Reflections: On Family Travel
There’s nothing quite like seeing the world through the eyes of your children. The way they light up at the things you might take for granted, watching them try new foods, or hear new music – makes you see things you have never seen before and changes your worldview. But travel with children is certainly not easy, especially when they are really young. The planning, packing, logistics, jet lag, and cultural adjustments can at times feel overwhelming, but in the end there’s a reason we undertake the ardor. Some of us continue to travel with our kids to catch glimpses of the world as we did pre-parenthood, but more-so, we do it to show our children the beauty of the world in hopes that they too can become global citizens of their own one day.
A frequent topic of conversation we often ask ourselves is “will they even remember this?” Admittedly, it’s something I’ve uttered myself a time too many - usually when the trip seems most daunting, or when I think a little too hard about just how long the flights are. After all, my first travel memories are from when I was 9 or 10 years old, despite having been on the road much younger. I like to think of these trips as compound interest: maybe they won't remember that specific trip or a specific experience, but the repeated exposure and experiences will eventually shape the person that they ultimately become. While traveling, they learn how to navigate the world, communicate across cultures, and keep an open mind about those that live differently from us. We took our son to Paris when he was two years old, and to this day almost 2 years later, he still recognizes the Eiffel Tower. Will he remember exactly how he first saw it? Probably not. But we will.
Every family that travels will develop their own traditions, whether it’s a specific type of souvenir that you collect, or even a specific type of trip. You’ll hear in our podcast, Gray’s most cherished childhood memories come from visiting the same Jamaican resort for years, watching life and experiences transform as he and his siblings grew. A favorite of ours is to take pictures of things that catch our son’s eye while out and about, then returning to our hotel and drawing those pictures into a travel journal. It’s a fun way to see the types of things he liked at each age, but also serves as a unique keepsake that we can look back on in years to come.
When you travel with children you leave behind the reputation of someone who cared to learn about the world around them, and inspired your children to do the same. You don’t need to take them halfway around the world to expose them to something new - it can be a road trip to a different climate or region of your own country where things may be done just a little differently. Never underestimate the impact of a change of scenery. In the end, there will be fun trips, inspiring trips, stressful trips, exhausting trips, and unforgettable trips - and every single one of them will be well worth it.
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Photo Credit: Syllogi
