Why I Love to Travel with My Daughter.
I’ve talked about it time and time again, having my daughter did not stop me from wanting to travel. The time I told my ex-husband I was going to visit the Pyramids in Egypt bringing a barely eight year old girl, he thought I was crazy and was only asking for an unnecessary extra challenge in my life since he would not be there to support me (because uh.. yeah, we were divorced). My friends thought it was not time to travel yet, she’ll barely remember it anyway so it could be a waste but I still believe that traveling with a small kid is worth it.
My daughter, Bianca, first traveled with me while she was still on the boob. It could sound horrifying to other moms but really, traveling with a baby is easier than traveling with a toddler. The toddler could run and you need to do some chasing or invest in a safety harness leash (gasp) but a baby is safely tucked with you. When a toddler is hungry, you need to find an available cafe/eatery. A (breastfed) baby has access to food 24/7 – mommy mobile cafeteria for the win!
The moment my baby was ready to fly and we were able to do so financially and physically, I brought her along and years after that I’ve seen that she loves traveling just as much, if not more than I do! By her early teens we were able to go off and have some real adventures!
Traveling – we know it could make or break relationships. I didn’t know what to expect traveling with her and I lowered my expectations because after all, she is just a child. What if we she/we both hated it and it would be the first and last? Thankfully, long story short, we did ok!
And here are the reasons why I have loved traveling with her and look forward to more.
She is already self-sufficient She was not even three when we first traveled alone together to Japan to meet my ex-husband. Now as a 16 year old, She can pack her own things, take care of herself, and because she’s way past the infant, toddler, and tween stages, I don’t have to worry about diapers, sippy cups, looking for kid friendly restaurants and most importantly, I don’t have to carry her around when she’s tired or sleepy.
She is eager to learn and learns fast. I encourage her to read subway and metro maps and to buy tickets using foreign currency. She quickly picks it up and immediately does it by herself. And with that confidence, I feel that travel also has made her a lot more independent. I want my girl to be street smart and savvy (which she is). To be able to navigate a new city using maps, common sense and most especially, guts.
She sees things with fresh eyes. In the eyes of a child, now young adult, everything is new. They look at things knowing they will find something new and different every time. Looking at her reminds me to become more like a child at times, no matter how old I become.
She’s always curious. Bianca had been my little inquisitor way back then. She used to ask a million questions. You’d think she’s through and then she’s got another million. I admit, I sometimes would get tired of listening to her seemingly endless banter when my brain had turned into mental mush at the end of a long day but I am now thankful that she opens up to me, is honest and doesn’t keep things to herself (well as much as I can have with a teenager) She asked a lot of questions when we were in Prague. I readied myself for answers.
She’s genuinely happy to go to new places. I’ll let the photos do the talking!
Someone is available to take photos of me! I don’t have to pull out a selfie stick (I actually hate those) or ask strangers to take photos of me when I’m with her. She’s more than eager to take photos of me, including those I am clueless about.
Traveling in a group can be fun and solo travel can be one of the most eye-opening and rewarding experiences there are. But sometimes it’s also good to travel with just one other person. But finding a travel buddy who’s compatible with you can be difficult. I’m glad I found mine in my daughter.
All the time we were in Iceland, I dragged her everywhere and she did not complain except for one thing – her shoes were not keeping up with all the walking on our last day. Not her fault. Her mother was not wise enough to invest in good shoes (boo).
If there’s one thing I am thankful for, for having a baby in my early 20’s, it is being able to enjoy having a travel buddy before 40 when my knees are still young and strong enough to explore the world. And my travel buddy doesn’t complain with all the walking we do!
