🌎 Summer Trip 2025 — Chicago & Mexico ( Part 2 )

Part 2 — Mexico

After our week in Chicago, we headed to Mexico.

This time, I couldn’t book an overnight flight, but I felt more confident. We had everyone with us — my sister, her kids, my brother-in-law, and Marcelo. Having that kind of support changes everything.

Our flight was delayed a few hours, but we stayed calm. Marcelo walked around with Felipe, keeping him distracted and happy, while Bella found her own ways to stay entertained. We were a team — everyone helped each other.

When we finally landed, we met up with the rest of our family — my parents and Marcelo’s parents — and the vacation really began.

Arriving at the hotel was overwhelming at first: crowds, music, excitement everywhere. Felipe got agitated, but we took it slow and helped him adjust. Eventually, we settled in and started enjoying ourselves.

And yes — if you saw the photos — Marcelo, and I were proudly wearing our The Special Kind T-shirts. They’re not just comfortable — they start conversations. People notice them, and sometimes it’s enough for them to pause, smile, or show kindness. It’s a small thing that helps others recognize that Felipe might need patience or understanding — and that awareness truly matters.

The days were full of sunshine, laughter, and those little moments that make trips unforgettable — but like always, not without challenges. Felipe needed breaks, quiet spaces, and sometimes, a full reset. My mom would help by taking him back to the room when things got too loud or hot. I always feel a bit guilty when that happens, but she’s happy to do it — that’s the beauty of family.

Traveling with Felipe takes patience and flexibility. There’s always that voice in my head asking, What if he cries? What if people stare? What if we can’t do everything? But I’ve learned to quiet that voice with gratitude. Because even when it’s hard — it’s always worth it.

Traveling has always been one of my favorite things to do. I’m constantly planning the next trip. I know that as Felipe grows, it might get harder, so I try to stay present and enjoy each moment we can share. Whenever we can bring help, we will. Whenever we can make it work, we’ll go.

It’s not perfect. But it’s ours.
And every time we go — I’m always glad we did. 💛

Author’s Note

If you’re a parent of a child with disabilities or sensory challenges and the idea of traveling scares you — I get it.

It’s hard. It takes planning, patience, and a lot of energy. You’ll probably overthink every step, worry about every detail, and imagine everything that could go wrong. I do that too — every single time.

But I’ve learned that even when things aren’t perfect, even when we have to adjust, pause, or skip something — it’s still worth it. The memories we make, the small victories, the moments of laughter… they stay with us.

We don’t travel because it’s easy.
We travel because we want Felipe — and Bella — to see the world, to feel included, and to live experiences that make them smile.

And because, in the end, we always come back tired but happy — grateful we did it.

If you’ve been waiting for the “perfect time” to go somewhere, this is your sign: just try. Go slowly, plan carefully, and bring help when you can. But go.

It won’t be perfect.
But it will be yours. 💛

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