What Is The Best Age To Start Traveling?
AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!
WHAT Is The Best Age To Start Traveling?
Don’t waste a minute. Travel before you learn to walk!
Exponentially, travel is the greatest educator; not just for seeing something new.
Also, for the things that turn up that are just good and fun!
No agenda, just another skill or experience or talent exhumed… something that gives you joy.
Yes, Let’s Be Practical!
Your children are under three years old. Do you know what you will have to pack?
Baby food, lots of diapers, two strollers, teddies, toys and lots of clothes.
You have to carry all this.
While I say the younger the better, nap times and routines are still a must.
Don’t forget to rest when they are napping – at the same time!
In the middle of the night, a two-year-old shows no mercy.
You better be on your toes!.. Oh, and have fun!
What is practical for you?
Most people think that it is best to start the children traveling when they are old enough to understand where they are and the significance of the voyage.
What is it teaching them? Do they enjoy it?
Can they ADAPT?.. I will answer that later on. I promise!
The practicality of this is that if you can afford just one big trip in their young lives, wait till they can get the most out of it; you will know when that will be.
As They Grow Up…
By now they are 9 to 14 years old. They can carry their own backpack and organize it.
They learn to manage their money and know what to do at the airport.
As early as the first time they look at a ticket, they will start to learn what they should do next.
They are getting comfortable...
They are leading the way!
Don’t forget, if they are taken out of school to travel for two years, education needs to continue… They need to keep up with their maths and sciences.
But the other students will never be able to keep up with the life lessons your kids learned in their travels. They won’t even understand how recent history is actually “there”!
Did they even hear of the metric system at the schools back home?
What About The International Community?
Some large companies offer overseas living to some employees in their business.
Now your children can attend an international school while being immersed in a new culture.
This is one way of living and working overseas.
Is there a downside to this?
Maybe they will initially miss their friends, grandma, and their routine.
to speak Dutch!
At home, they can read the signs and take the bus to school.
They know the way.
The food is different in a new country so that’s a big adjustment for a picky eater.
The move was a BIG deal, to you as parents and to your children.
Want to know why they are looking forward to this?
Well, they met an exchange student in someone’s home last year. She was there for five months.
They started to ask questions about her homeland and language.
HOW did she just learn English? It was that easy?
Teach me Dutch and I’ll help you with your English.
And So it Started...
Things are getting exciting.
Can you imagine what it can teach your child to see how other people live in their homes?
Do they wonder if their schoolmates pray several times a day or just before meals?
Do they wonder if they worship the same way?
What is that spicey smell in their house?
They smell red meat in ours!
Does your grandmother live with you? In the same house?.. And your Mom doesn’t mind?
And This Happened…
Overseas my friend’s son went to the house of a schoolmate. A tall man in a suit answered the door.
The boy asked, “Was that your Dad?” His friend said, “no, he’s my slave”.
He meant that this man was a bodyguard of sorts.
This charge was overseen and protected by this man as is the custom in wealthy Middle Eastern homes.
It just lost a little bit in the translation.
How Is This Working For Them?
What changes do you see in your children now? They’ve been there for a year already.
“Mom, do you know that almost every kid at school speaks English, as their second or third language?”
“And some of these kids know at least two or three more languages because they have lived in a number of countries!”
“Oh, by the way, I am learning French and Latin this year. My friend Pierre said he’d help me”.
They take on a whole new persona. Their priorities and dreams become different.
Their horizons are widened because they have seen their peers achieve all the things they thought they could never do.
In our society, we don’t put much credence on expanding language skills. We don’t even put pressure on correct English, whatever that is.
There are so many variations today, and slang is considered acceptable speech.
This is a whole new way of talking.
What’s The Downside?
There is one MAIN drawback: they will, all too soon, have to say goodbye to their closest friends.
It’s a tight-knit community with an even smaller school – maybe 400 students, from grade K-12.
Full curriculum including sciences, sports, maths, and music.
And Move On They Do!
“Goodbye, Cid, we’re going back home”. And, “Nice to meet you, Robair, so long”. And, “Please come and visit our home in South Korea”.
By the time this has been going on for five years, said child will stop making friends for a while.
Oh, he’ll make really good friends but will not enjoy the longevity to make what he would call a really close friend.
His new friends will be a constant rotation.
Now he understands how to get the best out of a friendship; even though the time they spend together will be shorter.
