This is a guest post from Lindsay of the Traveluster.com.
Today, if people aren’t photographing, blogging or writing about their travels, they seem to be just generally more motivated to focus their resources on seeing the world. It’s a wonderful evolution, largely aided by advancing technology and more affordable travel. It’s never been easier to fly across the globe. Exotic, untouched lands seem to be disappearing, fewer places left to discover.
Evolution of travel
The travel landscape was much different when I was growing up. My dad likes to reminisce about the old days of his teenage years, when flying was a really big deal, and folks dressed to the nines — suit-tie and all (even the vacationers). By the time I started traveling with my family in the mid-80’s, transportation was much more casual. It still wasn’t quite as common-place as it is today for a family to fly to another country for a vacation. In fact, I might have been the only kid in my class who had a passport. When I came back from one of these family trips, my teacher would always ask me to put on a little slide-show presentation to teach the other students about the places we visited and people we encountered.
From a very young age, travel was about so much more to me than sunny beaches or Disney World (although I was allowed to be a kid and love Disney). I appreciated, and in fact craved, learning about other cultures and lands. I’m not sure if this was an innate instinct, just part of my being, or if I was a product of my environment, with encouraging teachers and parents. Likely, it was a little bit of both.
Looking back, this is one of the greatest gifts my parents gave us. We lived in a world of excess, where almost everyone around us wanted for nothing. I realized, though, after being exposed to simple livelihoods and even abject poverty in places such as Honduras and Mexico, that the world did not operate in one uniform, utopian way. This country I lived in was not like many other countries. We took so many basic things for granted: food, water, shelter, not to mention the Nintendos and Barbies — and what about basic education?! That I could grasp these concepts at six or seven-years-old still amazes me. Reflecting on this reinforces my strongest belief, now more than ever, that experiencing the world is an irreplaceable education that can’t be replicated in the classroom. Now that I’m going to be a mom, I know that this will be a priority for me raising my children as well.
The Chicken or The Egg
My family’s travel reach evolved over time. Whereas we started mostly exploring the nearby Caribbean and Central America, we eventually ventured further afield to Hawaii, Greece, Italy, Turkey, Ecuador, Tanzania, Kenya, and Argentina. I’m always learning and growing in my travels, both with family and on my own.
It’s funny because many of the travelers I know, bloggers and beyond, started their journey fairly recently, discovering the fascination and addiction of worldly experiences a mere four to six- or maybe ten years ago. Not that it’s a race at all. It’s just interesting- and exciting!- to suddenly have so many people with relatable passions! I went from feeling like an outcast for my wanderlust to having a tribe who spoke my language!
Being raised in a traveling family, I almost felt bread for adventure and discovery. I’m not sure if my environment helped strongly shape my interests and eventually career goals, or if my existing proclivity for cultural experiences magnified the opportunities that my parents provided. My brother and I turned out to have different outlooks on life and traveling, after all.
Regardless, my life path and soul-connection to travel led me to pursue a double major in anthropology and geography from Louisiana State University. While at LSU, I went on the journey of a lifetime, taking a Semester at Sea and circumnavigating the globe though 11 different countries in 100 days. The snowball continued to build from there. After living in Spain for nearly a year teaching English, I moved to Washington DC where I received my masters in international peace and conflict resolution. I started a career in international policy, working at amazing places like The Nature Conservancy then The Department of State. After moving to Nashville for my husband’s job, I started my travel blog and am branching off on a new entrepreneurial leaf, chasing my passion and discovering ways live a more intentionally meaningful life. All of this is to say, chicken or egg- not sure what came first, but I have to believe that being raised in a traveling family is at least partly responsible for my worldly passion. And one day, if I can leave any positive mark on this planet, or if I raise a kid who does, I’ll gladly hand that credit over to my parents.
