire mesh resembling long, narrow window screens. The screens seemed genius with the heat — it was 130°F (54°C) one day, in the shade — but they didn’t keep out the bugs, abuui (dust), rain, or wind. Everything is broken, falling down. I covered up laboring and malaria-sick women with whatever extra blankets and sheets I could find, working by torch (flashlight), as the electricity 26 | Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

was often out. Women curled around their newborn babes, with colorful but dirt- and blood-stained sheets pulled over their heads and tucked under their skin-and-bone bodies, guarding against chills that are normal postpartum or perhaps from the fever of infection. Imagine freezing in this heat! Eventually, we hung plastic sheets over the screens, but the wind would whip these plastic sheets of protection up high, stretching them out and away from the walls, letting the sand and cold and rain sneak in before slamming them down with a loud “bang,” making the patients, staff, and me all jump — as though it were a gunshot we had heard. Recently, the little hospital had seen conflict; with the ongoing civil war came attacks on villages, hospitals, and aid workers. Everyone fled. But as is common in low-resource countries, this was the only medical facility for many miles; eventually, patients and

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staff trickled back, and our empty wards were full once again. One of my patients was a young woman, maybe 18. She had fled the fighting further north, walking miles upon miles to seek safety and healthcare. This particular mother had pre-eclampsia, a disease of pregnancy causing elevated blood pressure. Most commonly, it occurs with first pregnancies and can be treated with medications that lower the blood pressure. If not treated, it can lead to seizure and death, and the real “cure” is delivery. This mama was typical of the pre-eclamptic patients who present for care — swollen, miserable, and far from term. She had been in the maternity ward for many days while I managed to keep her blood pressure down, trying to give her body time to ripen on its own. Inducing a first-time mother before she is term is challenging — the Pitocin or other drugs used to ripen the cervix and create contractions are less likely to work, and there are risks to the baby. In my home country of the United States, a woman in her condition would be closely monitored and induced if necessary, knowing that if things went wrong, a cesarean section could be performed. But this was the middle of nowhere South Sudan, and I had no surgeon. I also had no fancy equipment to monitor contractions or Pitocin levels accurately, so the possible risks to the mother and baby were high. As long as she was stable and her preterm baby remained high in the pelvis, we would have to wait. But I worried. She was quiet, shy, and alone — a refugee with no family, no husband, no support. Finally, after days of practicing patience, as my shift ended, her labor began — nice and easy, with nothing seeming truly abnormal or out of place, except that it was the end of the day and, since the fighting broke out, it was no longer safe for staff to be at the hospital after dark. South Sudan has a shortage of trained medical staff, and this hospital was no exception. There were only two South Sudanese doctors, a couple of nurses, and a few recently graduated midwives for the entire hospital. The recent conflict meant it was unsafe to move at night so while medical care was available during daylight hours, the women and new midwives were mostly on their own at night. In maternal healthcare, we often talk about the three delays that contribute to maternal mortality: the delay of access (where women might have to travel hours or even days to find care), the delay of knowledge (where women or family members might not know or recognize care is needed), and the delay of quality care (where the care needed is not delivered because of a lack of resources or skilled staff). Normally, we do everything we can to mitigate these delays: education, nutrition, ambulances. But here, the obstacles were many — armed conflict and insecurity, no cell phones or radios, lack of medical equipment and resources, new staff

with limited skills, and prolonged malnutrition. With the fighting, no one felt safe to leave the hospital at night to find help. There were no nighttime taxis. The roads were empty, minus the roaming packs of dogs. I had imagined this mother would labor through the night and hoped she would deliver when I arrived early in the morning. Instead, she delivered around 3 a.m., apparently without any difficulty, but she bled. And she bled. And bled. Postpartum hemorrhage is a leading cause of maternal mortality. Worldwide, more than 1,000 women die daily from Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

childbirth-related complications, and 24% of those women die from postpartum hemorrhage. With proper management, drugs, and good nutrition, death can be preventable. In the developed world, we have access to all of those things, and if a mother still bleeds too much, we have access to blood transfusions. But this was South Sudan, a war-torn country where there are less than 40 hospitals, with only a few hundred physicians and 600 trained midwives for 13 million people. This is one of the worst places in the world to be an expecting mother. “Mahbrouk” (congratulations), I say to her, in the early hours of the next morning. She peers up at me in the dark room, pale and quiet; her new baby, a healthy girl, is tucked in at the foot of the bed. I ask the midwives on the morning shift what they knew of the delivery and the blood loss, and they report the little they know from their handover — easy and quick delivery, hemorrhage, the bleeding seems to have stopped, vitals are low. In my broken Arabic, I ask, “Keifa? Nazeef kitheer?” (“Are you still bleeding?”) “Kitheer” (“a lot”), is all she replies. I ask her if the bleeding ever stopped. She shakes her head no. 28 | Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

Around 6 a.m. she was given Pitocin to help her uterus clamp down. She also received plasmion, a type of blood substitute, and plenty of IV fluids. The only thing still left to give her is blood. But there is no blood bank. Donating blood is a cultural taboo, and fears that donating will make the donor sick (or worse) keep even family members from giving blood for a loved one. There are other barriers too, like a lack of power to keep the blood cold and no skilled lab tech to match donors to patients. I’m told someone went looking for donors in the nearby refugee camp, but she has no biological family. The outlook isn’t good. Time is limited. I poke her finger to check her hemoglobin, and it’s about 3.0 — way, way too low. She desperately needs blood, and I pray that one of the midwives will find someone in the refugee camp to donate. Her uterus is boggy — not a good sign. I can feel the clots collected inside and glove up to remove them. The clots have been preventing her uterus from contracting, but with their removal, her bleeding seems to stop. I wonder silently if it’s possible that she isn’t bleeding purely because there is no more blood. She is empty, dry, and broken like the hospital, like the dry Sudanese earth. Thoughts swirl in my head: If she had received blood. If I could just have been present at her delivery. There is no one to take the baby — she has never been nursed or held against the breast, the heart of her mother. She has no father, no name. Men arrive to transport the body, and women receive it and start to wail. The women, dressed in ragged and brightlycolored cloth, create a chorus of lament, howling their grief. There are maybe 12 of us cramped in a tiny, tarp-covered hut, crowded by a single bed, chair, a colorful mat, countless flies, and heat that is sickly sweet and overpowering. I hold the newborn tight to my chest. She has a perfect nose and pursed lips. She doesn’t notice when the women start to writhe on the floor in an expression of grief. There is an old Sudanese saying, “I am as young as the most beautiful wish in my heart — and as old as all the unfulfilled longings in my life.” What was the wish in your mama’s heart? Aerlyn Pfeil is a certified professional midwife and sexual violence program consultant from Portland, Oregon. She has been attending births since 1999. In 2010, she joined Doctors Without Borders, where she has worked in maternal health programs in South Sudan, Haiti, Senegal, Somalia, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, and Papua New Guinea. Aerlyn is on the Board of Directors for Doctors Without Borders. She holds a BA in Sociology from Whitman College and a MPH from the University of Manchester.

Fiona Croucher

parkrun

FIONA CROUCHER

or many busy parents, Saturday mornings can either be full of chaos or a chance to sleep in, enjoy a lazy coffee, or take a long shower. For almost 15 years, parkrun has been giving people around the world a reason to wake up full of enthusiasm to go and run around a local park instead. parkrun is a global phenomenon that started with just 13 people in the UK in 2004 and registered its five-millionth member in 2018. It hosts completely free 5 km (3.1 mi) timed runs in over 1400 locations around the world every Saturday morning. Depending on the local climate, each parkrun starts at 7, 8, or 9 a.m. and continues for as long as it takes for each participant to run or walk the 5 km route! No runner is ever last at parkrun — a volunteer tail walker is always the final finisher and signals that the event is over for the day. The success of parkrun has been attributed to its accessibility. Each Saturday morning, events are attended by locals and tourists, marathon runners and walkers, people who want to lose weight or gain fitness, those recovering from injury or illness, children and seniors, people with disabilities, whole families, sports teams, and, if the location allows it, even dogs. Stuart, 63, from Edinburgh, Scotland was not able to run even to catch the bus before he started attending parkrun just three months ago with two of his brothers who live in different locations around the UK. “We [all] feel that parkrun is a fabulous and inspirational institution that encourages health, fitness, togetherness, and working for the common good.” Although they don’t run in the same place, they are able to compare their weekly runs online and engage in some good-natured competitiveness. Sixteen-year-old Cameron from Australia has been attending parkrun on occasion with her stepmom for a few years but has recently started going every Saturday. “I really like parkrun because people of all ages and running paces attend, making

Navigation the parkrun community a friendly and enjoyable one. I have my friend coming now, too, and she loves it as much as I do.” Unlike most organized runs, there is no registration fee; parkrun events are staffed entirely by volunteers and are funded by government and private sponsors. The online registration allocates each member a unique barcode that can be used anywhere in the world at parkrun events. Everyone has a home parkrun, usually the closest to where they live, but can attend different parkruns on any Saturday. To participate, each parkrunner simply arrives at the start location, runs with the group (which can be up to several hundred people), and then receives a token that is scanned with the barcode and recorded on the member’s account. Every run is logged, so times, improvements, and personal records can be viewed on the website or app. It’s not a race, and there is no obligation to attend. A parkrunner’s only true competition is with him or herself. Most parkrunners will agree that the social aspect of the event is just as important as the actual running. A wonderful, inclusive community has been created where everyone is encouraging and friendly no matter where in the world the parkrun is located. Many parkruns have a group of people that invites everyone to a local café for a post-run coffee, so parkruns are a great opportunity to make connections at home or on the road. Kathy, 54, from Australia has completed over 160 parkruns. “I spend just as much time afterwards having coffee and catching up with my many new friends, fantastic people I probably never would have met without parkrun.” parkruns become a way of life. “I am now at a stage, as are many others, where holidays and weekends away are often planned around parkruns,” Kathy says. She plans road trips to leave after 9 a.m. on a Saturday morning, makes sure there is a parkrun at her destination, or flies home from holiday on a Friday night so that she can still get to parkrun the next day. parkrun offers other great incentives to increase participation. It sends a free shirt (just pay postage) to members who complete 50, 100, and 250 runs. Runners can also work towards an unofficial club; for example, members who complete a parkrun for an event or location beginning with each letter of the alphabet become members of the Alphabeteer Club — quite the challenge, as there are less than 10 runs starting with Q or Z in the world – and parkrunners who complete 20 different parkruns gain tourist status. Christmas and New Year’s Day Doubles schedule neighbouring runs at staggered times so parkrunners can attend both. parkrun is still expanding – 2km (1.24 mi) Junior parkruns are held in the U.K. and Ireland and are being trialed in Australia for kids under age 14, and eight UK prisons have begun hosting parkrun since 2017. Events are opening regularly in new locations around the world; Japan will be the 21st country with a parkrun event with its Tokyo event launch in April. Why do thousands of people keep returning to parkrun and logging hundreds of runs? Perhaps the only way to know is to go and experience it for yourself – is there one near you? Go to www.parkrun.com for more information, a list of worldwide events and to register for free. Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

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Travel in Bloom

CHERRY BLOSSOMS Throughout Japan Known as the national flower of Japan, Prunus serrulata trees abloom throughout the country and top many a bucket list. The sakura (cherry blossom) season in Japan starts in February in the country’s south – Okinawa is often in bloom by the first week of February – while the season is progressively later in its northern climes, with Sapporo and Hakodate generally in season in late April or early May. Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C.’s cherry blossom trees were a gift from Japan in 1912. The bright pink flowers, so fragrant and fleeting, are a spectacular sight but difficult to target for a weekend or week-long trip. In Washington, D.C., the peak bloom of the National Cherry Blossom Festival lasts only a few days, beginning sometime in early March and generally lasting until early April. Notwithstanding these logistical challenges, the impact of tourism seeking out the iconic flower is estimated at $150 million annually. nationalcherryblossomfestival.org cherryblossomwatch.com Edinburgh, Scotland Washington, D.C. and Japan get all the press for their cherry blossoms, but they can be viewed elsewhere as well. Looking for an excuse to visit Europe this spring? Try Edinburgh, Scotland. Close to this Scottish capital’s city center, Jawbone Walk (named for the whale jawbones erected as arches over this path through the park) is lined with trees that erupt into a pink ceiling of blossoms every spring. The soft pink flowers are a beautiful contrast to the hard stone walls of the castle towering over the city.

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ROSES Portland, Oregon Portland, sometimes called the “City of Roses,” has planned an entire calendar of events to celebrate the flower. The Portland Rose Festival, which begins May 24 this year, has been taking place for well over a century and offers activities for the whole family, including parades, fireworks, fun runs, dragon boat races, and naval ship tours. Outside of the festival events, the city’s renowned blooms are on display at the International Rose Test Garden, which boasts more than 8,000 roses. www.rosefestival.org

CACTI Saguaro National Park, Tucson, Arizona The Saguaro cactus is striking year-round due to its iconic profile but is truly a sight to behold when its arms are topped with a crown of flowers, each with a delicate, pale yellow stamen surrounded by fluted white petals. The peak blooming season runs from late May to early June. And they’re late bloomers in other ways as well – Sagauro don’t reach reproductive age and flower until they’re around 30 years old, if not older. Time a visit here following a wet winter for more abundant flowers. www.nps.gov/sagu

CHERRY BLOSSOMS: SMILEUS; ROSE: GEORGED; WILDFLOWER: LINAGAL; CACTUS FLOWER: JAY; TULIP: GRECAUD PAUL (ALL STOCK.ADOBE.COM)

WILDFLOWERS The Adirondack Park, Upstate New York California’s Wildflower Super Bloom has come and gone for 2019, but it certainly isn’t the only opportunity to see hillsides awash in color. Described by the Adirondack Park Agency as “the largest publicly protected area in the contiguous United States, greater in size than Yellowstone, Everglades, Glacier, and Grand Canyon National Park combined,” it may come as a surprise that the Adirondack Park is a state park, not a National Park. Given its size, there is no shortage of trails that explore mountain meadows and fields where spring wildflowers are on display. Some species’ names are as flowery as the flora itself – Carolina Springbeauty, Goldthread, and Pink Lady’s Slipper, to name a few – while others like the Toothwort, Hobblebush, and Jack-in-the-Pulpit barely hint at the beauty that awaits. visitadirondacks.com/about/adirondack-park wildadirondacks.org/adirondack-wildflowers.html

TULIPS Keukenhof Gardens, Lisse, South Holland Holland is famous for its tulips, and rightfully so: the grounds of Keukenhof Gardens are adorned with seven million bulbs (that’s right – seven million), with even more flowers on display at its indoor facilities. Explore the Gardens by foot or float alongside its fields by “whisper boat,” and don’t miss the animal farm and maze that will keep kids entertained for hours. Outside the park, rent bicycles to cover a little more distance with the littles on a tour of the surrounding flower fields. The Gardens are open March 21–May 19, 2019. keukenhof.nl/en

Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

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re you one of the many travelers that has nearly missed a connecting flight after being delayed at customs and immigration, or do you simply hate the idea of waiting in a long line with a child tired from a long day of travel? Take advantage of Global Entry and the Mobile Passport app, two U.S. Customs & Border Patrol (CBP) programs that can save you significant time on a return flight to the United States.

