Panama

Do folks blog anymore?  These spaces have been so quiet, recently with a few of my favorite blogs closing.  I guess many of us who want to document life via social media moved to less intensive forms of documentation, like Instagram, long ago.  But I'm finding more and more that I want to write in this space, even if it's just a picture and a few words about how the month treated me - not that I have a lot of time.  

Today, with M asleep and the sun too hot for me to want to venture outside for too long, I want to write a few words about our trip to Panama, which we planned as a stopover en route to California. In her first year, we've clocked a decent amount of mileage domestically with M, but this was our first international trip as a family.

Traveling with an 11-month old child was fun, as well as challenging.  Gone are the days where I can pack a small suitcase and be out the door with minimal planning. Baby infrastructure is needed, if only for ease of mind. Thankfully, M traveled so well.  She was happy and curious as we explored Panama City and enjoyed the attention of the many strangers she came across. She handled the bus rides, taxi rides, and metro/subway rides like a champ.  She even tried Panamanian food. Perhaps most importantly, she tolerated the 5 flights we scheduled over a period of 2 weeks. (Not to self: That's too many flights.)

There were, of course, rough patches, including shifting sleeping schedules.  Also, flights with a curious baby are exhausting!

If time permits, I'll post more about Panama City and Boquete, our two stops in Panama.