Motherhood Relabelled
Motherhood Relabelled
1. ✨ Welcome Back to Season 2 of Motherhood Relabelled ✨ Join us for a Life Update & Travel Recap
Welcome Back to Season 2 of Motherhood Relabelled! ✨
We took a 2 month break as we were travelling overseas ✈️ Tune in for our first episode of this new season as we give a bit of a life update and do a recap of our holidays in Fiji and Europe, including all the highs & lows of travelling with a toddler 😬
We’re super keen to get back into our recording routine and we’ve also got a nice lineup of very interesting guest speakers, so stay tuned for that 🥳
From now on we will switch to a fortnightly publishing schedule as we realised that weekly episodes were a bit of stretch to manage on top of our work and life commitments. 😅
Disclaimer: This episode might include some swear words 😬
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Motherhood Relabelled is a non-parenting podcast for all parents who don’t let the “parenthood label” hold them back. It’s for those who think that parenthood is a part of us, but not the only thing that defines us. Travelling with kids? Sure! Starting a business with kids? Absolutely! Feeling the fittest and strongest you’ve ever felt with kids? Most certainly! This podcast is your weekly dose of making yourself and your own goals a priority.
Well, hello and welcome back. Welcome back, it's so nice to see you. It's so good to see you. I'm so proud. I'm still pasty white. I'm still pasty white. It's so good. It's nothing like it is there.
Speaker 2:No, it's been great Always. Good to be back as well, of course, coming home to Sydney every time, which is so nice. The flyover. You sent me some beautiful pictures, oh yeah, it's been six and a half wholesome weeks with the family.
Speaker 1:It's so nice.
Speaker 2:So good, so good to get that break. I was worried at first to break my routine, but in the end it just felt good to have that breath of fresh air and all the nice European foods I can imagine.
Speaker 1:Oh my.
Speaker 2:God, we were just so. Did you indulge? We did.
Speaker 1:And the family treated us.
Speaker 2:Like kings really, especially the little one they wanted him to try all the things, of course.
Speaker 1:What does anything that he?
Speaker 2:loved or didn't like. I feel like if he could only eat carbs, he would only eat carbs All the cakes, pastries, croissants. He's definitely got a sweet tooth, the little man.
Speaker 1:How have you been Getting back into work now after a little weekend away from normal life? In Fiji it's kind of like a bit cliche, the standard trip when you go away with a toddler, but I can say that it was a perfect overseas first trip Three and a half, four hours, not too bad to fly that far. And I think yeah, I'm glad I did a little bit of research on where to go and where to stay. Yeah, it was really cool. It was more than what I expected. It was a great little holiday, great little family getaway.
Speaker 2:Isn't it amazing, when you travel with kids, there's so much anxiety that goes around it, for sure. So much research, so much planning so much business.
Speaker 1:I joined a group like a Facebook group. It's a travel agent that runs it. I think she said she must be Aussie based. She kind of lives over in Fiji now. But that was so helpful. I literally got many of my tips from that Facebook group Leanne Owens Fiji group or something like that. But it was really helpful and I think I might have read and I just took notes along the way but the best thing that we did was we left the pram. We didn't take a pram because I thought, oh, it's just one extra thing like we already had. Between us there was three luggage bags.
Speaker 1:That was definitely our biggest luggage and plus you had multiple seasons that you were kind of having to face too. But, we left the pram and took his scooter. I thought I could have put it into overhead carrier but you can't because it's obviously a weapon. But anyway, we checked the luggage in it's in with the luggage and it was the best thing we did, because Toby just scooted everywhere. I had no idea actually this hotel would have H right.
Speaker 2:It was perfect it was perfect for his age.
Speaker 1:It was perfect for his age, the pool was perfect. We sat at the intercontinental in Fiji and I did do a little bit of research, obviously, where to go. There were a few things that I wanted in a hotel. But we met this guy one night at a dinner and he basically values hotels in New Zealand and Fiji and he said, oh no, you chose one of the best hotels, quite a new hotel, but just for the vibe, the food, the people, knowing that we had a beautiful beach, nathadola beach, in front of us.
Speaker 1:Because in Dennerau you can't swim at that beach because it's a bit more like the water's not really clear. So yeah, I was really pleasantly surprised to hear, and glad that I'd chosen a good hotel. Mind you, these hotels are not cheap at all.
Speaker 2:I was surprised, actually, at the fact that they were expensive at all.
Speaker 1:I've heard multiple times now that Fiji is actually quite expensive. I know I thought it was much cheaper, to be honest, but the hotel was at 90% capacity so I was shocked to hear that it was so full and out of school holidays and no one was probably paying less than 600 a night, so I was shocked.
Speaker 2:It included some food, like the food that makes it so attractive. As the flight is such a short flight from Sydney right, it's so easy for families to get to, as we said, especially as a first overseas?
Speaker 1:Oh for sure, and there are kids club things and activities all the time. Like 12.30 every day, there was a hermit crab race. So we'd run down, they'd blow the conch shell and you'd hear it from your room and they would be calling the kids to go choose their crab race.
