I appear to have booked a flight to India...

I've  been weighing up the pros and cons for over a year now... and in the end I just booked the flight!  Its been over 5 years since my last trip to India and the pro's won!  These included the fact Little Owl can fly for free and that I haven't got a permanent job at the moment.  Teaching does give you lots of holiday but not necessarily when you want it - Easter would be too hot, Summer too wet and I wouldn't want to miss a Christmas at home for Little Owl.

Now I have a flight booked, I have so much more to do:

Insurance - I'm always careful who I go with as many insurance companies get upset when you don't have a 'tour operator' to report things too, even companies who claim to be for backpackers...

Visas - both our passports are up to date but we will need tourist visas.  I used to enjoy going up to India House on The Strand to get my visa but it has now been sourced out to an agency, and you can't get it back on the same day so I will do this by post now.

Injections - feel a bit bad that I will be giving Little Owl injections that she wouldn't otherwise need but I wouldn't dream of taking her without them.  I'm hoping that we won't need malaria tablets, the part of India we are going to is usually considered low risk, which is the same as marsh areas of the South East of England and I don't take malaria tablets in the UK!

Luggage - as its just me and Little Owl, I want to be able to carry/pull all my luggage as well as having hold of Little Owl.  I am thinking of buying Little Owl a Trunki as she can ride on that which would only require one hand for me to pull, leaving another hand available to pull a case and my back free for another bag.  It is also the right size to be her carry on bag.

Flying with a toddler My main worry at the moment is how to get a supply of milk.  Lufthansa have some good information on their website so I will read that again and get in contact with them.  I need to order a child meal for Little Owl.  I am also a bit worried as I had hoped to get one of those seats at the front with a cot but they were all taken!  I selected a seat right at the back as I figured we could get up and about without disturbing too many people... this could be fun....

Clothes - during the day the weather will be warm.  I've put to a side Little Owl's summer clothes that still look roomy in the hope some might fit her in January.  I'm looking forward to buying her some clothes out there too!  Meanwhile, I'm not sure what I'm going to do, its not that my shorts are short, but they do show my knees and I wouldn't chose to do that when out and about.  If I'm not successful then I guess I will be having a quick trip to the tailors when we arrive too!

Toddler stuff - I've already decided that I am not taking a pram, I actually can't remember the last time I used one and it would be a nightmare getting one in and out of a rickshaw!  I will probably take Papa Owl's Babyhawk Oh Snap! as it is the simplest and easiest sling to get Little Owl on my back. I'm not going to take a car seat as its less then 5km from the airport and the rest of our journies will be made by rickshaw.  But do I take a travel cot?  I know you can get some lightweight ones - I have had my eye on the LittleLife travel cot or do I try Little Owl in a bed?  That would then mean I need a stair gate. We have borrowed one from a friend to try out and we're planning on getting one of our own to use at home. I think I will take the monitor so I can put her to bed in the evenings when we aren't going out.    Nappies - how many to take?  I will use disposables for the trip mainly as that will give me space in my bags for bringing stuff home but also I won't have access to a washing machine and while the dhobi man will happily wash and iron our clothes, I'm not sure he'll feel the same about nappies...

Also on my thoughts are:

• cloth highchair
• toilet seat
• potty
• toys
• books
• and the list goes on!

I'm sure there is plenty more that I haven't thought of yet - like how we're going to get home from Heathrow as Papa Owl will be at work when we land - but I think this is enough to be getting one with!