One thing I hope to instill in my children is a desire to visit & experience different places. I was very lucky to have been raised by parents who made traveling a priority. It was a summer tradition until I went to college; one week every June we spent a week with our best family friends. Sometimes we would spend that vacation time at a beach in Florida & other years we would travel to different destinations.
My first time to leave the country was when I was 7 years old and we spent a week in Aruba. I don’t have too many memories from this vacation, but I do remember going sightseeing in a rental van & seeing sting rays on the beach! I also remember the fantastic early 90s fashion.
Our family vacations each year were something I always looked forward to. We made so many special memories and the family we always traveled with became like a second family to me. I was only 12 when we went on a 10 day vacation to Hawaii. I still have vivid memories of experiencing the Road to Hana and seeing so many rainbows & watching the sunrise from Mt. Haleakala and then biking 23 miles down! That was truly the experience of a lifetime!
I really think family vacations are so important. Not only is it a great way to unplug from your daily life, but it is a great way to make special memories with the people you love. It is also a great way to experience different cultures! I will always be thankful that my parents made family vacations a priority. The memories I have from my childhood on those cool trips are something I cherish.
Don’t wait for the “perfect age” to start traveling with your kids. Don’t wait until they are old enough to remember every minute of a vacation. YOU will remember it and they will enjoy the experience!