Speaker 1:So Toby would hear it and he's like crab race. He loved it. He really had a ball. Like loved the swimming pool. The pool was great because it had a nice shallow bit. It was perfect for toddlers.
Speaker 1:I brought his floaty so, yeah, the scooter was a hit. He literally scooted every at dinner to anywhere that we wanted to go. There's heaps of pathways and love the buggies because you get around on these golf buggies. So that was really cool and just beautiful hotel. Apparently it cost a million dollars per room to build this hotel that's what the valuation guy said. Oh, wow. But apparently it was made with a superannuation fund that goes back into Fiji economy, so that's pretty cool. But overall I thought it was great. Just because I like exploring and seeing different things. I probably wouldn't go back and stay at the same place, even though I thought the hotel was awesome. I'd love to go elsewhere, like in Fiji, just to, because there's so many beautiful islands as well. Totally, and if you can manage that with maybe an older child People still do it with toddlers, but it's just more the travel.
Speaker 2:Look, I think we, in our case we traveled all around the world with 19 months, or well, 18 months, he was at the time and I think sometimes you would be surprised how easily they adapted and actually managed things. Theo traveled so well. He was just so curious about everything. He never really lost it at any stage. He's such a placid kid, though he really is. In the plane we kept him entertained with all the tools we brought from the busy book.
Speaker 1:We bought that too.
Speaker 2:Actually, that was really cool, loved it. We stopped like, spent hours like.
Speaker 1:Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2:That's right. You don't lose that stuff either. So that was handy Sticker books were a big hit as well.
Speaker 1:He put the stickers everywhere around the plane. That was fun, even on me, on him it was just cute little activity, Miss Rachel. We downloaded a few episodes on the iPad, which was amazing.
Speaker 2:That was a big life saver.
Speaker 1:So when all went to shit, like Miss Rachel, would always save it.
Speaker 2:She saved the day, she saved it every single time. The little headphone, headband. How did that go Really well, because then he would just feel like it has own little bubble.
Speaker 1:It was quite comfortable. Vanessa had bought these really cool little headphones. It's almost like a headband. It goes over their head. You can see.
Speaker 2:Then you can actually slip it down on his eyes. You can slip it down. He's like in his own little world With everything that's going on in the plane, especially when the plane comes with the train. It was so noisy. On the flight from Sydney to Doha. He slept like I pumped up my little inflatable for underneath my legs, that's my girl. And you're allowed, do they let you. It's an interesting thing. So apparently I wasn't allowed to do that and I was told a few times, but I just decided to ignore.
Speaker 1:I just decided to ignore.
Speaker 2:No like to be fair, like on the flight from Sydney to Doha, because an overnight flight, 15 hours like, I feel like once they switch off all the lights and everyone's sleeping.
Speaker 1:No one's going to say what's going on.
Speaker 2:It was more on the shorter flight, like on the second flight, that they would be like oh no, it's not allowed. Anyway, that would be one of my tips. It's actually checking with your airline whether you're allowed to take the bus?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I have seen that. I know Qantas won't. But, yeah, who did you fly A Qatar? Yeah, yeah, they're still though.
Speaker 2:Oh my God, how good is Qatar Airways. Thank God, Like I'm so, every time I tell myself that's what I pay the big bucks. Yeah, I don't care they are great.
Speaker 1:It's a great airline. That at Emirates Emirates is awesome too.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's just like the food. I swear to God, I genuinely enjoy it, yeah full.
Speaker 1:It's so tasty, and is it?
Speaker 2:So, so tasty the food and they're always so great with kids. Like the planes are good, Everything is clean. The airport in Doha there's no better airport.
Speaker 1:It's pristine, isn't it?
Speaker 2:It's the best airport in the world Like it's so Ordered. Ordered and clean and beautiful.
Speaker 1:It's quite new, it must be quite new actually. Yeah, they, it's growing a lot as well, like they're building.
Speaker 2:I mean, there's a lot of money.
Speaker 1:There's a lot of money, yeah.
Speaker 2:And now I think every time I'm like, oh, I'm so glad we chose to play with them.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's awesome.
Speaker 2:Quite reliable, like touching wood, yeah, but we've never had any problems in terms of my age Lights being laid or cancelled, or any drama, so that's always been very positive. Or the other. I was so positively surprised about the experience for families with young children at airports Flying Flying especially in Sydney Airport Like I felt like they were rolling out the red carpet for us everywhere we came, Like we didn't even have to ask for anything.
Speaker 2:They would just basically give us priority access everywhere. Like it was such a nice experience. The same was in Doha. Not so much in Europe, I noticed, like as soon as we got to Europe, people didn't care. No, yeah, we had a little one. Like they were literally like oh well, you deal with it. Like Frankfurt, not impressed, what else? Oh Marseille, oh God, Total disaster. Like one thing, like I praised Qatar, Like I will probably never fly with Lufthansa again because it's the second year in a row that they so.
Speaker 2:Basically, you know, as a young family, we travel with a lot of luggage, you know that comes with a little toddler or baby this year and we usually what we do is like we have one very big suitcase that we share with Clément and I, and then Tio has his own suitcase, that's like kind of medium size.
