I never thought going on a camping-trip would be a big deal.
Yet here I am, working 3 days to get ready for just an overnighter.
It’s just a little different now. Where I use to be an unorganised mess, now I’m an unorganised mess with a baby.
Not blaming the baby!
But it does take me a fair while to get ready and hit the road.
And once I do, I carry enough gear to not turn around at the end of that road, to just keep on going.
Very tempting I tell ye!
But right now I can not.
I’m in a different world alright. And if I wasn’t too tired/busy to notice I might have had trouble adjusting.
As it is, all I wanted to do, was take Tara camping.
Especially after seeing a few people come through living the life…
So one weekend in March, it seemed as good as any other,
I loaded all the gear on the bicycle and realised it has been over a year (!!!) since I’ve slept in my own tent.
Crazy I know.
So we headed off up the road, lucky all around my hometown is lovely bicycle-riding territory. 
It’s called; “the Netherlands”
Sure, if you’re looking for spectacular Mountains and wide open spaces, maybe not quite the place to be,
although;
Here’s a wide open space.
And here’s a hill,
of sorts.
Anyways, if you haven’t had a lot of excercise lately,
or if you’re a baby and you don’t want to sit in the trailer for hours on end,
this is a pretty good place.
It started a little wet and grey.
But we were treated to a few rays of sunshine on the first day!
And we were not alone!
By the time we got to the campground and installed ourselves,
a few other ladies were arriving too.
And not just any old lady, with a combined mileage of around 150.000km no one is too new to bicycle touring here.
There’s Susanne, Myrthe, Danielle, Gitta and Melinda. Every single one with many stories and many more plans.
Super handy this Facebook-stuff! And great to catch up with some like-minded souls.
We all managed to set up camp, and were lucky enough to have a kitchen available as the downpour started not long after..
(And that, by the way, is a tip. If you ever find yourself cycling in the Netherlands there’s 133 “Nature-campgrounds” that are probably as close to Nature as you will get while still having a hot shower and, in this case, an indoor kitchen!)
And down it poured.
What a noise!
It is so great to be in a tent, knowing you’re gonna get through the night dry, and enjoy the sounds of rain.
Tara loved it.
Or well, at least she slept. So I just assume it wasn’t bothering her.
And the rain was perfect. It had stopped in the morning when it was time to pack up,
and we all headed off in different directions again.
pic by Susanne
My direction was over the Hoge Veluwe -National Park.
And the weather couldn’t have been more perfect.
It was sunny with a slight breeze, 
Maybe a little chilly if you’re sitting still for a long time. But I did not do that (…)
We even found a hut to have a picnic!
It’s very handy, this Burley-trailer.
Not just for cycling,
(..in fact if your child is under 1 year old, especially not for cycling… I’ve been told..)
But for walking!
It’s so light you can push it with one finger and you can carry a whole bunch of gear that you might need while going for a walk. 
Or you can bring a friend.
It even fits across the bridge.
I’m enjoying this time here.
Spring is slowly starting to show
And there is enough to see & do around here for the time being… 
And Tara is having a ball.
No, actually…
Cycling Dutch Girl 
Geweldig, schitterende foto’s ook weer! Grappig; volgens mij heb ik nog nooit gereageerd terwijl je zo dichtbij was :-).
Love you both…
Wish I had thought to do that when my now 16 yr old was just a baby! So glad your still doing your thing and sharing it with she who will become an adventurer in this world too!
I’m pretty sure, with a bit of folding, you’ll get a 16 yr old in one of those trailers too 😉
It’s happening :-). Like many of us thought it would.
Wat onwijs leuk! Wat een poepie, kan er naar uitkijken dat ze in de wielsporen van haar moeder fietst en haar eerste blog op internet zet. Goed voorbeeld doet goed volgen 🙂
So cute !!! Cheers Heike
Brilliant 😀
What a magnificent glimpse into the world already, sweet Tara! Hope to join you someday!
life looks good when you are cyle-camping with Tara!
Beautiful story of a nice little adventure. Your way of writing is very entertaining 🙂
❤
: ) nice to see you out, enjoying what you love, take care xx
prachtig om te zien en om op deze wijze mee te mogen maken
nog veel mooie dagen en tochten als deze toegewenst!
Ronald
Oh wat schattig, erg prachtige foto’s! En heel erg mooi beschreven. Heel veel fijne tochten wens ik jullie toe!
Fantastic, so inspiring! Lucky baby to have such a cool mum! 💙
So beautiful! Thank you for sharing.
I loved the photos, especially the first with the Globe. 🙂
Your pictures are outstanding and draws those of us reading your blog into a beautiful relationship between mother and daughter. You are a wonderful mom and our little Tara is our precious jewel. We love you.
Leuk Mirjam! Fijn dat je het weer probeert. Maar, als reizende moeder, zou ik je een tip willen geven: Je hebt te veel spullen. Hoe meer je hebt, hoe langer je nodig hebt om in te pakken. 😉 Hopelijk zien we jullie gauw on the road! Groetjes uit Tehuacan! Peter, Petra, Ben en Esmé
So fun to see Tara and you out camping…and cycling!!!
Always destint to be a great mother/motivator. Your daugther will be a great adventurer under your guidence lady. Take care Lass.
Ah, dat klinkt als een heerlijk avontuur!
Amazing.
Your tiny fragment of eternity has changed my world. Mahalo nui loa.
Beautiful adventure! You are so beatiful!
Genieten samen, prachtig
How fun!!!! Looks like a great time!
Mirjam & Tara; Your Love of Living Life to the Full is a Great Inspiration to me “Thanks”, and “Happy Trails”, Hugs, * Harley”
That’s awesome that you took Tara camping. I wish i had parents as cool as you when I was younger!
Mirjam,
As an avid cyclist, I read a lot of blogs on two wheels. But your one? And this post? Never thought that I would see some images like these. And the kid is heavenly. I wish I could be a mate of yours.
Keep cycling, dear 🙂
What a wonderful trip!
Came here by accident. What you do and how you do it is incredible. Muchos respectos to you 🙂 Greetings from Germany.
Wow, beautiful pictures and beautiful baby. You both look amazing. That’s wonderful what you are doing I wish I had the strength to do it with my little one when he was a baby. But I have a bike and a carriage now so I’m hoping for the future. 🙂 Greetings from Sweden
Love you both.
Babies are so cut. Although they are young, they also also cherish this memory forever I believe