I’ve gotten a ton of comments, posts, and messages about how adventurous and exciting our trip looks. Friends and family from back home are so inspired by what we are doing, which I love hearing, but I also want to be real about our trip and our life abroad.

We are officially three weeks into our trip and we’ve had two very stressful events I thought I’d share.

First, and literally the most scared I’ve been as a Momma, Nolan feel at the playground last week. I mean a legit head smack on the concrete. He usually bounces back after a few tears, but this time, he was instantly dazed.  We brought him home and pretty immediately new it was a concussion. Tired, headache, vomiting, I mean, it was bad.  The pour kid has maybe vomited twice in his life, so he was really confused.  It was one of the few times in Nolan’s life that he was legitimately hurt and we weren’t in the United States.  We have health insurance, but 1) where to take him, 2) quality of care and 3) how quickly would we be seen were all of concerns.

So what do you do, I immediately texted a nurse friend back home to ask advice and we researched all the warning signs of a serious concussion.  After an evening of snuggling, rest, and Tylenol, Nolan was back to himself the next day. Here’s what I learned;

1. Don’t add extra stress and panic just because we aren’t in the United States. At home, I would not have rushed Nolan to the doctor, I would have texted my friend for advice first, so there was no need to rush to the hospital in London.
2. Assess the situation and make a plan. Ice pack, vomit bucket, Tylenol, flash light – these were all tools I needed to care for Nolan. Even though we weren’t home, I was able to rally supplies from around the house.

Second, we rented a car this past weekend for a trip up to LegoLand. 30 minutes in, flat tire it is!  Getting a flat tire is stressful enough when it’s your own car and in your own town, but try a flat tire in the middle of London when 1) you are already super uncomfortable because everything is opposite, 2) you have no idea where you are 3) cell phone access is limited.

Here’s what I would like to think we learned (I say “we” because this was a team challenge):

1. We are in this together. Jim was just as stressed driving in London as I was being a passenger in London. I could have been more patient with him. He was doing something that frankly I would not have even attempted (driving a stick shift left handed and an the other side of the road). Must do better at this in the future.
2. Don’t make IT bigger than IT is. A flat tire is no ones fault and can happen anywhere. Just because we are in a stressful situation, don’t add more stress by making it more than just a flat tire.  Looking back, I might have failed this one too — must do better.

Keep following us, keep being inspired, and leaving us comments, but please also know — sometimes the Browns are a HOT MESS, even in London!

Cheers!

Photo of Nolan the night of his concussion.

Photo of flat tire are unavailable due to stress level at the time of the event.  Though, looking back, I wish I had snapped a couple.