Speaker 2:And then we have the big kind of like oversized bag where we either put his pram or this year we actually took his travel card. Oh gosh, so many things and a few other things were in there, anyway. So that's all good because you know, like with the big flights with Qatar, like you have all that luggage covered anyway. But then when we were flying interstate in between countries within Europe, like with Lufthansa, you just you have to pay for everything extra. Oh, of course I was going to say this.
Speaker 1:So we paid, but we did right yeah.
Speaker 2:We booked extra bags with Lufthansa and that was all good. So each of us, even like Tio, would have like we would have all had 23 kilos. So. But then every time Lufthansa makes a fuss about our big luggage, they say, well, no, there's too much weight in there. But I was like, but in the other one it's like Not even close, yeah, to the way that we've. The weight that we could be having. So I was like if you multiply 23 times 3.
Speaker 1:Yeah, put it across all of that bag.
Speaker 2:Like just why is it so difficult? And they were like so adamant. They were like no, sorry, you have to take out five kilos from them. Yeah, and it's like they didn't care and I was like I generally looked at her.
Speaker 1:It's ridiculous, isn't it?
Speaker 2:And I was like I said look, I said where to parents here traveling with a young toddler. You see all the bags we're having. Where do you think we'd have additional hands to have another luggage? So that's why we put everything in one bag.
Speaker 1:Like. Is that so difficult?
Speaker 2:to understand.
Speaker 1:I think it's a weight thing, like they need to make sure the weight's evenly distributed and they can't have bags. But how?
Speaker 2:come Qatar can handle it. Yeah, I don't know, Like that's what I don't understand, Like how can you?
Speaker 1:have such inconsistencies.
Speaker 2:And like it's not just that, it's just about like how unfriendly they were. Yeah, how yeah? Just no understanding or empathy and just the whole.
Speaker 1:Where is Lufthansa Airline originally based? Frankfurt? Oh, it is Frankfurt, yeah.
Speaker 2:Which, yeah, very disappointing, very, very, very disappointing. And that's why because Lufthansa, like I used to Like, it, used to be more of a premium airline that you would pay a bit more premium price, but then you get Usually you would hope to get better service right? That's why, like I don't even dare to fly Ryanair, no oh my God, like cheap ones, you know because I am not traveling with little one and like. So I'm happy to pay a bit more, but I just don't feel like I'm getting the extra.
Speaker 1:You know quality service, quality service, yeah.
Speaker 2:That I would get, for instance, you know, yeah, with the Contas and the Qatar's. Anyway so I highly recommend Qatar for like especially long-haul flights and stuff.
Speaker 1:Speaking of flights, I would highly recommend Fiji. Airway was great. The coolest thing was at our hotel at the Intercontinental, they had a check-in counter and I thought that was the coolest thing because when you have a 9am flight with the toddler, you could drop off your bags the night before if you wanted. All first thing in the morning, which was it had to be there around. You know, we'd had to drop the bags before 6am because a van comes and picks up the luggage and takes it, you know, to the airport an hour before you have to actually get there. So that was the coolest thing. Oh my God, I would totally pay extra for the service.
Speaker 1:I reckon too that was amazing, so I literally went there with the bags. Joel was in the room with Toby still sleeping, because it was 5.30. So we tried to just let him. I literally dressed him in his sleep because he wouldn't wake up and I thought I'll just keep him sleeping.
Speaker 2:So, james, Naby dressed him.
Speaker 1:He was asleep. And then and that was afterwards, after I, because I literally went to the counter with my passports they printed me boarding tickets for all of us. I left the luggage, just had the carry-on with us. So that way, when our driver came, that's all we needed to worry about, because Fiji is renowned for traffic because they have bad roads, but also at the time, like that's first thing in the morning, so Monday morning everyone's going to work school.
Speaker 1:So we had a bit of an incident where our driver, who we had booked, who actually picked us up, fine and dropped us off originally fine, he was really great at communicating but he ended up going to the wrong hotel to pick us up and we said we're waiting in the foyer, are you here? He's like, yeah, I'm in the car park. And we're like, okay, well, we're just waiting at the foyer. And then he goes you are at the Marriott. And I'm like, no, we're at the Intercontinental. And he's like, oh, and then he told me that he was 25 minutes away, which I thought, okay, 25 minutes, fiji at the time, yeah. But the concierge goes no, no, no, no, no, he's 45 minutes away. We need to organize you another transport driver because you're not going to make your flight. You're going to miss your flight because you're going to find traffic in the city and the town.
Speaker 1:There's traffic in Monday morning and I'm like, okay, fine, let's cancel him. Please organize yourself another driver. You know we waited. We still had to wait another 15 minutes for the driver anyway, so got on the road. Our boarding pass has said 8.15. We got to the airport at 8.30. And I was like just refreshing my phone like the whole time on Google Maps, and I was making Joel so nervous and he's like, oh my God, this is the worst thing to watch, like you watch refreshing the Google Maps, because I just wanted it to pick up to see if we were going to make it. Anyway, luckily our flight was delayed, so it was slightly late and yeah, man, it was just one of those things that you just you know that's yeah, but that's one of those things that I find everything with a little child just is extra stressful.
