Your vacation doesn’t have to be perfect to be perfectly enjoyable and memorable. I was reminded of that recently when I was going through my old photos and videos from that time we visited Alkmaar, The Netherlands, not far from Amsterdam. If anything, that trip down memory lane was also a good reminder of how to enjoy travel when it threatens to be less than magical.
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Our First Huge Europe Adventure
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Amsterdam, The Netherlands, was our first trip together to Europe. It held so many amazing moments but also a few chaotic travel transitions and tribulations as well. Now don’t get me wrong, we loved this trip and will remember it forever. But, some might have lost their minds.
A less experienced traveller or a person without kids might be horrified if they went through half of the trials we did when we embarked on a three person family trip to Amsterdam. My youngest kiddo was about 19 and frankly travelled really well as a kid but on this trip had some wild plane related issues.
Motion Sickness
Let me just start by saying there was nothing wrong with the flight. It was not overly turbulent or delayed or anything extreme. It was a flight like every flight I have been on in the past ten years – a tiny plane as usual with crowded conditions that felt tolerable to me but not so much for my sensitive kid with sensory processing disorder and FASD.
I mean there have been a zillion times I have been uncomfortable on a plane in the last decade as airlines have all worked to squeeze more bodies into smaller spaces while charging premiums for choosing seats and so forth. But most of us tolerate the plane so that we can simply get the reward of experiencing the other end of the voyage. My coping mechanism for those times is read a book on my Kindle or Kobo or get up at least once an hour to stroll the aisles and go to the restrooms if needed. My legs need a break when I am feeling cramped.
How to enjoy travel when you are cramped, motion sick or claustrophobic?
I mean many of us can see the reward at the end of the flight. And that can be enough.
This trip was as they say the trip to end all trips. (But of course it didn’t end the trips because I could never…)
My youngest developed extreme nausea and motion sickness as the plane climbed and it did not stop at all on the 6 hours to Iceland where we had a short stop over around 2 a.m. So, picture me and Noah racing through the airport trying to find Gravol or equivalent. Also, picture us racing through with no Icelandic currency. US currency was not accepted in the airport.
Racing Through the Airport
So, looking for currency first at that hour and of course there wasn’t any. Oh I had brought all sorts of Euros and still had some Canadian and US funds and a debit card. BUT, make note of this for your own knowledge. NO, Euros would be accepted anywhere in the airport.
We had a one hour layover which as anyone who travels knows is not long. So, we parked Payton by the gate for our second plane and ran through the airport looking for something to quell the vomiting. (Props to the airplane crew who were very understanding on that plane.) But we couldn’t find anything at all until we reached the absolute farthest section of the airport in Reykjavik, Iceland and discovered something Paracetamol like and waited in line to purchase with debit or credit.
Not that Much Longer
Thankfully we managed to buy that. But it put us perilously close to missing plane. Unbeknownst to us our names were being called. We couldn’t hear them, but we knew we were pushing it so we sprinted through the airport. Now, remember we’d been up all night. I had been rubbing one’s back and holding barf bags and my travel companion was on empty and had been vomiting all night. So we were probably not as fast as we could have been. I don’t want to even think about how bad we might have smelled, but at least the airplane flight sickness bags worked to contain the mess.
My biggest lesson from this trip was never leave home without Gravol. Honestly, we hadn’t needed any in a decade or more so I assumed we were safe and that was the dumbest assumption I have made in years. Not going to lie had I packed the nighttime one that makes you sleep I would have been so much better off than I was on the trip.
My poor little adventurer was done. But we had to keep moving.
Transportation is simple in the Netherlands. Get your tickets to the GVB public transport before you go.
