We recently went on a trip to Mexico and had a wonderful time. Doug and I traveled a lot before we had kids, and we made it a conscious decision to travel now as a family. We didn’t want to stop seeing the world because we have little kiddos, we wanted to show them the world! Above is a photo from last summer when Roman is less then six months old. We traveled to my hometown of Newfoundland, Canada. The plane flights are about 10 hours total, but it worth it to take my boys to my hometown and create memories for them, so it becomes a part of who they are. Below is a beach my husband grew up going to. It is about a 6 hour car trip from Orange County, and Roman hates road trips at his age, but all the stops to let him out of his car seat just became part of the adventure; part of our memories.
I thought I would break down a little bit of wisdom I have gained through my travels into my top 3 pieces of advice for you:
1. GO. I think many times we make excuses for a vacation. It is expensive. The kids have school. It is so much effort. I always remind myself that the days blur into weeks, but the one week you travel and see the world, you will always remember. It doesn’t have to be some exotic get away. My husband grew up seeing America in his family RV and many of his greatest stories are on the side of the road with his family when the thing broke down.
2. THE KIDS WILL RISE TO THE OCCASION. I remember the first time we took our boys to Italy. A 12 hour flight followed by a 5 hour car ride. I was dreading the travel a month before we left. But you know what, we survived. We made it. Yes, there were melt downs in the customs line, but it was worth it. We have the greatest memories of swimming in the green grotto with my little kiddos and I will cherish them forever.
3. BE ORGANIZED. As a mom, you are packing for the whole family. You have to think about everyone. I like to make a list a few days before we leave, and as we go about our normal day, I remember things they use and need and I add them to the list. This way, I have a few days to think about everything and everyone, and it saves me from being stressed out the night before we travel.
Christie says
Thank you for this post! It’s a great encouragement to go for it and make memories!!