When I was a kid my family didn't travel at all, and when I say we didn't travel at all, I mean we went on zero vacations. Not only did we go on zero vacations we never even stayed in a hotel once, not one night! I knew when I grew up I wanted to travel. I knew when I had kids I wanted them to see as much of the world as we could show them. When my husband and I met we started going on trips almost immediately (our first was a trip to Florida 3 months after meeting). We traveled as much as we could before having kids (we started having kids at 25 so we didn't get to travel as much as someone that waited longer to have kids). We went to the west coast several times, traveled many destinations on the east coast, two cruises (got engaged on the first), and our favorite trip was Paris, France. Once our first child was born we were determined to continue to travel. We knew it would be more difficult with a baby, but we wanted her to see the world and get the travel bug from an early age. Our son was born two years later and he too has been bitten by the travel bug.
Both are kids are great travelers and pretty much always have been. It hasn't always been super easy, there were hours spent walking a toddler up and down the aisle on a plane while flying cross country, there were years spent with a child who got car sick and threw up on every road trip longer then 20 minutes, there was a cruise with two toddlers that got stuck in a country longer then it should of resulting in missed flights and super cranky kids. But there were also huge smiles when my kids had their toes in the hot sand of the Caribbean in February. There were smiles so big you'd think their faces would split when they saw their favorite Disney characters in a Disney parade. There were days spent exploring new cities, new parks, new countries. There were late nights spent in hotel pools swimming under the stars. The list goes on and on. Of course my kids don't remember the trips they took as babies and toddlers, but I do. And we always took pictures and videos and they now get to watch themselves discover and explore all the places they saw.
As they have gotten older we let them help decide where we will go on our next adventures. My daughter really wanted to go to Quebec, Canada this summer, a place we probably wouldn't of gone, but we all loved it.
Both are kids are great travelers and pretty much always have been. It hasn't always been super easy, there were hours spent walking a toddler up and down the aisle on a plane while flying cross country, there were years spent with a child who got car sick and threw up on every road trip longer then 20 minutes, there was a cruise with two toddlers that got stuck in a country longer then it should of resulting in missed flights and super cranky kids. But there were also huge smiles when my kids had their toes in the hot sand of the Caribbean in February. There were smiles so big you'd think their faces would split when they saw their favorite Disney characters in a Disney parade. There were days spent exploring new cities, new parks, new countries. There were late nights spent in hotel pools swimming under the stars. The list goes on and on. Of course my kids don't remember the trips they took as babies and toddlers, but I do. And we always took pictures and videos and they now get to watch themselves discover and explore all the places they saw.
As they have gotten older we let them help decide where we will go on our next adventures. My daughter really wanted to go to Quebec, Canada this summer, a place we probably wouldn't of gone, but we all loved it.
I was recently listening to a radio interview with a singer who has children, he was saying how grateful he is to be able to bring his children to so many amazing places (having grown up poor himself). Then he mentioned that travel opens up your mind, and that just hit the nail on the head for me. You can definitely see a difference in people that have pretty much stayed in the same place their entire lives, and those that have gotten out there and seen different places, eaten different foods, were able to see how other people lived, experienced different cultures. Through travel you have such a broad understanding of the diversity of people and culture and I think it leaves you more open minded.
Of course the main reason to travel is it is fun! Whether it's relaxing on a beach, spending the day in an overpriced theme park, visiting a national park, going to a different country, or trying something new that you could never do at home, it all comes down to fun for me!
We are in the process of planning our summer travel now. Not quite sure where it will take us, but I am sure that wherever it is (near or far), it will definitely be an adventure! Where are you planning on traveling next?
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