GLOBAL ENTRY CBP’s Global Entry program issues travelers a card that allows access to a specific lane through customs and immigration that can be hundreds of people — and hours of wait time — shorter than the standard entry line. Global Entry kiosks are available in nearly 60 airports in the United States. In addition, pre-clearance kiosks are available in other airports around the globe, including in Abu Dhabi (AUH), Aruba (AUA), Bermuda (BDA), Saipan (SPN), Dublin (DUB), and numerous airports in the Bahamas and Canada, among others; travelers returning to the United States through these airports can clear customs and immigration before even boarding the plane. The process for enrolling in Global Entry can be cumbersome. The application, completed online by creating

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a Trusted Traveler Program account for each traveler, requires disclosure of the applicant’s current and five-year history of addresses and employers as well as a list of all countries visited within the last five years. For seasoned travelers or families living a life on the road, gathering the required information could be a huge undertaking. CBP processes the application by performing a thorough background screening, and, assuming the application is complete, could issue conditional approval in a matter of days or weeks. However, the hard part is certainly not behind you — the next step is an in-person interview at a Global Entry Enrollment Center, and interviews are scheduled five to six months out. There’s no way to expedite a scheduled interview, although many airports offer walk-in appointments or “Enrollment on Arrival” that allows travelers who have received conditional approval to complete the interview upon arrival at a participating airport as a part of the standard inspection conducted on reentry. The in-person interview allows CBP the opportunity to ask questions about anything the background screening may have flagged. For example, an arrest history or dual citizenship could delay processing. CBP will also take your fingerprints and your photograph during the interview. Bring all required documents

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Global Entry and Mobile Passport

with you, including your passport or permanent resident card, a valid driver’s license, and proof of address. Assuming your application is approved, CBP will mail a card to you following the interview. Global Entry is available to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, Mexican nationals, and citizens of ten other countries. The application fee is $100 USD per applicant, and the certification must be renewed every five years. All children, regardless of age, must submit a separate application and register for an interview. Is it worth the hassle? Anything is an improvement over waiting in a lengthy line to clear customs and immigration, and travelers (especially those who take at least one international trip per year) will appreciate the time it saves upon re-entry to the United States. As an added bonus, your Global Entry number can also be used as your TSA Pre✓® Known Traveler Number on domestic flights, so you don’t have to apply to both programs.

• Travel with carry-on luggage only so you don’t have to wait to collect a checked bag. • Plan a long enough layover to allow for delays on re-entry. A two-hour layover should be enough time to make a connection using Global Entry or the Mobile Passport app, but allowing three hours (or more, if you’re traveling without them) is safer. • Know where you’re going; international flights often land in a different terminal than domestic flights, and you may have a long walk or have to take a shuttle from immigration and customs to catch your connection.

MOBILE PASSPORT APP Didn’t start the Global Entry process in time? There is another option — CBP has released an app for your smartphone that is designed to help you breeze through customs and immigration in three cruise ports and 26 airports. This app puts an electronic version of your passport on your phone, much like the electronic boarding passes offered by many airlines, and allows CBP to verify your passport’s validity easily. Using the app is quick and easy: • Download the app to your phone; you can even do it after the plane lands at your destination. • Create a profile with the information from your passport. • Answer the standard customs and immigration questions about your trip. These are the same questions that you’d answer on the paper form. • Connect to the airport’s WiFi or use your cellular data to submit your information to CBP and receive an encrypted barcode from CBP as your receipt. Then, simply use the designated line for Mobile Passport holders. It’s significantly shorter than the standard line for residents. In fact, it’s often shorter than the Global Entry line as well, so even travelers with Global Entry cards should download the app and have it ready upon arrival. No fees and no need for an interview to obtain prior approval make this program much more accessible than Global Entry. Everyone entering the United States through one of the approved airports or cruise ports with a cell phone should take advantage.

TIME-SAVING TIPS Regardless of whether you use Global Entry or the Mobile Passport app, you might benefit from other tried and true tips to minimize stress in customs and immigration: • Book a seat toward the front of the plane so you’re among the first to deplane and can get in line ahead of your fellow passengers.

Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

Whitney Preece Crofut

Layover

COURTESY OF WWW.TRAVELPORTLAND.COM

Portland, Oregon

Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

IF YOU HAVE ONE DAY Food Carts

Saturday Market

Voodoo Doughnut

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For a short trip, stay central. The Downtown, Pearl, and Alphabet Districts are all on the west side of town and are linked by streetcar. Stay downtown at the Duniway Hotel, a centrallylocated Hilton property with not only all the amenities of a family hotel (including large rooms starting around $180 per night, a rooftop deck, and an indoor pool) but also trendy decor for families who want something a little more hip than your typical chain hotel. In the Alphabet District (given this moniker because each street name begins with the next letter of the alphabet: Burnside, Couch, Davis, and so on), the more casual Inn at Northrup Station is on the streetcar route and offers rooms with kitchens for around $140 per night. Start your experience of downtown Portland in Pioneer Square, a gathering space for events, lunchtime concerts, and summer Friday night movies. Find the secret echo chamber where kids love to whisper loudly; it’s a great opportunity for a teachable moment about sound amplification. Around the corner, grab food from Elephants Delicatessen and relax in Director Park, play in the fountain (fountains flow April to September), or test your skills at life-size chess. For art lovers or rainy day visitors, peruse the Portland Art Museum. When everyone’s hungry but can’t agree on cuisine, try the myriad of downtown food carts. Hundreds of food carts sell delicious options for you to enjoy while you walk the city streets or picnic in the park. If you prefer a sit-down meal, enjoy Tasty n Alder or Mother’s Bistro for breakfast (go early for quick seating). For lunch or dinner, try Boxer Ramen, Alto Bajo, Bamboo Sushi (downtown); Andina or Mediterranean Exploration Company (in the Pearl District); or Papa Haydn or Escape From New York Pizza (in the Alphabet District). Find green smoothies at Kure or Greenleaf, or enjoy the unusual treats of Salt & Straw ice cream or Voodoo Doughnut; both treat shops have a line, so go before the kids are too tired. Walk or ride the streetcar to the Pearl District, and visit the world’s largest new and used bookstore, Powell’s City of Books; its kids section alone is the size of most neighborhood bookstores. Jamison Square is few blocks north; parents can relax in the grassy park surrounding the fountain while kids splash in the water that recirculates in a fun cascade down the rocks.

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ortland is a rapidly growing city that still maintains the quirks and character of a small town. Family and pedestrian friendly, the city is also known as Bridgetown for its 12 bridges that span the Willamette River, dividing the city’s east and west sides. Portland offers families unique neighborhoods, great local food, street art, and loads of parks and green space. If you’re arriving by air, hop the 35-minute Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) train from Portland International Airport (PDX) to downtown.

Head west to Twenty-Third Avenue in the Alphabet District for food and shopping in one of Portland’s original destination neighborhoods. Or east of Powell’s, find quiet at Lan Su Chinese Garden in Chinatown, a beautiful one-block sanctuary in the heart of the city. Public buses and streetcars are free for some downtown routes, with widespread routes and regular stops, making a car unnecessary in the city.

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IF YOU HAVE TWO TO THREE DAYS

Whatever the weather, Portlanders get outside, and you should, too. Explore the spring blooms at the International Rose Test Garden, get zen at the Portland Japanese Garden, run around at the accessible Elephant House playground, or watch the animals and enjoy a summer concert at the Oregon Zoo. To really get lost in nature, discover Forest Park, a 5,200-acre park in the heart of the city with over 80 miles (128 km) of trails. For an amazing view of Mt. Hood, hike or drive to the Pittock Mansion. For school-age kids, walk the Lower Macleay Trail to Witch’s Castle. If you’re steering a stroller, check out the wide, partially paved Leif Erikson Trail. Both are accessible from Thurman Street and are well marked so you won’t get lost. Tom McCall Waterfront Park is a popular destination for a walk, run, or bike. On a hot day, let the kids play in the Salmon Street Springs Fountain, then rent bikes (including a surrey for the whole family) to cover more of the city. Cross the Hawthorne Bridge to the Eastbank Esplanade, a path stretching miles along the river. At the south end is Oaks Amusement Park, offering rides and roller skating since 1905. Get into science at OMSI (the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry) or out on the river with Willamette Jetboat Excursions. You’ll end up soaked, so go when it’s hot. On weekends, Saturday Market offers food, crafts, and music. And check events calendars for summer waterfront events — two favorite spring and summer events include the Portland Rose Festival in May and June and the Waterfront Blues Festival over the July 4th weekend. The Riverplace Hotel, with rooms starting around $170 per night, offers in-room tents for kids to continue your outdoor experience in the hotel.

Jamison Square Fountain

Powell's City of Books

IF YOU HAVE FOUR TO SEVEN DAYS

With added time, explore eastside neighborhoods like Hawthorne, Alberta, or Mississippi. All have plenty of local shops and restaurants, but each is a little different. Hawthorne boasts the Bagdad Theater & Pub, a great stop for a family movie and pizza date. Alberta has interesting art galleries and monthly Last Thursdays on Alberta, an outdoor art and street fair held from 6-9 p.m. the last Thursday of each month, June through August. If you’re up for a date night, hire a sitter at your hotel and enjoy

Forest Park Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

Stoller Family Estate

Mississippi’s lively music scene at Mississippi Studios. To get a feel for why Portlanders love the city and its easy access to outdoor recreation and excursions outside the city, rent a car and go to the beach, wine country, gorge, or mountains, all within 90 minutes of downtown. To see the Oregon Coast (don’t let cooler temps and partial clouds fool you, you still need sunscreen!), head west to Cannon Beach for spectacular beauty, quaint shops, tide pools, and even a sand castle contest in June. Kids love Seaside for its boardwalk, aquarium, and arcade, while sleepy Pacific City offers sand dunes, mild surf, and the new Headlands Coastal Lodge & Spa for tired moms in need of rejuvenation or mother-daughter pedicure dates. The Willamette Valley has several kid-friendly wineries that have outdoor space for families to enjoy a picnic. Try Stoller Family Estate, where kids can run and play in the grass and on the tire swing while parents relax with a glass of wine in the Adirondack chairs overlooking the vineyard. Overnight nearby in a rented airstream at The Vintages Trailer Resort, starting at $165 per night. The next morning, surprise the kids with Wings & Waves Waterpark, where one of the slides launches from a Boeing 747 on the roof! The next day, venture east of Portland to the Columbia River Gorge, where the Columbia River (a major thoroughfare frequented by barge traffic and small fishing boats alike) divides Oregon and Washington. For up close river views, stop at Rooster

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Rock State Park to enjoy a picnic and wade into the shallow water at the river’s edge. Next, visit Multnomah Falls, Oregon’s tallest waterfall at 620 feet (189 meters); it offers an educational visitor center and a semi-paved path up to the waterfall. The gorge is speckled with other waterfall hikes of varying distances and difficulties as well. Wahclella Falls is a short and sweet family favorite. Not only will you love the fresh air, but the kids will be nice and tired as you move further east to Hood River, an international kite surfing mecca. Stop for wood-fired pizza at Solstice for dinner, then stay at the Hood River Inn – it offers riverfront views as well as an indoor pool starting around $120 per night. You can return to Portland as you came, or turn south on Highway 35 to loop around Mt. Hood. You’ll pass u-pick apple farms and The Gorge White House, a relaxing place to stop for wine or cider. Visit Timberline Lodge and Ski Area for yearround glacier skiing, or just stop at the historic lodge for its fabulous views of the mountain peak and an amazing brunch. Teenagers may be especially impressed by the fact that the exterior scenes from The Shining were filmed at Timberline; the movie runs continuously at the hotel, if you dare to watch it and then try to sleep. When it’s time to go, take the shorter route back to Portland via Government Camp. There’s so much to explore in Portland and its vicinity that even a week will leave you wanting more. So plan your visit, and then plan to come back, time and again.

Multnomah Falls

Oregon Coast Tide Pools

Hood River

Mt. Hood Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

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Fiona Croucher

SKILLSET

How to Find (Nearly) Free Housing While Traveling

42:

Set Up a Home Swap

43:

Try Couchsurfing

43:

Book a House Sit

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Work for Your Keep

44: KATIE NELSON

Resources and Tips for Success

Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

Set Up a Home Swap L

os Angeles residents Tom and Clara have dreams of sailing in Croatia for the summer, but it’s hard for them to find hotels with enough space for their four kids to run. Marko and Ana from Dubrovnik, Croatia would love to spend the summer exploring California with their two teenagers. Through home swapping, the families can make those dreams a reality without breaking the bank — Tom, Clara, and their kids plan to spend three weeks holding down the fort for Marko and Ana in Dubrovnik while Marko and Ana do the same for Tom and Clara in California during the same time. Home swaps work exactly the way they sound — one family (or couple, or single person) swaps with another for an agreed period of time. Swappers live in each other’s houses, often drive each other’s cars, and see the sights in the local area. A home swap has so many advantages: you can experience travel authentically and discover local cultures, no money changes hands, you stay in an entire house or apartment instead of a hotel room. If you swap with another family, you’ll have the fantastic bonus of a kid-friendly house that might provide car seats, beach towels, boxes of LEGOs, and bedtimes stories. Back at home, you have a house sitter to keep your house looking lived-in, collect your mail, and even look after your pets or the garden. Your family has the opportunity to live like a local, learn another culture, and travel all over the globe, all for the low price of a membership fee (usually the same cost of one night’s lodging for a family of four). The cost savings of participating in a home exchange can be significant, as many of the participating properties are upscale. The Prince family began traveling the world five years ago, swapping their luxury home on the island of Ko Samui,

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Thailand with similar upscale properties throughout Asia, North America, Europe and Australia. They love the fact that their four children get to experience home life in another culture rather than staying in a touristy hotel. Similarly, Baiba Kvista, a Latvian residing in Spain, started using Home Exchange’s unlimited service five years ago as a way to see more of Europe with her husband and two sons. The Kvistas have swapped homes more than 25 times and saved over $60,000 in the process. Home swapping has been around since long before the Internet, but being online has made it easier to find swaps in your desired destination and to get to know the family you are considering letting into your home. The added connectivity makes it easy to follow your fellow house swappers on social media, send instructions about your home, and recommend local attractions or restaurants. Don’t like the idea of other people living in your house and sleeping in your bed or having to clean up before you leave? Of course, home swaps are not for everyone, but many people discover that the positives far outweigh the negatives. Bad experiences with swapping are rare; the whole system is based around trust (and of course, reviews left on your profile). You can bet if you are fretting about someone’s children breaking your grandmother’s china or spilling something on your carpet, the person in your house is worrying about how you’ll treat their home in return. And for treasured personal possessions and valuables, it’s easy enough to lock them up or leave them with someone you trust for the duration of the swap. There are generally no specific requirements for house swaps; most websites simply connect you to other interested families and leave it to you to organize the details amongst yourselves. Some sites offer non-simultaneous swaps using points that can be earned by having someone in your house and spent by staying in another house home at a later time.

