From the moment I was just six weeks old, my journey began. My mother whisked me away on a plane from sunny California to chilly Michigan for my uncle’s wedding. This adventure marked the start of a lifelong passion for travel that would shape my upbringing. The following year, my family relocated to Michigan, igniting a tradition of exploration that took us to nearly every corner of the continental U.S. While many of our trips revolved around visiting family, we still managed to explore places like Canada, upstate New York, Texas, and beyond.
Throughout my childhood, I never spent a full year in one state. Raised by a church worker and a stay-at-home mother, travel was a given, not a luxury. Summers were spent at my grandparents’ home in Canada, where I made unforgettable memories—like the time I flew from Ontario to Alberta and drove through the breathtaking Rocky Mountains to British Columbia. These experiences ingrained a love for travel in me.
Our family road trips often included memorable stops, such as a journey from Illinois to Washington for another uncle’s wedding. We visited historic sites like Little Bighorn and iconic landmarks, including Mount Rushmore—one of many visits to come. I celebrated my twelfth birthday in San Antonio, and my eighteenth birthday was spent gearing up for a trip to Ontario.
In high school, I began to spread my wings and travel with my church youth group to events in Tennessee, Texas, and Utah. I even participated in a youth travel team that took me as far as El Paso and across the border into Mexico, albeit briefly. My senior year, I took the plunge into independence by driving with a friend and my little sister from Michigan to Ohio for a youth retreat. It may not have been the pinnacle of responsibility, but it was a defining moment of autonomy.
By the time college arrived, travel was woven into the fabric of my life. I embarked on choir tours to the Pacific Northwest and Florida, and during my junior year, I studied in London. Before classes started, I traveled to four different European countries with two classmates—much to our parents’ initial dismay. We were young and adventurous, and we managed to navigate our way through this journey. By the end of my semester abroad, I had added seven more countries to my travel repertoire.
Even after marrying, my thirst for adventure didn’t diminish. Although I haven’t ventured abroad since tying the knot, my husband and I have explored numerous destinations across the U.S., often camping when other accommodations weren’t available.
My parents raised me with an unwavering belief that travel was essential, so when I became a mother, I approached parenting similarly. I believe that instilling a love for travel in children isn’t just possible—it’s essential. As Mark Twain wisely stated, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” It’s astonishing to meet individuals who have never left their home state or region, especially when travel was so integral to my upbringing.
While numerous factors can hinder travel—desire, finances, or simply not knowing where to begin—it’s crucial for parents of young children to recognize that travel doesn’t have to be daunting. I understand the challenges of packing for trips with little ones, as my own experiences have included motion sickness, unplanned stops, and the chaos that can ensue during road trips. But even through the bumps in the road, the importance of travel remains clear.
When our children were small, we let our worries keep us from longer trips. However, like my parents before me, I realized travel was unavoidable. Our family lives at least two and a half hours away from relatives, making travel necessary for our children to build connections with their grandparents, aunts, and uncles. We have a dream list of vacations we want to experience together, and we’ve made it a priority to explore.
As we journeyed, our daughter visited the Great Smoky Mountains and traveled to weddings in North Carolina and Kansas. Our son, now a part of our adventures, has grown up in a family that prioritizes exploration. When planning vacations, one of his first questions is, “Are we going to a new state?” It brings me joy to see their eagerness to explore.
The importance of experiencing our country firsthand cannot be overstated. As Beth Silvers from the Pantsuit Politics podcast remarked, “You can’t know our country through the Internet.” While we have access to abundant resources online, true understanding comes from immersing ourselves in different places and cultures.
Traveling across the U.S. has shown me that our nation is as diverse in geography and culture as Europe. When we limit our experiences, it becomes easy to generalize and stereotype others. Every time I teach “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” I ask my students how many have seen the Mississippi River. It’s a shockingly low number considering its significance in the novel and its proximity to our classrooms. In contrast, my children have seen the river from multiple perspectives this past year.
By encouraging young people to step outside their comfort zones, we can help bridge the divides that exist within our society. It’s not always necessary to embark on a lengthy journey; even small adventures can build a foundation for a broader worldview. Whether it’s a day trip to a nearby state park or a weekend getaway to a neighboring city, every outing counts.
Raising children who appreciate the world around them means helping them understand its vastness. And in the process, we might just learn something ourselves.
For those interested in navigating the path of parenthood and family planning, exploring resources like Make A Mom’s home insemination kit can be beneficial. Additionally, Women’s Health provides excellent information on fertility and parenting.
In summary, instilling a love of travel in children is a gift that broadens their horizons and nurtures their curiosity about the world. By beginning with small adventures, we can cultivate a lifelong passion for exploration.
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