Speaker 2:Like it makes all those situations even harder to manage right. Because at the best of times that stress, that sort of stuff stresses me out and triggers me big time. Like there's one. It's a type of stress I just cannot tolerate. You know this like being late, being late to something or somewhere, especially when traveling, you know.
Speaker 1:but Because of all the repercussions, though, right yeah, especially in a flight, because then what you know you're late.
Speaker 2:You think of all the things Again, like with a little child because, like, for instance, we had an incident in everything. To be honest, everything went well and took place. Yeah, that's awesome. So I can really only be relieved about that. But there was one incident in Paris where, basically, we had to check out of our AirBnB and then go to the train station to catch our train to the South of France, and I don't know. There's this thing now. Um, I've only ever noticed in France. Uh, with the air BNBs, it's like often what they say is they ask you to drop off the key somewhere in a location like a supermarket there's lockers and then you basically drop the key off and that's kind of part of the check in and out process.
Speaker 2:Yeah, just annoying. Like I think about it because it means like when we got there, when we got to Paris, we had to go to a different address to pick up our key from a locker to then go to the apartment.
Speaker 1:So it adds an extra stop right and on the way back like you, you have to do the same thing again.
Speaker 2:So just turn out that they gave us the wrong location to drop off the key. So basically we had organized a taxi to pick us up from home with all of our luggage. You know it was very hard to go drop off the key go drop off the key and then go to train stations.
Speaker 1:So that was our route right.
Speaker 2:And you know when. When it comes to things like that, I'm always pretty good at calculating buffers for extra time.
Speaker 1:You know like any unforeseen things. And just leave early.
Speaker 2:Because, um, so then basically, clermont tried to drop off the key and then was written on the storefront uh, store is closed until end of August. Basically, it was like what do you mean? Like where am I supposed to drop off the key? And then you try to basically like it's not on air the EMB, it's like not the person, like it's a concierge that manages, um, the apartment for them. So you're basically calling this like concierge, trying to get hold of someone. And then they were like well, um, let, okay, okay, let us try and find a new location. And we're like no, no, no, we're on our way to the train station.
Speaker 2:Now, there is no, there's no there's not another location Like it's like we are going to the train station we're taking our train and then, um, anyway, back and forth, and they gave us a new location to drop off the key. That was near the train station Lucky. Then there was a lot of traffic, to the point where, literally, should I get out of the car.
Speaker 2:The driver was like, okay, he luckily had his wife with him, like, um, his wife, his wife was with him. So he was like, literally he was like you take over the car, I go out and we, we take all the stuff. So he helped us the guy was the nicest guy. So he helped us carry all the luggage to the train station. That's so lucky. Because the car traffic wasn't moving.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2:But there was one of those things you know without the little toddler you could have easily said oh, one person stays with the one runs and drops the key. It's just, you know, like everything is logistically um a bit more challenging to organize. And when then challenges like that arise. It's just um that little bit extra.
Speaker 1:Oh sure, Absolutely. You know what?
Speaker 2:We made it and literally the second we got on the train it went off. Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1:So you just made it not even like 20 minutes 10 minutes, five minutes no, no, no they do way sometimes like they sit there at the station the minute we got on train it started sugar.
Speaker 2:That's very, very close, oh my.
Speaker 1:God, that feeling when you, you know, when I got to the airport as well, um, we went to the duty free and Toby wanted these set of like matchbox cars and I'm like sure you can have anything here Like I paid the most I've ever paid for these matchbox cars. They were, I don't know, like that was 60, 60 Aussie dollars for like I don't know six cars or something ridiculous. I'm like, yep, no worries, we just saved I don't know hundreds of dollars in like rebooking flights. I'm like sure, no worries. Yeah, mind you, stupid story. But the lady had said to me would you like a little white paper bag to put them in so you don't lose them? I'm like, yeah, no worries. So I took them out, we put them in the, in the paper, put this white paper bag, and Toby carried them onto the plane.
Speaker 1:You know, played with one, because we thought, oh, he's just going to lose them all, like there's a million of them, and Joel had put them in this bag that the hotel had given us as our breakfast bag, like with all the food. Anyway, when we were leaving, we said to the you know the flight attendant oh, you know, you do you mind getting this? Is this bag. Well, you know, obviously we can't take it because it's got lots of food in it from the hotel. You know it had fruit and whatever. And Joel must have, or one of us must have, put the, you know, this white paper bag with all these cars in it into the bag with that we were going to chuck out, so away they went. He didn't even get to play with one of those, those little cars, they just we'd left them in the bag and they chucked them.
Speaker 1:We're like that sucks Like the most I've ever spent on these little matchbox cars. And Toby said where's my car.
Speaker 2:Oh bless him, he played with one.
Speaker 1:And then you know anyway, oh well, that's what it is.
Speaker 2:Collateral damage yeah.
Speaker 1:And if that was the worst, then things got to give.
Speaker 2:That's what I tell myself. That's right. Sometimes you got to look at the bigger picture of all the things that could go wrong, oh, for sure. Little things like that, just like well, yeah, but oh exactly, and I've got.
