Guest Post: Traveling Abroad As A Family

Traveling with loved ones can be an exciting, unforgettable time. It can, however, also be a big headache if proper planning and accommodations aren’t made. Below are some things you should consider for a smooth and memorable vacation:

Destination and Accommodations

Plan accordingly for age-appropriate destinations for children. Consider their safety, the busyness of the city, fun attractions for kids and the affordability of the place you are visiting.

Also consider using a vacation rental instead of booking a hotel – it is a great way to get a feel of how the locals live. You can save some money too by looking for vacation rentals on sites such as Vrbo or Airbnb for affordable accommodation options for your family.

Air Travel

When it comes to air travel, try booking window seats so that the family can stay together and children have a little more freedom and space from other passengers. If anyone in your family has special needs, be sure to notify the airline you are using beforehand. They will most likely be able to accommodate any special requests that you may have.

Packing

Don’t pack anything you can’t carry. Ancient streets often mean cobbled or unevenly paved roads, making rolling backpacks difficult to navigate. And, If you go to gems of cities such as Florence, Italy, the buildings stay true to their old world appeal, meaning tiny elevators or no elevators at all. Hauling heavy luggage up many flights of stairs may be a good workout, but it is nonetheless a hassle.

Moreover, if you’re planning a trip across many cities via train or plane, lugging your luggage from one form of transport to another is a burden.

Also, instead of packing your whole closet, pack a few key clothing pieces for you and your family that can be mixed and matched effortlessly with other easy-to-wash clothing items. 

A favorite toy can keep a child company during a long trip, so be sure to include this with your packing. Also remember to pack any necessary medications and keep your family’s immune systems strong and healthy with plenty of vitamin C. 

Budget

There will be plenty of souvenirs that will be tempting to buy; however, it is important to keep a budget for your expenses. Research beforehand for popular cheap eats that you know your children will enjoy. If your children are picky and you’re worried they won’t be interested in the local food you want to try, consider telling them about the places you hope to visit and “hype” up the food, so they’ll be excited to try it when it comes. You can also pack familiar snacks from home that the children already like in case the local cuisine isn’t to their liking.

Keep in mind

Being in close parameters with people who know you well (and therefore, know how to push your buttons) can take its toll on anyone, especially after a long day of traveling. While traveling is supposed to be a form of a getaway, there is always a chance of getting on each other’s nerves. Just be aware of this possibility and step outside (safely, don’t get lost!) for a breather when needed.

Traveling has so many benefits, especially for children. When kids have the opportunity to travel, they gain exposure to different cultures and languages, and they gain a better appreciation for their own culture and other cultures’ ways of living. Such exposure to different languages is brain expanding, and promotes a sense of adventure and creative thinking.

Safety

It is important before your trip that you discuss safety measures with your family, such as

what to do when a family member gets lost. If you’re bringing electronic devices, have each others’ phone numbers ready, and have local family members or authorities’ numbers ready for emergencies.

Traveling can be a fulfilling, grand adventure that creates bonds with your family. By planning ahead and being prepared, you and your family can have a shared experience that you won’t soon forget.

 

Virginia Cunningham is a freelance writer and mother of three who loves traveling abroad with her entire family. She has been all over the world with her children, and every experience has been enjoyable because they were always well-prepared.

Guest Blogger: Eve

Thank you Eve for sharing your story. I know it will inspire others as it has us.

Migrating to the University of Life

Brisbane, Australia Kangaroo Point
Photo Credit: Wikipedia

For most people, the idea of traveling the world – gazing at the stars from the deck of a boat sailing along the Great Barrier Reef, spending a summer working at a vineyard in France or teaching English in uncharted territory like Japan, is the stuff dreams are made of. But dreaming wasn’t exactly on my mind when, at the age of 15, my parents decided to take a huge leap of faith and seek a better future beneath the blazing Australian sun. Our family flew from London to Brisbane one grey afternoon in June in 1989, and all I can recall from that day were my friends saying goodbye to me at the airport, their sombre expressions foreboding that it would be a long, long time before we would see each other again.

Learning through Challenge

It is one thing to travel on a month’s holiday and another altogether, to migrate to a new country. At 15, I had two years left to go at school but when we arrived in Australia, the school year had already started. I had to wait six months to start school, the loneliest six months of my life. Having been firmly entrenched in the school system in the UK, with a solid group of friends I had known since we were practically toddlers, being in such vastly different surrounds with people speaking in an accent I sometimes found difficult to understand, was a true learning experience.

In the late 1980s, University in Australia was almost exclusively public and in order to obtain entry, students had to place within the top 10 per cent of the state. Since I started in the last two years of secondary school, the most competitive and relevant for university access, the intensity of academic life felt like a baptism of fire. With the help of a teacher who took me under her wing and introduced me to the magnificent world of the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, I managed to get by and once I commenced my studies at University, I was well on the way to feeling like I had found my new home. After graduation, I made my way to a far-off corner of the globe: Spain. I had always wanted to learn Spanish and I figured that the best way to do it, was via full immersion. As luck would have it, I met my husband and today, I call Spain home, though I will never forget the highs and lows of the incredible country that is Australia.

                                                            Cultural Crossroads

Brisbane, Australia Town Hall
Photo Credit: Wikipedia

One of the best things about travel is learning about a new culture ‘in the flesh’. Going from rainy days indoors in London to sunny afternoons by the pool in Brisbane was a nice change, but it went a bit deeper than that; I delighted at discovering Aboriginal art and culture and managed to visit the ancient sacred site of Uluru, whose majesty can hardly be expressed in words. It’s one thing to watch Aboriginal musicians playing the didgeridoo on YouTube and something altogether to enjoy the experience live, with Uluru rising in the background, reminding you of the depth and beauty of Aboriginal religion and culture. In Spain, experiencing the collective high of Holy Week in Seville or the April fair, filled with flamenco song and dance, gave me a keen insight into the heart and soul of its people.

