From Backpacker To Big Packer

“You mean you didn’t stay in a town?”

I recognized the tone – just a hint of disdain – and the slightly alarmed, slightly disgusted expression on her face.  I probably had uttered a similar phrase in a similar fashion at some point.  I was telling a former colleague about our most recent family trip to Cuba. We stayed at a tiny resort in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by rolling hills and small farms. It was calm and peaceful.  We could go for walks along the beach or along the country roads. We could chat with locals, or other tourists, or with the farm animals at the side of the road.  It was just what the doctor ordered to break up a brutal winter. But it was an All-Inclusive Resort.  And I was talking to a travel snob.

I used to be one of those.  I often looked down my nose at those who stayed at resorts.  After all, I backpacked through Europe by myself for six weeks.  I traveled through Italy and Greece on a shoestring with my BFF.  A friend moved to Madrid and I scolded him for taking cabs instead of public transit. I was a traveler, not a tourist.  Only now do I realize how insufferable I must have been at times, and only now will I admit to hating feeling frumpy in my backpacker uniform of cut-offs and a t-shirt while traipsing through Paris and Florence.

But then I had a baby.  And all of a sudden, I had a hard time leaving the house.  How in the world was I going to get away if I couldn’t even get outside?  Of course we eventually got more settled and I wanted to travel before my maternity leave was up.  But backpacking? No longer appealed.  Maybe it’s because I’m (ahem) older now too, but the idea of sleeping in a cramped room on a tiny bed no longer seemed doable.  And sharing a bathroom? You’ve got to be kidding! Our first trip with baby was at a big All-Inclusive resort in Cuba.  And you know what? We had a wonderful time.

Most of our trips since have involved staying at larger hotels or resorts.  And now that we are a family of four, we need the extra space that a bigger place (with bigger rooms) provides.  I will admit to a little longing for a funky b&b, or out-of-the-way boutique hotel where you can immerse yourself in the local culture.  But at this stage of our lives, we need (and quite frankly, I crave) the creature comforts that come along with bigger accommodations.  I avoid feeling ‘trapped’ at the resort by actually leaving it from time to time.  We’ve yet to use provided babysitting but it feels good knowing the option is there.

We’re planning on renting a condo somewhere hot this winter, but I no longer turn up my nose at places with buffets.  Buffets make mealtimes easy with kids (and mummy needs a vacation too!)