Childhood Travel Memories: Past and Present

~A Two Year Old Traveler~

Considering the globe traipsing path my life has taken, it’s not surprising that my earliest and most vivid memories involve travel.  In my earliest memory, I can clearly see a tiny little blond haired pixie with an impish face, proudly wearing a pair of airline wings on her shirt while slurping a carton of chocolate milk.  That little girl was a two year old me on my very first plane ride.  The memory goes fuzzy as I snuggle up under a thin navy blanket and bury my sleepy head in my dad’s lap, although my mom remembers that sometime during that flight, I wet my pants.  I don’t remember that part at all!

~I've always had a thing for trees~

One of my most vivid memories after that was so multi-sensory that I can bring it to mind like a crystal clear snapshot whenever I want to recall the feelings of the perfection of childhood.  We were camping in the Arkansas forest on our very first family vacation.  I woke to the sound of the birds chirping softly and the smell of bacon frying in the pan outside.  Even though I had to leave my cozy dream perch in the bed above the cab of our truck, the sounds of morning coaxed me out of the camper.  Still in my nightgown and bare feet, I could feel the soft blanket of pine needles under my feet as I walked gingerly through the woods.  Looking up, the pines seemed to stretch unendingly above me, and the sun was streaming in with beams so soft and warm that they seemed to come from heaven. 

With those two memories stored in my treasure trove of happiness, it always surprises me when people brush off family travel with the notion that the kids won’t really remember it, so it will be a waste of time and effort.   Clearly, kids can and do remember things from a very early age, and travel especially enhances early memories.  Research shows that being in a new environment and eliminating regular daily interferences actually allows kids to make neural connections that stick.  That is one of the great reasons to travel with kids. 

~Making Memories with my mom~

But let’s say, just for arguments sake, that I didn’t have those early traveling memories.  I know that my parents remember them.  Looking back at those memories with the heart of a mother, I can only imagine how precious those moments were for my parents.   How special was it for my dad to have his first child curl up in his lap and drift to sleep while wearing those flying wings with such pride?  How privileged did my mom feel to witness that moment of marvel when I looked up at the towering trees for the very first time?  Those memories aren’t just mine; they belong to my parents, as well.  They are a part of the tapestry of our family story.

~Baby bliss in a Hawaiian Hammock~

With that in mind, we have made it a regular part of our family to travel.  We don’t worry too much about whether or not they will remember the specifics of the trip or the great places they have seen.  And really, who cares if they remember?  I remember.  I could get practically drunk on the memory of swinging in a hammock on the beach in Hawaii with my third baby. Or I could get giddy with the memory of my kids swinging with wild abandon in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower.  We could have waited to enjoy the beaches of Hawaii or the Eiffel Tower when the kids were older (or even grown), but then we would have missed the chance to steal a memory from the never ending march of time.  Those memories will always be a part of our story.   When all the hassle and headache of packing up and heading out have faded, the moments of togetherness that were given to us through travel will remain. 

Ready to make some memories with your kids?   Leave a comment below about your favorite traveling memory as a kid or with your kids…and join us for the Twitter party sponsored by Omni Hotels about Traveling with Kids, next Monday night, 6/18, from 9-10pm EST, using the #TMOM hashtag. RSVP at TravelingMom.com to register for a chance to win a two night stay at any Omni Hotel