Speaker 1:I've probably got one more annoying story. You've heard it a few times, but I might just share it without our lovely listeners on the plane. Kills me though. On the plane, you know. I mean I don't know how many people have traveled with this. You know how many people have traveled with with the toddler or kids on a plane? But you know Fiji Airlines and you know general flights to Fiji have lots of children on them and this flight was a 9am flight. So, as I mentioned earlier, you know we had to be picked up quite early. We needed to be picked up, luckily, at six o'clock rather than five o'clock, but you know six, six thirties were what time we left and obviously, and Toby was sick actually the night before we had a fever, so I really just wanted to get home by that stage.
Speaker 1:I was like you know, he's had a terrible cough and I just thought, oh, who knows, I just want to get him home. He was pretty happy in the morning when we woke up, so that was great, but we get. So you know we were already late. Our driver, you know, didn't come. We got to the airport just in time. We get on the flight and I'm just like fully relieved. You know, we get on our plane, we sat in our seats and there's two girls in front of us. There were about one space seat between them and you know I sat Toby on the space seat. Like you know, he's in the middle.
Speaker 1:In the front of him was the space seat, so that was good. But then, you know, as a toddler does, they want to get up and sit on your lap. The lady in front, she would, you know when she could. She fully reclined her chair, you know. And so you know, we literally have 20 centimetres between my face and her chair and, mind you, this is 9am flight. But you know, each to their own. And so Toby wanted to sit on my lap. He was really good, I really can't fault him. He was great. And he sat, you know, watched iPad, you know, played games. I brought the busy book as well, because he saw, I saw it on your table and I thought that was awesome. So I thought that was great.
Speaker 1:Anyway, so you know, toby kicked his chair, the lady in front, and you know she said to me oh, your son's kicking my chair. I said, oh, look, you know, so sorry. You know, took Toby for a walk around the plane. Then, you know, she must have said it later. I went to the bathroom and said it to Joel. You know, your son's kicking my chair. I didn't know at that point that she'd said that to him. And then again, I'm filling out right at the end I'm filling out the arrival cards and she looks at me in the crack of the two seats and she said your son's kicking my chair. And by that stage I was just I had enough, like I was like I kind of just death stared her because I didn't really know what else to say at that point, because I thought I don't have the energy.
Speaker 2:I don't have the energy.
Speaker 1:But I said, what do you want me to do? And she said to me I'd be your responsible parent. And like, as you can imagine, I built this story up because you know, getting to a, getting to a plane, you know, for a 9am flight with a kid the night before, you know the, the lead up with the guy who didn't, you know, come to the right hotel to pick us up, oh, that's so trigger.
Speaker 1:So we get there and I said I've been a responsible parent for the last four hours, and and and I said, look, if it bothered you so much, then you know you should have moved. And she said I did move. And then you guys moved. And I said, well, move again.
Speaker 1:And she turned around and goes well, no need to be a CUNT about it, actually said the word, and I just was like what, like in my mind, I'm just like so, like raging with, like what the hell?
Speaker 1:Someone's just actually called me that I've never been called that before, you know. And I just sort of I said something pretty terrible back which is, you know, no need to for me to repeat it, but I just sort of said I swore back because I just you know all the rage and anger that was built up, so you swore back. So I swore back and you know, and she just, and I just said, look, if it wasn't my son kicking your chair, it probably would have been some other kid on this flight, because this kid's full, this flight is full of kid children. Anyway, that was the end of it. And she turned around with her eye mask and blanket and chair, you know, reclined around, you know, because literally like I could have reclined my chair, but there was a young family behind me too, and it's just a little bit of courtesy and consideration. You know that I didn't but for such a lovely trip and then to have that I was like shaking, because it was one of those you know moments that you don't want to feel confronted about.
Speaker 2:You know, like as a way to go. I can definitely relate like stuff like that triggers me beyond like.
Speaker 1:I know I can relate to the shaking yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, because I don't like that feeling and we shouldn't react because it only gives into their.
Speaker 2:you know, like people like that are, usually they are like that because they are so lonely and miserable, like sorry to say but it's true, if you really think about it. I mean, who has to put on an eye mask at 9am on the flight? I just, yeah, I didn't understand that, like by themselves, you know, that's that.
Speaker 1:Sure, 14 hour flight, 10 hour flight, eight hour flight. But I was like we just got on the flight, like we will slip the whole night. I mean, who knows where she was going to heading next? But anyway, it's just comes. It's just the mutual understanding, though, like you know, it's also like, clearly, that woman doesn't have children, which is you know, that's what I was saying yeah, empathy.
Speaker 2:Like. That's why I think all parents have empathy with people.
Speaker 1:Totally, it's a code, yeah.
Speaker 2:Like, but even like people. I have empathy with the people who don't have children, because I feel like, well, they didn't sign up for that you know, they didn't, they don't want to be sitting in a cabin with a screaming child. Like you know what I mean, like I get it. I get it, but at the same time we will be sitting in a cabin with a screaming child. We all pay the same flight. You know like how could you say something like be a responsible parent to someone like A.
