I love to travel. If you follow me on social media, this is not a surprise at all. In fact, I am writing this post from an airplane on the way to Carmel, California for a couple SGP travel sessions. I am so excited to be traveling to a new place. I am thrilled to be getting out of the Texas heat for a bit. I cannot wait to photograph sessions in a new place. And I am tickled that my six-year old son is tagging along. We have big plans for this trip. BIG PLANS. In fact my mind is basically racing with all the things I want to do and see with my son. And how I want to make this a super magical experience for him.
This particular family loves to travel too. I follow them on social media and am always a tad green with envy watching their travel stories unfold. Not to mention the fact that they are annoyingly beautiful and have three of the cutest boys you have ever seen. Oh, and on top of everything else, they are crazy nice. Basically, I totally admire them.
Traveling with my own kids is hard. And two of mine are significantly older than their children. Traveling with little people is not for the faint of heart. Especially when they are preschool and under. The diapers, the carseats and baby carriers. The nap times and favorite toys. And the need to constantly keep your eyes on them and keep them safe. It takes a lot of patience. It takes a lot of preparation. It takes a lot of wine too:)
Don’t let me fool you into thinking that I have painted this horrible picture of traveling with children. The thing about traveling with kids is how amazing it is. You definitely don’t get any rest. You will absolutely always come home completely exhausted and feel like you have been beat up. It takes everything out of you. But seeing the world through your kids eyes is priceless. No matter how old they are.
I remember thinking that when we took our two oldest children to China four years ago. At the time, they were five and two. The two year old had never even been on an airplane before we hopped on the 17 hour flight to Japan. We were totally crazy. I spent weeks preparing. It was all consuming. I was afraid that they wouldn’t remember it and that the time and effort would be wasted.
Then I realized that the trip was for our family. Not just the kids. Sure, it was amazing to see the world through their eyes. And yes I love to travel and am ready to go anywhere, anytime. But the trip was for us as a whole. Parents enjoying their children in new locations and experiences. Children exploring and asking questions. Learning how to live out of suitcases, try new foods and get out of the habits and structure of home. Traveling as a family is about the memories you are making. The good ones, the bad ones and definitely the hilarious ones. Because traveling with kids provides a lot of entertainment.
When I need a restful break, I will check in to a hotel and spa alone. Or maybe fly off to an exotic island with my husband. With my kids, we are after adventure and memory making. I aim to fill their buckets up with so many amazing memories that will go with them for the rest of their lives.
If you are interested in more information about a family session or travel session with me, I would love to chat. You can reach me through the contact link. And make sure to sign up for my newsletter to stay on top of session updates and new travel location announcements.