He will learn how important contact is and that nothing replaces the impact that a new person adds on his life, even for a short time.
They Did ADAPT… (Remember I promised you I would bring this up again?)
What Else Can Happen?
It doesn’t matter if they travel for a short time or a long time.
Their self-esteem will be huge!.. Big time!
Know why?
Because now he can speak Latin – or figure it out.
He is using his French at school and in the city.
“Seems the local people like my accent Mom!”… cool…
So For All Of Them, There Is This:
They do not get lost in airports because they already know what to look for.
Airports are sensible and logical in their minds.
So what happened to their minds?
They learned to think logically.
These kids’ horizons were broadened. Everything around them was new; just as it was for the parents.
But, they are getting this information much earlier!
In today’s world, that’s a plus.
What Happens When They Are Employed?
I cannot stress enough how this independence and passive education helps them in business.
They already have experience at airports, train stations, and ferry crossings, and where to go when they get there.
They have confidence and establish themselves as leaders from the start. “Just follow him… he knows the way”.
They have already been taken out of their comfort zones, and they have the assurance that they will see everything through to the other side.
They have developed cultural sensitivity and they will adapt to globalization.
They will have to.
They are aware of how to protect their passports and their money…
No flashing going on here.
They Seek Meaningful Conversations!
I overheard the 12-year-olds discussing the United Nations!
Their cousins in the US don’t know what the UN is!
It’s not their fault; they did not learn this in their curriculum in school.
They did not have the luxury of visiting a foreign country. They have never even seen foreign money.
What Else Does Our Traveler Like?
Life is more interesting; they climb the steps of a monument, and they meet a friend who lives in a lighthouse… They visited restaurants nearby.
They went to the historic places in the area and understood the timing of the events.
“WWll? The Battle Of The Bulge happened near here?”
“What does it look like now?.. Let’s go there”.
Reserved independence: they are polite to people around them on the trains.
But they don’t befriend strangers.
They know where to go for help and where to buy food.
What Conclusions Have We Come To?
My niece asked me my age, cheeky little thing that she is, and when I told her, (no, not telling you) she was surprised, amazed!
Anyway, I said it is not about being and looking younger, though that would be a plus.
It’s about not having enough time.
Time to live to learn all the things I want to learn.
Time to go everywhere I haven’t been.
Take every tour out there. Go on a gastronomic weekend in the Ardennes.
In Quora, People Also Ask about gastronomic weekends: http://www.belgium.be/en/about_belgium/tourism/the_ardennes
See the two oceans coming together at Cape Agulus, South Africa.
The Atlantic and Indian Oceans collide into a perfect line, racing out to the horizon!
Start now – travel anywhere life takes you. Learn the customs and sensitivities of a country.
Meet the people and become friends with them.
Remember that they want to meet you, too.
WHAT Do They Call It?
Wanderlust: a strong desire to travel. A pull you are unable to resist.
An impulse to travel; unable to plant your feet down; not caring where you go or where the next shore will take you.
Wikipedia describes Wanderlust, this way: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wanderlust
Start as soon as you can!
Just Do It!.. Travel!
The experiences you will have; the exposure!.. Mmuuwahh!
Start as soon as you can; doesn’t matter what age. There are advantages to starting at an early age to travel.
Taking into consideration how many babies are conceived on a vacation, I guess there is no time too early to start to travel!
And I’m sure there are diss… dissad… well, let’s just say it’s not for everybody. You will become street-smart and worldly-wise.
There is no downside to this.
(learn how “There Is No Downside To Travel” here. Hurry, hurry!)
I would be thrilled to hear about your travel stories.
Just leave a comment – and I will get back to you within 24 hours.
Regards, Corinne
This post really stimulates my mind to start my travel right now which is on hold for years because of stressful work, a scary pandemic (it is still on my mind, even if I have taken my booster)!
A live experience can never be experienced by reading books or watching videos. The in-person interaction, making friends in an international environment, traveling knowledge, learning the map, and seeing the places where history has been made and still is in the making are unique knowledge is valuable.
My kid just had lunch the other day with a friend she met at Berkley in a summer international program. They communicate often. She was in Japan for a year for a school program. She carries huge knowledge from that culture. I can see the building up of talent and knowledge. She is always in the mood to get out and visit places, and know the culture firsthand.
I think of coming across teenage challenges often. Can traveling to places with a group of friends help them? Just wondering.
With the acceptance of different cultures, people will be more adaptive to differences and the society will be less chaotic.
