Will travel jade DS's awe of the world?

[niccig]

We travel a lot. DS has more frequent flyer miles than many adults. I was talking to seat partner on recent international flight and he was late 30's and first time out of the country. He was so excited. We just spent 1 week with friends in Italy, and it is their first visit internationally. They loved every second. I have seen all these places before, and while I still enjoyed our time, I didn't have same response, but I remember I did on my first visit when I was late 20's.

DS is 6 and has done 5 international flights- par for the course when my family live overseas. Most have been to Australia. Sometime in next 2 years, we will visit my sister in London and travel in UK. DH and I have wanderlust, we met traveling, and we can not wait to take DS to more places. We have a list. He will not be late 20's or older, and on first visit to Europe.

I wonder if seeing the world at a young age will not have same impact of awe as it did me as older adult. There are benefits of being younger, DS will see different cultures, different experiences. He is already very flexible with travel (regular 14 hour flights have caused that). But I wonder if he will have same reaction as my friends who got off the metro in Rome right in front of the colleseum and were shocked speechless.

Thoughts?

[SnuggleBuggles]

My first thought is that he won't remember these trips. He will kind of remember them and be able to tell people he has been to them. Looking at the pictures from the trip and talking about the trips will make them more memorable but it won't be the same as traveling when older. It's kind of maddening how ds1 doesn't remember trips we have been on but I was the same way. Bits and pieces are in there. So, he will be seeing some things for the "first" time even when he is older. He'll just have the added bonus of being a more savvy traveler.

Beth

[wellyes]

I think it's better to have a child who has an idea of the immense scale and diversity of the world than one who thinks his own neighborhood is the center of the universe. The humility and sense of adventures that you get from traveling young is at least as useful as the thrill of starting later.

[boolady]

I think it's better to have a child who has an idea of the immense scale and diversity of the world than one who thinks his own neighborhood is the center of the universe. The humility and sense of adventures that you get from traveling young is at least as useful as the thrill of starting later.

:yeahthat: I think there's also the bonus of not being afraid of travel in the way that some people who never get to really travel until their mid- to late adulthood have reservations about undertaking significant travel. He'll be very comfortable with the whole experience, in addition to the benefits wellyes noted.

[pb&j]

There's always somewhere new to go, and there will always be places that will awe and inspire after repeated visits.

[mackmama]

I think it's better to have a child who has an idea of the immense scale and diversity of the world than one who thinks his own neighborhood is the center of the universe. The humility and sense of adventures that you get from traveling young is at least as useful as the thrill of starting later.

:yeahthat: I think exposing a child to different cultures and ways of living is important. However, we probably won't do much international travel while DC is so young, mainly because DC just won't remember it. We don't have family overseas, though.

[sste]

I worry about this too - - and the overprivileged aspect of it and whether DS's future life will fall short in his eyes because most people can't manage as much travel as we currently do.

On the upside, however, in addition to the benefits mentioned I think travel can build a "travel habit" which is valuable because seeing new places/cultures does re-energize us intellectually and alter our perspective. Acc to a talk I heard on NPR last year it is psychologically beneficial to try new things (even as small as dinner at places you have never been but obviously international travel is a mega-dose of that).

Anyway, this is what I do:
1. I do all travel that relates to us seeing family and friends - - so we have been and will go again to the UK because one of my best friends lives there. Our kids have to bend to our lives in this respect.

2. Other than family/friend visits, we are focusing more on domestic travel incl Alaska and Hawaii until our kids are more in the 10-12 range. Given that we have multiple, young kids and DS is a handful I am not sure DH or I would really enjoy Italy or the like until the kids are older. Not true for all families though just thinking about my kids and stress tolerance. Also doing more of the national parks type trips is not only amazing in itself and cheaper :) but it "saves" more international travel as an exciting frontier for those teen-tween years or beyond.

I am not sure there is one way to go. The flip side of the jaded concern is of course the worry that you will end up with a child/adult who is provincial, less diversity-tolerant, and/or intimidated about travel and therefore does less of it (in our global and wired age I think the last of these is the biggest concern).

[kozachka]

I had to laugh at your question. Sorry. So far DS has been to Netherlands, Italy, Sweden, Turkey, Mexico and Ukraine. He's also been to quite a few states, with Hawaii being his favorite. DS did a lot of flying between the ages of 2 and 6 as we lived overseas, and loves, loves to travel. He does great on long, transcontinental flights. If anything, DS would be better prepared to travel when he is young and would want to do it more, now that he's had a taste of what it is. I've been to 34 countries and would love to go to more if we had more time/money to do it. Unfortunately, we are now tied to DS school schedule and can't take advantage of off-season deals as much as we used to.

