James Bond’s Guide to International Adoption Travel
Airports, sketchy cab rides, and sleeping in places that you can’t pronounce the name of. This is all par for the course while traveling internationally. And if you’re traveling internationally for adoption, you’ll be doing all of this with kids.
Trust me when I say it’s not as bad — or difficult — as it sounds. However, when you’re thousands of miles from home, your capacity for mistakes decreases dramatically. Traveling with a caravan’s load of luggage is only going to slow you down, and give you anxiety as you try to remember everything you packed.
So before you pack a single bag for your big trip ask yourself one question:
“What would James Bond do?”
The international man of mystery is renowned for his ability to pack light, and pack intentionally. As you prepare for your international adoption trip (and possibly practicing your best Sean Connery accent) remind yourself of these two things: light and intentional.
From experience I can say that the James Bond style of packing is the way to go. From our first trip to our second trip, my baggage amount decreased considerably. On the second trip I took two bags and still felt like I was at capacity! I can’t imagine chasing my daughter across international airports and busy city squares, while simultaneously guarding a pile of bags.
With the help of friends who’ve also traveled extensively overseas with their children, we’ve compiled a list of items that will make your travel more efficient, and less stressful. Continue reading, and prepare to travel like 007!
Carrying Babies
Boba Air Baby Carrier
The Boba Air Baby Carrier provides a lightweight, easily portable carrier that will come in handy if you’re adopting smaller children who may not be able to keep up, or aren’t feeling very receptive that day.
As one friend put it, “Great for bonding. Necessary for us so that one child didn’t run away. For real.”
It sounds hilarious, but seriously, when you have toddlers and you’re in crowded places that you’re not familiar with, these things are a godsend. With M’s physical challenges, we would have been in a serious predicament trying to hip carry him while also carrying bags.
Carrying Valuable Documents
Ensenada Scarf with hidden pockets
Traveling internationally means traveling with passports. The passport is literally one of the most important things you’re going to be carrying with you. Lose this, and you’re looking at a trip to the embassy, plus a prolonged stay until you can get a temporary travel replacement.
Your passport will be called on early and often during your international adoption trip. You’ll need it handy. But because passports are handled so frequently, they’re often stored poorly for easy access, which often results in lost passports.
There are a few options for how you can carry your passport — and any other important legal documents while you travel for your international adoption:
- Jumbled in your bag. Not ideal
- Around your neck in one of these clear neck things, or as I would like to call them “Hi, I’m American, now please rob me.”
- OR the neck scarf.
Lightweight, fashionable, and relatively inconspicuous: this item will:
- Keep you certain of your important docs (they’re around your neck)
- Keep you agile: a brief zip and your to your docs in a flash. You can do much of this while maintaining motion — just like agent Bond.
Agent Bond wouldn’t go around carelessly transporting classified docs, and neither should you!
Clever Travel Companion T-Shirt with Hidden Pockets
Agent Bond would never fall prey to a pickpocket, however a parent trying wrangle a child is the ideal target for a seasoned pro.
Once you and your child(ren) are united, things are going to get exponentially more chaotic. Chances are, you will have numerous government appointments to attend in country for the rest of your stay. This can tend to be a bit of a whirlwind.
Your children are frightened, you’re somewhat uncertain of your surroundings, and everyone is a little disoriented. The last thing you want to do is continually pat your pockets to make sure your money, tickets, or whatever are still present and accounted for.
Only carry small amounts of spending money in your open pockets. Everything else should be cinched up in a an internal zipper pocket.
The benefit of a room to leave your things in would be great, but this is almost never the case. If your room is a non-option for secure storage, the more secure pockets you have, the better.
Bond would let the prize ruby just “hangout” on the sofa in his local hostel, and neither should you!
Lifestyle Wrist Wallet
The lifestyle wrist wallet is a great combination with the zipper shirt for carrying valuables. You can keep cash on hand while avoiding the nervousness of pocket change escaping as your jostled through busy city streets and airports.
Undercover Hidden Pocket
Clipped inside of your pants, the Hidden Pocket is a perfect auxiliary spot for large amounts of cash to be stored. If this thing is getting taken off of you, you’ll know it.