Thank you so so much for this knowledge and share to the world.
Hello Anusuya and thank you for commenting on my post.
To answer your question, I think it can be just as beneficial and appropriate for teens to travel in groups, as alone. As a parent, it is much more desirable that teens travel in a group, of friends that they can trust.
I have always felt that you never really know a person until you travel together.
It’s never too late to start, and for some people, it has to be a decision for later in life, rather than earlier. They might not have had the opportunity before, but the world is waiting!
If I have stimulated your desire to travel with this post, then the reaction I was looking for has been achieved.
If you are inclined now to want to travel, start making plans. Read some posts and narrow down where you will start, what country do you want to visit most? See what the prices will be if you are prepared to book a year in advance. This will save you lots on the fare and give you a year to pay it off – before you even leave!
It is nice too that you have a first-hand insight into the results of your daughter’s travels and exchange programs. I always remind people, that as much as we appreciate the acquaintance of foreign people, they want to meet us too!
That sure makes me feel special.
All the best in your plans to travel.
Regards, Corinne
Hello
I am 22 and I haven`t started traveling yet. I haven’t even left my country yet. But I want to travel and I hope in the near future I will be able to.
I do not have kids and I do not plan on having kids any time soon, but what I know for sure is that when I do I would definitely travel with them.
I can`t wait to start traveling and learning about cultural differences, trying new food, and connecting with other people.
Hello Valentin
Thank you for reading my post on travel.
Seems I have lit a spark and you are ripe for this adventure. Since you are young and unattached, this is a perfect time to get out there.
Where do you want to go first? Sometimes it is best to start near and expand from there.
No matter how you do it, you cannot help but be amazed by this whole new world out there, even if you see just a corner of it at a time.
Your enthusiasm is infectious and when you travel you WILL eat new foods, and experience cultural differences.
Assuming you have the time to plan what you would like to do, this is a great advantage and you can glean good advice. Now is the time and don’t wait. Start planning.
All the best in your global plans!
Regards, Corinne
This is magnificent advice for people who are just starting their own travel journey. I’m a disabled woman so traveling alone seems scary for me and that’s why I decided to join my extended family on their vacation trips. My little cousin is 10 now and they’ve been traveling ever since he was around 4. He remembers everything he saw (for the most part) and now that he’s old enough to do things by his own, I think it’s perfect timing to start enjoying traveling from a whole new perspective.
Hello Stephanie
Let me commend you on joining your extended family so that you can travel. What an opportunity!
As you can see in your 10-year-old cousin, it is invaluable training. He will benefit so much throughout his life.
No stopping him now! Keep up the encouragement there!
Thank you for commenting on my blog.
Regards, Corinne
Travel is food to anyone’s soul I mean everyone! Looking back over my life I wish I had started travelling at a much younger age as it does build self esteem and opens up your mind to possibilities and opportunities you did not even think existed. Being a single father of 2 beautiful girls I make it a point for them to travel at least 3 times a year for life lessons are never to be missed.
Hello Daniel, and thanks for commenting on my post.
You gleaned all the things I want people to get out of this. Building “Self-esteem”, and “opening up possibilities and opportunities” is everything I wanted to put out there.
So glad you already see the importance for your girls to have good travel-savvy. They will really appreciate this later on.
Regards, Corinne
Hi Corinne, I agree. At 4 months old, my daughter, Robyn, travelled through the Channel Tunnel from England to France for the 1994 Christmas. 2 months later, she spent 2 weeks with us in the French alps. She was taken out every day in a baby carrier on her excellent nanny’s back while we skied. She loved being carried that way. We discovered that Robyn loved speed when we took her toboganning! Then, at 9 months old, on a 12-hour ferry crossing from Poole on the south coast of England to Cherbourg in France, Robyn learned to walk. We sailed overnight in the hope of getting some sleep. Robyn took us by surprise because she was only 9 months old, and the ferry was slowly rocking and rolling to the waves. She started by stepping from seat to seat, making friends on the way, and then held my hand to lead me all over the ship! We walked around the ferry three times, non-stop, each time calling into the gift shop. The third time around, she went straight to the key fobs and picked one, which she still has today. 🙂 Richard
Thank you Richard for a true walk down memory lane.
You set yourself up for blessed memories when you took Robyn everywhere,
and Robyn had the advantage of travel at a young age.
Travel can start anytime – but as early as possible!
I loved your story!