Single mother of two opens up about the reality of backpacking for seven months while heavily pregnant

A single mother has revealed how she backpacked around the world with her two young daughters, only to discover she was pregnant halfway through the trip and her travel photos showed her growing baby bump.

Birdie Wood, 30, sold all her belongings and set off on an epic seven-month journey in February with her two daughters – Fifer, six, and Mavie, four.

The family traveled to Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Morocco, Indonesia and Egypt, spending about a month in each country.

In April, Birdie discovered she was pregnant in Morocco after a brief relationship with a friend.

She continued backpacking with her two daughters, returning to the US in August after completing the seven-month trip.

Birdie Wood, 30, sold all her belongings and set off on an epic seven-month trip with her two daughters – Fifer, six, and Mavie, four – in February

The family traveled to Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Morocco, Indonesia and Egypt, spending about a month in each country

She is now preparing for delivery in December 2024 and will remain there to create a ‘home base’.

Birdie, a content creator originally from Eureka, California, said, “It’s been an incredible adventure. It’s given me newfound confidence in motherhood.

‘My girls and I will never forget this trip.

‘We’ve had the most epic adventures – it’s been a huge blessing.

“We made memories that will last a lifetime. That special time with the girls before we had a baby was magical.”

Birdie decided she wanted to go on an adventure with her two daughters and discover different cultures.

She decided to sell her three-bedroom family home in Charlotte, North Carolina, and all of her belongings and embark on a seven-month backpacking trip around the world.

In April, Birdie discovered she was pregnant in Morocco after a brief relationship with a friend

She continued backpacking with her two daughters and returned to the US in August after completing the seven-month trip

She is now preparing for delivery in December 2024 and will remain there and create a ‘home base’

Birdie said: ‘One of the reasons we decided to go was because we realised the house wasn’t for us.

‘It drained my savings and it became a headache to maintain the house.

‘We loved the house, but there were so many problems that we sold it.

‘Fifer is being homeschooled so that Mavie can continue and practice child-centered homeschooling.’

The first location the trio went to was Barcelona, ​​Spain, where they stayed for a month.

Birdie said this was their favorite part of the trip and that everyone made them feel welcome.

She said: ‘I noticed a huge difference in how welcoming everything felt.

‘In the US, it’s considered annoying when your children act like children. Even if they smile, you get a strange look.

Birdie, a content creator originally from Eureka, California, said, “It’s been an incredible adventure, it’s helped me find new confidence in motherhood.”

Birdie decided she wanted to take her two daughters on an adventure and discover different cultures

She decided to sell her three-bedroom family home in Charlotte, North Carolina, and all of their belongings to embark on a seven-month backpacking trip around the world.

‘We felt very welcome and at ease.

“We wanted to explore different things and it was easy and convenient to get around.”

After a month in Spain, the family traveled to Portugal, Italy, Indonesia and Morocco, before ending their trip in France.

While in Morocco, Birdie discovered she was pregnant, after a brief relationship with an old girlfriend.

She said: ‘I surprisingly got pregnant, which was a shock.

‘The hardest part was in the first few months, when we spent a lot of time in the apartment and just chilled out.

‘During my first trimester, the trip from Morocco to Indonesia was quite a challenge.

‘It was an extremely long flight and there was little opportunity to sleep.’

Instead of returning to the US, Birdie wanted to continue the journey with her two daughters.

Birdie said Fifer and Mavie had a great time and the only trouble they had was deciding who would sit by the window.

After a month in Spain, the family left for Portugal, Italy, Indonesia and Morocco, before ending their trip in France

While in Morocco, Birdie discovered she was pregnant after a brief relationship with an old friend

After backpacking around the world for seven months, Birdie and her two daughters returned to the US in August

She said: ‘The girls loved it, they travelled really well.’

‘They love adventure and flying.

‘One challenge was that they were arguing over who got the window seat.

Another difficulty was finding the right food for the girls.

‘They both have to eat gluten-free, and that’s not so easy if you don’t speak the language.’

After backpacking around the world for seven months, Birdie and her two daughters returned to the US in August.

Birdie says she is grateful for the “adventure of a lifetime,” but is also happy to be back home in her familiar surroundings.

She said, “We’re staying with family while we sort things out.”

‘I have to adjust my homeschool registration, buy a car, and find a place to live.

‘I think I missed certain comforts during my pregnancy.

‘When you’re pregnant, you constantly crave the food you grew up with that wasn’t available abroad.

“In the US, life is a lot easier than in other countries. The hardest thing for me was the huge change of environment.”