A LONDON Irish nurse found an unusual way to spend her maternity leave, by travelling the world with her baby, partner and a backpack.
Karen Edwards, who has spent most of her adult life in England, packed up her house, sold the family car and booked flights to her boyfriend Shaun’s native New Zealand when her daughter Esmé was just ten weeks old.
After a quick trip to Ireland to visit her grandparents, Karen and Shaun left their newly renovated home in the English capital for a new ten-month Asian adventure.
The pair embarked on a journey that took them through six countries and eleven flights, visiting Vietnam, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan, amongst others.
The couple had leased out their home in November 2014 and Shaun, a landscaper, took leave from his job so that the family could travel.
“I was thinking about maternity leave and decided I'd like to take her travelling,” Karen told MailOnline.
“Both Shaun and I were keen backpackers before I fell pregnant and everyone thought we were completely nuts when we said that we were going to take Esmé when she arrived.
“She was really well behaved and because she was small it was easy enough to keep her in the harness when we were on the move.
“We have no regrets, she got to experience new sights, scenes and smells as she grew and that is incredible.”
Karen documented her tips and tricks on her website TravelMadMum, aiming to help other parents travelling with young children.
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