A Summary of San Juan La Union...Our firsts, What we learned, What to buy

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Baby's age: 5 months

 There have been so many firsts for our little family during this trip:
- First time to go on a long drive
- First time to cross a hanging bridge
- First time to drink milk by the beach
- First time to touch and feel the sand
- First time to take a bath in a bathroom sink
- First time to poop and get clean up on the roadside along a National Highway!
- First time to travel as a family
Lifesavers:
- Portable fan
- Spotify's "Once Upon a Time" album

List of things to buy for our next travel:
- Small containers for soaps, baby detergent, handwash, etc.
- Bug spray (the safest and most effective one that I can find)

- Baby carrier (because she has outgrown her Saya)
- Infant shades
- Beach bag

What I have learned:
- Always make a packing list and update it after every trip as everyone’s needs change
- Make sure everyone's bags are packed the night before at the latest
- Buy everything you will need (water, meds, formula, diaper) before leaving if you're not sure about the availability of those necessities in your destination
- Do not put the medicine kit in the trunk of the car
- When the baby is sick, chances are you will get sick too. As the main caregiver, lack of sleep takes a toll on your body and your immune system goes down. Do not underestimate the baby's power to transmit virus! Be prepared and load up on vitamins and water.
- When the baby won't stop crying, try your very best not to cry too.
- Be ready to order from the room service menu, especially on your first night
- Book a massage the day after you arrive home (because the night you arrive, there will be lots to put away)
- Normal travels don't always go as planned or as scheduled. This is all the more true when traveling with an infant or a baby. If you are naturally obsessive with regard to schedule, prepare your mind. Expect sudden changes and cancelled side trips.
- It is NOT at all easy to travel with an infant
- Though it is not easy to travel with an infant, every minute of the experience is worth it and you will look back and remember your misadventures with a big laugh (eventually). 

Hooray for our first trip! We survived! :) :) :)

San Juan La Union with Mom, Dad and baby posing in front of the Urbiztondo town sign by the seaside with the strong waves splashing through the rocks




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