Travel Essentials

I have become somewhat of a travel pro given all the miles I’ve logged throughout my career, and I’ve been traveling a lot in the last few months. Sometimes I’m lucky to be accompanied by the girls, but lately I have been travelling alone quite a bit. When I go on the road, I always bring my “essentials” with me. They make the trip just a little easier, and I thought it would be fun to share them with you so that next time you plan for a trip, you can be well prepared – take a look at my top five favorites list below and let me know what you think!

1. Wireless headphones: I love them because I have the freedom to move around. Whether on the plane, with my kids or working out I love having them.

2. Longchamp Le Pliage Medium Tote: This might be my favorite item. I take it everywhere I go. I usually travel with a backpack and I need a handbag once I arrive at the tournament. It is the perfect size to fit whatever I need for the day and small enough that I can fold it and put in in my suitcase. So great! I have the black with brown handle so I can match it with black or brown shoes.


3. Convertible travel blanket: This is great. Sometimes I don’t want to travel with a sweater and often it is so cold on the plane that you just need a blanket. It also doubles as a pillow if you don’t need something to cover you up.

4. Backpack: I used to travel with a big purse but I wised up and now I travel with a backpack. SOOOO much easier and my hands are free. Nowadays you can get super stylish ones since it is on trend. I use a Tumi backpack that I got on sale. They are a bit pricey, but they’re great quality and worth every penny, especially if you get them on sale! It is practical and has a lot of pockets.

5. Baby wipes: I always travel with baby wipes, which are useful for so many things, especially any spilling that happens on clothes.

Oh, and please know that this is my list of favorites for traveling solo – when I’m traveling with the kids, the list grows exponentially!

Happy Father's Day

On Sunday is Father’s day and I am so bummed to be away from my family. I am lucky to have some amazing men in my life. My father, Lutz, my brother, Alex, and my father-in-law, Ned, are all amazing dads and I would like to wish them all a happy father’s day.  However, I want to take this opportunity to focus in and thank my husband, Adam.  Adam is by far my better half.  He is incredibly kind, smart and very funny.  He is my number one supporter and has been amazing throughout this crazy journey.

Going back to playing professional golf has created a lot of stress in our lives.  Having to move to Florida in the winter (well, maybe not such a bad thing considering the Boston winters), travelling two weeks out of every month for tournaments and my practice schedule has taken a toll and changed our family dynamic. Oh, and throw moving to a new house in Massachusetts on top of that!!!! It is INSANE.  I used to be the main caregiver for the kids, but Adam has had to fill in in my absence.  He has an incredibly busy schedule with the Red Sox, but not once has he told me that I could not do something.  He is my number one supporter and changes his schedule around all the time in order to make sure I do what I need to do in order to improve my golf game.

Adam is the kindest and most sympathetic person I have ever met.  He always puts his family’s, friends’ and co-workers’ needs and feelings above his own. He is kind to others without expecting anything in return and always 'wants to make others happy.  I admire him so much for that.  He never leaves a conversation without asking the person if they need anything or if there is anything he can do for them.

He is an incredible father to our two girls and always manages to make us laugh.  Seeing him with our daughters melts my heart every day.  I am definitely the crazy, loud, and disciplinarian one between the two of us. A lot of times he comes back from work just to read a book to Stella or tuck Luiza into bed and then goes right back to the office.

Marriage is hard work.  Like many couples we have our differences and our marriage is not perfect. However I am lucky to be able to say that the most stressful times always bring us closer together.  I love him with all my heart and I learn from him every day.  One of my best friends’ mothers once told me that we should marry the person, whom we would like our kids to resemble.  I can only hope that our girls are just like their dad…that would be an incredible gift.

Quality Time with My Daughter

As a working mom I am always looking for ways to spend time with my kids, especially Stella. She has been feeling the effects of me going back to work the most. There have been a lot of changes in Stella's life in the last 8 months. In September she welcomed home a new sister. Mommy went back to work shortly thereafter and we have been traveling non-stop ever since. Her life does not have the consistent rhythm it once had of going to pre-school, napping and going to the playground in the afternoon with mommy. But she has been a trooper throughout all of these changes.

