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For as long as we’ve been traveling, we thought we were the only ones doing this lifestyle.

Then one day, we landed on Sam + Audrey’s YouTube channel.

Finally, a couple that reminded us so much of ourselves. Every trip-planning session thereafter would include watching one of their videos. When we learned they also started their journey after teaching English in South Korea, we felt like “these people get us”, even though we never spoke to them or met them before.

When we visited Lviv, Ukraine, we visited a few of their recommendations. And, before we went to Lima, Peru last summer, we tuned into their videos yet again.

But, after we had a kid, we were in a new stage of our journey. We were back to thinking we were the only ones doing this lifestyle with a kid.

Then one day Max said, “You’ll never guess the news about Sam and Audrey.”

They were expecting.

But, would they stop traveling?!

Nope.

Now their videos include a baby in tow.

And, when Audrey said yes to this interview, we were super excited.

Before getting into the logistics of travel with a baby, we wanted to ask Audrey what life actually looks like for them right now. Their home base(s), rhythm, and how they’re adapting to this new version of travel:

Where are you based now? What does life look like with a child?

“We’ve been splitting time between the Rocky Mountains in Alberta, Canada and the Sierras in Córdoba, Argentina. We love being in the mountains, so we’ve found a way to enjoy that in both hemispheres, while chasing perpetual summer weather.”

What made you decide to have a child? And, did you always know you’d keep traveling?

“We spent well over a decade travelling and it would have been very easy to keep going since it’s what we knew. But we also wanted to start a family and do something beyond ourselves. It’s like they say, there is no perfect time. You just have a kid, and you adapt!”

“We knew we wanted to travel as a family, but we weren’t sure what that would look like. We tried a few different travel styles during our daughter’s first year: we went cruising to Alaska, we went on a road trip in British Columbia, and we visited and stayed with family in Peru. It’s been a year of experimentation and figuring out what works and what doesn’t.”’

One of the biggest questions we like to ask new traveling parents (especially those who may have traveled for years prior to having kids) is what actually changes when you start traveling with a child, and what stays the same?

How has travel changed since having your daughter?

“Travel is a bit slower and more intentional. We really think about where we want to go and what that’s going to look like with a baby.”

“For instance, there’s a lot of pre-planning: Will we be taking taxis, ubers or buses? Do I need to bring her car seat? Is the diaper bag fully stocked? Do we have snacks and fruit pouches in case she gets hungry during the travel day? We also travel super light. Just one suitcase for the three of us with the basics. We need to be able to manuver the stroller and car seat, so we can’t be weighed down with excess luggage.”

How has life changed overall? What’s been hardest or easiest?

“Our priorities have really shifted! We want to devote quality time to our daughter, so that’s really changed how we work. We thought we were efficient before having her, but we’ve become even more laser-focused and conscious of how we spend our work hours. We’ve also learned to say no to opportunities that don’t align with our family and work goals.”

Even though we technically have some years on Sam and Audrey now, their videos — despite being honest — make things look easier. Like other parents we’ve met, we were curious what the behind-the-scenes looks like:

What does a typical day look like at home vs. when you’re traveling?

“At home, our schedule is: breakfast, indoor play time (magnetic tiles, wooden blocks, stacking towers), a bit of screen time (Super Simple Songs en Español), outdoor play time (pick flowers, look for pinecones, watch ants at work), lunch, afternoon nap, more indoor and outdoor play, family sunset walk, dinner, and sleep.”

“But ,when we’re travelling, our schedule is: breakfast, morning sightseeing with a stroller nap along the way, lunch, downtime at the hotel/Airbnb for a nap, indoor playtime with whatever travel toys we packed, afternoon stroll or light sightseeing, dinner and sleep.”

“We try to keep it light, and it’s definitely not the go-go-go energy from our early travel days.”

Since they are experienced travelers after all, we wanted their take on what can be the most basic — yet, the most challenging — aspects of traveling with a baby:

What are your sleeping arrangements when you travel?

“We book hotels and apartments that have a king-size bed. Our toddler likes sleeping close to us, and it’s what allows us all to sleep through the night. If she sleeps well, we sleep well!”

“And, if there’s an option to add a crib or a pack-and-play, we always go for that. While it’s not a necessity, it’s nice to have another option for an afternoon nap or some independent play.”

Any favorite travel gear or airplane tricks?

“When it comes to flying, I always bring a handful of our daughter’s favorite toys. Currently, that includes a spinner, a sensory crab with silicone pull strings, and a busy board with zippers and strings.”

“However, I’ve learned that the most mundane objects make the most fascinating toys. The plastic cup you drank water from? Save it. The pack of pretzels you were served? Let her shake it. The in-flight magazine? Flip the pages together.”

This is the question we and so many Roammies families are wondering or navigating themselves:

How are you handling childcare while continuing to work and travel?

“For now, my husband and I are tag-teaming it! We try to give each other uninterrupted work windows. Though, I was so sure I would get a nanny in Argentina, or at the very least a babysitter to come in a few hours a week. But now that we’re here, I don’t want to give that time away. At least not yet!”

“Our daughter is growing up so fast (she’s already a toddler!), and I don’t want to miss out on this special time.So, we are getting a little less work done, but we are spending lots of time picking daisies in the garden, collecting pine cones in her bucket, and building castles out of Magna-tiles.”

This part was more personal, as this is another area of our lives that share similarities, so we were curious…:

Are you raising your daughter bilingual? How do you think about cultural identity?

“We’re raising our daughter bilingual. My husband, Samuel, speaks to her in English, and I speak to her in Spanish.”

“She spends half the year in an English-speaking country and the other half in a Spanish-speaking one.”

“As for cultural identity, that’ll be an interesting one. As a kid, I always felt like I wasn’t Canadian enough when I was in Canada, or Argentine enough when I was in Argentina.”

“But as I grew older, I learned to love the things that once made me feel ‘other’… and thanks to them, I now feel ‘at home’ living and travelling through Latin America.”

Every traveling family seems to have one of these.

Was there a moment where it all clicked?

“The experience that most stands out was our daughter’s very first trip to Lima, Peru. It was her first time on a plane, first time abroad, first time meeting her extended family, including her great-grandma!”

“It stands out because it went so well… This was the trip that made us think, okay, we can do this!”

(Watch the video here)

And finally—what this version of life is growing into.

What has it been like doing outdoor travel with a child?

“We got our daughter started young. First, with riverside stroller walks. Then, we moved on to walks in a baby carrier, and eventually a hiking backpack.”

“Right now we’re in that in between stage where she’s getting too heavy for the hiking backpack, but she’s still a little wobbly to set her down on a rugged trail. But we’re enjoying this stage and we know we have lots of hikes to look forward to.”

“We’re currently planning a trip to Patagonia…It’s our favorite region in Argentina, so we’re looking forward to lakeside promenades and maybe a hike or two.”

(This was answered before they did the trip. There are a ton of videos about Patagonia on their YouTube channel!)

Speaking to Audrey reaffirmed that there’s not one way to do this lifestyle. Traveling with babies and toddlers isn’t easy, but it is possible.

Just like Sam and Audrey, we travel a bit differently now.

But, it’s worth it.

(And, since we’re heading to Buenos Aires in two weeks, we’re looking forward to checking their videos yet again! Let us know if you know anyone with kids who is going to be there!)