Speaker 1:He was. He wasn't yelling no. B, even toddlers who are screaming like there's no reasoning with those kids anyway, and if you were, and maybe they're in pain.
Speaker 2:That's right. There's so many reasons like they could have ear pain.
Speaker 1:They could like like I get it. I get it Like sitting next You're on your own, you know, and you just want to quiet fly. No, I understand Like, oh, you know, damn, you know, but like the draw.
Speaker 2:But even like, on our flight, one of our flights from where was that? Was that Frankfurt to Doha? On the way back, the first flight there was like a toddler. He was older than two, like he was probably around three, I'd say. He literally screamed for four hours straight out of the six hour flight. Like, and it was so trick, like yeah, you can't hear it. We were looking at ourselves and like, for some reason luckily it didn't bother to as much because it was like, maybe, but you feel like it's loud.
Speaker 1:They can't show the office yeah.
Speaker 2:You know, and I was like my God that is. But then I just I just felt so empathetic, like for the parents. You know that we're dealing with this like and they feel bad for everyone else.
Speaker 1:Oh, they do and they can't do anything like it's. It is really hard. And finally, my friend had sent me I think it's Turkish Airlines they're actually introducing a special area for adults only, which makes sense, like it's not like a premium economy or something like that, but it's like a adult area or adult only flight, even, or whatever it might be. It's like a yeah, turkish Airlines are starting to do this.
Speaker 2:I think it would take off the pressure of the parents.
Speaker 1:Definitely they would.
Speaker 2:They would feel as you know bad. But then if you put all the kids into really one area they might all fit off each other.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but at least as mutual understanding, right, If there's no one going to get cranky like that for someone kicking their chair or screaming or crying or you know, because he wasn't really kicking.
Speaker 2:No, he really wasn't around the seats.
Speaker 1:I'm conscious of that and I've been, I've had when he was younger, you know, it was a short Gold Coast flight or whatever, but I remember him actually kicking a chair and I kept holding his feet, you know, because I know that feeling. It's happened to me before but I probably I wouldn't have acted like that, to be honest, I'd be like a whole. You know, I get it Like if it was a constant kicking, sure you would turn around and say something, do you mind? Yeah, but it was a real, a little tap every night and it really wasn't kicking, but yeah, and that's.
Speaker 2:That's a shame that you know that's the end of a trip like that, but yeah, god got a smile about it, oh yeah. People, everyone's heard about that story.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's funny, it is pretty funny. I wonder if she tells the same story.
Speaker 2:Did you? Did she say anything else afterwards?
Speaker 1:No, when we got off, I was just kind of like couldn't wait to get off and, you know, not have to face her, really, because, yeah, there were swear words thrown at each other and who knows what I said at the end of it. I was just fuming and Joel would sort of looked up from his headphones and he's like, do you want me to butt in here? And I'm like no, it's fine. You know this conversation is over with, oh God. So yeah, and now Toby, because he's heard me say the story a couple of times, he's like I'll kick the ladies chair. Oh, bless him. And I said, yeah, we kicked the ladies chair. She didn't, she was a bit grumpy, she didn't really like that, did she Toby? He says nope, anyway, but Toby, it was lucky.
Speaker 1:It was a great trip. Toby had a ball Like. He met some other little kids and it's just really cute because at this age he's two and two and a half nearly, and he's becoming social Like and he actually loves hanging out with little kids. He met this little boy called Kenny, from Bahrang, you know, and they just, you know, had played, you know, running races and scooters. They were super cute. And this little boy had an iPad. He was a bit older, he was six and man, what an amazing life Like and you know just so different living in Bahrang like this is, you know, in their kind of Arab Emirates. You know area, just what they offer. Like you know, and that's the cool thing I've always loved about travel Like just the different things that you learn and how they live and being exposed to different things.
Speaker 2:It's just eye-opening.
Speaker 1:Like you know, they, they pay for their especially companies, like if they come from other countries, like they pay for their schooling, the childcare they rent, they get rental allowance, they get you know so much freebie stuff you know, mind you, it's tax-free, so they're not paying tax, so can you imagine how much extra you'd actually have, of course.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's great.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So anyway, super cool and interesting and just like you know. And then, look, we didn't use the kids club. But that's what everyone loves about Fiji kids club and nannies Toby's not. He wouldn't, you know, probably do that well with that, but I. The last couple of days it was raining, so we kind of just went and saw what the kids club was about. It was kind of like a daycare. I would have felt bad leaving him there, to be honest, but you know it was fine, like they have movie nights at night and they have different activities. So it was cute and it was fun enough for him. But I didn't. We didn't need to leave him there because he sleeps during the day as well. So I managed to go and sit by the adult pool and read a book for a bit.
Speaker 2:So was that your mid-time or?
Speaker 1:did you get any other? Yeah, that was pretty much it, you know. And then just by the pool. If you know, Joel would take you in the pool for a little swim or whatever, and I'd just hang by the, on, the, on the daybeds.
Speaker 2:Did you get some quality time with Joel as well?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think we did. We probably could have had more, but you know, I think we did Like we still managed to, you know, hang out and you know, even just reading books, like together or whatever, Like it was. It was, it was cool, we, we did.
