I recently wondered if my kids actually share our love for travel, as my husband and I do, or if they simply do it because it’s just what we do! The other day, out of the blue, I asked them if they love to travel and they immediately shouted, “Of course we do!”. In fact – I then recalled several occasions where they begged us to go on a road trip or book a trip to the beach or the mountains. Often times we talk about what types of food they would eat in Japan or Singapore! Why? I have no clue! But, we enjoy travel so much, individually AND as a family, talking about past and future travel experiences is really fun for us.
It makes me so fulfilled to there are so many benefits to traveling as a child. We are instilling a sense of wonder and awe in our children. They have a taste for growth, exploration and culture. And, that at a young age they know the world is so much bigger than our little bubble – that often gets filled to the brim with activities, school, drama and so on! In our culture, there are many times that we don’t give our kids enough credit – they are so wise beyond their years. When we travel we not only feed that curiosity, but we let it flourish! Science has proven that college age students actually perform better academically when they have international travel experiences. Kids of all ages experience enhanced brain development and new neural pathways from travel experiences. How could they not experience these benefits? When an eight year old visits a cacao plantation – while this might seem trivial – they are actually learning about ancient Mayan practices, traditions and agriculture. When we visited areas of Alaska where we were going to outhouses with holes as a toilet – my kids experienced a deeper appreciation for plumbing! Who typically feels grateful for their toilet?! It’s definitely something we don’t think twice about! But, as we explore and immerse ourselves in different cities and experiences, our kids recognize that not everyone has some of the simplest and most expected “luxuries” — like a working toilet! They realize that people choose to live differently.
While we are all different and cultures vary – at the same time – we are all human. The kids hold conversations with people who live around the world who laugh, smile, cry, walk and so on, just like they do! There is a deeper sense of humanity that is instilled – and, this is priceless.
Do my kids have wanderlust? Absolutely! They are ready to SEA the world!!
