By Mary Liebowitz
As a single mom with a passion for travel, I can often be found kicking down dusty trails with my trusty sidekick, Big Mouth.
Our last journey brought us to Copenhagen, Denmark, where we visited friends.
Planning an international trip with a toddler can be scary, but this was overshadowed by the thought that my daughter is already becoming acclimated to international travel and new cultures, and that I enjoy being able to share these experiences with her.
The 10-hour flight from Fort Lauderdale was made bearable by several giant bags of candy that kept her entertained and me stupefied. I used to pack healthier snacks like cut-up veggies, raisins and cheese, but we’ve reached the "whatever works” stage of toddlerhood, and I’m currently not above bribery. I also packed a few books, some new toys, a change of clothing, and her blanket. We took an overnight flight that she managed to sleep through, and arrived in a nippy 27-degree Copenhagen the next morning, bright-eyed and airplane-haired.
I was a little worried about the sleep aspect (or the me not sleeping aspect), but arranged for plenty of backup at our destination, in case I needed to crash while my child started her day.
The easy part about traveling to Copenhagen is that Scandinavians are a very civilized and kid-friendly people. The coffee is good, even on airplanes, the luggage carts are ergonomic, everything is tidy, and nearly everyone speaks English — not that my daughter would have held back, anyway.
"I GOT PANTS ON!" she randomly announced to the nice man checking our passports.
"Yes!" he answered with a smile, waving us through the glass doors.