Guest of the week: Annika Myhre, traveller and "Thai mover" with 3 children.

Annika Myhre and her husband Tobias have three children aged 1-7, but that doesn't stop the family from going on exciting and exotic trips. The children have travelled to countries such as Tunisia, the USA and Taiwan, and right now the whole family has taken a 'Thai break' and is spending 3 months on Koh Lanta in Thailand, where their son also goes to school.

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How is it possible to travel with (three) small children and how does it work in practice to spend several months abroad with the family? We have of course asked Annika about all this, and if you want to know even more, you can check out Annika's great travel blog. Travel Friday.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your family?

I am a new 36-year-old who was born and raised in Karlskrona. However, I have had Stockholm as a base since I was 19, with interruptions for various trips and moves. Our family has now settled in Nynäshamn outside Stockholm and right now I am on parental leave from my regular job as a lawyer. I am married to Tobias and we have three children together: Sebastian (2008), Julia (2010) and Nelly (2014).

How and where did you travel before having children?

Before I met my husband, I travelled whenever I could - both for longer and shorter periods. I started studying at the university right after high school, but used most of my free time to travel (or work up money to travel).

My most memorable trip was after graduating from university, when I went on a solo trip around the world. I have also worked in the USA and studied/worked in Spain and Germany.

When my husband and I first met, I explained how important travelling was to me and made it clear that we would try living abroad at some point. During this period, however, we were both in the throes of our jobs and we had to adapt ourselves and our destinations accordingly - which mostly resulted in travelling to Europe.

We actually went on two honeymoons, the first was to Gran Canaria where we were knocked out by the flu for a week. A few months later we got our revenge and took a car in Florida combined with a Caribbean cruise. Then came a bunch of kids, and well, the rest is history!

Was it always obvious that you would travel even when you had children? In what ways did travelling change?

For me it was actually obvious! Before I had children, I remember someone saying to me - "Annika, you understand that you won't be able to continue travelling like this when you have children?" My spontaneous reaction was - "I will show them!” 

However, I am aware that not everyone is physically or financially able to travel as we do. We have been lucky enough to have three healthy children and I am extremely grateful for our family situation that allows us to travel together as we do!

Of course, travelling changed, for example the hike on the Inca Trail in Peru that I did a couple of years before I had my first child would not have been possible with a baby in my arms. I'm not quite as adventurous with the kids in tow, their safety and security comes first. Everything has its time!

Can you tell us about the trips you have made with the children?

I can readily admit that I wasn't that cocky as a new mum to my first child. We started with a train journey to Karlskrona, then continued with trips to my sister in Scotland and a charter to Tunisia.

Gradually I/we became warmer in our clothes, and when our second child was born we travelled a few times to Europe and Dubai. When the middle daughter was just over a year old, we sold the house and I got my long-awaited move abroad when we settled in Sweden. Thailand for six months.

When I was pregnant with our third child, Nelly, we made a real dream trip with the children when we drove along the west coast of the USA for a few weeks. Nelly hangs out with the rest of the family out of the blue, when she was six months old I took her to Taiwan/China, and since then there have been several trips around Europe before we went here to Thailand again.

Now that you are an experienced traveller with children, what are your best tips for smooth travelling with children?

First of all, I don't think you should listen to them. for You shouldn't rely too much on others, but start from your own family's circumstances! Of course, there are plenty of practical tips to make travelling easier. Some of them include planning your hand luggage and avoiding the hunger traps of both young and old by packing a variety of snacks.

If you're travelling with a small child, it's a good idea to invest in a good baby carrier. I really don't know how I would have managed without my "Ergobaby" when travelling with Nelly. And last but not least: travel with the right expectations, or even better, without expectations! Because when travelling with children, anything can happen ...

You have now taken a three-month "Thaimout" in Thailand. How does it work in practice with work, accommodation and school?

I am on parental leave with our one-year-old. Our five-year-old is also at home during the day while our seven-year-old is in first grade at Lilla Svenska Skolan. Read more here about a day in the Little Swedish School. My husband runs his own business and can work from here. According to his wishes, we are staying at a Swedish-owned resort where there is a lot of beach volleyball.

Gradually, it becomes a daily routine down here too, but a daily routine without cooking, washing and cleaning! (We eat all the food out, cleaning is included in the rent and the laundry is handed in because we don't have a washing machine.) We managed without a single sick day throughout February - the month that in Sweden is called "Vabruari". That factor alone made it worth coming here, haha!

What are your best tips for others who would also like to take a "Thai break"?

In fact, I have written about three tips for a successful Thaimout (see below):

1. Learn about culture

Take the time to learn more about what applies here in Thailand. What is customary? Don't expect things to work like they do at home. Thailand is Thailand and Sweden is Sweden. Let yourself be sucked into the Thai way of life, the Thais have a light-hearted approach to life that we Swedes can learn a lot from!

2. avoid the peak season

Try as far as possible to avoid the peak season (December-January). During the low and mid-season, airline tickets, accommodation and school fees at Swedish schools are much cheaper. There are also fewer tourists, which means that beaches and restaurants are less crowded.

In addition, the traffic is less hectic with fewer vehicles on the road. The whole pace of the island slows down before and after the peak season, which means there's room to get to know the island and its people in a completely different way than if you're travelling here in the high season.

3. Live in the moment and forget about all the necessities

Must You'll have time to go on all the excursions and visit all the restaurants on the island - didn't you come here just to get away from it all? Don't bring your stress from home, take the opportunity to really relax and unwind while you're here. Any work or relationship problems can be dealt with when you return home. Stay long enough to find that long-awaited calm. Dare to be in the moment!

Finally, a question we ask everyone we interview: What is your dream destination?

It usually varies depending on the day you ask, but one destination that has long been a dream destination is Antarctica combined with Tierra del Fuego! If everything goes as I hope, I will go there when I turn 40. If the children can come with me? No, not even I think the idea of taking three rather small children to Antarctica, haha!

Thank you Annika Myhre for sharing your experiences and thoughts!

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