We made it to London! After a long travel day—with a layover in Chicago and a red-eye flight across the Atlantic—I’m feeling so grateful for my little sidekick.

Thanks to using miles, we were able to get a free flight for this trip (thank you, travel hacking!). The routing wasn’t ideal, but it didn’t matter—because my daughter was an absolute champion traveler.

She wasn’t feeling her best on the flights, and unfortunately, our first day in London started off with a sick kid. But even through that, she stayed cheerful and tried to rally. She amused herself on the plane with the Nintendo Switch, watched movies, and did her best to get some sleep so we could tackle the jet lag. Once we landed, she powered through as much as she could and still managed to enjoy herself—smiling, laughing, and soaking in the adventure when she had the energy.

I know travel can be hard on kids, and every trip is different, but I want to take a moment to celebrate how wonderfully she handled this one. She’s becoming such a seasoned traveler, and I’m so lucky to get to explore the world with her.

Here’s to many more adventures—through jet lag, layovers, and even sniffles.