[kozachka]

There's always somewhere new to go, and there will always be places that will awe and inspire after repeated visits.

I completely agree. I've been to Italy, France, Netherlands and Thailand multiple times and feel like I've barely scratched the surface. Each region and even city are unique. We don't visit these places for more than a week or two at a time, and unless you've spent several months travelling through a country you can't really get to know it (with the exception of Netherlands I guess). Each time I visit, I find another reason to come back.

[SkyrMommy]

I think it's better to have a child who has an idea of the immense scale and diversity of the world than one who thinks his own neighborhood is the center of the universe. The humility and sense of adventures that you get from traveling young is at least as useful as the thrill of starting later.

:yeahthat: Very much that!! DH and I have a list of places we will be travelling with DD. Some of the will be a first for DH and I as well, but some will be repeats. Adventures can be had at any age and the initial thrill may wear off for DD, but I hope the depth of knowledge and understanding of the world will grow.

[JustMe]

As pp's have articulated so wonderfully the benefits of experiencing other cultures/diversity, seeing how other people live far outweigh any negatives IMHO. As far as I am concerned, this is one are where I dont think people should worry about "over-privileging" kids, as I think the rewards are so rich.

[niccig]

Thanks all. I know I am over thinking this. The juxtaposition between the adults of the last week, who had just gotten their passports for first International trip, and DS with his 2 passports, and onto his 2nd USA passport, was a stark contrast.

But, our situation is different with family overseas. We have mostly done family trips, as we want to wait for DS to be older to remember things. I did a side trip with him last year in Sydney and it was great fun. He mentions that trip, and what we did.. I think we will do more of that, side trip as visit family and friends overseas, and work up to what we really want to do - longer backpacking trips.

I do agree that I think it helps DS with trying new things and being flexible. Our friends enjoyed the week traveling, but left all decisions, asking questions, map reading etc, up to us. And we were not somewhere where it is difficult to travel. DS won't be intimidated to be somewhere new. To DS, it is normal to get on a plane for 14 hours to see Granny. Added benefit that any domestic travel is a piece of cake. 8 hour road trip...easy. 5 hour red eye...no problem.

I do worry about the expectation of this lifestyle. Not everyone can do it, and it is something to keep in mind. I would actually like to do more domestic travel over next few years, as I haven't been to many places.

[cilantromapuche]

I grew up traveling all over the world and if anything it is more addicting. I don't think anything of hoping a plane and neither do my children.
I do know friends who as kids who were homebodies and would rather have stayed home that being dragged to see the Sphinx or hike across Scotland (and the pictures prove it).
I have to say that it is good to be comfortable getting around on any mode of public transportation.

[niccig]

I have to say that it is good to be comfortable getting around on any mode of public transportation.

This is true. I came a day after DHand our friends, and they were surprised DH didn't go to airport to get me. They waited at the airport until DH arrived, so he could get them all to the hotel. I called to find out where in the city they were, then got train and subway to get to them.

And I wish to take DS to see the sphinx...what memories you must have.

[n2ou]

We have family overseas, too. My kids spent time in Spain, Germany, Denmark, and England this summer. Since coming back from Europe , we have flown to WY and now have visitors from out of the country.

At one point, my 8 year old had 4 different currencies in her "for travels only" wallet. The older they get, the more they remember. (we have been doing this since my first was 10 weeks old) They have certain spots we have to hit in Germany every year (this is where my family is from).

I love how "small" they think the world is. How they just deal with the flights and hectic for the incredible sights, smells, people that they get to experience.

They might have seen a lot in their young years, so maybe in their twenties they will do something even further, even more out there ...

[amldaley]

I wonder if seeing the world at a young age will not have same impact of awe as it did me as older adult. There are benefits of being younger, DS will see different cultures, different experiences. He is already very flexible with travel (regular 14 hour flights have caused that). But I wonder if he will have same reaction as my friends who got off the metro in Rome right in front of the colleseum and were shocked speechless.

Thoughts?

I was alot like your DS. I had been to England 3 times, Wales, France once, and all over the US before I was 5. I coveted my parents b & w slides they took in Egypt. I asked for a globe for my 7th birthday.