Speaker 2:And like at night, like when Toby was sleeping, were you able to sit like on the back?
Speaker 1:Not really unfortunately, because the room, I mean he fell asleep. He would fall asleep on our bed. Mind you, he doesn't, he doesn't fit in the cots anymore. They had a cot and then I had to swap it for a porticoat because the cot was a bit too small for him, and then he slept mostly in the porticoat, but then he'd always want to come into the bed if he'd woke up in the night. So, yeah, no, that would have been great. But often we'd get home late too, though, like if we'd, we'd go to dinner at like six ish, but by the time they might have, like you know, entertainment or music. We'd go and watch the music, you know, or, sorry, listen to the people playing the music. So it would be quite late, and then by the time, you know, we got back, it'd be like 8.39. So everyone was bugged anyway. So we'd kind of just put Toby to bed, and if he doesn't see us go to sleep, then he won't go to sleep. He's like I've got.
Speaker 2:FOMO.
Speaker 1:And that's probably my fault of training him like that, but yeah, he um.
Speaker 2:But he does go to bed at home, right, yeah, but it's because he doesn't see you around then.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's right. Yeah, but he still. I still put him to sleep, yeah, and then often I'll go to sleep at the same time as him, because one I'm exhausted. And two, he just will constantly keep coming out of his room. If he knows that you're up, Everything has to be sucked, switched off. But you know that's cool. It didn't feel like it. You know it interrupted anything.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's awesome, I think.
Speaker 1:And we had the opportunity if we wanted to organize a nanny, but we didn't feel like we needed to, yeah, so it was fine, that's awesome, yeah, but we had lots of nannies. You did, didn't you? Oh my God, you were lucky.
Speaker 2:Well, it kind of like got used to that, you know, and then when we came back to Australia it was a bit of a slap in the face.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Oh my God, I forgot how much I have to do every day.
Speaker 1:It is the reality, isn't it?
Speaker 2:No, it was really great, like I mean for many reasons right, like obviously the family to get to spend time together. Oh for sure it was so nice because he's old enough now for us to leave him with the family. So, compared to last year's, experience was so different.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's good. Last year it was kind of sort of still newborn not officially, but like still little babies, because how old was he then?
Speaker 2:About four and a half months when we got there. Yeah, that's pretty little, yeah, and there's so much routine back then, whereas it's much more flexible when they're older, it's much more flexible and we could leave him, like you know as well, to spend time with the family without us?
Speaker 1:Yes, and he would stay. He'd be okay, he would absolutely stay. Amazing.
Speaker 2:He really creates bonds with the family. And Did he have a favourite?
Speaker 1:Oh, good question. Like who did he love hanging out with the most? All of them. That's so cute.
Speaker 2:He like he would run towards them at the end. Give them cuddle and kisses, like he started really giving affection. Affection, you know, like really proper, like kisses.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's so cute.
Speaker 2:He started as well as saying a few words in German and French Amazing, really cute. That's so cool, really cute, and yeah. So like his simple things, like you know, for by like au revoir, he says au revoir.
Speaker 1:Au revoir. That's so cute, so cute, that's so adorable. And there's nothing cuter than like a little kid that can speak a different language. I still even sometimes like see little clips on Instagram or YouTube, whatever. Like little Italians, like little feisty Italian kids, like it is the cutest thing, like with their little chubby cheeks and their hand gestures. I know it's really cool.
Speaker 2:So, um, yeah, that's been, no, it's been also so successful and everyone just enjoyed spending time with him. I think it's also important for them to have spent time with him alone you know, with us not because he's different when we're around. He always gives us more attention and stuff. So that was great and that meant we had quite a bit of time to ourselves. I mean, we both had to work in some capacity, which was a challenge, but it was definitely better than expected. I actually ended up loving my routine.
Speaker 1:That's so good what was your day like?
Speaker 2:So if on the days I worked, I woke up at four or a little bit before four to start work at four, and then between four and around eight nine I would have meetings and stuff, like if I had to speak to my team, or even like. What time is it here? It would be around 12 midday. Okay, so I would basically align the Australian afternoon with my early morning. Cool, and. But the good thing is, then afterwards the Australian colleagues would clock off and I could actually get some work done and work in peace.
Speaker 1:Yeah, without anybody bothering you. Yeah, that's cool.
Speaker 2:We never get that here in Australia, right? Because, like often, like we, actually complain a lot, that you know you get to the end of the day and haven't done anything because you've been stuck in meetings all day. So that's been super refreshing. And then by the time it was midday, so in France, like for instance, the food was prepared for me, then I would have lunch at midday go to the pool from 12 to two and then go to the gym from two to four.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh. Then I come back and would like would spend like an hour a little bit with Theo playing and then he would go to bed and was like oh, this, I could get used to this.
Speaker 1:Did that make you at all think, oh, should we just move back here for a little bit?
Speaker 2:I must honestly admit, the first time ever. Yes, because I seriously was like last year I didn't see the benefits, you know, because we couldn't delegate him at all. And now I'm like, oh wow, that's what it's like, you know, when you don't have to do everything 24 seven by yourself and I really really like that, but there's so much that goes into that decision is such a big decision. Like, obviously, like we would love for Theo to spend more time with his family and them to have more time with him as well.