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Book A House Sit I

Try Couchsurfing C

ouchsurfing dates back to 1999 when college student Casey Fenton found cheap flights to Iceland but, after realizing he couldn’t afford the accommodation costs, hacked the University of Iceland’s database and emailed 1,500 students asking if they could host him. He received over 50 responses, accepted one, and had a wonderful time staying with a fellow college student in Reykjavik. Casey returned to the U.S., created the website, and built it into the community it is today. Couchsurfing.com now has around fourteen million members in all corners of the globe, with roughly 400,000 active members willing to host travelers in their homes. It is mostly used by singles or couples, but there are families and other hosts that will accept families; it’s all detailed on members’ profiles. Travelers can search for hosts by region and message them directly asking to stay; whether to accept is totally up to the hosts. On the flip side, hosts can search for travelers and offer them a couch, which might appeal to families looking for exposure to people from other countries even while at home. To be clear, the “couch” isn’t always a couch — sometimes you do get an old sofa and a blanket, but at other times you’ll find yourself in a plush king size bed in a spare ensuite bedroom. Obviously, the latter caters better to families, and even private rooms are best for families that are comfortable sharing space or even a bed. The experience can vary greatly from host to host. Some hosts will collect you from the airport, while others expect you to make your own way to their house; some will cook you dinner, while others like you to pitch in – it’s all part of the adventure. What you (almost) always get is great conversation about languages, travel, books, life, the universe – anything of interest to you and your hosts – as well as the experience of staying with locals who can recommend the best destinations, refer you to great restaurants, and give you advice on areas to avoid or other ways to stay safe. At the heart of couchsurfing are the ideas that strangers are just friends you haven’t met yet and that most people are friendly, hospitable, and willing to share what they have for a few days. You won’t remember the inside of every sterile white hotel room, but you will remember every experience you have with couchsurfing: the people, the pets, the meals, the couches, and the conversations.

f you don’t have a home to swap but want to live like a local, try a house sit. The majority of the time, these opportunities will come with the obligation of taking care of at least one pet (in which case, they’d be considered pet sits), but for animalloving families, it’s an excellent source of alternative housing. A homeowner may need a house sitter for security reasons, to care for pets or a garden, or just to have someone in the house should there be an emergency such as a water leak. Usually, no money is exchanged during house sits, as one party is getting accommodation and the homeowners are getting a service. However, arrangements vary widely depending on the people involved and the circumstances. For longer house sits where the house sitter has few responsibilities, the sitter might be required to pay for utilities. In arrangements with pets that require regular medication or the homeowner may prefer a housesitter with experience, the sitter might charge a fee. This is all negotiable. Many families travel as house sitters and have stayed in high rise apartment buildings with a housekeeper, on farms caring for baby animals, or in exciting and expensive cities that they couldn’t (or wouldn’t) otherwise afford. Some travelers move from house sit to house sit and don’t even have a home base. Digital nomad Talon Windwalker and his daughter worked as house sitters for over five years as they traveled the world, staying in locations from two weeks to two months. As former pet owners and animal lovers, pet sitting was a way for Talon’s family to keep traveling nomadically while enabling them to have pets in their lives temporarily. It also gave them the opportunity to stay in expensive locations they would never have afforded otherwise, such as an oasis in Morocco and postcard-perfect English villages. Talon advises pet sitters to “keep in mind that if you’re doing a pet sit, you may not be able to get out and really explore. Being in a home that’s less than an hour from Paris may sound awfully exciting, but if you can’t leave the pets home alone for more than 2 hours, that’s really going to inhibit you being able to do much.” Any arrangements to leave should be discussed with the owner before finalizing an agreement. When Talon and his daughter stayed in a rural area of Morocco, they negotiated taking short trips by paying the property owner’s helper to stay on the property. At a different housesit in Belgium involving a cat, the owners were OK with the Windwalkers staying in another town overnight or even for a couple of days.

Work for your Keep W

orkaway is for truly adventurous people seeking an authentic cultural exchange who are willing to trade their skill sets for sustainable travel. The site connects people who need help with a project to people who would like to work a few hours per day in exchange for meals and accommodation while traveling. Opportunities on Workaway are ever-changing and endless in their variety: renovating an old school in Norway, assisting with calving season on an Irish dairy farm, handling online marketing for villas in Sri Lanka, or training impoverished adults for work in the Indonesian tourism industry. Everyone has skills to share, whether specific like computer programming or landscape gardening or more general like native English language skills. The Workaway website has various filters so travelers can find opportunities in a specific geographic location, involving a certain type of work or accepting of families. Many positions are ongoing, so workers often leave feedback about the position as they move on and it becomes available to someone else. Postings have an availability calendar and information about how many people are required at one time and how many days, weeks, or months workers are requested to stay. The postings also provide information about the accommodations:

RESOURCES:

Featuring the world’s biggest home exchange website, Love Home Swap has been facilitating home swaps since 2009 and features over 75,000 properties in the world’s most popular regions. Membership starts at $16 USD/ month for an unlimited number of swaps, with a free 14-day trial. lovehomeswap.com With Home Exchange’s over 65,000 properties in 187 countries, you can earn GuestPoints based your home’s location, amenities, and the number of beds and use them for future swaps. Membership is $150 USD/year for unlimited exchanges or $15 USD/night with the Essential Plan, which is intended for people who plan to make only one or two exchanges a year and for short periods. homeexchange.com The Home for Exchange site, which has been helping members find home exchanges for over 10 years, features a “pet” filter so you can set up an exchange with other pet owners. Membership starts at $10 USD/month with a two-week free trial. homeforexchange.com

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your bedroom and bathroom could be shared or private, your host might provide a cook or you might be required to help with meal preparation, and you might have the use of a pool, vehicle, or computer. Placements for families are not as easy to find as opportunities for single travelers or couples, but they’re out there, and many families have found suitable hosts (often, families themselves) and have shared amazing volunteer experiences that provided opportunities for parent-child bonding and living with (and learning from) the locals. For worldschooling families, a Workaway placement really is the ultimate opportunity for hands-on learning.

Since it was founded in April 2018, People Like Us has rapidly grown into what it calls “the world’s friendliest community of home swappers.” It’s currently free to join! peoplelikeus.world Trusted House Sitters connects homeowners who need a house sitter or pet sitter to travelers looking for a place to stay in exchange for watering the plants and throwing a stick for Fido. One year of membership is $119 USD, but sales and referral links offer discounts. Trustedhousesitters.com Couchsurfing connects travelers and hosts and allows them to message others in the network to request or offer a couch. Registration is free for everyone. www.couchsurfing.com Workaway connects travelers to over 36,000 hosts in 184 countries. Hosts join for free, and volunteers pay $42 USD for one adult and $54 USD per couple for a 12-month membership, with no charge for children under 18. www.workaway.info

TIPS FOR SUCCESS:

• Read profiles carefully. Examine photos of the interior and exterior and ask for additional photos if necessary. Don’t be afraid to ask for more information. • Read reviews. Many sites offer reviews by previous travelers and allow them to post photos and other details. Check references if available. • Exchange messages and ask questions. If possible, meet the host through a Skype-type meeting and have the host walk around and show you the house during the chat. Some owners share photos that do not match the current conditions of the home. Ask all of your questions before booking, and clarify responsibilities and expectations. • Put it in writing. Hosts should consider leaving written instructions on how things work, any house rules, emergency contacts, and other important information regarding the home and any pets. Both parties may feel more comfortable exchanging a contract as well. • Clear and honest communication is key. • Respect the house and treat it the way you would your own.

Karen M. Ricks

CULTURAL IMMERSION

Bathing at a Japanese Onsen The onsen, a Japanese natural hot spring bath, is so much more than just a way to bathe and relax. Whether warming the body on a cold winter day, soothing away aches and pains or any number of other maladies, or strengthening relational bonds within a family or community, the onsen is a Japanese tradition that is not to be missed! I’ll never forget my very first trip to an onsen. I had heard about the traditional bath houses before arriving in the country years before, but I wasn’t quite sure I had the language skills

to competently navigate a situation in which I’d find myself unclothed in a public place. Fortunately, a kindly neighbor native to Japan invited me to join her at a nearby spa one evening. My confidence boosted by the prospect of having a friendly guide, I eagerly leapt at the chance to explore this centuries-old practice. We navigated the frozen city streets, which were already bordered by the graying piles of the first snowfall of the winter season. I imagined we would be ducking down some dark Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

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and narrow road I didn’t know existed to sneak off to a super secretive location hidden away in the hills, so I was rather surprised when we pulled into the parking lot of a popular strip mall I had frequented, complete with a supermarket, electronics chain, and a Starbucks. We rounded the corner of the coffee shop and ducked into a rather nondescript set of heavy double doors. I was amazed to find myself seemingly transported back in time as we stepped into the shiny polished-wood interior of the bath house. The Japanese custom is to remove footwear before entering homes and other indoor spaces, so we slipped out of our shoes before stepping up into the lobby. After tucking them away in a coinoperated locker, we shuffled our slippered feet up to the front desk to pay the nominal admission fee. The staff then pointed us back to the changing rooms, separated by a curtain adorned with kanji (symbols used in traditional character-based writing): one section for males and the other for females. My friend and I stripped out of our clothing and headed into the washing area. Rows of low stools topped with small, handheld buckets lined the mirrored shower spaces. There were no stalls or walls of any kind to separate bathers from one another. I self-consciously took a seat at an empty space and began the process of thoroughly soaping and scrubbing my body from head to toe. Once all of the suds had rinsed away, I washed up my station and lined up the stool and buckets as I’d found them so they would be ready for the next bather. Then we were finally ready to proceed to the communal baths. I was in awe at the wide variety of pools in this large

traditional bath house. The indoor space was filled with baths as big as swimming pools! Some had big bubbling jets positioned at various intervals and heights for massaging the body. There were shallow tubs and deeper baths, warm soaks and hotter waters. There was even a separate pool of cold water, though I couldn’t possibly fathom why anyone would want to dip in the icy depths. Lengthy stone benches lined one wall leading to another outdoor bathing area, which was where we headed first. I reflexively wrapped my arms around my nude body in a feeble attempt to protect my wet skin from feeling the chill in the winter air as we exited the steamy building. “Come quickly,” my neighbor called over her shoulder, as she rapidly tiptoed her way across the smooth wooden deck to the warm bubbling waters outside. Mouth agape, I slowly spun in a circle as I took in the carefully-sculpted trees and the old-fashioned architectural points that dotted the gardens around the outdoor baths. There were even more options outside than there had been inside! In addition to long and wide communal pools, there were also individual tubs in the shape of wine barrels, stone wells, and even traditional high-sided bathtubs. Sleek steel railings provided hand-holds so bathers could lower themselves into dozens of low, reclining bath spaces. Neat little bamboo spouts spewed forth the natural spring water that flowed so freely from the mountains. Shivering from the cold, I was finally shaken from my wonderous gazing long enough to follow my neighbor into the depths of the large steamy bath. I gingerly slid my feet along the stone steps, sliding down under the hot water slowly so as not to completely shock my system. I waded my way over to a stone bench cut out of the side and lowered myself fully until I was immersed all the way up to my chin. Being above average height for a woman in Japan, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the waters were so deep and wide as to accommodate my large frame comfortably. The contrast of the hot water on my body and the bite of the cold air on my face was a welcome relief as I stretched my long legs out in front of me and finally began to fully relax. It was by far one of the most soothing experiences of my entire adult life! We returned to the onsens many times during our time in Japan and began taking our son at around age 2. He would accompany me into the ladies’ onsen at that time, but by age 4, he was more aware of gender and began accompanying his father into the baths instead. Because children begin bathing in onsens at such a young age, they generally move around independently by age 7 or 8. While children are not expected to be silent, running and yelling are discouraged. The onsens presented many teachable moments about the human body and personal space and were a great way for our family to share an experience so central to Japanese culture and tradition.

Cultural Protocols You might not have a kindly neighbor to accompany you on your first trip to an onsen, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy the experience with just as much confidence by understanding the appropriate cultural protocols: • Read and follow all signs and rules at each facility, as they may vary from one location to the next. Don’t worry if you can’t read Japanese, as many places also have easy-tounderstand photos on signs. • Be aware that tattoos are still prohibited in a number of facilities nationwide. If you have a small tattoo that can be covered with a waterproof bandage, that may be sufficient for you to enter. Patrons with larger body art may be refused entrance. • Remove shoes when entering the facility, just as you would for most traditional Japanese businesses. Lockers or shelves for storing your shoes are provided at the entrance. • Pay before entering, either at the front desk or at a ticket machine at the entrance. If you have difficulty reading the Japanese buttons, an attendant will often be available to assist you in making the appropriate selection. • Bathers are separated by gender. A large curtain with the appropriate kanji characters for male and female is often used to designate the appropriate facilities to use. Red is usually for women and blue for men. Children under the age of about 5 or 6 may choose to accompany a parent or guardian of the opposite gender into the bath. • Once inside, lockers are provided for storing clothes, and shelves are available for holding personal toiletries. Your key is often attached to a bracelet that can be worn into the bath. Many facilities provide body wash and shampoo, but bathers are welcome to bring their own. It’s considered polite to keep your things together in a waterproof bag or basket. • It is important to scrub your body thoroughly from head to toe in the shower area before entering the communal bathing pools. Take your time washing, as it is generally frowned upon to bathe too quickly. A good rule of thumb is to take a little longer than someone who arrived around the same time as yourself. Bring a washcloth, loofah, or body scrubber and a towel, or rent one there. • Keep an eye on the time while bathing or enjoying a steam room or sauna. To avoid dehydration and exhaustion, drink plenty of water and don’t remain in the heat for too long . • Rinse thoroughly and dry appropriately before exiting the bathing area. Locker rooms are generally equipped with sinks, mirrors, and changing spaces, and some facilities may even provide electric hairdryers, soaps, lotions, and other toiletries. If you bring your own, be aware that heavilyperfumed products may be considered offensive to other bathers and are discouraged.

