Our family has finally arrived in Shenyang, China safely. 
When we left our apartment in the US this summer, we had 8 suitcases, 2 car seats, a wagon, 4 carry-on bags and our 2 children.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
You can still check the IG story on our journey: Moving to Shenyang from the US on my IG Highlights, if you would like to see it.
Flying with small children
Our daughters are 7 and 4 years old. They did such a great job taking 3 flights across the globe.
A quick picture at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
Here are our flights from the US to Shenyang, China;
・Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport →Atlanta (2 hours)
・Atlanta → Seoul, South Korea (15 hours plus 7 hours transit)
・Seoul, South Korea → Shenyang, China (2 hours)
I’ve often been asked, “Isn’t it hard flying with small children such a long flight?” Yes it was! But that was until when my children were about 3 years old. But now they have gotten used to taking long flights, and I feel it has become much easier. 
Things that I do with my children before our trip.
Of course, I get a bit overwhelmed when a moving date is approaching, but I try to find time to talk to my children about the reasons why we will move and that we will have a lot of flights to move to the next country.
For example,
- Which country (domestic trip as well) we are moving to. We also watch some Youtube videos to learn about the city and the country.
- How many flights we will have.
- We will sleep in the plane. But there will be snacks and meals that we can enjoy!
But the most fun part of preparing for a trip is to let my children pack their carry-on bags themselves.
They pack things that make them calm and feel happy during the flights, such as their blankets, favorite stuffed toys, a notebook, crayons, a sticker book, a fan and a pair of sun grasses, etc. Just please do not pack scissors!
I always tell them that they can only bring only one backpack, and it is their responsibility to carry them during our move. But in the end, we often as parents have to carry them though.
How we spend our time during long flights
Basically, I let my children make themselves at home during the flight. But of course I will tell them to watch their feet and not kick the seat in front of them.
My oldest took long flights to Japan from the US when she was 9 months old to meet her grand parents.
I carried her and walked the aisle back and forth after the seatbelt sign was off. But my daughter was very curious about everything during the flights.
My wish has been the same since my daughter took her first flight: that my children be in a good mood… Now they enjoy watching movies and playing games during the flights.
Enjoying the meal, pasta at 2AM.
I will just tell them when they look tired to rest a little bit.
We love the view above the clouds!🌏
Waiting 7 hours at the airport in Seoul, South Korea. Doing some crafts and watching iPad.
We love trying local products as much as we can! ✨
Arrived at Shenyang Taoxian International Airport
We arrived at Shenyang Taoxian International Airport around 2PM local time.
Shenyang Taoxian International Airport
After we passed immigration, we were welcomed by my husband’s co-workers, “Welcome to Shenyang!” I was really relieved when we met them outside of the airport.
The first thing that I noticed was that the roads and sidewalks are so wide. It looks like you can walk safely but the motorbikes are allowed to drive on the sidewalk, so we really need to watch out, especially when you walk with small children. I always tell my children to walk together, and hold hands.
I started thinking about asking the staff how they are liking the city, life and school etc., but I was just so exhausted at the time.
And I when I heard my kids in high spirits and laughing so hard in the car, I felt relieved of my burden.
I think it will take longer to get started with my favorite wagashi making until we settle down and adjust to this whole new environment.
But it is ok, it’s all right. One step at a time.
Thank you for reading my blog!
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