Nathalie from "mom and A half man" talks about traveling as a single mom, jungle hikes, travel emergency plans, and her tips for solo moms

Nathalie is a 30-year-old single mother and social media manager. She actually lives in Berlin, but she much prefers exploring the world with her son. In this interview, she tells us how she manages to travel the world on a shoestring budget, all by herself, with her 3-year-old superhero.

Dear Nathalie, where does your wanderlust come from and what fascinates you about traveling?

Some people put down roots, but I've grown wings. I prefer to live in beautiful moments, in impressions of amazing places and delicious food, rather than dwelling on memories. I love being a mother, showing my little superhero the world, and at the same time learning from him to always walk through life with open eyes and an open heart. My experiences have taught me to listen to my gut feeling. It has never let me down and is the best guide for me.

Where have you been and what did you do there?

We went to Vienna and rode in a carriage, hiked in the Swiss mountains, and lost Marvel's passport in Venice. We crossed Thailand with just a backpack and buggy, and ventured on a 1,400-kilometer road trip through Portugal in a campervan. In Istria, we jumped off (admittedly small) cliffs, and in Barcelona, ​​a parrot made itself comfortable on Marvel's head. It was incredibly hot in Abu Dhabi and Doha, but we froze on the Polish Baltic Sea. We took the ferry to Denmark and once hiked for hours through stunningly snowy Prague. My absolute highlight was the circus wagon on an island called De Woude, in the middle of a bird sanctuary 20 minutes from Amsterdam. If you get the chance, you should definitely visit.

How did it come about that you have already traveled to 13 countries within 3 years?

Because I took advantage of every opportunity that presented itself. I said "YES" to traveling as a single mom with a child without hesitation. Especially during the first two years, Marvel flew on my lap for free. At first, when he was small and not yet so mobile, traveling with a baby carrier was wonderfully relaxing. Now he's 3 years old, and nothing is safe from him anymore, but we're managing that just fine, too.

What criteria do you use to choose your travel destinations? Are you looking for particularly child-friendly destinations?

I don't have any specific criteria. I usually see cheap flights and book without thinking twice. For example, I'd never heard of Pula, but Eurowings had super-bargain prices until midnight. Since I only had a few minutes left to book, I used the image search—I liked what I was saying, and I booked it. It was one of our best trips.

I don't pay much attention to child-friendliness in the traditional sense. My experience has shown that most countries are very child-friendly if you adapt to the country and its people, and even on city trips you can find oases of peace and adventure for the little ones.

Do you plan everything in detail in advance or spontaneously on-site? How do you organize yourself?

Of course, I check a few days in advance what I absolutely want to see. But I also give us enough breathing room to just go with the flow. The most amazing places are always found by chance anyway, and rarely in travel guides. I usually have a mom survival kit on my wife (a spare pair of pants, bandages, etc.), my phone with a charger, a map, and off we go. What I really always forget are tissues (laughs).

Do you have an emergency program?

Yes. Even though I'm more of a spontaneous person and value adventure, I always have an emergency plan. I always know how and where to get to the nearest hospital, or at least to the doctor. I have the emergency numbers for each country on speed dial on my phone. I research illnesses, possible vaccinations, and, of course, the symptoms in advance so I can recognize them in time. I also have international health insurance with repatriation. In addition to the originals of my documents, I also carry laminated copies of them with me and also save them in my cloud, which three trusted contacts at home have access to. I always register with the Federal Foreign Office so that my relatives can be notified in the event of a crisis. All of this ensures that we can travel without worry.

Any tips for the airport?

First things first: coffee and make sure you're well and feeling fit.

The airport is usually the most stressful part of the trip, and it requires a lot of energy. Whenever possible, try to take the stroller with you to the plane. Better yet, travel with a carrier and check the stroller in. I always have something small for Marvel, like a new book, to keep him occupied at the airport and on board.

I always travel with hand luggage whenever possible. My m ara mea senorita bella diaper bag has been my faithful companion for years. I can attach it to my stroller or suitcase, or carry it on my back, so I always have both hands free.

Marvel also thinks it's great to take on important tasks, such as guarding luggage, taking the trash to the trash can, or paying.

During security checks, I've gotten into the habit of enlisting the ground staff and handing my little one to them while I'm being checked. This way, he can't get into any mischief. At baggage claim, I borrow a stroller and put Marvel on top, so he can't run away and has a blast doing it.

What should not be forgotten?

At the risk of coming across as a "bad mom," I'll admit it: my most important companion on long trips is my tablet. I always download his favorite movies from Netflix beforehand. A little tip to ease my guilty conscience: I only let him watch Marvel movies in English, so you can at least convince yourself that there's some educational value (laughs). By the way, he now speaks English really well for three years, but that's probably more due to the travel than the tablet. I also always have snacks with me to keep him busy for a long time, true to the motto: you can't complain with a full mouth.

Where do you stay on your travels?

I'm not the type for hotel complexes and don't need luxury. Therefore, we always live like locals when we're there. Airbnb offers super-cheap accommodations, ideally a room with a local. This way, you can immediately connect with people and get the best tips for activities off the beaten track. It's also nice to cook together in the evening. Airbnb Experiences are also great for sightseeing tours. Another tip: simply book a private tour with a photographer. You only pay a fraction of the overcrowded standard tours, you support locals, see more, and end up with great photos. That also answers the question of who takes the photos of us (although I usually hand my phone to older people or families to take our picture, as they can't run away so quickly with it).

How do you manage to get by with just hand luggage, even for a week?

