I wasn’t always a super adventure mom, once upon a time I was sure my adventure days were over, then I went on this trip and everything changed!
Where I started
Coming from a small town, I always longed to travel and see other places. Throughout college and for work I visited a few different places, but never really got to do a ton of traveling. I became a mom pretty young and at first I thought it was going to stop me from seeing all the places on my bucket list. MAN, was I wrong!
Right before my oldest was born I started working online so that I could make some extra money while on maternity leave. I thought it would be temporary, but I have been doing digital marketing ever since, which is over 5 years now. Because of my online business and flexible schedule over the past few years I have been able to see so many new places and go on tons of adventures, all with my kids by my side!
Hiking with kids is different, you have to be seriously mindful of their ability as a hiker or your ability to lug them around in a carrier. Choosing trails based on their interests and abilities is key to keeping them happy on the trails. You want them to look forward to hiking, not dread it, after all. I like to keep them entertained with trail games such as “I spy” or scavenger hunts. They will let you know when they need a break or need to turn back so pay attention to the signs.
The Trip That Changed My Mindset
Looking back over the years, my favorite solo-mom trip with my kids was when I took them to the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. This was one of our first trips together and my first ever solo hiking trip with both kids. They were very young, Penelope was 2 and Fitzgerald was 9-months-old. Because of how young they were we did a lot of driving; searching for wildflowers and enjoying the views from the lookouts, but we took a few short hikes as well.
On the steeper of the two hikes we did, Penelope started the hike insisting that she walked. I fully supported that decision and always encourage them both to be independent and confident on the trails. She was all about it until she realized how steep and cold it was. This was one of those times where I had to listen to her. Even though I thought this would be a short easy hike for us, it was challenging for a 2-year-old. We quickly turned around and I grabbed the stroller so I could push her up the paved section of the trail.
Strollers aren’t something I would normally recommend as essential hiking gear, but for me, a solo-traveling mom with two young kiddos and a barely there budget, it was how I was rolling on this trip. Thankfully, the very short, but very steep trail to Clingman’s Dome is paved and allowed me to use the stroller with ease!
So here I am, pushing a two-year-old up a mountain in a stroller while I’m breastfeeding a 9-month-old in a baby carrier. It was tough and we needed a lot of breaks, but I had strangers cheering me on the whole way up which helped keep me motivated. I had such a huge feeling of accomplishment after that trip. It was this that made me realize — kids can’t hold you back unless you let them!
Moral Of The Story:
You don’t have to be young, wild, and free to go on the adventure of a lifetime, sometimes you’re like me, a mom, who totes their kids around on all the adventures. Embrace your situation, whatever it may be, and go for it! The only thing holding you back is you!