Anyways, eventually we rocked up to the gate and spied Payton, my anxious child, standing there crying and a gate attendant with her trying to calm her down. We hadn’t seen her anxiety flare up before that moment really but that was it for her. She had been there tired, exhausted, hungry and panicking and I felt horrible but we all made it and hopped on the tram or bus or whatever transportation vehicle they had that would ferry us to the next spot. She would have been even more miserable if I had dragged her running through the airport in search of something to calm her sibling’s stomach so I mean thankfully I left her at the gate for that part. Still felt like we didn’t have enough people to spread out the parenting tasks.
Waiting for your AirBnB
AirBnBs have certainly made travel more comfortable for so many reasons. Bigger spaces that feel like home and lovely options for entire families so I am not complying about that by any stretch. But when you fly overnight from Europe you will often find yourself arriving at your destination in the early morning or by noon. A lot of places won’t allow you to check in before 4 p.m.
We had the sweetest loft space outside of Amsterdam which we all loved. It was completely worth it and we would rent the same spot over again. The loft had ample space and a sprawling upstairs with in suite laundry and Alkmaar was delightful. But we showed up around noon and the owner worked in Amsterdam and couldn’t get to us until 3:30 or 4 as agreed. While that wasn’t a massive issue just know you will be exhausted when you get in and you might need to crash immediately and lose some time. We found the cutest cafe to hang out in for a couple of hours and then we walked to ensure that we were closer to our loft. Shout out to Brownie’s and Downies in Alkmaar.
AirBnB mishaps
Loved this loft and still dream about it. It was wonderful. (except for the stove.)
When you are visiting The Netherlands you will of course have some cultural differences to adjust to quickly. That was not an issue and we were prepared for most scenarios. Thankfully my kiddo’s stomach settled the moment feet were back on the ground and we were ready for food and drink and sleep of course. But, that said, we couldn’t have foreseen what a crazy glass top on the stove would do one day after noon when we were craving some noodles for lunch.
I turned away from the stove top as the pot was boiling and heard a big bang and that was that. Glass shattered and was a mess and the noodles were garbage. But we were okay. Most unexpected outcome. We all worried we’d get hit with a big fine. But my first reaction was text the AirBnB owner and deal with it immediately. That was the right communication strategy at that time and he commiserated and was worried mostly that we were okay. When I clarified that we were all fine but the stove was not usable he noted he’d replace it for the next vacationers and was super relieved we had not been hurt. Some people might have been annoyed that the stovetop was now out of commission but this was another lesson in how to enjoy your trip even when things go sideways.
Honestly charcuterie, dinners out and takeout was our plan for most of the rest of the trip anyways. So, no big deal.
Rain
In the Netherlands in the fall it rains a lot. I only mention that because you should know that this happens. Obviously we bought $5 umbrellas and made the absolute best of it. As someone I know once said, rain hits different when you are travelling. Indeed it did. There was a part of me that didn’t even care because I was away with my kids showing them what it was like in Europe and stoking that love of travel and resilience that comes with simply being away.
You can’t visit Europe in the spring/ fall or winter even without expecting rain. So get used to it. My best advice is bring a waterproof rain jacket or even a light winter jacket that is waterproof and water resistant with a hood. Umbrellas sometimes are a mess here depending on where you are visiting. The winds easily trash those if you are not used to Europe. This is even more true in the United Kingdom.
On the Way Back
When we had to leave, we were in fact all super sad. Alkmaar was a hit as was Amsterdam. In fact, we really had enjoyed the trip and had made the absolute most of our time. We saw every single thing but for one or two museums that we had on our lists. Anne Frank House, by the way needs to be booked well in advance of your trip if you want to see it.
In summary, this was one of the trips I will fondly look back on forever. The kind of memory I might bring up at the kid’s weddings (should they choose to get married.) Remember that time you threw up all the way to Iceland?
Finding the Magic
Travel chaos and ups and downs are all part of the process. If you have travel transitions and experiences without any blips then consider yourself very fortunate. Go buy a lotto ticket now. The journey is part of the adventure when you travel and accepting that early on will lead to less disappointment or frustration later on. At the very least the crazy chaotic moments can be part of the story you tell later.
