The first time my daughter laughed, my husband and I had just finished plates of tacos in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Zara was touching my face as we watched the ocean waves roll into Medano Beach, and a soft, short giggle emerged. Then another. Her eyes held a look of pure joy. She was just shy of 4 months old.

The first time Zara danced, we were at dinner in western Canada, and she began swaying her head from side to side in her high chair. The movement had a Frankenstein quality, but in her pink sweater, with mashed potato stuck to her lip and broccoli flakes everywhere, it was adorable.

The first time she crawled up the stairs, Zach and I were packing to come home after visiting my family in Toronto. Suddenly, 10-month-old Zara decided it was time to summit the carpeted mountain. She climbed to the top, stopping periodically to clap at her accomplishment and make sure we were watching.

I don’t believe it’s happenstance these milestones occurred on the road. Travel is an awakening. Being exposed to other cultures and ways of living, stepping away from our routines, breathing different air — it changes us. It’s inspiring and transformative at any age.

* * *

When we found out we were pregnant with our first child in early 2024, my husband and I committed to each other that we would continue to explore the world. We understood that our jet-setting lifestyle would need to adapt — and would even wane in certain periods — but traveling is what brings us the most joy, and we wanted our child to see that and experience it too.

Now, at just more than a year old, Zara has multiple stamps in her passport, has road-tripped through the Rocky Mountains multiple times and has camped in a tent and in a van.

We’re lucky; she’s a fairly easygoing travel companion.

She has nursed on the beach, drank a bottle on top of a mountain in Alberta and happily gobbled up black risotto in Split, Croatia. She has napped on planes, in cars and in her stroller with a fan keeping her cool while out and about.

She even handles jet lag better than her parents.

Even in this best-case scenario, traveling with a baby or toddler is a test of endurance. A flight is no longer a chance to catch up on new releases. Instead, we’re the entertainment for a tiny human who needs constant supervision, whether in the air for three hours or 10.

The way we travel has significantly changed too. The double-sided, handwritten packing lists I fastidiously scribble weeks before each trip can attest to that. Babies require a lot of stuff — especially when you’re a first-time parent and nervous about leaving anything to chance. Suddenly, instead of packing a carry-on and backpack to share, my husband and I are lugging a car seat, stroller and multiple checked bags and carry-ons through an airport or Tetris-ing all that gear into our Subaru.

It’s not just about logistics. The spontaneity and impulsivity that come with being in a new place aren’t as accessible anymore. Instead of being able to jump into a local watering hole we stumbled upon or grab a drink with a friendly couple we met, we have to put our daughter’s needs first, which might mean finding a cool spot for a nap, pulling over regularly for a snack or diaper change, or heading back to the hotel early.

Slow travel is trending right now, but it’s always been a way of life for globe-trotting families. Rather than working our way through a long list of recommended sites and restaurants or packing up to visit multiple locales on one trip, my husband and I are becoming more deliberate, thoughtful and also flexible with our time and with our planning. This past summer in Croatia, we skipped two jaw-droppingly beautiful national parks because the driving distance wasn’t worth it for an experience our daughter couldn’t truly enjoy at such a young age.

While we’re learning to adjust our expectations and accept that we’re going to miss out on certain activities, Zach and I haven’t lost our yearning for discovery. It’s healthy to break out of the eat-play-nap routine and go off schedule. Keeping our daughter up late in order to watch the sun set from a cable car or letting her fall asleep in the carrier during a midday hike allows us to connect with a place in some of the ways we want while also, we hope, teaching Zara to be adaptable.

If nothing else, all of these moments are a reminder of the importance of that indispensable yet hard-to-achieve parenting trait: patience.

* * *

We were 20 minutes into a water taxi ride between the coastal Croatian town of Mlini, where we were staying, and Old Town Dubrovnik when I realized that I’d forgotten to pack my daughter’s formula. We were planning a full-day outing to the island of Lokrum, and all I had with me were quick snacks.

I nursed Zara exclusively for the first seven months. That made travel easier — as long as I was with her, she had food readily accessible — but also exhausting because a nursing mother has to plan her time so carefully. The introduction of formula gave me more space but also brought its own challenges, like cleaning bottles and finding safe, distilled water.

I managed not to panic on the boat while my husband’s eyes widened with concern. We were headed to a city, and there would be formula there, I told him. Let’s not worry until we need to. Worst case, one of us can take an Uber to a grocery store.

Luckily, that wasn’t necessary. A pharmacy, with English-speaking staff, sat on the other side of the medieval wall from the port. For 13 euros, our problem was solved.

When we told fellow parents we were taking Zara on a vacation to Croatia, we were met with doubts and questions. Why were we setting ourselves up for a stressful, across-the-pond flight? Why not wait until she’s older? Why not choose somewhere closer to home?

The truth is, travel is always problematic, whether you’re journeying near or far. Flight delays are a pain. Significant time zone shifts are tiring, as are long drives. Language barriers are difficult to navigate. All of those frustrations become more stressful when you have a child in tow. But that’s true at home as well. Your kiddo is going to have a blowout just before you’re supposed to board the flight (pro tip: always pack two extra outfits in your carry-on) or head out the door for an appointment. They’re going to suddenly get hungry and start screaming when you’re trapped in a snaking customs line or at a red light while running errands. You’ll spend your afternoon trying to stop your daughter from putting M&M-size pebbles in her mouth — on a Croatian beach or at a local playground.

These headaches might feel more fraught or complicated when you’re away from your comfort zone, but why not face these challenges in a new, beautiful place if you have that option?

Zach and I want to raise a daughter who is brave, bold, adventuresome and resilient. I hope that taking her on our explorations helps instill those characteristics. Perhaps they’ll also help her see her parents as whole beings who are fun, interesting, adaptable and, yes, people who make mistakes.

One day our daughter is going to board a flight without us. She’s going to move out of our home and build her own life. My wish is that the journeys we take together help her grow wings so she can fly away with confidence.

She won’t remember these early trips, so we’ll carry those memories for her until she can hold them herself. One day, we’ll tell her about the afternoon when the world stopped, for just a moment, as she giggled next to the beach. We’ll tell her it was the sweetest sound we’d ever heard.