Have Kids, Will Travel. Just Not To Disney World.
I am one of those parents who consider a trip to Disney pure punishment. Instead, Our family trips (I have 2 daughters) are culture & foodie fueled getaways designed for parents and kids to get inspired and have a blast. At this stage in my life, I spend every extra dollar on international travel with my kids. Why? Wanderlust defines me. Since the age of 14, I have finagled international trips-air courier, exchange student, covering fashion shows for magazines-on a whim. I have ridden elephants in Thailand, driven to Morocco from northern France, Hitch hiked through Spain and stayed in the Sex & The City suite at Plaza Athenee, Paris. Then, I had kids. Glamorous getaways came to a screeching halt. For five years, travel –if we dared-was based on the availability of kid camps. Then, as if by magic, everything changed. Diapers and strollers became accouterments of the past. International travel was on the horizon.
For the past four years we have dedicated three weeks off the summer to globetrotting. Provence? Budapest? London? Florence? Corsica? We have divided and conquered them all. Yes , the process of planning such a getaway is daunting. It requires research and effort. But, as a working mom of two, I can attest to the do- ability factor. And the payoff. Travelling requires kids to step outside their comfort zone. Seeing and doing the unexpected inspires question asking and curiosity on every front. Engagement and interaction (versus burying one’s nose in an iPad) is the foundation of learning.
There are rules. The kids have to try every type of food I give them and cannot moan and complain about lifestyle differences. E.g. eating late, siesta, (nothing open from 2-4), annoying cigarette smoke, slow service. And, before we go, they have to fill out worksheets about where we are visiting and historical significance of each location. This way, they are invested in the trip. This year we have an incredible itinerary: Iceland, Amsterdam, Spain, Morocco and England.
Fasten your seatbelts! I’ll be blogging from the road, so stay tuned!