Sarah Noack, a 26-year-old single mother from Frankfurt, Germany, has spent the past three years traveling the world with her baby, Luana. She took advantage of her three-year paid maternity leave to explore 17 different countries.
Noack, who worked as a flight attendant, discovered she was pregnant with her first child in 2021. Airline regulations prohibited her from working during pregnancy, so she was placed on maternity leave. Her employer also allowed extended leave for breastfeeding, enabling her to receive her full salary without working.
“Flight attendants aren’t allowed to work when they are pregnant at the airline I was with, so I was still having a full salary but not working,” Noack explained to SWNS. She added, “I have been on parental leave since my daughter was born, and we have a breastfeeding policy where you get your whole salary while breastfeeding.”
Seeing this as an opportunity for adventure, Noack decided to travel with her newborn daughter. Their journey began when Luana was just two weeks old, with a trip to Barcelona, Spain. Since then, Luana took her first steps on a beach in Bali and said her first words in Indonesia.
Despite the challenges of traveling with a baby, Noack found it easier than maintaining a routine in Germany. “Backpacking hasn’t been difficult with a baby as she was so small, but it is getting harder now that she is getting bigger and has started running around,” she said.
Over the last two and a half years, they have visited numerous countries, including spending a month in Thailand, two months in Portugal, and three weeks in Cambodia. Noack’s favorite destination was Nepal, which she found stunningly beautiful and culturally rich. “The country blew me away. It was beautiful and so different from every other place I have ever been to,” she shared.
Now a freelance social media manager, Noack also hosts a podcast called “Hot Mum Things,” where she discusses her experiences as a full-time traveling mom. She has amassed over 60,000 followers on Instagram, where she shares daily insights into her global adventures with Luana.