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Lindsay is a freelance writer and runs the blog The Traveluster. She’s spent a lifetime traveling and studying culture, with a degrees in anthropology and geography and a masters in international peace and conflict resolution. Currently living in Nashville, TN, she has previously called Baton Rouge, LA, Washington, DC, and Seville, Spain home. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+ and Pinterest.
Maria
Oh yeah, I believe traveling at a young age is why I still love trains.
Lindsay
I love trains, too! I remember riding a train to DC when I was young. I love AmTrack now! I think that was my preferred method of travel (regionally) when I lived in DC. I wish we had trains in Nashville. I would love to ride them!
Hannah
Nice! Really inspiring. Can’t wait to have a family of our own and just travel with them!
Lindsay
Thanks, Hannah! I can’t wait, either. I just hope it’s half as “easy” as my parents made it seem!
Kate
Beautiful post. It has recalled my childhood time specially those, I had spent with my family while travelling. I love travelling. Specially to meet new people and learn their language ,their culture and lots of thing.Such a lovely post.
Lindsay
Thank you for the kind comment, Kate. I agree that traveling with family is the absolute best.
Leyla Giray
I absolutely agree! I took my first trip at five weeks (by train from Paris to Istanbul) and haven’t really stopped since. My parents moved us every year or two because of my father’s work and to me, travel IS stability. I commend your parents for showing you the world young and giving you the curiosity of discovery. So many people are content never to nudge a boundary and I’m convinced their lives are the poorer for it. Well said!
Lindsay
Thanks, Leyla! I think that’s exactly what my parents instilled in me: curiosity of discovery! An old boyfriend once told me told me one of his favorite things about me was my insatiable curiosity. Here’s to being raised to be curious and instilling it in future generations!
Jeff Baker
We traveled with our kids, backpacking through Europe for 5 months. That was 10 years ago. The experience stays with us, bonding us. All three of our kids have and are still experiencing life to the fullest because of it. Jeff Baker http://www.mywifesdamninheritance.com (about the trip)
Lindsay
That’s great, Jeff! I’m sure it opened up your children’s eyes to so much in the world! It’s the best gift a parent can give his/her children, I think!
Keryn @ walking on travels
Nice to know I’m on the right track with my boys 🙂 Every second of traveling with them is worth it!
Lindsay
I’ll be looking to you for plenty of advice, Keryn!!
Kerry Ascione
Hi Lisa,
You were a very lucky little girl! I did not get to travel as a child, but I’ve made up for that with my own children. We started partaking in Int’l Home Exchanges back in 2009 and have mangaged to spend a total of almost four months abroad in the last five years. I couldn’t agree with you more that children experiencing cultural travel provides an irreplaceable education, which can’t be replicated in the classroom. I’d rather give my kids the gift of travel over an expensive new gaming system or tablet any day! International Home Exchange is wonderful for families!
Lindsay
Hey Kerry! I’ve always been interested in international home exchanges. Would you recommend a specific company or website for that? I foresee summers abroad (a month or so at a time), if I can convince my husband, that is! Thanks for the comment!
Laura Mackenzie
Great post! We’ve made it a priority to travel with our kids and I can only hope that it will have the kind of lasting impact you’ve described. After a recent trip to Spain, my kids told me that they thought it was better than Disneyland. It was a very proud parenting moment.
Lindsay
That’s so great, Laura! I would be proud, too! I hope I’m able to raise children who would rather go to Africa than Disney World! 🙂
Laura @Travelocafe
Thank you Lindsay for a great post. I’ll read more from you on Traveluster.com when it comes back online. 🙂
Lindsay
Thanks, Laura! I hope you will come over and check out my blog! It’s online!
Kristy
Time really flies so fast and I can see that you have a lot of precious memories together with your family during your travel escapade from one country to another. This one is a good post indeed. I hope I can also do it on my own kids when I have a family of my own. I want them to be free and to discover the world and it’s beauty.
Mary @ Green Global Travel
That’s great you got to travel when you were young and that your wanderlust is still with you! Thanks for sharing a bit of your story!