About a year ago, I was awarded a sabbatical from my normal teaching duties for Fall semester, 2009. Upon notification, my wife and I had the luxury of deciding how to spend this semester. If at all possible, we thought it would be good for everyone in the family, including our daughters, Ellie (5) and Annika (then 3), to travel abroad. An opportunity to teach outside of Edinburgh, Scotland opened, and we accepted.
We now are near the end of this adventure. It has been difficult at times, and there have been some rough patches (like when Annika got car sick and when everyone but me had swine flu at the same time), but, overall, we are thankful for our experiences. Not only have we experienced life in a 300-year-old palace living with students, but we have travelled to the Scottish Highlands (twice), southwest Ireland, and London.
Overall, we want to communicate the message that you CAN travel with children, even overseas, even for an extended time. And, travel abroad CAN be a wonderful experience for EVERYONE.
We believe this is an important message to convey because we have now realized that many people think it is difficult or inappropriate to travel with children. We have heard many stories of people saying things like “London is not a good city for kids” (or pick any other location). Who says? Every location on the earth presents a multitude of learning experiences for everyone in the family, IF one looks for such opportunities. It is foolish to expect that one can travel in the same way with kids as without. When one has a family, one’s old life is gone, and one has to think about others as well. Thus, part of the reason why I think our travel experience has been successful is that we have tried to think of locations or activities that everyone will enjoy or at least to mix up activities so that everyone has the opportunity to do what they want. Thus, we by-passed going to Germany in favor of going to Aviemore in the Scottish Highlands because there was a folk museum, horse riding, and sheepdog presentations in close proximity. In London, we by-passed seeing the changing of the guards for going to the Science Museum. In Edinburgh, we by-passed seeing a lot of art so that the kids can go to family-friendly art activities, which most major museums seem to have. And, kids CAN be good travelers en route, as well, provided that the adults make it a priority to plan ahead with activities that are kid-friendly and spend their time making certain that their kids are doing well. Again, this takes a bit more effort, but it IS possible.
Some might suggest that all this is not worth the headache, but if one wants to help develop a child, what could be more enriching than an opportunity away? Our kids now know, experientially, so many things that other kids don’t know, such as what it’s like to be in a place where they are the only ones who speak differently, what it’s like to take a subway, what it’s like to be in a REAL palace, how people use different words but still convey a message meaningfully, how different parts of the world approach life differently, etc. Our family has created a meaningful memory together that we now will be able to refer back to for years. We have been forced to depend on each other, forging a family bond that is unique in these times. In particular, our girls have had to become close friends, hopefully establishing a relationship that will be meaningful for years ahead. We have spent considerable time with our kids when they are young enough to still want to spend time with us. We all have been challenged to learn and explore new things, expanding ourselves greatly in the process. And, for all the touristy things we’ve missed, we’ve had a deeper experience with the real culture, as kids often have gotten us into places and relationships that are closer to the people of the communities we’ve visited.
So, I just want to encourage people to take the travel plunge. It may be one of the best things you ever do for your kids, and yourself, in your entire life.