I don't think he will be in "awe" of the world b/c you are training him now that world travel is normal and observing other cultures will be something he is good at vs something he has to adjust to. But I do think that awe, appreciation, acceptance, adjustment, tolerance (all the things a seasoned world traveler posseses) will be easier for him. For me, it began a life long wanderlust which my parents fostered. I don't travel much now due to finances. But I consider one of the greatest gifts my parents ever gave me to be stamps in my passport and the ability to be "a traveler". (I still look at perfectly healthy, normal, "non-encumbered" adults who whine about how taxing travel is and I want to shake them. The discomfort of the ride is so worth the destination.)

[happymom]

I've been to 34 countries and would love to go to more if we had more time/money to do it.

Wow, 34?! I can't even begin to imagine! That's incredible.

[hellokitty]

I think it's better to have a child who has an idea of the immense scale and diversity of the world than one who thinks his own neighborhood is the center of the universe. The humility and sense of adventures that you get from traveling young is at least as useful as the thrill of starting later.

ITA with this. I traveled to taiwan several times as a child and young adult. I got a lot out of it, and what it was like to be in a country with a completely different culture and language. I often wish that they would make high school students in the US travel to a non-english speaking country as part of their graduation req as an exchange student, so they can have a better idea of what things are like in other parts of the world and not be so ethnocentric.

[cilantromapuche]

Heck, just so that they know which countries are in which continents. I can't tell you how many adults don't know which continent countries are in and an idea of which languages they speak.
I know a lot of people who think Africa is a country or it drives me crazy when people say "I've been to Europe". It's a big place out there people!

[elephantmeg]

we travelled a fair amount growing up. We lived in Africa and came back to the US every 3 years and each time took 2 weeks in Europe on the way back (so at age 3 did Brussels maybe, 6 England/Scotland/Wales, 9 Switzerland. Then I spent 5 months in France in college. We also lived in Jamaica for a few years. I still view travelling overseas as a huge privillage. I love to travel and love to fly. I married a guy who took his first plane trip a couple years after we were married and we've only flown once since then (so twice total). Sigh. Travel on is my vote!

[kijip]

I was listening to a segment of Rick Steves with their son on and the son pointed out that even though he spent his childhood on countless trips overseas, it was a new and exciting, different and fresh experience when he went on his own for the first time to each place as an adult. I think that your son will find this is true for him when he is older.

[Multimama]

Haven't read all the other replies, but I used to travel a lot as a kid. Nothing gave me more awe of the world than looking down at it out of the window of an airplane. Amazing. So don't worry. There's plenty of awe to go around. :)

I will say that as an adult my dream is to stay home. ;)

[StantonHyde]

I am taking my kids to yellowstone and Grand Tetons in 2 weeks. I cannot wait. Those places were basically my back yard growing up and I worked in Yellowstone. The return trips I took as an adult were always awesome.

It will still be amazing to see Old Faithful go off, to visit the geyser springs, to see the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. The drive from yellowstone to the Tetons will still have me gasping at my first good view of those huge inspiring mountains as one range.

I still get chills every time I come around the corner at Delicate Arch in Moab. I will never get tired of it.

I could go to Florence again in a heart beat. Totally awe inspiring. Awe inspiring places will always give you that feeling. That feeling of connection to something greater and bigger than yourself. A touchstone to the natural or ancient world. There is something truly primordial about that. It never goes away!

[kozachka]

Wow, 34?! I can't even begin to imagine! That's incredible.

Thanks! Counted it for my resume at some point. Unfortunately, I have not added to the list in more than 2.5 years. I am sure DS would beat me many times over. He's been to more countries in his first 7 years than I (my count would have been 1 foreign country) and is a much more seasoned child traveller. I was 16 when I first stepped on a plane and almost 20 when I took my first international flight ever, but I do remember my parents taking me to different cities by car and train when I was 5-6 years old.

[amldaley]

I was listening to a segment of Rick Steves with their son on and the son pointed out that even though he spent his childhood on countless trips overseas, it was a new and exciting, different and fresh experience when he went on his own for the first time to each place as an adult. I think that your son will find this is true for him when he is older.

I :love5: Rick Steves. His original shop was just a couple of miles from our house and we used to go to his travel lectures at the high school. He is soooo our hometown celebrity. (And we used to have bags he designed...they were amazing!)