A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions. –Oliver Wendell Holmes
Although traveling with children can be a lesson in patience, it is profoundly rewarding. It allowed me to experience the world’s wonder through my daughter’s eyes. I still remember her delight with meeting the Little Mermaid in Disney World or her joyful squeals riding a carousel in Paris. Every experience for her, no matter where it was, was an adventure. And traveling as a family gave her the safety to explore new cultures and even creatures without fear.
She quickly learned the six big lessons travel teaches all of us.
Flexibility – Travel teaches children that other countries do not operate on their timetable, that all of us have to adapt to crowded trains, late planes, and unexpected accidents. For example, as we struggled once with a flat tire in Mexico, we had to speak Spanish and deal with the insurance agent, the tow truck driver, and a representative from our credit card company. My daughter learned that not everything goes as planned and courtesy with a smile works in any language.
Food – Discovering different cuisines is a wonderful part of travel. My daughter fell in love with tropical fruit juices in Playa del Carmen, sweet scones in London, couscous from Tunisia, buttermilk biscuits and apple cobbler from the South, sweets from Germany, and the hundreds of cheeses from France. With each entrée or pastry, she wanted to learn its particular history. Her favorite story was that the seventh Duchess of Bedford introduced afternoon tea in England because she would become hungry at 4:00 pm and asked for tea with bread and butter. Soon the Duchess invited her friends to join her, making it festive. In France, her grandparents taught her about “Le Goûter” usually homemade cakes or a slice of baguette with Nutella given to children after school. By discussing the differences in traditions both here and in Europe, my daughter decided that afternoon snacks were important for everyone’s tummy!
Cultural Sensitivity – Children can gain new perspectives visiting other countries, developing empathy for others’ situations, and appreciation for their own lives. In Belfast, we discussed the Northern Ireland Conflict with our host who described his family’s experiences and learned that tens of thousands were maimed and wounded in the crossfire. Suddenly, walking to school without flying bullets seemed like a miracle.
History – Every country, unfortunately, has dark periods in its history. When my daughter became a teenager, she went on a Civil Rights tour through Alabama and Georgia with other students. She walked across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, listening to people who witnessed state troopers attacking the marchers. She learned about the lynching of Leo Frank and visited the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. After returning home, she said sadly, “I’m glad I went, but it was so hard to see it.” I agree but if our children don’t know our history, they are doomed to repeat it.
Peeking Into the Lives of Others – As an exchange student in Germany, my daughter was thrust into another culture with different norms and expectations. In December, night fell by 4 p.m. with bitterly cold temperatures. And she took a 45-minute journey in the dark to her host’s high school every morning. But she adapted. Her language skills improved immensely as she discovered the subtleties in German. And she was delighted to be surrounded by 3 girls and a huge dog. Learning that her host family loved camping, she shared her own stories about the mountains in Wyoming. She fell in love with the Berlin art galleries and Christmas markets. She gained perspective on how Europeans view America and learned valuable lessons of independence and responsibility.
Tolerance – Mark Twain once wrote that “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” He was so right. As we travel, we step out of our comfort zones and learn about the challenges others face in different countries. Many times their problems make our own seem insignificant.
All of these experiences taught my daughter that regardless of language and culture, people are basically the same. They have many of the same dreams and hopes as we do. And by exposing her to traveling, she became more knowledgeable, more compassionate, and more tolerant.
What more could a mom want?