Travel is also a must for lovers of architecture, who can glean the extent to which harmony and proportion abound in constructions like the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, the Pantheon in Paris or the Forum in Rome, seemingly populated by the ghosts of Emperors past who traipse quietly by, immune to the sounds of the maddening crowd. When you move to these cities and you have the chance to visit monuments many times over, the level of connection and understanding with their architecture increases significantly.

An Informative Edge

When you first migrate to a new country, you normally have an abundance of something most people consider a luxury: time. Much of it will be spent meeting new people and getting to know your new city but in the quiet moments, you can take advantage of the endless hours of solitude by opening a good book and learning about everything from the social customs in your new country or city, to topics you may never even have considered approaching in the past. In my case, my strong background in humanities meant that I really lacked a basic knowledge in business; I decided that the best way to start was using a good introductory business textbook, which taught me everything from how to draft a business plan to the basics of micro- and macro-economics. Holding a book between my hands somehow felt so much more comforting sometimes than using the Internet; in my case, books were my savior and I devoured them voraciously, feeling a bit like a business undergrad by the time I’d finished reading classic textbooks on consumer behavior, retailing and cost accounting. Many years later, I was able to use the knowledge I had gleaned in this time period to open up a small business I had been interested in since I was a teen.

An Edge in Life

Brisbane, Australia Southbank Beach Fireworks
Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Arguably the best thing about living in different countries is the way it teaches us that people are similar, regardless of the cultural differences; I’ve lived in three countries thus far and I have always been lucky to find good friends, each of which enriched my life in ways I cannot quantify and I would certainly not undo, even if it meant going through the growing pains of adapting to a new culture all over again. Travel is the greatest of teachers because it invites us to let go of preconceived notions and ideas and to open our hearts to the unknown.

Eve

5 Ways to Immerse Yourself in Local Culture

We had differing opinions as to what this month's Traveling Brown Girls Blog Carnival topic was about.  So we are approaching this two ways.  Rhonda will identify 5 ways to immerse yourself in your own community.  Sharee will identify 5 ways to immerse yourself in another country as a local.

Rhonda

1)  Attend an international festival in your community.  The 18th Annual Columbia International Festival will be held April 13 & 14, 2013. 

2)  Take a foreign language at the local community college.  Spanish and French are commonly offered.

3)  Enjoy the night life at a local dance club that plays variety of music. The Salsa Cabana in Columbia, SC is open on Fridays and Saturdays with a DJ that mixes salsa, merengue, bachata, and reggaeton.

4)  Identify restaurants that have authentic international food. In Columbia, SC, the most authentic Italian restaurant is Villa Tronco.

5)  Take an international foods cooking class. The McCutchin House on the campus of the University of SC offers various international cuisine cooking classes for the general public.

Sharee

1)  Learn the essential language used by the locals.  "Hello", "Good-bye", "Excuse me", "Thank You", "Please", "Where is bathroom?", "How much does this costs?", and "Do you speak English?" are common phrases to learn. You can purchase a beginner's guide at your local AAA.

2)  Take the public transportation.

3)  Eat where the locals frequent.  Often these restaurants will not have an English menu if in non-English speaking country.

4)  Make friends with a local.  

5)  Stay in an apartment and not a hotel. VRBO is an excellent resource.

Just because we're twins, doesn't mean we always think alike!! So how would you interpret the title of this topic? 

Why Int'l Travel?

“The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.”

I'm not sure where this quote came from, but Rhonda and I have lived by this motto all our lives.  Our parents have always put an emphasis on travel. During the summer we'll make our way along the East Coast to visit family and friends, and a few attractions along the way (Six Flags Amusement Park, Howard University, Virginia Beach, etc). Neither of us took advantage of major travel during college because of lack of finances, and it's one of our biggest regrets. It wasn't until my first professional job did I realize that there was such a thing as business travel. Hence, in the past twelve years, we have both taken advantage of professional development opportunities that haven taken us from the East Coast to the West Coast.  So when our local community college advertised a tour to Italy via the Humanities Department four years ago, we couldn't let the opportunity pass us  by.  Our 8 days of international travel in May 2009 was very enjoyable, and to this day, I would look at my Passport and say, where to next??

In the past year Rhonda and I have followed several blog sites of African-Americans who have traveled abroad extensively. The idea for our show came about because we were fascinated by their outlook on life and the different journeys that led them to Take A Leap. Everyone we've talked to said that faith played a huge part in their journey. Yes, they missed their families like crazy and it can get expensive to live abroad (depending on destination), but many would not trade their experiences for the world.  

Another interesting take about international travel is that you can be yourself even in the midst of "cultural shock".  Or as is often the case, a better version of yourself.  Rhonda and I can be quite reclusive outside of work, but when we were overseas we found ourselves enjoying  "la mia dolce vita" which means "the sweet life". We woke up every morning eager to meet new people and explore new sites.  We kept that feeling going as we returned to the US, and it propelled us to do any and everything God set on our paths, no matter the obstacles.  Gone were the worries about finances. God has and will continue to make the provisions. Gone were the doubts that our family wouldn't understand. They are our biggest "cheerleaders" and "prayer warriors".  Gone were the demands of time, because tomorrow isn't promised. Take A Leap and show your support by donating to our funding campaign at http://indiegogo.com/takealeap.  $20 will get you a souvenir from a destination of choice that we'll be visiting, and copy of our DVD compilation of four short films.