travel

Lessons from summer travels

September 11, 2019 /

Since we traveled so much this summer I thought it would be interesting to come up with some lessons I learned from our travels.

I love traveling with my family

I love going abroad and while it is expensive, with a budget throughout a year or two and with connections and lodging where we travel, it is feasible for our family to travel! We love spending time together whether at the beach or the mountain or the capital town in the republic of Georgia!

I am willing to make sacrifices during the year for us to go on vacations. We spend less than others on birthdays and holidays, we do not have the latest car models and technology and we watch our spending. That does not mean that we live like paupers and never spend during the year but we do look at our budget and at our goals and make them work together.

Save more than you think you will spend

Most people and we are most people do spend more than they expect while vacationing. Maybe a few extra dinners out, an unexpected change in the car rental, buying more souvenirs, we typically end up spending a little more than planned. I usually have to tighten our belts after the summer because we go on a few extra outings and have to pay for those! So always plan to save a little extra! I am planning to take that into account for our next trips whether large or small!

Pack lightly and save space for gifts/souvenirs

I am a light packer but I feel like I could always have packed a few less items. Plan out everyone’s outfits and take into account what you plan to bring back. Add an extra small duffel bag to your suitcase for the extras you will bring back (I brought so many bags of herbs of Provence, mustard, chocolates and gifts we received in France that we had to buy one there).

My children are great travelers

This picture was taken at the St Louis Zoo after 8 hours of travel and getting up at 4 AM! We stayed at the zoo for about 3 to 4 hours before heading to our hotel to rest. My takeaway from traveling with the children this summer is to be very thankful that my children are good travelers. They adapted to time changes and jetlag, different food choices and different places and people. Not all children are like mine. I think part of it is that we have always traveled with them visiting grandparents, friends and places here and abroad from the time they were babies. I have traveled in the US solo with them by place and by car and I have learned what works for them (entertainment, snacks, sleep!). We still have them go to bed at regular school night time for the most part during the summer and while traveling and I think that makes a big difference in behavior and attitude. I also bring familiar snacks wherever we go because a hungry child quickly turns into an angry child. We look forward to our trips by counting down the days and coming up with activities to do during those trips (zoo are a top favorite!).

A bientôt!

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