I get it a lot: “You’re so brave!” It’s a compliment, but I have a little secret to share: It was far scarier for me to think of staying home during the month of January. I got a lot of questions when I told people I’d be spending an entire month in Spain with my 18-month-old daughter. I mean, a regular trip with a toddler is… A lot of work. But a month? Yikes, right? I’ll admit it was stressful, mostly just in the weeks leading up to the trip. Once we were there, it was amazing. We had such a good time, and it was 100% the right decision for us. Here’s how to spend a month abroad… With a toddler, even as a single parent!
Why would you do that?
It’s the question everyone had, but they were all too polite to ask. The reasons are heavy, but simple. My husband died in January 2025. So in January 2026, I didn’t want to spend the anniversary sulking at home, or suffering through the most depressing month in DC. (It was a good choice–we missed the worst of a monumental snowstorm while we were in Spain!) I wanted to be having an adventure, making memories with our daughter, and doing what Steve and I loved–traveling.
This is also something I had wanted the three of us to do as a family, before my husband passed away. I had talked to him about taking a few weeks or a month to house and dog sit for our friend in Granada. He loved dogs so much, and I think it would have been fun for him to have a dog for a little while, plus having this adventure as a family would have been special. But he was hesitant to take so much time away from work in one go. I think I would have been able to talk him into it, but now we’ll never know. I wanted to fulfill that dream anyway, and I’m glad I did.
More here: The Top 7 Reasons Single Parents Should Travel with Their Kids
How did you choose where to go?
Well, I didn’t really choose! A friend of mine has an apartment and a dog in Granada, Spain. He travels for work for weeks or sometimes months at a time, and he’s part of a house sitting organization. Last summer, I asked if he had anyone lined up for the month of January. He didn’t, so Iris and I made plans to live in Granada for the month. It was intimidating to also be in charge of a dog, but she was 13 years old, and my friend insisted that she was very sweet, so I didn’t overthink it. I knew I’d be able to figure it out.
Keep reading: The Best Coffee Shops in Granada
How did you prepare before you left?
Well, I tried and failed not to panic. We had just been in Germany for a week of Christmas Markets, and then we had flown straight to Tennessee for a week with my family for Christmas. We were home all of 4 days before we were scheduled to leave for Spain. Yikes! I asked my daughter’s nanny to come and watch her while I got things accomplished in the days before we left, and that was immensely helpful.
From a travel standpoint, It was a lot to prepare for. As usual, I put a lot of pressure on myself to do it all “right.” But I’d never before gone anywhere with a baby for a month. I made lots of lists, packed about a week’s worth of clothes for us both (since we would have a washer and dryer available), and tried to anticipate what we would need for a month in Spain in winter. I ended up packing five bags: 1 large checked suitcase, 1 carry-on suitcase, 1 weekender bag, 1 diaper bag, and 1 car seat. I wanted to go carry-on only, but for two people, in winter, it was just not possible without wearing the same two outfits for a month. So, we lugged a lot of stuff.
As far as preparing our home back in the States, I turned down our thermostat and water heater (my husband used to do that), vacuumed, cleaned the bathrooms, cleaned the kitchen, cleaned the coffee maker, changed the sheets the day we left for the airport, and tried to eat down all our perishables. I ended up throwing a few things away, because I’m not perfect. I put a hold on our mail, gave my spare keys to a neighbor, and let some friends in my building know that I’d be away and asked them to please watch our door for stray packages. And then, we Ubered to the airport.
I did not buy any site tickets, do any meaningful research, or even buy train tickets to the city I planned to fly out of (my preferred airline alliance does not fly to or from Granada). I didn’t do any of the travel planning I used to do before my husband died. I just didn’t have the time or the bandwidth, and I thought I’d have time to figure it out in the month that I was there. It was nerve-wracking, but planning was mentally paralyzing–something I feel a lot since becoming a widow and single mom. But we got it done anyway!
Read next: How to Get Your Baby’s First Passport
What did you need to buy or borrow upon arrival?
Luckily for me, my local friend put me into a WhatsApp group of expats in the city. I put out a request to rent or borrow a few supplies: Pack n Play, baby bathtub (my friend’s apartment only had two showers, no tub), high chair, exersaucer (or similar). I planned to buy a couple of sets of baby dishes and cutlery, diapers, wipes, baby lotion, puree pouches, and any other incidentals we might need that we didn’t have to bring with us.