Spread your valuables throughout these different carrying items, so if you do happen to lose one — or get something stolen — you can mitigate the impact of the loss. And never make one person the carrier of the cash.
Tech
Laptop, iPad Mini/Tablet, or Smartphone
I took a laptop on both trips so that I could work, but it was admittedly a point of consternation throughout our travels. I advise purchasing a cheaper “throw away” laptop that won’t hurt as bad to lose.
If you’ll be working electronically on any valuable documents while in country, I would advise keeping them on a cloud-based storage service (think iCloud, Google Drive, etc.) and off of your computer.
If you can skip the laptop, your smartphone or a (small) tablet will work just fine for communications back home.
Virtual Private Network (VPN)
All internet service is not created equal. In many countries (including our own) public wi-fi can be a crapshoot in terms of security. Many foreign governments filter heavily, creating issues with connecting to your favorite sites, and forms of communication (cough cough Facebook).
A VPN will help you skirt many of these filters, and also provide extra security to private information that could be obtained if your data were unencrypted.
Suggested VPN services include VPNFire and ExpressVPN.
SD Adapter to your Mobile Device
For quick sharing or uploads to a cloud service, use an adapter to get photos quickly off of your camera, and onto the internet connected device you brought with you!
Your Bags
Osprey Hiking Style Backpacks
Oversized rolly packs are fine and dandy when you’re headed to Disney World, but that is a totally different speed than international adoption travel. These bags are lightweight, durable, and easy to integrate with a baby carrier attached to your front.
These bags are made with a stretchy material that allows you to stuff them to the gills. On or trips we used one large backpack, and one smaller “camel back” sized pack, and were able to fit both on the plane: one as carry on, and one as a personal item.
Dining
Collapsible Bowls and Utility Utensils
Depending on where you’re staying, you might not have access to dishes. This collapsible bowl and plastic spork/knife combo will keep you and the kids from eating with your hands, or out of take out boxes (been there!)
Even if you believe you’ll have access to dishes — take these with you. You have no idea how you’re children will react to eating in public, and it will be a safe bet to have dinnerware in the place you’re staying.
Efficient Travel Clothing
Agent Bond gets the most out of his clothing. You won’t see him toting a bloated wardrobe through airports, or stuffing his bags full of extra pairs of socks. When he sorts through his clothing for a trip — he makes his choices count.
Efficiently packing clothing can be a struggle, but once you commit yourself to it, you’ll feel the stress of the trip decrease. Less stuff to carry, less stuff to forget, and less stuff to wash.
Exofficio Underwear
Underwear is usually the first casualty of traveling internationally. Sweat and sickness (disaster pants) can wreak havoc on under garments, leaving you with a massive pile of laundry, and without a resource to clean them (thoroughly).
The Exofficio clothing line produces underwear that are designed with an antimicrobial treatment that reduces smell, and also makes them very easy to clean. Just soak them in a sink or faucet, roll them up and ring them out, and let them dry.
No soap, no spin cycle, and they dry incredibly fast. Two pairs a person should do the trick, which saves you a lot of room in your bag for diapers or any other supplies for the kids!
Smartwool — Wool Socks
Fast drying and designed for any climate, SmartWool socks can keep you from having to pack half your sock drawer.
Toiletries
The Gotoob by Humangear provides two benefits:
- Saves you the money and hassle of stocking up on travel size bottles that you’re just going to throw away.
- Allows you to take your preferred toiletry brands instead of the brands the store offers in travel size.
Additional Secret Agent Gear
Carabiners
One to three of these bad boys, just in case.
9×12’’ manilla envelopes
Bond would use these to carry top secret documents, but you can use them to store all of the receipts you obtain while you’re in country. Use them for tax deductions!
With this list handy, you’re now ready to travel like Bond. You’ll be less stressed out, which not only benefits you, but your kids as well. International trips can be incredible, but they can ask A LOT of you! Do yourself a favor: pack light, and intentionally!
You’ll also have the added benefit of being prepared to take on any secret missions that come your way!
