Since I was very little, I’ve had a deep love for travel. I have my parents to thank for this love of mine. Both my mom and dad came to this country when they were just 17; my mom from Poland and my dad from Ecuador. My very first trip to Ecuador was at the young age of 6 months. Although, I obviously don’t remember that trip, I do remember the vast amount of trips we took throughout my childhood, both nationally and internationally. There’s something so magical about traveling to a new place, experiencing cultures different than your own, and seeing more and more of this beautiful world.

So, over the years I’ve shared this passion I have for travel with my family, my friends, and now my husband and step-son. There is something you take with you from each travel. You learn to appreciate what you have or work harder for what you want. You make memories that last a lifetime – like getting a softball sized bruise from jumping off a waterfall in Hawaii…

…to laughing about the time your then 3 year old would ball his fists up at the waves crashing towards him on the beaches of California.

I’ve also been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to occasionally travel for work. In my role, I help oversee my company’s local and national charitable partnerships. This also includes helping with various events. So, for the past few years, I’ve had the honor of travelling to NYC and Washington D.C. during Memorial Day. My company supports many military and Veteran organizations and charities and is involved with Fleet Week and Memorial Day activities every year. This was my third year travelling to the east coast but it definitely wasn’t going to be the same as years past.

Hesitations

My co-worker and good friend, Ashleigh, and I began planning for our annual trip. When I learned I was pregnant, though, I had my hesitations. Of course, my doctor said it was completely safe to travel given where I was in my pregnancy. My biggest concern, however, was based on how I had been feeling during my first trimester. There was no way I could walk the streets of New York and D.C. having to vomit every few hours. But luckily, around the time we were going to book our travel I started feeling better.

Snacks & Food

I learned the true value of snacks the very first day. With the hustle and bustle of the big city, it was hard to break away to grab something to eat. If you recall from my last blog post, when I don’t eat regularly I tend to get nauseous. So we stopped at a CVS on the corner and grabbed a few items – granola bars, Swedish Fish (pregnancy craving?), some crackers, juice and bagels for the mornings. Ashleigh and I both carried my snacks around to our events just in case I got hungry.. and trust me, I did! I also took the time to enjoy some of the delicious food NYC and DC had to offer. Anyone who knows me knows I’m a true food, so it was so hard going through my first trimester barely being able to eat. That definitely wasn’t the case on my trip! 🙂

Staying Hydrated

This is almost a no brainer. Staying hydrated is recommended for everyone to do, especially a pregnant woman. And even more so, a pregnant woman travelling and on the go. I’ve always struggled with water intake so an easy option for me was to order nothing but water during meals. Given I’m no longer enjoying a mimosa with breakfast or a glass of wine with lunch or dinner, it was easy to order water and drink as much as I could during my meals.

Fashion Style: Comfort

Packing for my trip was pretty much a breeze. At this point, only so much fits me and I have yet to begin maternity shopping aside from my one pair of black maternity slacks. Given our itinerary, I wanted to make sure I was comfortable but presentable. Many of the events required more formal attire. So, I packed a few stretchy dresses that could be dressed up for events and down for daytime wear. I did pack a pair of heels and ended up sticking with my flats and chunky low heels the entire trip. Also, fuzzy slides! I would have worn them the whole trip if I could have. When we weren’t at events, I pretty much lived in these.

Enjoy

It was pretty amazing knowing I was carrying my little baby around with me throughout my travels. Ashleigh would joke, ‘Baby’s first trip to NYC!’, and ‘Baby’s first taxi cab ride!’. Zarin and I hope to travel with our little one as much as we can so it will be fun to look back at this time and remember the trip I took before baby’s born. I took the time to enjoy my surroundings, the food, the experiences and the company.

Overall, my trip to the East coast was a huge success. I grant most of that success to the fact that Baby Sells finally allowed me to start feeling better right before my trip. One of my biggest hopes and dreams for our baby is to give him/her every opportunity to travel and see the world… starting from inside my belly.

xo,

zo