Hello fellow travelers and parents!

Imagine this: it's December 2021 and your little bub decided to come 3 weeks early. But not to fret, you knew she was always going to be one to live by her own rules. After a blissful month in my hometown of Miami with all my longtime friends and huge family, it was finally time to head back to the place where we live now, Dubai.

So here we were, looking down a 14-hour flight with my one month old baby girl, and let me tell you, the anxiety leading up to this journey was intense. I had imagined worst-case scenarios involving screaming fits, poopy explosions, and irritated passengers.

But I'm happy to report that my little angel was, well, an actual angel throughout the entire flight. No tantrums, no tears, no drama. It was almost too easy. But of course, the journey wasn't entirely without its challenges.

I had read all of the articles and blogs, and I was convinced I was prepared for anything that could happen on this flight. I packed a bag full of snacks (for momma), toys, and baby formula, and made sure to have plenty of diapers and wipes on hand. I even called the airline ahead of time to make sure everything was set for my daughter's travel accommodations.

But once I got to the airport, drama ensued. Despite my multiple phone calls with the airline, my daughter didn't have a ticket for the flight. I was assured everything would be taken care of, but here I was, at the check-in desk, with a dilemma. Would I have to pay an exorbitant amount at the last minute, or would I have to leave my newborn baby behind? Of course, leaving her behind was not an option, and I didn't want to pay any more than I had to.

After what felt like an eternity, and a lot of persistence on my part, the ticketing agent finally figured everything out. It turns out that my little bub did not have a ticket, and I would have to purchase one on-site. Good news is that it would only cost 10% of the adult fare, since she was a lap infant. Bad news is that business tickets on Qatar Airways are incredibly expensive, especially on the day of travel. Now, I know what you're thinking: "Oh, poor mom in her business class seat." But you'd be wrong. A lot of blood, sweat, and miles collecting went into getting this very coveted seat. A lot of pre-planning went into knowing I'd be traveling with the little one at a very tender age, and I was determined to make it as easy as I could, hence the miles hoarding for just this very moment. Either way, after paying over $1000 for the little one's ticket (one-way), we were finally allowed to proceed, and while it wasn't an ideal situation, we made it.

Once we were on the plane, my daughter was an absolute dream. She slept through most of the flight and barely made a peep when she was awake. She seemed to enjoy all the new sights and sounds around her, and she even earned some compliments from all the smitten flight attendants, who were astounded by how well-behaved she was. The best part of the story was once we arrived in Doha, and everyone was getting ready to deplane. I picked up the little miss and put her in the baby carrier. This was the first time our fellow travel mates in the seat across the aisle even realized there had been a baby on board. He asked us incredulously if she'd been there the whole time. No sir, she just apparates on command.

All in all, it may not have been the smoothest journey, but we made it. I learned that sometimes, no matter how much you prepare, there are things that are out of your control, and you just have to be ready to adapt. And most importantly, I learned that those horror stories you hear about traveling with a newborn don't have to be true. Sometimes, your baby can surprise you and make things a whole lot less stressful than you expected.