Speaker 2:But obviously, like we have a very established life here now we have our jobs here. We have, like, also the cost of living over this.
Speaker 1:Very like. It must be more expensive than here.
Speaker 2:You always think here it's very expensive, in Australia and it is, but over there it's even more expensive. Meanwhile, salaries aren't as good. So, like you know, we would sign up for less money with higher cost of living. It's not to say that that's everything.
Speaker 1:And you wouldn't probably want to live with family, because you want your own space, so yeah, it's kind of you'd feel like it's a step back and lose a lot of freedom Also like for a few weeks.
Speaker 2:That was fine. I felt like compared to last year where we stayed three months, that was kind of too long. Six weeks was perfect. Yeah like I could have even stayed a little bit longer. But, I was. It didn't feel like.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was all too.
Speaker 2:anything was too much yeah like everything was fine, like yeah, it was perfect and interesting, interesting. Look like I'm far from saying we want to move back to Europe.
Speaker 1:I don't think it's going to happen anytime soon. But, yeah, that that made coming back home, yeah, a bit harder than I had expected because, Wow, I was just like I was completely over one that first week last week with everything that you have to do and also there's so much washing to be done, like it's just all the stuff. You got to wait that it's endless.
Speaker 2:That's the other thing that was done. A lot, oh yeah, like a lot of the cooking and washing and washing and that is so much time and I completely forgot about it.
Speaker 1:I was like oh my God, I've spent so much time just cooking, cleaning and washing, I guess put that into practice, though, like I don't know, like sometimes I walk past the laundry, like the laundry mats, and you know they do bag washes, that's true. Like, if you ever feel like, oh man, this is all too much and I just don't have time to like, wash my clothes and fold them, you know, like 15 bucks.
Speaker 2:So, clément, I am considering maybe getting a cleaner every second week, because you know the idea is we are in that great habit of once a week we clean together for an hour and a half, but the reality is like on a two day weekend yeah, when you could be doing stuff. You know it does eat away from that.
Speaker 1:It's true, so you could get somebody in here whilst you're out. That's what I'm thinking of maybe getting help in other forms.
Speaker 2:You know definitely. Yeah, it is definitely.
Speaker 1:Especially now when you go. If you start going back to work more, yeah, yeah, that'll be helpful.
Speaker 2:That's right. Yeah, because that's the other thing that's new, so I'm going to work more days again from October, which is exciting. I'm looking forward to that. Still also working on the business side of things and you know it's kind of been dormant, to be honest, over the last few weeks while I was in Europe. I just couldn't manage it all. But I'm going to pick that back up now. And then we're also literally we received our contract for investment property today.
Speaker 1:That's exciting, and I know a lot happened in Europe as well. So much.
Speaker 2:And that we were able to manage that process from overseas, which is amazing. So we got our home loan pre-approval, so that's great. So just now need to sign the contract, get the valuations of the property and then Congratulations, settlement, little congratulations. Yeah, look, let's celebrate when the deal is done, because there's still some that can go wrong Sure, but it's going in the right direction. Yeah, that's awesome For the next few weeks will be property owners and have the first of few properties hopefully under the belt.
Speaker 1:Yeah, very cool. Oh, that's awesome. Well, so nice to see you, and there's so much to catch up on, so much to catch up on.
Speaker 2:I feel like I could talk for another hour on all the things, but it's a good, I guess, yeah, introduction of the season two for our podcast and I guess what we want to be doing more of this season is inviting more guest speakers on the podcast. I think last season was all about, you know, introducing ourselves like what we're doing, our points of view and on stuff, and now I think for this season, our aim is to get more people involved, different perspectives and just yeah, meet interesting people.
Speaker 1:Yeah Well, we know that it's, you know, learning from people.
Speaker 2:That's right, we love learning.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, and we love talking to people, so I think, yeah, exciting to see who we can, you know, introduce you to and get on the podcast.
Speaker 2:Yeah, me too. And the other thing that will be changing in the future as well is we decided to go on a fortnightly recording schedule instead of weekly, just to be, you know, completely realistic, like long-term. Yeah, as much as we love getting together every week, like it's not always.
Speaker 1:It's not always possible. So, I'm sure yeah, parents will understand Absolutely. And look, I mean a podcast and I must say you know, vanessa does the majority of the content and you know what our episodes are about and the editing you know and unfortunately I can only just say I just rock up and you know, and sort of give my points of view and give myself a bit more credit, you know and do a bit of prep as well.
Speaker 1:But it is a lot of work, isn't it Like? It does take a lot of fun. It gives me a lot.
Speaker 2:And I definitely, you know, would love to continue doing this and, yeah, chatting to really interesting people and stuff For sure, yeah, just got to be realistic about what we can achieve long-term, I guess, and setting as well our audience up, for, you know, the expectations.
Speaker 1:What to expect? Yeah, absolutely no, that's cool. Well, thank you for tuning in and Well, speak to you in two weeks, we will yeah. Enjoy, guys, see you. Enjoy the rest of the week.
