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ADVICE RATING |
 4.99 (Highly recommend) from 50 votes (1547 Visits) |
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An Argument for Adventure Travel with Kids |
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by jenlemen  (April 2007) (rank 4th) |
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We've never been the kind of family to take vacations--unless you want to count that weekend here and there cooped up in your aunt's living room looking at family photos. But this past year when one of our closest and dearest friends announced she would hold her wedding in South Africa, my husband and I both felt deep down we needed to find a way to go. Everyone assumed we would go without our kids, but we decided we needed to have this adventure together as a family. Here's a short list of values that convinced us to ultimately take out a loan so we would all be able to go.
- We wanted our kids to learn early on that the sky's the limit when it comes to adventure. With Africa stamped in your passport, your sense of possiblity grows exponentially with every year. We knew we'd made the right decision when our youngest announced he needed to see Egypt next.
- We wanted our kids to understand early on that they are not the only people on the planet who have hopes and dreams for the future. As Americans, it's part of our heritage and national identity at times to think we live in the greatest country on earth. We had so many encounters that left our kids feeling like being African was out of this world. It helped too to hear stories that reminded us all that people from all over the world have longings and dreams for a bright and prosperous future.
- We wanted our kids to have a view of Africa that goes beyond poverty and AIDS. It's all gloom and doom on the television about the future of Africa. Swimming with wild African penguins, discovering interesting beetles and amazing flora and fauna convinced that Africa is about so much more than that.
- We wanted our kids to have real word experience when it comes to math, language, social studies and culture. Nothing like a handful of Rand coins in the grocery store and a good story from an apartheid era taxi driver to teach your kids about the history and economy of South Africa. They were fascinated.
- We wanted to send our kids the message that friendship is worth a trip around the world. When we watched our friend marry under a blue African sky with her eyes shining bright, we knew we'd make the best decision--even though we'll be paying for this trip (literally!) for the next three years. Our kids understand that we take friendship seriously and that it's worth going the extra (several thousand!) miles for the ones you love.
This might be the trip of their childhoods--the only time we leave the continent--but I hope not. Even though the trip came at a great price, we decided the adventure and lifelong memories were worth the cost--especially if our children emerge as more compassionate, open-handed world citizens.
What do you think? What crazy thing are you dreaming of for the sake of your kids? Comments open below. |
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| ADVICE RATING |
4.99 (Highly recommend) from 50 votes |
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Re: An Argument for Adventure Travel with Kids
I agree with you regarding traveling with your children. Since marrying my husband, we got married in Africa as a matter of fact because this is where he was working at the time, we have seen many countries. I also discovered within myself alone that I still had alot to learn. I was introduced to the habits of others and so was my daughter. Sure we missed things from the states but it is what we saw that changed us. Seeing that student studying under a street light, his family too poor to have electricity, so that he could have a better job to help out his mother and father. The dedication I saw in that young man that night, well, it was something.
My daughter also learned that she did not need all these extra little things, toys, games etc, in order to have fun when she saw a small child playing with a stick and bike tire rolling it around with a huge smile on his face.
I could go on as our list of countries visited since then continues to grow. Egypt is also next on our agenda of places to see.
And yes, there is a whole world out there and we are not the only ones on the planet. I try to tell my mother that most people want the same things that you want. To do the best they can to raise their family and to be happy.
And by the way, when I landed in Burundi, I did not see the wildlife that I was assuming I would see since I watch all those National Geographic Shows :o) A bit of a shocker but I did like the reptile zoo they had and the giant dog like looking bats.
Thanks for your post!
Aaliyah
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Related keywords: adventure, airplane, argument, children, flight, flying, kids, travel
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