• Plan to stay to rest and enjoy a meal afterward. Napping spaces, massage rooms, seating areas with magazines and televisions, and even full cafes and restaurants are often available for before and after your time in the onsen.

Beyond the Basic Bath When you’re ready to take your Japanese onsen above and beyond a simple trip to the bath, you can take advantage of some of these incredible facilities to transform the adventure into a multi-day cultural experience! Kamesei Ryokan is a traditional Japanese bed and breakfast in the winding hills of Nagano Prefecture. This family-owned facility is immaculately preserved according to the most quaint old-fashioned traditions. Tyler Lynch is an American transplant from the Pacific Northwest who has studied for many years to fully integrate the traditional Japanese experience with the 21st Century tourist experience. Our family was delighted to stay here and enjoy traditional Japanese meals prepared by the chef on staff, which were delivered to our rooms during our stay. Kamesei also has a family bath, which you can schedule privately so the whole clan can bathe together — a quintessential Japanese experience that is perfect for those a little too modest to want to bare it all in a public bath and great for parents to help guide younger children through their first onsen experience. www.kamesei.jp/english/huro.html Jigokudani Yaen-Koen is an incredible facility located in the mountains of Nagano Prefecture. Covered in frozen precipitation for much of the year, Jigokudani is the perfect place to observe the famed “snow monkeys” (the Japanese Macaque, nicknamed for their white fur) in their natural habitat. These primates enjoy the hot spring baths just as much as people do, and this is the perfect place to see them up close! At Jigokudani, the monkeys are the bathers, and people are simply observers, and park rules prohibit feeding and discourage touching. However, monkeys have been known to occasionally hop into public baths with people at other facilities in the area. en.jigokudani-yaenkoen.co.jp

Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

GO WILD

Tonya Miller

Kayak Dubrovnik

roatia sits just across the Adriatic Sea from Italy and is bordered by Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia. Previously inhabited by Neanderthals, the Roman Empire, Yugoslavia, and more throughout history, Croatia paints a tapestry of culture that calls to world travelers. A massive oceanside fortress, Tvrdava Bokar was built in the 15th century to defend Dubrovnikâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main entrance, Pile Gate. The fortressâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cylindrical architecture adds to the medieval feel of this ancient city. Today, Pile Gate seems like a nickname for the piles of orange and yellow kayaks stacked on the rocky shore. Looking forward to our upcoming kayaking trip around the

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base of the fortress, we took our 4-year-old daughter, Audrey, to see where we would be sea kayaking. Peering over the edge of the city walls to take in the view, we spotted the brightly colored kayaks sprinkled below alongside the clear waters. We were in Dubrovnik for two days as part of a cruise through the Mediterranean that began in Venice, stopped in Dubrovnik, and would take us to several Greek Isles before returning us to Venice. Cruises aren’t generally our first choice as a family; we prefer to take our time through a destination, experiencing it through an adventurous outing (like a hike, bike, SCUBA dive, or kayak trip) and lingering through meals while we chat with the proprietors of the establishments we visit.

Being in a place long enough helps us feel its character, and its essence seeps into our experience. For this trip, however, we had an ambitious list of countries to visit and had yet to embark on a self-driven 15-day international trip with our 4-year-old, so we were wary of the time we would spend shuttling between airports, cars, and hotels. We thought a cruise would be a solid compromise – the cruise ship would handle the logistics of traveling from place to place and allow us a home base. We found out that the cruise ships’ excursions had strict age limits (8 and up) for the more adventurous activities, so we sought out local outfitters on our own. Sea kayaking is a popular tourist attraction in Dubrovnik, and Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

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mommy and daddy do all the work.” We paddled our kayak along the coast, admiring the beaches, boats, and hotels as we made our way to Betina Cave. The cave has a secluded rocky beach and is only accessible from the sea. As it was high season, we were far from alone. The water was crystal clear, but there was a traffic jam of kayaks at the cave, leaving snorkeling next to impossible. After a short break for a provided lunch and the extra snacks we brought for ourselves, we paddled to the mysterious Lokrum Island, also called “The Island of Love.” The island is about 600 m (1,969 ft) from Dubrovnik’s shore and is now a protected national park. Although we did not go ashore, our guide told us that the island was purchased by Archduke Maximilian Ferdinand in 1859. It houses an abandoned monastery that was transformed by the Archduke into a summer residence, complete with a beautiful garden of over one hundred exotic plant species from all around the world. He also brought peacocks from the Canary Islands, now the island’s only inhabitants; the island is said to be cursed by Benedictine monks who were evicted from the island in 1808. Today, the botanical garden is managed by the University of Dubrovnik, and the abandoned monastery is known to host weddings and film crews for popular series like Game of Thrones. A tinge of regret welled up inside us, as we wished we had another day to explore this island. It was the first of many places to which we vowed to return. As we made our way back to Pile Gate, we were mesmerized by the sun as it settled into the Adriatic Sea. We slowed our pace and took in the orange glow, feeling the soft, salty air as we glided through the water creating ripples aboard our own tiny ship.

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a simple internet search showed us we had countless options for outfitters. After much research, we chose Adventure Dubrovnik because they had great recent reviews on TripAdvisor and they offered a sunset tour, which gave us more time to explore the city earlier in the day. We booked our trip in advance via email and paid the guide in Kronos ($35 USD per adult) at the meeting point. The three-hour guided sunset tour followed a 7.5 km (4.6 mi) route that started at Pile Gate, headed south along the coast to Betina Cave, continued on to Lokrum Island, then returned to Pile Gate just as the sun set into the ocean. Sea kayaking is a relatively safe and easy excursion for the average person, and we felt comfortable taking our daughter out with us. Our outfitter provided a kayak, paddle, and life jacket for each of us (although we had brought along our daughter’s U.S. Coast Guard-approved puddle jumper to ensure that she had an appropriately sized floatation device just in case one wasn’t available). The tour also provided waterproof bags for our personal belongings as well as sandwiches and water bottles. As we paddled out along the ancient city walls and the rocks on which they were built, we jokingly sang the Gilligan’s Island theme song. Erupting in laughter at our sense of humor, we explained to Audrey that the song was the theme of a TV show that mommy and daddy used to watch when we were kids about taking a boat trip “aboard this tiny ship” – a boat trip that went horribly awry – that we hoped would not be the theme for our own tour. After a while, my husband and I eventually found our rhythm paddling, tasting the salt spray as we alternated strokes. Meanwhile, Audrey sat in the middle calling herself a princess as she enjoyed the sweetness of a lollipop in the shape of a diamond ring. “This is the best!” she exclaimed. “I get to sit here while

Feature

Welcome to Holland:

Travels with an Autistic Child

52 | Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

Mary DonnĂŠ

Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

large chunk of my twenties was spent traveling solo around the world. Like most inherent nomads, I had always assumed that I would just continue to do this with my own family. While pregnant, I avidly read blogs of intrepid world traveler families who had chosen to make it a complete lifestyle. In particular, Malaysia appealed to me, having fallen in love with its beaches and history on a previous visit. My son, James, was born in 2010. He was not the easiest baby — refusing to sleep, constantly crying, and upset whenever we left the house. He couldn’t seem to feed properly and had very bad gastric reflux. While I hadn’t expected parenting a newborn to be easy, I was staggered at how challenging everything seemed. In particular, the lack of sleep affected me immensely. Everyone else from my antenatal group seemed to be just a little tired but otherwise getting on fine with their

newborns. A trip out would leave me exhausted and frazzled from James’s constant crying. He would never just doze off like other babies (not even in the car), and feeding him would leave me covered in regurgitated milk from his reflux. We didn’t dare try to travel with him when he was a baby. However, the itch to travel never quite left. After James’s sister, Rachel, was born in 2012, I began trying to persuade my long-suffering husband to think about trips to, among other places, Japan, Mombassa, or perhaps Israel? He was far less keen, not least of all because by this point we were starting to have concerns about James. His speech was non-existent, and he still refused to sleep.

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We tried our first big trip away from home, a few days in London when James was about 3½ years old. During the drive down, James was violently carsick several times and spent most of the evening and well into the night screaming and crying in our small hotel room. This only worsened as his sister became upset by it all. The next morning, a beautiful English spring morning in April, James had gone completely quiet and was clearly unhappy. We drove home much earlier than expected. A year later, when James was 4 — and still non-verbal — we apprehensively began our next trip: two weeks in Kenmare in southwest Ireland. To my mind, this is one of the most beautiful places on earth, an unspoiled, rugged, glacial-era landscape, with miles of empty beaches and the crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean. We had by now learned to lower our expectations in relation to James’s sleeping, so we chose accommodations with plenty of outside space and few people nearby who would be bothered by constant crying. We were emboldened by Ireland’s reputation as family friendly, where an upset child elicits smiles and sweets from the Irish rather than the angry glares more common in England. But we didn’t factor in the Irish weather — near constant rain. This meant we spent a lot of time indoors watching endless “Bob the Builder” DVDs on repeat. In a small cottage with the rain coming down outside, this became quite trying and was not the holiday we had envisioned. And while the cottage was beautifully isolated, the flip side meant that we (and carsick James) had a lot of driving to do when we wanted to go anywhere. Also, the wild Atlantic coast scenery which had so appealed to me was perhaps not the most suitable for walking with two very young children. As time went on, James’s speech didn’t improve. He was overly obsessive about particular TV programs, watching them on repeat or just replaying small snippets of them, constantly drawing pictures of the characters, and repeating meaningless phrases from them as a means of communicating. After several visits to our doctor, James was formally diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at the age of 5. This wasn’t entirely a surprise to us; we had begun to suspect it might be the case, but hearing the words finally spoken out loud was still difficult.

I think there is always a small period of grieving by parents of children with special needs, a kind of a feeling of loss of the imagined perfect parenthood. Emily Perl Kingsley’s essay, “Welcome to Holland,” talks about this disappointment and loss of expectation. Emily’s son was born with Down syndrome, and her essay is an important piece of writing for many parents, us included. Vacation number three was far more successful. We bit the bullet, went against everything I had always believed, and purchased a full package holiday to the Canary Islands. I had been reluctant, but my husband persuaded me that this was

our first proper venture abroad, and we wanted to ensure that the whole experience was a positive one. Following his formal diagnosis, James had been receiving speech therapy and most significantly had been prescribed melatonin to help him sleep. As parents, we had been on our own learning journey, were now more aware of what James might be feeling, and were better equipped to deal with it. We also had the teachings of our prior experiences in Ireland and London. Happily, this holiday was a real success. There was one minor blip at the airport when James became unhappy going through the metal detectors as the security staff separated him from his Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

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In addition, I find that preparing James is key. Before we go dad. We have since learned that by notifying the Transportation anywhere, I will discuss it with him well in advance. I show him Security Administration (TSA) in advance that a child has the place on a map and know that he is going to ask me some special needs, TSA Cares will provide additional assistance at its surprising questions! James always wants to know the flight checkpoints to travelers with disabilities. Also, some airports in numbers and exact times both locally and abroad. We’ve turned the UK will provide a special “Hidden Disabilities” lanyard that this into an activity with him counting the meridian lines on the helps let the security staff know that additional assistance may globe and working it out for himself. be needed, and many airlines and tour operators offer special But the biggest lesson I have programs as well. learned in terms of travel with The children’s activities James is just to let him get on with hosted by the hotel received a it. As I have continued to learn mixed reaction; James hated them While I hadn't expected about autism, I have realised that and cried whenever we tried to it’s ultimately self-defeating and encourage him to join in, while his parenting a newborn to potentially even damaging to try to sister loved them. By the end of prevent a child’s self-stimulatory the week, she was asking to let her be easy, I was staggered at behavior and coping mechanisms. attend some sessions by herself, as James needs his quiet time and his she had made friends with another how challenging everything own little routines just to process little girl. This reminded us that what is going on around him. If he Rachel’s needs are important, too. seemed. seems a bit odd to outsiders, then We now try and spend at least one that’s an issue for them, not us! day of any vacation doing what Life changes when you have a she wants, so she doesn't become child with special needs (heck, life resentful of her brother and the changes for all parents!) and I have learned to approach things focus we must place on his needs. differently. I used to be a little judgmental about people who took Since that holiday, we returned to our preferred approach of package tours, thinking it was impossible to really see a place self-catering and have been to France, Iceland, and the Canary without traveling via a series of convoluted routes, carrying only Islands. While we had enjoyed the all-inclusive element of a backpack, and sleeping in a cheap hostel. Our package tour for our first Canary Islands holiday, self-catering was, on balance, James’s first trip abroad was a positive experience that allowed actually easier for us. Like a lot of autistic children, James is us to just focus on the children. We had a great time, and both of restrictive in what he eats and when he wants to eat it. Routine them couldn’t wait to go away again. Sometimes, there’s a lot to is everything! It is surprisingly easier to stock up on a few things be said for making life easy. I know he will eat and have him eat them when he wants, rather I’ve had to rethink how I do things and take approaches I than negotiating a huge and confusing buffet every day for a wouldn’t necessarily have tried before. Over the last few years, week. we have continued to choose our holiday destinations based We have also taken three camping trips, including one large primarily on ease of access, as it isn’t practical to take longfestival (Latitude 2016). Each trip has come with its own learning haul flights or visit countries where English-speaking medical curve. I’ve learned to accept James’s routines and the way he help is not readily available. This means I have seen far more does things and know now that it’s easier to work with his needs of the British Isles than I ever would have otherwise. One of than to get exasperated when he won’t just do what I want him to the most amazing and special moments for me was one early do. morning in high summer on a deserted beach in Embleton, We tend to avoid any trips which will involve a large amount Northumberland. The sun was shining, the beach was endless, of driving because James still gets carsick and probably won’t and James was running in and out of the clear blue sea laughing grow out of it, as it’s a feature of autism caused by an impaired with sheer joy. Had James’s needs not encouraged us to explore vestibular system. On plane journeys, I know that he just won’t just a few hours drive from where we live, I probably never sleep, so for the moment we are avoiding long-haul flights; it would have visited it, preferring instead to chase the mysteries of is simply unrealistic to expect him to be quiet and calm for an Malaysia — but I’m so glad I discovered it. Welcome to Holland — eight-hour-plus flight. it can be an amazing place if you give it a chance.