Of course, I'm a bit of a packer by now, but it's worth going through the unnecessary things several times. I usually pack a pair of Birkenstocks and a pair of sneakers. Plus two pairs of long pants, one pair of shorts, one dress, two shirts, one cardigan and one sweater, underwear, and three pairs of socks (including a thick pair for the plane). That's it.

I do a similar thing with the little one. Instead of folding everything, I roll the items up and place socks over each side of the roll to secure them. These rolls are also great for transporting fragile items. I do laundry on-site as needed or when I have a reason to go shopping.

Isn't traveling with a toddler extremely tiring?

Of course it is! It's the most exhausting thing there is, let's face it. But at the same time, it's also incredibly enriching; sometimes he discovers things I would never have noticed otherwise. And with a child, you quickly connect with people, which has already given us many wonderful experiences.

What has been the most impressive experience so far?

It all started with the most strenuous activity of my life. We were supposed to be taken by car up to an extremely pristine mountain village in the Thai jungle, up to an altitude of 1,400 meters. When we arrived at the meeting point, we were told that it was impossible to take the car because it had rained the night before. The ground was too slippery. We were offered the opportunity to hike up with a guide, and our backpacks were transported up by a villager on a scooter. Since the organizers were acquaintances of a friend, I trusted them and decided to do the hike. I quickly regretted it. Because the jungle was thick, Marvel couldn't move around freely. So I carried a 17 kg toddler through the humid jungle for four hours. By the time I got to the top, I was so exhausted that I could no longer see anything of the world around me, and at some point Marvel fell asleep in my arms.

The sun was slowly setting. We were to spend the night under the open sky with mosquito nets, together with two other backpackers and locals. We had a small, unidentifiable snack around the campfire and then it was off to bed under the covers. It was incredible, amidst all the chirping, the gentle breathing of my son and above us a black sky filled with millions of stars. The next morning, the first rays of sunshine tickled us awake. Everything was damp, but the view was breathtaking. The valley below us was shrouded in clouds and I felt very close to heaven.

On our way back (by car, by the way), we learned about the animals that lived there. Anacondas and tarantulas, for example. Luckily, I didn't know that beforehand, otherwise we would have missed out on this wonderful experience.

Down in the valley, we met a man who lived with two elephants. We struck up a conversation. Together we hiked to a waterfall and had the opportunity to spend two hours up close with wild elephants.

I'd like to reiterate that at no point did I feel unsafe as a woman. What remains forever is a wonderful adventure.

What has gone wrong so far?

Oh, there were a lot. Something always goes wrong, and it never actually goes according to plan. That's what makes it so appealing to me. Because it never goes as expected, but it's always wonderful in the end.

The top 3 flops:

My credit card suddenly stopped working in Lisbon. We ran out of cash, and I was absolutely desperate. A stranger noticed, gave me 10 euros, and told me to buy us something to eat. Meanwhile, after three hours of waiting, I received money via Western Union.

Then there's Marvel's lost passport in Venice, a real spectacle. Luckily, I always carry copies of all my documents with me, and we were able to fly home.

But the worst experience was undoubtedly Marvel's fall on Krabi in Thailand on a Sunday. Only one "clinic" was open, the geckos were sitting on the wall, you could tell from the marks on the walls what treatment the previous patient had received, and right in the middle of it all was me with Marvel and an infected toenail. That might not sound bad at first, but after the fall, sand and dirt had accumulated under the nail and we had to travel over 35 hours back to Berlin two days later. So they pulled out his nail without anesthesia and cleaned the nail bed. I then had to clean the wound and change the dressing every six hours while we flew happily through time zones. My brave little hero.

Is there a beginner's trip for single parents or scaredy-cats?

It may surprise many, but I find Thailand to be the easiest country to travel to with children. The people are so welcoming that the mere thought of it makes me long for it. The nature is incredible, and I've never felt unsafe as a solo woman traveling alone. Of course, the long flight is a challenge for many, but it's easily manageable with an overnight flight.

If you're looking for something closer, try Holland. Holland has much more to offer than just overcrowded Amsterdam. It's worth it even if you only want to spend a day or two there. You can get there quickly by train, and there are often very good deals. You have the sea, the endearingly open nature of the Dutch, and, of course, the divine cheese.

I understand that you ask yourself a lot of "what if..." questions before your first trip. And that's right, because that's the only way you can prepare for the worst-case scenario. But it would be a shame to cancel a trip because of that.

How do you finance all this?

Through sacrifice and common sense. I don't buy luxury goods and live frugally. I spend the money I have on moments, rarely on things. I don't want to skimp on great memories, but I'm increasingly questioning material things. I buy a lot of things second-hand, and if I haven't used them for a while, I sell them at flea markets or on eBay classifieds. I work part-time as a cat sitter and take on hostessing jobs. I also rely on “Urlaubsguru” or “Tobi findet Flüge” and usually travel during off-peak season. If you cater for yourself locally, life there is rarely more expensive than at home. There are also Facebook groups like Urlaub gegen Hand (Vacation for Less), where you can stay for free in exchange for helping out locally.

Traveling a lot also has a great side effect: you meet new people everywhere who come to visit you or who you can visit yourself.

And now the most important question: why are you doing all this?

Because it makes us happy. There's nothing more beautiful than watching Marvel conquer the world, approaching strangers without hesitation and taking an interest in their lives. Watching him learn that you can be happy without a huge bedroom full of toys and that you don't necessarily become rich through purely material things. He shows me the world through his eyes, and it makes me incredibly proud to see him learn to trust his gut feeling, not let fear guide him, and approach new situations with appropriate caution.

Thank you for the inspiring interview.

Click here to go to Nathalie’s Instagram account.