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Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Zahara the Brave: First Solo Adventure

This summer Dan and I hit the family lottery. My in-laws asked if we would consider sending Zahara to Florida for two weeks of grandparent fun time. At first, this seemed like way too much time. We've never been apart for that long before. I wasn't worried about her--I knew she'd have a great time playing at the beach, swimming in the pool, hanging out with her aunt. I was really worried for my in-laws though. Two weeks straight with a six-year-old is hard work! But, they kept asking, so we figured, let's try it.


Zahara is six now, which means she can fly on her own! Game changer! I've been flying on my own since I was that age, thanks to a travel agent mom and grandparents who lived in a different city. Flying solo isn't for everyone at that age, but I felt pretty confident that Zahara would do well. She's pretty independent and is a seasoned traveler. If I had to guess, I'd say she's probably been on close to 200 flights. Plus, give her a tablet and tell her she can watch unlimited movies and she's solid for days. Ha!


In the days and weeks leading up to the trip, we sprinkled in lots of conversations about what was coming up. We talked about strategies for how to ask for things on the plane, like drinks and bathroom, and what it would be like to be gone for so long. She was literally counting down days.


On the morning of the flight, she understandably got a bit nervous. She bravely powered through though and walked on the plane with her head up (and her tablet in her hands). And when my in-laws picked her up at the gate, they said the flight was great. She was a champ!



The two weeks went quickly for everyone. She spent her days taking swimming lessons and getting quality time with her family. We spent the two weeks living a one-child life (WOW! So much easier), and even snuck in a kid-free vacation thanks to my parents who came to watch Asher for a few days!!




All-in-all, this was a fantastic experience for everyone, and I'm looking forward to it being an annual event. HUGE thanks to my Florida family for making this happen! Love you guys!

1 comment:

  1. Amazing, I know how well traveled Zahara is, this week we have our 3 grandchildren on holiday with us, every year we take them for a week, it's amazing we call it making memories long may it continue... well done Zahara

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