Welcome to Holland By Emily Perl Kingsley

am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this...... When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting. After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The flight attendant comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland." "Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy." But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay. The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place. So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts. But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned." And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss. But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland. ÂŠ1987 by Emily Perl Kingsley. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of the author.

Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

Feature

Laura Ambrey

BIRTH 58 | Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

ABROAD Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

ive pregnancy tests sat on the edge of the wash basin of my traditional Indonesian blue-tiled bathroom. As each one developed a pair of faint lines, I cried tears of neither happiness nor sorrow, but of anxiety and worry — worry about what pregnancy would do to my body, worry about the pain of childbirth, and worry that I wouldn’t be a good mother. Excitement eventually arrived and became a neighbor to those worries. My husband, Matt, and I had plans to return home from Surabaya to the greater Seattle area for a quick visit and then move on to another international English as a Second Language (ESL) teaching contract – but I chickened out. I couldn’t bring myself to have my first child abroad, and we returned to the Seattle area we had previously called home. The unknowns involved in the birth experience paired with language and cultural barriers were more than I felt prepared to handle. Every day, more than 350,000 pregnant women give birth around the world, and no doubt every one of them has an ideal vision of how the experience will go; after living in other countries, I realize that this ideal is strongly shaped by our culture. Nervous to give birth, I refrained from making an official birth plan in the hopes that I could avoid the stress that deviating

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from it might cause, and as it turned out, any plan I might have made would have been derailed. On June 17th, Father’s Day, I had a gut feeling that my water was broken; not in the intense, “ice bucket challenge” way you see in the movies, but in the “I’m pretty sure that’s not pee” kind of way. At 11 p.m., I made a skeptical Matt drive me to the hospital, and we sat in the tiny, curtained triage room, expecting to be discharged. Instead, we were instructed to walk the halls until our delivery room

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was ready. My water was barely, but officially, broken, and I wasn’t the tiniest bit dilated. Delirious excitement overtook us, and we giggled our way through the empty halls, but walking didn’t cut it. The next morning, the nurse administered Pitocin through an IV, forcing my body into labor. It worked, intense and fast. I could finally speak once the anesthesiologist left and the contractions became nothing more than a wavy ink line on a paper graph. Hours later, our son Bronson was delivered: 7 pounds, 2.6 ounces of big-eyed (albeit jaundiced) adorableness. Before Bronson’s second birthday, Matt’s job allowed us the opportunity to move abroad again, this time to Papua New Guinea. We were so excited for a new adventure that having a child abroad didn’t even make the pros and cons list, though we knew we someday wanted Bronson to have a sibling. FINDING HEALTHCARE ABROAD Fast forward several months, and we were living about 20 minutes outside Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea, where we learned I was expecting baby number two. I waited nearly three months to visit an obstetrician because I planned to have the baby in Malaysia, a six-hour flight away. (We already had an apartment in Kuala Lumpur, rented with the futile hope that work would eventually let us move there full time.) Not many expatriates give birth in Papua New Guinea intentionally; the selection of physicians and specialists is limited, and any major problem would likely require an emergency evacuation to a country that could provide more advanced care. According to data published by UNICEF, Papua New Guinea had a neonatal mortality rate of twenty-five percent in 2015; in contrast, Malaysia and the United States both had a neonatal mortality rate of four percent that year. Matt and I spent most of our time in Port Moresby, so I never developed a wide circle of friends in Kuala Lumpur who I could ask to recommend an obstetrician. The idea of finding a physician without a trusted referral seemed daunting. I spent hours reading and translating online obstetrician reviews. Eventually, I came across the expat blog lifesansborders. wordpress.com, written by an American woman who gave birth in Kuala Lumpur. She highly recommended Dr. Kamaljit Kaur Manocha, describing her as kind, empathetic, and supportive, while also tough when needed. I took her recommendation to heart, in part because I related to her as an American, and I made an appointment. I found Dr. Kamaljit warm and matter-of-fact in a way that was completely reassuring. Kelly Brown, an Australian married to an American, has a similar story, notwithstanding that her birth abroad was in the United States. After delivering her first two children in Australia, Kelly and her husband moved to Edmonds, Washington to be closer to her husband’s family. When she learned she was

pregnant with her third child, she also took to the Internet to find her physician. “I went through the [local] Mom’s Facebook page and found lots recommended,” Kelly recounts. She was thrilled that those recommendations led her to the abundance of specialists in the area, as Kelly had suffered from blood clots in her lungs after giving birth to her second child in Australia. “There are so many pulmonary specialists here. I never once saw a specialist in Adelaide... A lot of doctors in Australia didn’t have answers to my questions.” Kelly felt a peace of mind knowing that the easy access to specialists in the U.S. meant the blood clots from her second pregnancy would be factored into her prenatal care for her third. Finding the right obstetrician comes more easily to women who have established a local network. Sarah Dalasta was born in Canada but met her American husband while they were both teaching in Mexico. After they married, the pair continued to teach abroad in the Czech Republic. Sarah planned ahead — she found a physician right away, well before conception, by relying on the recommendations of friends and co-workers. “My ob-gyn in Prague was legendary at the International School. She had a thriving private practice and was fluent in English,” Sarah recalls. “I went to her for three years before becoming pregnant.” MEDICAL INSURANCE Pregnancy medical care is not something that is covered by most travel insurances, and ours was no different. Interestingly, it’s also not included in standard Malaysian health insurance. FAIR Health estimates the average cost of a vaginal birth in Washington State, where Bronson was born, to be about $6,500 in 2016 and 2017, while the total cost for my Malaysian birth, without insurance and with a private birthing room, a private recovery suite, and epidural at Pantai Hospital in Kuala Lumpur was $2,026. That’s actually far more than most Malaysians might pay, as it’s not unusual to have four beds to a birthing room and multiple beds to a recovery room as well. And that’s just for women who can afford a hospital birth. In Kelly’s home country of Australia, public healthcare is free, but it’s also possible to pay for private healthcare, which allows for more choices in both the type of care available and choice of physicians. Although patients with private health insurance are still entitled to free care in a public hospital, about three out of every 10 babies born in Australia enter the world in a private hospital. Kelly used the private healthcare system for her two Australian births and specifically mentioned that the cost of her U.S. birth was significantly higher, even when accounting for a lengthy stay in the hospital in Australia. “Here [in the U.S.], after 24 hours, you’re shooed out the door. In Australia, it’s normal to stay for five days.”

Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES Finding an ob-gyn and navigating the insurance world was only the beginning. Flying to Kuala Lumpur to establish care at the hospital in which I would deliver, flying to Seattle to visit family, and spending most of our days in Port Moresby made keeping up with doctor’s appointments a lot to coordinate, especially with a two-year-old in tow. Dividing care between multiple doctors meant that the task of staying on top of my monthly checkups and sharing test results from one provider to the next was all on me. Fortunately, after a lot of explaining, the doctors I saw were mostly understanding, spoke English, and were happy to help. But cultural differences and language barriers did come into play. We had kept Bronson’s gender a surprise until he was born and were excited to do the same with our second child. I thought we made this clear in our 20-week ultrasound visit in Port Moresby. Alas, as I lay on the bench with my jelly-covered belly exposed and silently pondered the origins of the brownish streaks on the wall, our technician proudly showed Matt and me our baby’s gender. For a while, we tried to pretend that we couldn’t be sure, but we eventually accepted that we knew that we were having another boy. In hindsight, knowing the gender made it easier to shop and plan in the long run, as there’s no MotherCare or BuyBuyBaby in Papua New Guinea, and we would be bringing nearly everything we needed with us by plane. I could finally relax once we arrived in Kuala Lumpur to await our son’s arrival. My parents were flying in to be with us for the birth and to care for Bronson while I was in the hospital.

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Planning an international flight around a pending birth is tricky! My parents were planning to stay in Kuala Lumpur for three weeks; if they came too early, they wouldn’t have much time with the new baby — but if they came too late, they wouldn’t be there to help in those tiresome first few days. They decided to arrive four days before my due date, and their timing could not have been more perfect. My water broke while they were in flight. A friend’s daughter came to stay with Bronson while Matt and I went to the hospital, and Everest was born at 6:30 the next morning, weighing in at 8 pounds 6 ounces — by far, the largest baby born at Pantai Hospital that morning, our own sweet little mountain. He was one of 65,450 reported U.S. births abroad in 2015. Having our tiny new baby in my arms only made the differences between hospital protocols more apparent. After we moved to the recovery room, Everest was whisked away. The nurses took him down to the nursery to bathe him and give him his first round of vaccines, following the same vaccination schedule recommended by the U.S. Center for Disease Control. But I expected the same levels of security I received after Bronson was born in the U.S. — Bronson was fitted with a sensor that would sound multiple alarms if he was taken too close to the exit doors. There was no sensor on Everest. The nurse pointed out my name on Everest’s medical bracelet, as though writing on a snippable piece of plastic was going to ease my mind. Instead, I made Matt follow them to the nursery to ease my unfounded fear that he could be kidnapped at any moment. Matt eventually came back to me with photos so I could see what was happening.

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The nurses brought Everest back to our room once they were finished, and he stayed by my side the remainder of the hospital stay. I was excited to be on my way home after 24 hours in the hospital, so I balked when Kelly mentioned her five-day stay in Australia, a standard postpartum recovery in the Australian healthcare system. After talking with Kelly, however, it sounds amazing. Especially as a first-time mother, “knowing I’d be a cared for for five days after was reassuring. The lactation consultant comes when the milk comes in. They have the nursery there, so if you’re having a hard time, they’ll come look after the baby so you can get some rest. The nurses help show you how to change the diapers... and down the hall, you give the baby a bath with the midwife or nurse,” Kelly said. “Anything that you need, that’s what they’re there for. You can ask any silly question you want, and you don’t feel like you’re being silly.” Kelly also mentioned that they monitor the mother as well to make sure everything is healing as it should. Sarah also remained in the hospital for five days, but her experience was not as positive given the circumstances of her birth. After Sarah’s emergency Cesarean section in Prague, she was moved to the intensive care unit (ICU) to recover — without her new baby or her husband. “No visitors were allowed in the ICU. My doctor brought me my phone after surgery so I was able to talk to [my husband] Derek, but he was unable to come and see me in the room,” she recalls. “In my post-op, druginduced state, I slept a lot through the evening hours, but come morning I was desperate to see him and to get out of the ICU.” It’s customary in Prague for new fathers to celebrate the birth of their child at a bar, and the doctor encouraged Derek, unable to join his wife, to do just that. “Derek reluctantly went home, got some sleep, and gathered all of our stuff for a five-day stay in the hospital. When he returned around 9 a.m., he was still not permitted to see me,” Sarah notes. But instead of waiting to be

allowed in, Derek snuck into the ICU and wheeled Sarah down to their private room in the maternity ward. “No one batted an eye, no questions were asked.” And the language barriers didn’t help. “Other than my doctor, no one else on the hospital staff spoke English. My Czech was horrendous… I wasn’t able to communicate successfully with anyone. All elements of my recovery, the initial journey into breastfeeding and learning about how to care for a tiny human were accomplished via a comical version of charades and an intense level of Google dependency.” Cultural differences also factored into Sarah’s experience delivering abroad. In fact, a C-section was never even discussed, although she doesn’t seem too upset about that. “My main regret with the whole experience was that I didn’t have skin-to-skin contact time with [my son, Vincent] directly following the birth.” Many hospitals in Canada (as in the U.S.) now prioritize skinto-skin contact even after a C-section, especially if they know a mother’s wishes. Although Sarah is happy that Derek was able to be with their son after he was born, she still wishes she was present for Vincent’s first hours. “I also missed all of those first moments of his life — getting him ‘labeled’ with his number, his name recorded in the spiral notebook as is common practice at the hospital,” Sarah says. “Knowing what I know now about how everything works, I would have tried harder to advocate for myself and make my wishes clear.” But she doesn’t regret her experience; she notes that “he is healthy and was very well cared for, and we got to experience another culture in a very unique and intimate way.” My original fears of giving birth were heightened by the idea of giving birth in another country, where cultural and language barriers might add more stress. Empowered by giving birth to my first son in the U.S. and comfortable knowing what I needed in a doctor and a hospital, I’m confident I made the right decision to have my second son overseas.

Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

Feature

Argentina with Twins

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Darcy Tuscano

Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

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“You’re pregnant with twins? You’d better forget about quite easy as all they really want is to eat, sleep, and be carried. It traveling ever again. Those days are over!” I’ll never forget those sounded perfect. It was perfectly planned, after all. words, spoken to me by a fellow twin mom when I announced BUENOS AIRES, THE PARIS OF my pregnancy. My motto at the time was “will work for travel.” SOUTH AMERICA When I heard her admonition, it was as if my life came crashing down. Feeling completely deflated and defeated, I envisioned a With its Italianate and French buildings, the capital city of new life of being chained to my house and children. It was soul Argentina is a gem indeed, and we spent a full 10 days exploring crushing. it. We had an ambitious checklist of things to do, from visiting If there’s one thing I don’t like, it’s being told what I can’t do. the Recoleta Cemetery’s maze of tiny above-ground tombs From that moment, I became determined that I was not holding 6,400 miniature statues (including one for Ms. Eva going to be the mom who stopped traveling when she had kids, Peron, the former first lady of Argentina) to perusing Ms. and I decided to take an epic maternity leave journey to prove it. Peron’s “Evita” Museum. When our twins were born, I found myself spending hours Staying at a well-equipped, two-bedroom apartment in the upon hours with a double breastfeeding pillow wrapped around Palermo neighborhood — known for its leafy, green parks and me. In this new life, I felt like a milkmaid chained to a sofa while its trendy bars, restaurants, independent cafes, and boutiques my babies alternated between crying, eating, and sleeping. — meant we could walk to most places or catch a quick subway To cope, I put my iPhone to good use researching far-flung ride to the further-flung areas. Every morning, we would set out destinations. I dreamed of train rides through jungles, wild with babies strapped on and strollers at beaches with simple huts cooled by the the ready. Indeed, the majority of our days ocean breeze, markets with lush fruits and were simply spent wandering museums I had been assured that spicy noodles, and uncomplicated walks and monuments and staving off sleep meandering through temples and historic traveling with babies is deprivation by sampling coffee in every sites, babies strapped to our chests. actually quite easy as all cute cafe. While I’m one hundred percent a If there’s one cafe we didn’t dare miss, risk taker, my wife is both risk-averse they really want is to eat, it was the iconic Café Tortoni, arguably and considerably smarter than me. In sleep, and be carried. It the most famous in Buenos Aires. This response to my excitement for an off-theFrench-style coffeehouse, which opened beaten-path adventure, she reminded sounded perfect. It was in 1858, has long been a favorite gathering me about all of the things that come with perfectly planned, after all. place of the cultural elite and is widely jungles and developing countries: hot, ranked as one of the 10 most beautiful humid, sticky weather; crying, overheated cafes in the world. Indulging in a leisurely infants; biting insects; possible dengue or cafe con leche (espresso with hot milk) within its walls is a glimpse malaria; food poisoning; dirty water supplies; sketchy or missing into the past with its carefully preserved decor. The cafe also sidewalks; lack of access to quality baby supplies; and, of course, includes a library and a subterranean level to play billboards, missing seat belts in the back seats for safely strapping in two listen to live jazz, or watch tango. precious infants. The caffeine buzz gave us the energy for more exploration Sigh. Fine. Scratch that. followed by a long, leisurely, exquisite “Businessman’s Lunch” My quest for an affordable country that was easy to get (a two- or three-course menu of the day, usually for less than $10 around, had good food for my foodie wife, was known for being USD). Porteños (inhabitants of Buenos Aires) are absolutely crazy family-friendly, and lacked crazy diseases eventually led me to about steak! Argentina boasts the world’s highest consumption Argentina. of beef, and for good reason: the bulk of Argentinian cattle are Argentina had been on my bucket list for quite some time, purely grass fed, and there’s no comparison to grain-fed beef but it was finally pushed into first place for this trip because my when it comes to taste. As locals eat much later than Americans, in-laws had always wanted to visit Argentina, and we’d go almost we could arrive for a delicious steak lunch at 2 p.m. and take our anywhere to have a little grandparent help as we traveled with sweet time as the babies either napped, nursed, or were passed four-month-old twins for the first time. around amongst us (and a few times held by the sweet waitstaff!). With three weeks to fill, we decided to split our time between It’s possible I ate my weight in steak. Buenos Aires, Iguazú Falls, and the region of Salta. I had been assured that traveling with babies is actually

Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

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After lunch, I topped off the meal by ordering helado (ice cream). Delicious, rich, Italian-style helado, more like gelato than ice cream. At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, more people emigrated to Argentina from Italy than from any other country; lucky for us, they brought their delicious gelato with them. Not only is helado available on every street corner, but it’s also available delivered, generally via a Vespa whizzing down the street with a cooler on the back. Late at night when the babies were crying and I had a craving for dulce de leche (a thick caramel) helado, I ordered in. It’s been said the helado in Argentina is better than in Italy, and I wouldn’t disagree. It also makes any sleepless night better. I won’t lie: I wasn’t in true vacation mode, as jet lag and colic kept our babies up and crying many nights, and we often felt like caffeine-fueled zombies. But we were making lots of memories and also proving to ourselves that we could still travel. We were having a wonderful time and falling in love with the city. Until we got robbed. It turns out that mothers distracted by babies make perfect marks for a subway pickpocket. I clearly remember the man smiling at me as he stumbled into me and apologized. While he was complimenting the cute baby strapped to my chest, his hand must have been unzipping my bag and removing my wallet. I never travel with a wallet precisely because of this, but baby brain had made me foggy and forgetful. But it got worse: he’d also managed to grab my father-in-law’s wallet, chock full of cash. Later, we deduced that a pair of men had watched us withdraw cash from the ATM near the subway stop and followed us onto the train car. After 38 countries with zero thefts, I figured my time was up. Filing a police report in a foreign country wasn’t on my “must do” list, but we rolled with it and tried to remain optimistic. While we managed to see the majority of sites both in and around Buenos Aires, we never could find a way to stay up late enough to indulge in the most famous activities of Argentina: dinner and a tango show. Despite our best efforts, we were quickly learning that traveling with infants has limitations — even with grandparents along.

IGUAZÚ FALLS, ONE OF THE NEW SEVEN WONDERS OF THE NATURAL WORLD When the UNESCO World Heritage site of the largest and most famous waterfall system in the entire world is a quick plane ride from the capital city, it’s pointless to resist. There’s plenty of debate on which side of the 1.7 mile (2.7 km) long falls offers the best viewing (Argentina or Brazil?). Cashing out our hotel points, we splurged and booked three days and two nights in Argentina at the Sheraton, the only hotel in the park and with

direct views of the falls. Our choice did not disappoint, as eighty percent of the roughly 275 islands and waterfalls are on the Argentine side. The biggest surprise was the park’s incredible accessibility for families. We were able to visit every waterfall, including the famous Devil’s Throat, an enormous horseshoeshaped waterfall 262 feet (80 meters) high and 492 feet (150 meters) wide. While Buenos Aires had narrow, broken sidewalks that we struggled to navigate with the stroller, the raised walkways of Iguazú felt like a true vacation. We passed on the famed boat rides that pass directly under the falls and instead spent our days on foot, babies strapped to us for navigating the stairs of the lower circuit and in single snap-n-go strollers for the upper portions. When we tired of walking, we educated ourselves at the park’s Ecomuseum and afterward hopped on the Ecological Train. As it slowly meandered through the jungle, I freely breastfed the babies, and we played “I Spy,” eager to spot the wildlife we knew were hidden in the jungle beyond. The days spent in tropical bliss cleared my head of the negativity we experienced in Buenos Aires, and I fell in love with Argentina once again.

SALTA, THE CROSSROADS BETWEEN BOLIVIA, CHILE, AND PARAGUAY This region, a long flight over 930 miles (1,500 km) northwest of the capital city, isn’t the obvious choice for a visit to Argentina. Most people have never heard of it — and that’s exactly why I was inspired to spend a week there with a hired minivan while we leisurely drove ourselves through the magical desert landscape. I had planned for a circular loop from Salta, through the canyons, valleys, and forests of giant cacti, spending overnights in small colonial hotels indulging in sumptuous dinners, and visiting the local vineyards of Cafayate. My first clue that this was not going to turn out like my dreams was when the “minivan” was delivered. The emphasis was on MINI. We had conveniently forgotten that outside of America, minivans are really glorified cars with a jump seat and very, very little space for luggage. As we shoved our bags into every available space and I looked at the winced face of my father-in-law as he painfully folded himself into the cramped jump seat, I had an ominous feeling but remained outwardly positive. I gazed up the steep hill leading out of the hotel driveway and thought, “we can do this.” I knew I could, except technically I couldn’t. My driver’s license had been stolen with my wallet back in Buenos Aires, and I couldn’t legally drive. My mother-in-law had agreed out of necessity, with some hesitation, to be the registered driver. Grinding the gears into first, we were off. Except we weren’t. She repeatedly struggled with the stick shift as the van lurched and stalled, and she began Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

crying hysterically when the van started sliding backwards down the steep incline. Sensing the stress, my twins joined in the wailing from the backseat, and my wife, in full panic mode, was completely unable to speak. At that moment, I envisioned all of us careening off the road, in reverse, and thought “well, at least we won’t see what’s coming.” Then I sprang into action, screaming “put on the emergency brake!” followed by, “and get the babies out of here!” This wasn’t exactly what I’d pictured as an Argentine adventure during maternity leave. Touring the sites of Buenos Aires? Check. Gazing in awe at the mighty Iguazú Falls? Check. Getting robbed? No way. Careening down an Andean hillside towards death? Absolutely not. Life has a sense of humor. One hour later and many dollars poorer (but safer), we left Salta in very capable cars (yes, two of them) with hired drivers winding up the rugged dirt roads of the colorful, red-rock formations of the Calchaquí Valley. Our driver cranked up a dream-like sequence of the music of Enya (the soundtrack was perfect) as we climbed to a high point of 11,341 feet (3,457 meters). At the peak, our driver, offering to stay in the car with the sleeping twins, pulled over near a tiny church. As we walked in the cool mist, Andean condors circled above our heads. Gazing skywards, I smiled as I realized, “I can do anything.”

WHEN TO GO Buenos Aires is best during the Southern Hemisphere’s spring (September–November) when cherry trees are in blossom, and the temperature hovers around 65-75℉ (18-24℃). Late summer (January–February) into autumn (March–May) is also splendid, with temperate weather and a hint of change as leaves begin to fall on the cobbled streets. January and February are hot, sticky, and best avoided; Argentines are on summer vacation, Buenos Aires feels dead, and other Argentine destinations are fully booked. Winter (June, July, and August) is damp and cold. However, the biggest tango festival falls in August, which could be a major draw for music and dance fans with late-night energy to spare. Iguazú Falls is a year-round destination. The weather is best during the mid-season (July–October and February–April). The Region of Salta has a very agreeable year-round climate and can be visited any time of the year.

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Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

Darcy Tuscano

SUPPLEMENT

Top Tips for Packing Light when Traveling with Infants T

raveling with an infant is a daunting task, but traveling with two doesn’t have to be twice as hard. With a lot of preparation and a careful checklist, you’ll make flying with an infant (or two!) look easy. PACK EARLY MAKE A CHECKLIST YOU GOT THIS! CAR SEAT: Most airlines will let you bring an FAAapproved infant car seat onboard, provided you have purchased a seat or there are empty seats on the plane. If no seat is available, be prepared either to gate check your car seat or check it at the ticket counter. Note: rough handling of checked car seats is common and can make them fail in a crash, so consider buying car seats at your destination or boxing them in their original packaging prior to checking to minimize damage. Twins? Pack two. STROLLER: When kids are small enough for a Snap-N-Go car seat and stroller system, it’s easy to unsnap the car seat, carry it on the plane if possible, and gate check

the frame. Some parents swear by the folding umbrella-style strollers for babies who are sitting on their own due to their space-saving design, while others prefer a sturdier stroller with wheels that can navigate trails or handle jogging. Consider your itinerary to determine what will work best for you. Twins? Consider two single strollers instead of a double stroller, as sidewalks in many parts of the world are small, and not all airlines allow free gate check for double strollers. BABY CARRIER: Baby carriers mean hands-free travel, leaving you able to pull your suitcase and wrangle older siblings, car seats, and strollers. Some babies sleep soundly in them, and they’re perfect for walking up and down the aisles bouncing a baby to sleep. If you’re really talented, you can even breastfeed discreetly in the carrier. With a baby in a carrier, you can use the open strollers to stow your bags. Twins? If you’re traveling solo, it is possible to wear one on the front and one on the back to get you through the airport. (It’s not fun but totally doable.)

Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

LUGGAGE: Make sure your luggage fits the specifications for carry-on and checked baggage for your airline. Experienced travelers can pack for two adults and two children in one 30” hard-sided expandable suitcase, one carry-on roller bag, one large diaper bag (which doesn’t count toward your carry on luggage allowance on many airlines), and one backpack (if not less). Invest in a good suitcase; if you buy a cheap bag, you might find your wheel has popped off on the cobblestoned streets of Rome, and you have to drag a 3-wheeled suitcase for a half mile. So. Much. Fun. Twins? A slightly larger suitcase may come in handy. PACKING CUBES: Packing your clothing and items sorted and categorized in packing cubes will save you time and hassle. It can also force you to pack light: one big cube per person with smaller cubes for socks, underwear, and swimwear. To get the most out of your packing space, roll your clothing rather than folding, and shove items like socks inside your packed shoes. Twins? With twice the clothes in a similar size, packing cubes are even more useful. EXPANDABLE DUFFEL BAG: Pack an empty uber-lightweight bag as an extra just in case you buy too many clothes or souvenirs on vacation and can’t fit them all in your suitcase returning home. For airlines that allow two checked bags for free, this won’t cost anything in added baggage fees when flying home if you’ve packed only a single bag on departure. Just make sure anything breakable is packed in your suitcase, not the duffel bag.

SLEEPING: Co-sleeping parents have it easy here and may not need anything more than a sleep sack. For kids and parents who sleep best in their own spaces, your hotel may be able to provide a crib, or you can travel with the Guava Family Lotus travel crib or a Pack-n-Play. Many U.S. airlines will ship these for free! SHOES: Travel with no more than two pairs per person. One pair of walking shoes and a pair of casual shoes (boots for colder climates and flats for warmer) should be plenty. There are so many cute sneakers now that it’s entirely possible to be cute AND comfortable without lugging around a ton of shoes. Wear your bulkiest and heaviest footwear on the plane to save packing space. DIAPER BAG: For many moms, a diaper bag is a carry-all

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CLOTHING: For trips one week or longer, pack seven outfits for each child and four for each adult. Seek out accommodations that have laundry facilities available

nearby — either in a rental apartment, house, or self-serve launderette facility — so you can wash as you go. In a pinch, handwashing in a hotel sink or bathtub (especially for small items like underwear or quick-dry fabrics) is fast and easy. And once you’ve packed for a week, you can go for a month! • Consider capsule wardrobes, which focus on a few choice pieces with the same color combinations that all mix and match and use layers for variations in weather. Black or navy works well for packing (and also hides the dirt!). Grab a fun scarf or cute earrings for a color pop, but keep accessories simple and minimal. • For kiddos, focus on color coordination and pieces that mix and match. Think onesies with leggings or pants and sweaters or light hoodies. Avoid bulky denim jeans, and make sure you pack items that can be layered. Onesies and leggings can also double for pajamas if needed.