I was not able to procure a Pack n Play or baby bathtub, but someone in the What’sApp group did let me borrow a high chair and something similar to an exersaucer. They also gave us baby bowls, cutlery, cups, and even a couple of books and a game for Iris. It was very kind! To my surprise, Iris actually got used to taking showers, which was awesome, and she ended up sleeping with me, because there honestly wasn’t rom for a travel crib or Pack n Play anyway.
As expected, it was easy to find foods that Iris is used to and likes: Greek yogurt, whole milk, oatmeal, fruit, noodles, cheese sauce, tomato sauce, pizza, brie cheese, peanut butter, and puree pouches. She also ate a bit of whatever I ate, and we went out to eat quite a bit (which we practically never do at home, but, when in Spain!), so she got to try a lot of new foods as well. Diapers and wipes were easy to find, even though they weren’t the brand she likes (I got leaked on a time or two). Babies wear diapers all over the world!
Also helpful: The 6 Unexpected Ways I Can Afford to Travel
What do you wish you’d brought with you?
I wish we’d brought melts (if you’re a parent, you know what those are). I thought I’d be able to find them, or something similar, in Spain, but no, I didn’t find them anywhere. No huge deal, but they are really convenient, and I don’t have to worry about her choking on them (my husband choked to death). I should have brought some of the “nutty blends” Happy Baby pouches, because Iris loves them, and they’re high calorie and high nutrition because of the nut butters in them. I didn’t find anything similar in Granada, but no big deal.
I also wish I’d brought our preferred diapers. As previously mentioned, the ones at the nearby grocery store were not that great, and I didn’t realize there was another place to get them close by until our last couple of days there. Next time I’ll know! And if we do this again elsewhere, I’ll just do better reconnaissance of the good diaper locations!
The only other thing I wish I’d brought with me was a good rain coat. It ended up raining a lot, and umbrellas are great, but I only had so many hands to handle both a baby and a dog. I usually forgot our umbrella inside as we were walking out of the building. A rain coat would have been easier to deal with. Luckily, I did bring my light winter boots, which were waterproof!
Essential info: The Top 7 Travel Rules You Don’t Know Until Someone Tells You
What did you do all month?
We did everything we could! January was the lowest of the low tourist season, so some businesses and restaurants were closed for vacation, several sites were closed for the season, and several buildings were under construction (although that may not have been seasonally-related). Despite that, we did so much: The Alhambra twice, the Patio Perfume Museum and Shop four times, at least one new coffee shop per day, the Archaeology Museum, the Royal Chapel where Ferdinand and Isabella are interred, Granada Cathedral, souvenir shopping, trying all the Spanish food we could, the list goes on! But the one we loved the most? Two flamenco shows!
My goal was to do at least one thing every day, and we did that, rain or shine. We also walked Ariel, the dog, at least three times a day, which was so good for me to do in January, so I didn’t get down and stay inside too much. Iris and Ariel became the absolute best of friends, and we tried to FaceTime family whenever we could, with the time difference to contend with. Oh, and we got a sweet every night during our last walk of the day. Well, I got a sweet. And it was usually a Maxi Cookie. If you’re in Granada, you have to try a Maxi Cookie!
I’m so glad we did this, and I hope we can create an opportunity to spend a month or so in a new place again sometime. Maybe we can try to do something like this once a year or so. I loved becoming a “local” and making friends. I love how people recognized us and learned our names. One barista even remembered our order after just a couple of visits!
Get all the details here: The Best Things to Do in Granada with a Toddler
So you did it all by yourself?
No. I’m so grateful that Iris’s nanny, May, was able to come with us for the first part of the trip. She flew with us and helped us get settled in. I would have been even more overwhelmed, and much more often in tears, without May there in those first few, jet lagged days. The trip was also a going away gift to her, because she moved to Japan shortly after. We miss her so much!
After May flew home, Iris and I were on our own for just over a week, and we did pretty well. But with the anniversary of my husband’s passing coming up, I had already made plans for a friend and fellow young widow to come visit for a week. I’m so grateful she was able to make it happen, with just a few weeks’ notice. She watched Iris so that I could take some time for myself on the day. She walked Ariel while I gave Iris a bath, and vice-versa. She fed Iris breakfast so I could go for a couple of runs. We talked a lot. If being a widowed, single parent has taught me anything, it has taught me that I can’t do it all by myself, and I don’t have to.
More here: Why It’s Okay to Travel with Help
Want more? Take a look at my Single Parent Travel and Spain Pages!
Love this post? Pin it for later!
