I took my first cross-country journey at just six weeks old. My mother whisked me onto a plane, flying us from California to Michigan for my uncle’s wedding. When my family relocated to Michigan the following year, I was officially introduced to the thrill of travel. Over the next 18 years, my parents took my three sisters and me to nearly every corner of the continental U.S. While many of our trips were to see family, we also explored places like Canada, upstate New York, Texas, California, and Washington.
Throughout my childhood, I never spent an entire year in a single state. Even as the eldest daughter of a church worker and a stay-at-home mom, traveling was not a luxury; it was essential. Summers were often spent at Lake Huron with my grandparents in Canada, with one memorable adventure taking me from Ontario to Alberta and through the breathtaking Rocky Mountains to British Columbia. I also enjoyed several years exploring Toronto.
On another occasion, my dad, my cousin, one of my sisters, and I took a station wagon trip from Illinois to Washington for another uncle’s wedding. We made pit stops in Wyoming to scout out our future home, visited the Little Bighorn National Monument—though I didn’t fully grasp its significance at the time—and saw Mount Rushmore for the first of many times. I celebrated my twelfth birthday in San Antonio while visiting my aunt and uncle, and my eighteenth birthday was spent preparing for a trip to Ontario for my grandfather’s anniversary celebration at the church he once served.
In high school, I ventured out on my own with our church youth group to events in Tennessee, Texas, and Utah. I joined a travel team that took me to El Paso and even briefly into Mexico. My senior year, a friend and I decided to road trip from Michigan to Ohio for a youth retreat, with my little sister tagging along. While it might not have been my most responsible decision, it was a memorable experience that marked my growing independence.
By the time I reached college, travel was an integral part of my life. I participated in choir tours to the Pacific Northwest and Florida. During my junior year, I studied abroad in London, seizing the opportunity to backpack through four other European countries during my first two weeks there. Despite initial protests from our parents, we were determined to explore, and we made our plans to travel with occasional check-ins along the way. By the end of my semester abroad, I had added seven more countries to my travel list.
Even marriage didn’t quell my wanderlust. Although my husband and I haven’t traveled outside the U.S. since our wedding over seventeen years ago, we’ve continued to explore various destinations within the country, often camping when other options aren’t available.
My parents raised me with the philosophy that travel was non-negotiable, and I’ve carried that belief into motherhood. I’m convinced that good travelers can be nurtured, and it’s vital to instill a sense of adventure in our children. As Mark Twain once stated, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.”
I’m often astonished to meet individuals who have never ventured beyond their home state or region. Despite growing up with limited material possessions—like only two Barbies and homemade clothes—my parents always prioritized travel, ensuring we spent time with family, even if it meant boring trips to Iowa or exciting visits to Niagara Falls.
I understand that various factors can hinder people from traveling, including financial constraints or lack of experience. Parents of young children often feel overwhelmed by the logistics of packing up everything they need for a trip. I empathize with this challenge; it’s not easy to manage kids and all their necessities while traveling, and we’ve certainly faced our share of bumps along the way.
For instance, we’ve dealt with motion sickness, unexpected spills, and even a broken arm during a rest stop in Missouri. Initially, we hesitated to embark on long road trips, but like my parents before me, I realized that avoiding travel wasn’t an option; our family lived far from relatives, and if our kids were to connect with their grandparents and cousins, we had to travel.
Our adventures began early. When our daughter was a baby, we drove from Indianapolis to the Great Smoky Mountains. She later accompanied me and my parents to North Carolina and Kansas for family weddings. On one occasion, my husband flew to Florida with our not-quite two-year-old while I stayed home pregnant. With our son’s arrival, we found ourselves needing to entertain two kids instead of one. Like me, they haven’t spent a year confined to one state. My son is always eager to know which new state we’re going to next, and their excitement for exploration fills my heart with joy.
In a podcast episode, co-host Beth Silvers pointed out, “You can’t know our country through the Internet.” While we have tools for virtual learning, true wisdom comes from experiencing places firsthand. Our country is vast, and understanding it requires stepping out of our comfort zones. Traveling through different states has opened my eyes to the diversity within our own nation.
As I teach about American literature, I often ask my students how many have seen the Mississippi River, only to be surprised by the number who haven’t. In contrast, my children have seen various parts of the river during our travels, enriching their understanding of its significance.
To bridge the divides that separate us, we must step outside our familiar environments and engage with the broader American experience. It’s not enough to read about different regions; we need to immerse ourselves in them. Starting early is crucial; kids should interact with diverse people and explore unfamiliar places. This doesn’t necessitate extensive trips but can begin with simple day outings or weekend getaways.
Raising children who will positively impact the world involves teaching them about the vastness of life beyond their immediate surroundings. Who knows what valuable lessons we might learn along the way?
Summary
Traveling with your children from a young age can instill a lifelong love for exploration and help them appreciate the diversity of the world around them. By prioritizing family trips and exposing kids to new experiences, parents can nurture their sense of curiosity and understanding of different cultures. Start small with day trips or weekend adventures, and gradually expand to longer journeys. This approach not only enhances their travel experiences but also helps foster meaningful connections with people and places beyond their everyday lives.
Keyphrase: traveling with kids early
Tags: home insemination kit, home insemination syringe, self insemination