So, when we arrived in Charlotte last week ahead of the Symetra Classic, I wanted to play nine holes to see the course. Stella was upset I was going to play golf again so I decided to take her with me. On the Symetra Tour we play our practice rounds in a golf cart so I thought it might be fun. IT WAS AMAZING!!!!  I borrowed a set of kids’ clubs from the pro shop and put them in the back of the cart. She loved every minute of it (still kicking myself that my phone died and I did not take any pictures). She felt so special and had a big smile on her face. She ran so much that after five holes she was passed out on the cart.

The experience was such an incredible step for her, and for me. It shows me that I can carve out time with my kids even when I am playing golf. I loved sharing my passion with her and having her by my side on the course. It was such a special afternoon and I can't wait to have many more late afternoon sessions with my kids. It has been, by far, my favorite memory of this process and I can't wait to have many more!!!  

This week is also another big week on the course. I am playing my first LPGA event at the ShopRite LPGA Classic. Can't wait to share the experience with you guys! 

Trial & Error: Feeling Overwhelmed

Sorry I have been on hiatus for the last two weeks.  A lot has happened and I felt like I needed to take a few weeks off in order to gather my thoughts and just take control of my life a little bit!  This journey has been a lot more overwhelming than expected. Trying to be a good mom, dedicating myself to golf again, and figuring out what tournament schedule works for me and for our family has not been easy.  

When I started playing and traveling again I had to give up a lot of the control I had over my kids’ everyday lives.  I remember when I had Stella; I was there for every single milestone. I left her for the first time when she was around a year old.  When I was not working, I loved knowing exactly what happened in my daughters’ days even if I was not around 100% of the time.

I was away all last week and came back to my youngest, Luiza, looking so much bigger and my oldest, Stella, telling me things she had done during the week that I had no idea about.  It made me sad because I felt like I was missing out on so much. I have not taken her to school in over a week. Before I started playing I NEVER missed one day.  I don’t have time to make them a freshly cooked meal every night and I always loved to cook for them.  Nowadays there are weeks that I don’t even see a single poopy diaper from Luiza!

In addition to that, I have also had to transition into becoming a different golfer. When I played on tour before I dedicated 90% of my time into becoming the best golfer I could be. Now there are days when I only have a couple hours to practice. I am not complaining - I have just had to adapt.  I have reached out to many former players and asked them how they became more efficient in their practice routines (I will divulge some of their tips in future posts!) I feel like their advice has helped me a lot and I cannot thank them enough. 

It is all a transition. I have had to evolve as a golf player and parent and become a better working mom.  I know it will all settle down once I find my ideal routine and travel schedule.  Until then we will go through a lot of trial and error.  OH BY THE WAY DID I MENTION WE ARE MOVING???!….to be continued….

Traveling With Two Kids

I have always loved traveling.  As a family we traveled a lot when I was younger. I took my first solo plane ride from Brazil to Germany when I was 8 years old; what were my parents thinking?  So it is no surprise that I chose a career that has taken me all over the world.

Well... traveling with two kids is a whole different story. Words can't express how hard it is to travel with two kids to a golf tournament. The amount of stuff necessary to travel with them is insane. It takes so much organizing and planning ahead and I am not the best at organizing or at planning ahead so maybe that is the problem! I am not the only mother that does this and many parents travel with a lot more kids than I do, but I don't know how they do it. Hats off to them!

There has never been a dull moment when traveling with the girls. On our way back from Orlando recently, I accidentally threw my wallet in the trash together with the bag of food I bought for Stella. It was only in Boston that I realized what had happened - total panic!   And there was the other time when I took Luiza in the airplane bathroom to change her diaper and she peed all over me. I started to crack up because I knew I did not have another shirt. Result: I smelled of pee the rest of the trip. Lesson learned. Now I never travel without an extra set of clothes.

I am sure I will accumulate a lot more little stories along the way and it will not be the last time I get that panicked feeling. This is our life on the road and I have learned to expect the unexpected and to adjust and adapt. Progress!

I would love to hear your stories about traveling with your kids and any advice you might have!