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for everything mom or baby might need at the ready: soft lightweight blankets, burp cloths, a few toys, soft books, teething rings, clip-on pacifiers (even if your baby doesn’t normally use them, they can help with changes in cabin pressure), medications in original containers, two ecofriendly reusable and packable shopping bags, and all travel documents. A well-packed diaper bag can make or break a trip! For the plane, pack a full day’s worth of diapers — one for each hour of transit, plus a few spares — as well as wipes, diaper cream, and a ziplock bag with a change of clothes in case of accidents (useful for mom too!). Consider layering a cloth diaper cover over disposables to contain any potential blow-outs in the air. Bring a few bottles plus more breast milk than you think you will need (with an ice pack to keep it chilled) and/or premeasured formula (ask an airline attendant for hot water). TSA allows frozen, sealed ice packs as long as they’re transparent. Just declare them with other family liquids when you approach the X-ray machines. Hook two carabiners onto your diaper bag so you can easily attach it and your shopping bags to any stroller. Once you’ve reached your destination, you can likely resupply and stock up as needed, but do your research on what is available nearby. Quality overnight diapers can be hard to find; if you have a little extra room, pack more of these with you. Just make sure you know what size you need in kilos, as most every measurement abroad is metric. Don’t forget a combo baby shampoo/body wash, packed inside two large ziplock bags to protect against leakage. BREASTMILK, FORMULA, AND SOLID FOODS: For breastfeeding moms, a lightweight blanket can double as a nursing cover, depending on your preferences and cultural considerations in your destination. If you also need to pump, pack a portable, battery-operated double breast pump and adapter with a hands-free pumping bra and nursing tank top. Don’t stress the size of the pump; even a small portable pump is considered a medical device and doesn’t count toward your cabin allowance, so don’t worry about making it fit in the diaper bag. If you have specialized or prescription formula for your babies, bring all of the powder or premixed formula you’ll need. However, if your kids aren’t super fussy with changes, just buy as you go. Remember a bottle brush for easy cleaning! For solids, mash up whatever you’re eating, or pack some puree pouches for when you’re out and about. The pouches that are so easy to find in the U.S. are not as readily available in other places, so bring your own or create them on the road by packing reusable pouches you can fill yourself. Bring a couple of cloth bibs and wash them as you go, or use a restaurant’s giant cloth nakins as a bib when available. AMAZON TO THE RESCUE! Now that Amazon, Diapers. com, and other websites have gone global, you might have the option to make your life that much easier by ordering the supplies you’ll need and have them waiting for you when you arrive at your apartment or hotel. Check delivery options for your destination online and ask when you book your accommodations.

PACKING LIST

Car seat Stroller Baby carrier Suitcase Carry-on bag Diaper bag Packing cubes Empty duffel bag Mix-and-match clothing Accessories Sleep sack Travel crib Walking shoes Casual shoes Lightweight blankets Burp cloths Toys Soft books Teething rings Clip-on pacifiers Medications Reusable shopping bags Diapers Wipes Diaper cream Ziploc bags Cloth diaper covers Bottles Breast milk or formula Ice pack Carabiners Extra overnight diapers Baby shampoo/body wash Breast pump and adapter Hands-free pumping bra Nursing tank top Bottle brush Pre-made baby food puree pouches Reusable puree pouches Cloth bibs

Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

compact car safety for every adventure

the ideal booster for travel mifold is the grab-and-go booster seat. It is compact, safe and portable. mifold keeps your child secure by adjusting the adult regular booster seat and is just as safe* cars. mifold goes with the child and not the car.

For more information visit mifold.com

* mifold is safety tested and meets or exceeds NHTSA standard FMVSS 213

Choose Your Own Adventure

Melanie Selvey

Kaua‘i Outdoors K

aua‘i, Hawai‘i offers a broad range of outdoor adventures for your family to experience the natural beauty of the “Garden Isle.” The island’s easy navigation makes it possible to experience lush rainforests, rugged coastlines, and cascading waterfalls, in a single action-packed day or a more leisurely week. HIKE AND SNORKEL Named for Queen Emma of Hawai‘i who visited the site in the 1800s, the Queen’s Bath in Princeville is an oceanside tide pool rimmed by jagged volcanic rock. Like a seaside spa, ocean waves lap over to refresh the pool — if you go at the right time. Summer is the ideal time to visit, as waves are generally only four feet high and the pool itself is calm and clear. But go at the wrong time, and this destination can be downright deadly. In winter, higher tides make the trail to the pool more

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treacherous, and surf can reach 12 to 15 feet, making the churning pool anything but inviting. Due to fatalities, a gate has been installed at the trail’s entrance and is padlocked when the trek is unsafe or the sea is churning. The three-quarter-mile trail through the jungle can be steep and muddy, but children generally maneuver it well, often running ahead and calling back for you to hurry. Making your way up and down the narrow path over tree roots and crossing streams by carefully tightrope-walking across a log is an exciting adventure when you are 6 and an exercise in caution at age 60. You nod a quick hello as you meet those who have already made the trek and are reluctantly returning to their cars. This is a very popular site and gets busier as the day progresses, so go early in the day to avoid the traffic jams that come as the day progresses. As you enter the clearing at the bottom of the trail and hear

the crashing waves, veer to the left. The landscape changes into barren, craggy lava. As you look out towards the ocean, you may see turtles bobbing in the surf. Carefully negotiate the crevices in the lava and climb around and over the large rock formations. It’s easy to mistake the first pool as the main attraction, but your final destination is visible in the distance — a crystal clear pool separated from the waves by the black volcanic rock with a backdrop of sea spray from the breaking waves. It’s a panorama that will be imprinted in your mind because of its natural beauty, but you’ll want pictures to help you revisit it over and over. Just avoid the precarious footing of the rocks along the edge of the Bath closest to the open ocean, as tourists seeking the right vantage point for that perfect photo have been swept out to sea by rogue waves. If the tide is cooperating, you can make your way into the pool itself to swim and snorkel with fish in the protected waters. Important safety note: if you have any reservations about the ocean conditions or your child’s abilities, just skip this one. Kaua‘i has plenty of other adventures in store. KAYAK AND SWIM A kayak trip on the Wailua River near Lihue is another adventure you and your kids will not soon forget (and will guarantee a good night’s sleep for all!). Several companies offer guided tours that include rentals of kayaks, life jackets, and waterproof bags and basic how-to kayak training. Kids of all ages are welcome as passengers, and kids 16 and up can captain their own boats. The river’s lazy current is easy to navigate as you paddle upstream, gliding past meadows with a view of the mountains in the distance. At times, the only sounds you’ll hear are the splash of your paddles in the water, the songs of local birds announcing their presence, and your child’s squeals of enjoyment at the day’s adventures. At other times, your guide will keep you entertained by telling the history of the river and those who lived along its banks. Encourage your child to ask questions about the plants you see along the river’s banks, the butterflies that land on the bow of the kayak, or how to hold the paddle to maximize your forward progress. Your guide is likely to have answers, and the added details will make the experience more memorable for all. Paddling for about two miles will bring you to your destination where you will pull your kayak ashore to begin your journey through the rainforest, traveling up and down dirt trails, over tree roots and boulders, and through shallow streams. Another 1 ½ miles of hiking will reward you with an impressive view and loud roar as Secret Falls comes into view. Find a comfy flat rock to enjoy the view and eat your well-deserved lunch, whether purchased with your tour package or packed ahead. Be on the lookout — friendly chickens are everywhere and will try to steal a bite of anything dropped or left unattended. After Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

lunch, carefully make your way down the boulders to the bottom of the falls and enjoy an invigorating dip in the shallow water below. Your children will love to play along the edge of the water, and you’ll have a hard time convincing them when it’s time to retrace your steps back to the kayaks. TOUR AND TASTE If you are looking for a memorable and laid-back family adventure, check out the Kaua‘i Kunana Dairy Farm in Kilauea. Tours are conducted only on Wednesdays, last about two

MASTER TIPS FOR OCEAN AND RIVER SAFETY •

Never turn your back on the ocean.

•

Know the tide tables and plan your visit around high and low tides.

•

Exercise extreme caution in areas where waves crash on rocks, as rogue waves can make footing unstable, leading to injuries (or worse) due to falls or impacts with rocks.

•

Never ignore warning signs or barricades placed for safety!

•

Floatation devices are required for all children up to age 12 in all watercraft, so keep life jackets on kids at all times! For adults, life jackets must be onboard; even though their use is optional, consider wearing them anyway to set a good example and precedent for your children.

•

Good hiking/water shoes are a must to protect your feet from the jagged lava rocks and help secure footing.

•

Don’t forget your sun protection and water! Check labels on sunscreen to avoid harmful chemicals, as Hawai‘i has recently banned the use of sunscreens containing the chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate to protect reef health.

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hours, and must be reserved ahead of time. Sample melt-inyour-mouth organic oatmeal cookies, warm banana bread, and lemonade while the farm’s friendly cat winds around your legs. The guided tour will teach you about raising and milking goats and how cheese is made. Nibble on the various cheese samples, and try to choose a favorite from among the many varieties. Feeding the mama goats and holding their playful babies will bring giggles and smiles to kids of all ages. You can also tour the tropical orchards and sample different fruits and vegetables grown on the farm, including avocados, oranges, grapefruit, mangos, and hairy, bright-red rambutan fruit. With over 20 beehives on the farm, fresh golden honey is also on the sampling menu. Throw in petting the attentive chickens and the family dog, and your kids will still be talking about the farm long after they return home.

Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

Travis Preece

Bon Appetit

Portland's Craft Beer Scene with Kids

DAVID PRAHL/STOCK.ADOBE.COM

vibrant culinary and craft beer scene may have been inevitable for Portland. She is a city with innovation and creativity pumping through her veins. The mantra “Keep Portland Weird,” the show “Portlandia,” and local celebs like the “Unipiper” send a clear message: to be unique is to be Portland. That creativity has led to an explosion of food tourism and, of late, the craft beer boom. In the past 24 months alone, the brewery scene in the Portland area has grown rapidly, from 105 breweries to 169. These days, intense competition has driven brewers to focus on small-batch, experimental beers. What is on tap in April might not be there in May — but the good ones stick! Choose a brewery known for a specific style, and look for offerings with limited availability. Many of these breweries cater quite well to parents who want to check out the scene without needing a sitter. Furthermore, this is Portland, so food has to be good. Portlanders are the beneficiaries of a culinary arms race, and most take for granted that amazing food is available on most street corners. The fare isn’t limited to burgers; instead, it’s mouth-watering, locally-sourced, and internationally-inspired cuisine. One brewery that stands out is Hopworks. The food alone is worth a visit; it has delicious, healthy options like the Moab Bowl (made with locally-grown quinoa, kale, avocado, and more),

as well as tasty burgers and a large kids menu with everything from free-range chicken tenders to organic ice cream and baby food. Of course, it also has a vast selection of delicious draft beer; try the Ferocious Citrus IPA. Visit any of its three locations throughout the city — although locals love Hopworks’s Bikebar on North Williams. It is kid-friendly, on a protected bike lane, and near a group of great eateries and food carts worth exploring, and has play areas for the littles as well! For a family-friendly walking tour that can provide top-tier craft beer and great food as well as a visit to one of Portland’s most popular neighborhoods, look no further than Northwest Portland. If it’s sunny, consider 10 Barrel Brewing on NW 14th, if just for the rooftop. On 11th, stop into Deschutes Brewery for a sit-down restaurant with beer known well to many given its wide distribution in grocery stores across the country. From there, hop on the streetcar at 10th and take a ride up to 23rd, one of Portland’s greatest streets for a stroll. Breakside Brewery, one of Portland’s hottest breweries, has a brand new spot on 22nd and serves a scoop of ice cream with a kids meal. Last but not least, try the writer’s own place for beer- and food-lovers with kids: Tap & Table on 23rd, a fab neighborhood spot with a patio, 16 local draft beers, and 60-square-foot kids play area. As a bonus, Ruby Jewel Ice Cream, located next door, makes smallbatch ice cream sandwiches that kids are sure to love. Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

Bon Appetit

Karen M. Ricks

SUSHI KIDS CAN MAKE E

ating sushi makes our family long for the special place at the foot of the Japanese Alps we called home for 10 years. The senses can so easily whisk us back to a place in our memories in an instant with the right triggers. Food has a tremendous power to elicit the most vivid images and emotions with just the faintest whiff of a tantalizing aroma. Fantasies float on flavors, memories melt in the mouth. The umami (savory taste) of the nori (flat sheets of seaweed) and the crunch of tobiko (flying fish roe) at a recent sushi dinner in our current home in Albania made us all feel like we were seated right back on the tatami (traditional mat) floors of our traditional Japanese house, gazing out through the shoji (wooden sliding doors with translucent paper) down toward the country’s oldest castle, shining in its spotlight in the center of town. Ready to jet off to Japan without even having to pack your bags? Here’s a step-by-step guide to a simple sushi supper that you can make with your children to transport you all to a faraway land without worry of jet lag!

2 cups Japanese rice ½ cup rice wine vinegar 12 sheets nori 1 teaspoon salt Filling: Philadelphia roll — Smoked salmon, cream cheese, and cucumber (or try it with a twist and substitute green onion for the cucumber) California roll — Imitation crab, cucumber, and avocado Veggie roll — Avocado, cucumber, and carrot For a more traditional roll — Sashimi-grade tuna, Sriracha (for spicy tuna rolls), and sesame seeds

Step 1 - Rinse your rice thoroughly before cooking. Swish your Japanese rice vigorously in cool water through at least four or five cycles, until the water runs clear. This is the perfect opportunity for your little helper to dive in all the way up to the elbows in your kitchen! Once you have rinsed away the starch and the water is no longer cloudy, measure out the appropriate ratio of cooking water to cover the rice again (we like a 2:3 ratio, as in 2 cups of rice cooked in 3 cups of water). Add a pinch of salt, and allow the rice to rest for 30 minutes before cooking.

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KAREN RICKS

Garnish: Pickled ginger Wasabi Soy sauce

Bring the rice and water to a boil. Cover and reduce to a low simmer until the rice has cooked through (about 15–20 minutes). Turn off the heat and gently toss the rice with a fork, separating the grains. Cover the pot again and let it rest for another 5 minutes. Toss once more with the rice wine vinegar and set aside for assembling your sushi rolls. Step 2 - While the rice is cooking, prepare your vegetables and other fillings. Peel and slice your vegetables into rectangular matchstick lengths. Try to keep all vegetables and other fillings approximately the same size to best balance the different fillings when you assemble your sushi rolls. Be sure to scrape out the extra watery, seedy parts of ingredients such as cucumbers to maximize flavor and crunch!

4 the pressure of your hands to turn a regular cylindrical roll into a rectangular, or even a triangular, prism! Step 6 - Time to slice and dice! Using a clean knife, slice your sushi roll in half on a cutting board. Rinsing the knife after each slice (or as necessary to remove the sticky rice or other fillings from the blade), continue slicing each half into even pieces from the middle toward the end of the roll. The very last piece will often be unsuitable for plating with the rest of your beautiful slices, so the cooks can set these aside for tasting later! Garnish your plates with pickled ginger, wasabi, and soy sauce, as desired. Our favorite sushi roll of the night: Smoked salmon with cream cheese and green onion!

Step 3 - Begin layering your ingredients. Place the nori, shiny side down, on top of your bamboo rolling mat. Gently spread a thin layer of rice evenly across the nori, leaving a small border (approximately ½”) uncovered at the edges. It can be helpful to wet your fingers and utensils when handling the rice to prevent the grains from sticking. Kids will love spreading the rice and patting it into a flat layer.

