When I packed (wearing shorts in Sacramento) for this trip to Minnesota last week it was SNOWING and 27 degrees at our Midwest destination.
We arrived – it was cold and windy. Then we had a huge wonderful thunderstorm. Today it is 80 degrees and sunny. Thank goodness for layers.
My 3 year old is having the time of his life getting dirty on my parent’s farm and in my mom’s garden.Â
He is learning more than a book could ever teach him as he sees the night sky light up with lightning and hears the cracks of thunder (and asks if that is “rocks” making that noise).  It was better than a story book, when he watched the electric company workers fix the transformer that was actually hit by that lightning and knocked our electricity out (and half of the county!).
Today the sky is so clear and the birds are singing like they cannot believe it may finally be spring!
My son has sat in every farm tractor and truck three times and pretended to be a “worker” as his eyes lit up with imagination.
Our trips to Minnesota are always sentimental for me. Great memories of my childhood – and now observing my “city kid” son as he learns volumes of information about farm life and growing up in the country and becomes acquainted with his 6 cousins who live in the area.
Giving a child the gift of travel means opening their eyes to other aspects of life and then helping them adapt to it as another acceptable way of life.Â
It also means spending more quality time with my child as I realize that the dial up connection at the farm is not worth the agony it will cause me as I compare it to DSL. This translates into less time at the computer and more bonding time with my son!
These trips are memorable in many ways for me. From snow to humidity to thunder and lightning, this “education” is more than I could ever provide for my child in a classroom.
You may not hear from me for a few days again – heading back to the farm (had to work a few hours “in town” at the University with DSL access). I am anxious to see what stories my son has to tell me today as he is spending the day with “Oma” (grandma in German) and “Gramps” as a “worker”. His smile was huge as I drove out of the yard waving goodbye. And I am sure he will sleep good tonight after all that fresh air, physical work, and hearty meals.
This is why I love travel. And why my career is to help make travel a reality for parents with small children. The trip doesn’t need to be extravagant to be fantastic and memorable. And putting off travel until the kids are older means missing out on these incredible moments.
Yes, the economy is on people’s minds. So maybe that big trip is going to be postponed. How about enjoying some simple family time in a unique environment? Get away from life as you know it and you may be surprised at how rewarding vacation really can be!
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