• When Victoria Lamson's son was 10 months old, she took him on a trip to Ireland, the UK, and France.
• She and her husband planned ahead, investing in a sturdy stroller and calling hotels in advance.
• For the most part, they felt Europe was more child-friendly than the US.

When my husband and I first announced that we were bringing our 10-month-old son with us on a two-week European vacation, we got very mixed reviews.

Some friends and family said our timing was perfect: Deacon wasn't walking or talking yet, so it'd be easier to travel with him. Others thought it was a big mistake. Lugging around a stroller and dealing with tantrums — all while navigating unfamiliar cities — seemed miserable to them. Plus, they told us, Deacon would be too young to remember any of it. What was the point?

But even before I became pregnant, Mike and I agreed that we didn't want to isolate ourselves like so many newborn parents do. While we didn't know what to expect with our first child, we wanted to include him in our normal travel plans rather than living a strictly child-focused lifestyle.

We started small. One of our first excursions was a road trip from our home in San Francisco to visit family in LA when Deacon was two months old. As he got a little older, we saw that Deacon is a very chill individual. He rarely fussed and easily napped in his stroller.

So in 2019, we planned a trip to Ireland, the UK, and France. While it required a little more planning and was slower-paced than vacations before parenthood, it became one of our favorite ones.

A little prep made the trip smoother

When we went on our LA road trip, we invested in a Babyzen Yoyo stroller, made by a French brand. While it cost around $450, which is on the pricey end, it was worth it: it smoothly rolls over cobblestone streets and easily fits into an overhead bin. Six years later, we still use it with our second baby.

To set us up for success, I called some services in advance. Most long-haul flights offer limited bassinets for babies in rows with extra space, but those seats usually need to be reserved ahead of time. I also reached out to our hotels to make sure they had cribs they could bring out, and a car service in Dublin — our first destination — provided us with a car seat suitable for an infant.

The only unexpected snag was using my breast pump abroad. Because Deacon was older and already eating solid foods, my milk supply was lower and I didn't really need the pump as much. Still, as a first-time mom, I brought it because it's recommended by pediatricians to continue pumping for a full year and I wanted to do everything right.

I had a European outlet adapter, but I forgot about the wattage differences. When I plugged the pump in, it got completely fried. Luckily, I had Deacon with me for those few weeks and could make more stops to breastfeed him.

Europe was more child-friendly than home

Overall, Europe was very kid-friendly. London was easy to stroll through and full of parks we could stop at with Deacon.

We also didn't feel out of place bringing a baby to an Irish pub, even on St. Patrick's Day. Culturally, it's more of a norm to bring kids to bars and other "adult" spaces in Europe than it is in the US.

Out of everywhere we went, Paris was the hardest place to navigate; due to the city's style of architecture, we had to climb spiral staircases in bistros and brasseries when changing diapers. Still, the culture made us feel welcome. Our hotel surprised us with a beautiful crib and a teddy bear for Deacon.

It was such a stark difference from San Francisco. More often than not, there isn't a changing table in the bathroom. And when you can find one, it's only in the women's restroom, as if it's not also a father's responsibility to care for his child.

In contrast, we went to a very old restaurant in a small Irish seaside town. When I walked into the tiny bathroom, I was surprised to find fold-away changing tables in all the stalls.

Europe's positive attitude toward children and families is such a big draw. Even slight accommodations make such a huge difference when we travel.

We did everything we wanted

The experience taught us that we don't have to put our lives on hold with kids. When Deacon got sleepy on the trip, we just bundled him up in his stroller and used the opportunity to relax at a cafe.

After Europe, we went to a family timeshare in Tulum, Mexico at the end of 2019 — another wonderful vacation. In 2022, we took Deacon with us on a road trip around Atlanta, Savannah, and Charleston.

While it's tougher to travel with two kids now — our 17-month-old daughter is less easygoing than Deacon was at that age — we still take staycations and go out with our children.

Looking back, going to Europe was more fun because Deacon was with us, not in spite of it. It felt so special to have him with us, and we'll always hold on to those memories of early parenthood very fondly.

• A Delta Air Lines flight unexpectedly stopped in Dublin on Wednesday.
• A man in his 30s was arrested after an incident on board, the Irish police told Business Insider.
• The Delta flight eventually continued to Atlanta, where it landed nearly three hours late.

Delta Air Lines passengers had an unexpected layover on Wednesday when their transatlantic flight diverted to Dublin.

Flight DL83 was 90 minutes into its journey from Paris to Atlanta when it changed course toward Ireland, data from Flightradar24 shows.

The Airbus A330, which had departed nearly 20 minutes late, then spent nearly two hours in the Irish capital.

Images shared on social media appeared to show a man being led off the plane in handcuffs.

Ireland's police force, An Garda Síochána, told Business Insider it charged a man in his 30s after being arrested following an incident on an aircraft. The man was due to appear in court that afternoon.

In a statement shared with BI, Delta said the plane had to stop in Dublin to remove an "unruly customer."

Aviation A2Z reported the fire service was standing by at Dublin Airport because the plane had to make an overweight landing. It couldn't dump fuel, given it was set to continue flying across the Atlantic.

Dublin Airport did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by BI.

The plane left Dublin before landing in Atlanta at 3:31 p.m. ET — almost three hours later than scheduled.

"Delta has zero tolerance for unruly behavior and will work with law enforcement authorities to that end," the airline said in its statement. "We apologize to our customers for the delay in their travel."

This wasn't the first time a transatlantic flight has had to divert to Ireland.

In May, a United Airlines flight from Zurich to Chicago turned around after a passenger's laptop got stuck in their seat — posing a potential fire risk due to its lithium battery.

And back in 2019, a Condor flight from Germany to Mexico diverted to Ireland after a pilot spilled coffee on the plane's controls.