Step 4 - Add your sushi fillings and start rolling. Line up your selected filling ingredients along the long edge of your nori on the bamboo rolling mat. Don’t put too many ingredients inside, or you won’t have enough space to create a lovely spiral as you close up your roll — your ingredients should run the length of the nori in a line about as thick as your pinky finger. Step 5 - Give it a good squeeze! Using a firm grip, roll the bamboo rolling mat tightly around the sushi to compress the roll and all of the fillings contained within. You can get even MORE creative at this point by using Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

Bon Appetit

Katie Nelson

Dulce de Leche and Alfajores T

hinking about alfajores (a shortbread-like cookie sandwich filled with dulce de leche, a thick caramel) brings me back to the year I spent in Argentina as an exchange student. Alfajores are sold at nearly every local corner bakery and kiosco (roadside stand), each with its own twist on the recipe: some cover the cookies in chocolate or white chocolate, while others roll them in coconut or dust them lightly with powdered sugar. My Argentinian friends would bring these delicacies to a city park along with a thermos of hot water, loose-leaf yerba mate, traditional gourd hollowed out as a mug, and bombilla (metal filtered straw) to brew mate tea. Mate is part of Argentina’s identity and is generally offered by a host to guests before coffee or another drink. Mate is rarely a solo affair. Rather, it is drunk socially by passing the cup from person to person, often between strangers, almost ceremonially. This food and drink embody the relaxed and highly social atmosphere that is a cornerstone of Argentinian culture. When I returned to the United States, I couldn’t find alfajores in my neighborhood grocery store; they were a specialty item marketed only in boutiques and restaurants. To integrate this taste of Argentinean culture into my household and introduce it to my children, I learned to make it at home. DULCE DE LECHE

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ALFAJORES 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 3/4 cup white sugar 4 egg yolks 1 2/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 2 1/2 cups cornstarch 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon vanilla extract Optional citrus flavor: 2 tsp orange zest + ¼ tsp orange extract OR 2 tsp lemon zest + ¼ tsp lemon extract ½ tsp vanilla rum or 1 tablespoon brandy (also optional) 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

KATIE NELSON

The traditional method of making dulce de leche is to remove the label from a can (14 ounces) of sweetened condensed milk and place the can on its side in a 3-4 quart pot. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the can by at least 2 inches. Bring the water to a boil and reduce heat to maintain a simmer, then simmer for 2-3 hours; simmering for longer will produce a darker caramel color with a richer, more buttery flavor. Check the water level regularly and add boiling water if necessary to keep it above the top of the can. Remove the can from the water using a pair of tongs and place on a wire cooling rack or other heat-proof surface until the can is room temperature. Important safety tip: The contents of the can are under pressure, so do not puncture or attempt to open the can while it is hot! Planning ahead? Unopened cans are shelf-stable without refrigeration for up to three months. Leftovers from an opened can should be kept in an airtight container in the fridge and are good for up to three weeks.

Preheat the oven to 350Â°F (176Â°C) , and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Cream butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy (about two minutes). With the mixer at medium speed, add egg yolks one by one, waiting until each yolk is fully incorporated before adding the next. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla extract and any optional flavors along with the last yolk. Combine the remaining dry ingredients (flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and baking powder) in a separate bowl and mix thoroughly. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer and mix on low until the mixture has just barely come together, then finish combining gently by hand. Very lightly flour a clean surface and roll the dough out to Âź-inch thick. The dough will be very crumbly, so handle

gently. Cut out cookies with a cookie cutter of your choice. Traditional alfajores are generally round or fluted and range in size from 2-4 inches. Cook for 7-8 minutes until set but not browned. Allow to cool, then spread the underside of one cookie generously with dulce de leche and sandwich together with another cookie, allowing the dulce de leche to barely ooze out the sides. Roll the edge of the filled sandwich in shredded coconut for added flavor and visual appeal. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.

Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

Little Heroes

Fiona Croucher

ow many children know how to start a campfire, build a shelter in the forest, or catch a fish with just a net? Most young kids lack these survival skills since so many of today’s youth are rarely disconnected from technology or don’t have the opportunity to learn or practice hands-on skills. The Ferguson boys, Ollie, 9, and Harry, 7, from Aberdeenshire, Scotland are inspiring children all over the world to get outside and discover the natural world through adventures. With help from their parents, the boys have made a list of 500 experiences they want to have before they grow up. As they work through their list, they share photos and videos on their Facebook Page, The days are just packed. Some of their experiences include: build and drive an electric go-kart, raise butterflies, build a shelter in the woods, go cross-country skiing, forge a Viking-style knife, send a Lego crew and GoPro into space, take part in an archaeological dig, drive a steam train, build an igloo, shoot a bow and arrow, milk a goat, and build a giant catapult, to name a few. To date, they have completed over half of their list. Their father, MacNeill, says their adventures are all about exploring, learning, and engaging in their environment in a positive way. Many of their tasks help their community: assist in a neonatal clinic, help an elderly person, and participate in a beach cleanup. Perhaps their most amazing challenge so far is the voyage of Adventure, their Playmobil pirate ship. The boys fitted Adventure with a GPS tracker and sent her into the North Sea on the northeast coast of Scotland in May 2017. Incredibly, she was found in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, where people read the note on board and were able to fix broken parts and put her back in the sea. A Norwegian crew took Adventure

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aboard and released her off the coast of Morocco where she embarked on a journey almost 3000 km (1864 mi) across the Atlantic Ocean toward South America before being swept north towards the Bahamas by a current. Adventure’s GPS batteries need recharging, so the boys are unable to track where she is now — but there are many people on the lookout! The family is currently in the planning stages of building another ship, Adventure II, to sail across the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Ollie and Harry want to use the ship’s travels to highlight the impact of plastic in our world’s oceans. Their campaign is called “Where does your plastic go?,” and they hope to raise awareness of how far plastic can travel around the world when it enters the marine environment. The boys write a monthly column in three of their local newspapers and have been featured on many TV and radio programs as far-reaching as Australia and New Zealand. The Ferguson family delivers presentations to groups of school children and runs a Weekend Adventurer Club with Saturday morning sessions where children can learn outdoor skills. The Ferguson boys’ next exciting endeavour is writing their first book, entitled Ollie and Harry’s Marvelous Adventures, which will be released this year and is aimed at getting other kids outside to discover their local environments. Writing their book may be the only thing keeping Ollie and Harry indoors given their love of fresh air and wide open spaces they have developed while working through their list. You can connect with the family at www.facebook.com/ tdajp and see the full list of 500 adventures, follow their successes and failures, and perhaps be inspired to create your own list!

MACNEILL FERGUSON

The Days are Just Packed

Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM

Dive In

Genny Arredondo

with Monterey Bay Aquariumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Underwater Explorers Program

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f you have a budding marine biologist or ocean aficionado, you’re going to want to make sure your summer vacation plans include a trip to California’s Monterey Bay Aquarium. In addition to being a world-class aquarium with award-winning exhibits, the Aquarium hosts its one-of-a-kind Underwater Explorers program each summer to give kids ages 8–13 the rare opportunity to experience diving with SCUBA (SelfContained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) gear and get up close and personal with marine life. Kids can typically become certified SCUBA divers as early as age 10, but Underwater Explorers allows kids to get a taste of SCUBA without the cost of certification or the hours of classroom instruction. “The idea is to get kids in the water,” one of the founders of the program, Gavin Wuttken, told SF Gate. “We wanted to do something to bring kids the opportunity to make a connection with the ocean,” added Gil Falcone, who co-founded the program. “They’ll remember their first time in the water, and it may shape

their future, whether they know it or not. It’s something that happened to us along the way.” Transforming into a SCUBA Diver The Aquarium’s Underwater Explorers program outfits kids with dry suits (which look a bit like space suits) that stay completely dry inside and can be worn directly over street clothes. The suits have tight-fitting latex seals around the neck and wrists to keep water from entering; alert program staff to any sensory issues or latex allergies when registering. Under the dry suits, program instructors provide kids with fleece shirts and pants to keep them warm in the 55°F (13°C) water. Each participant is then outfitted with a SCUBA unit that has been custom made for this program, which includes a small SCUBA tank, a regulator that attaches to the air tank and enables breathing underwater, and a buoyancy control device (BCD) that holds the tank in place on the child’s back. Lastly, kids wear

Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

Get Up Close & Personal with Critters Now comes the coolest part. The Great Tide Pool where the program takes place is home to some pretty awesome tide pool creatures, including sea stars, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, different kinds of crabs, and a variety of local fish species. While handling animals in the wild is not recommended, trained instructors may bring certain animals up to the surface of the water for kids to see and touch safely. At the end of the program, kids are given a cup of hot cocoa and a keepsake dive log complete with their picture in their dry suits and have the chance to document the animals they saw during the dive.

fins to move easily through the water and a mask so they can clearly see the cool creatures in the water below. Let’s Talk Logistics The program itself lasts 90 minutes, and kids do not need to know how to swim (although all participants should be comfortable in and around water). The gear keeps them afloat and the instructors work closely with the kids in small groups to ensure safety and provide personal attention. There are two additional staff members nearby serving as strategically-placed spotters and lifeguards. Instructors are certified, kid-friendly, and knowledgeable about marine life. Program participants spend the first 30 minutes learning about the Great Tide Pool habitat and animal adaptations, how to operate the equipment, and how to use the “otter roll” to flip themselves over in the water. While kids get a good idea of what SCUBA diving is about, they don’t actually dive under the water (which requires more extensive training) — instead, they stay at the surface and submerge their faces in the water while breathing from the

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How Many Clams Will It Cost Me? The program costs $95 USD in addition to Aquarium Admission ($49.95/adults & $29.95/kids). This may seem a bit costly, but the uniqueness of the experience and the cost of renting the gear versus completing a full SCUBA certification is well worth the price tag. Reservations are recommended, as spots can fill quickly (especially on weekends). Accessible to All The Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Underwater Explorers program strive to be inclusive and accessible for all its visitors and participants. The staff have extensive training and experience working with children with disabilities and enjoy sharing the wonders of the ocean with everyone throughout the summer. When asked, the staff will quickly tell you the best days of the year for them are the Days of Discovery events. These days, dedicated to children with disabilities, are offered three times over the summer and are free to participants. Visit www.montereybayaquarium.org or call the Monterey Bay Aquarium at (831) 648-4800 to learn more or register to participate.

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SCUBA tank on their backs. The tide pool where the program takes place is 1–2 ft at its shallowest point and around 7 ft at the deepest point, allowing optimal viewing from the surface.

IN THE FIELD

SCUBA Genny Arredondo

he concept of SCUBA diving is fairly simple. A diver straps on an air tank, wears a mask, dons fins, and jumps into a body of water. But it’s much more technical, so get ready to take a deep dive into SCUBA. SCUBA is an acronym for Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus. The first SCUBA device was created by Jacques Cousteau in 1943 as a way to better explore life underwater. Since that time, the SCUBA unit has gone through several modifications to make it easier to use and more widely accessible to the public. These days, it takes about a week’s worth of classes with a few pool and open water practice dives accompanied by an instructor to get open water SCUBA certified. The amount of equipment needed depends a lot on the temperature of the water. Cold water diving requires dry suits or thick neoprene wetsuits to keep warm underwater. Since both dry suits and thick wetsuits are extremely buoyant, cold water divers need heavy weight belts to help them sink. In contrast, warm water divers generally wear thin wetsuits or just swimwear and need fewer weights. A mask allows a diver to see easily underwater, and fins make each kick more powerful to propel a diver forward with little effort. A buoyancy control device (or BCD) is worn like a backpack and holds the SCUBA tank (or air supply) on the diver’s back. This piece of gear is helpful underwater because it allows the diver to add air to it (or vent air from it) in order to hover in the water column. This makes it easier to swim around and allows a diver to float up to the surface or sink down towards the bottom as desired. The SCUBA unit consists of an air tank and a regulator. Divers can’t just use an air bladder and hose to supply air; think about

WETSUITS

BCD

MASK

how many breaths it would take to blow up a balloon — that balloon represents the volume of air that a person needs to breathe. How many breaths does a human take in 30 minutes? That balloon would need to be pretty big, and its buoyancy would make diving underwater difficult. The SCUBA tank is an excellent alternative because it holds enough compressed air for a diver to spend about 30-60 minutes underwater at normal recreational diving depths (60 ft or less), and it is negatively buoyant (meaning it sinks). An air hose can’t just go straight from the tank to the diver because the air is under high pressure inside the tank. This means an additional piece of equipment, the regulator, is needed. It takes the high-pressure air coming out of the air tank and reduces it to a pressure that is breathable. All the diver has to do is breathe naturally in and out through the mouthpiece, and the regulator delivers the precise amount of air needed at any depth. The regulator is probably the most essential piece of SCUBA gear. Using the SCUBA unit described above allows a diver to inhale air from a tank and exhale it into the surrounding water. Thanks to this equipment, a diver can overcome the physics of the underwater environment through technology and engineering. Proper SCUBA certification and coursework are required before attempting SCUBA diving, as some serious hazards can face divers without sufficient training. That said, SCUBA diving opens up a beautiful and often unseen underwater world that many people don’t get to experience firsthand, a world full of amazing creatures and landscapes that seem otherworldly but exist just off of the nearest beach.

FINS

SCUBA TANK

REGULATOR

Everywhere Magazine April/May 2019

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DUBROVNIK, CROATIA “I loved kayaking with my mom and dad. I sat in the middle and had a lollipop while they did all the work paddling the kayak.” Audrey Miller is a 5-yearold artist and adventurer, in that order. When she’s not in school, she can be found in her art studio (playroom). Her favorite adventures are biking, kayaking, and (most recently) snorkeling with turtles and stingrays.

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SPRING BLOOMS “When I saw mom’s picture for her magazine, I loved it because there were so many flowers, and I want to see the real thing. I would love to visit Holland, and I want to pick the pink tulips and the rest and make a necklace and a crown! I know pretty much all about windmills — when the wind blows, the windmills catch it to help the crops and make electricity.” Anna Mooneyham, 6, loves to swim, jump, dance, and create art. She has worldschooled across three continents, discovering their cultures and how their worlds work. She is confident, bold, and brave.

AUDREY BIO PHOTO: KIMONAS PATINIOTIS IN SANTORINI FOR FLYTOGRAPHER; KAYAK DRAWING: AUDREY MILLER (TONYA MILLER); KAYAK PHOTO: TONYA MILLER; ANNA BIO PHOTO: LACIE HOLLAND, HOLLAND HOUSE PHOTOGRAPHY; PAPER FLOWERS: ANNA MOONEYHAM (MANDY MOONEYHAM); FLOWERS PHOTO: OLENA Z/STOCK.ADOBE.COM

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April/May 2019

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Argentina with Twins