When my sister and I were young, most of this traveling came in the form of a Spring Break road trip. One year we drove all the way to the Grand Canyon seeing amazing sights along the way such as Bandelier National Monument, the Four Corners Monument, the Petrified Forest National Park, Mesa Verde National Park, and Carlsbad Caverns. These were places I had heard about at school that I was then able to experience for myself, and they were informational encounters because the national parks were already set up to be educational in nature. I learned about what life was like for the Pueblo people who lived in cliff dwellings, I learned how the Colorado river eroded the Grand Canyon over millions of years, and I learned how stalactites and stalagmites are formed in underground caves. In Santa Fe I got to see the oldest known church in the continental US while trying elote and in Los Alamos I learned about the Manhattan Project at the Bradbury Science Museum.
Another year we drove to Washington DC where we spent literal days exploring just a few of the Smithsonian museums where I was able to see relics of American history. I saw Charles Lindbergh's “Spirit of St. Louis” and Amelia Earhart’s iconic red Lockheed Vega, learning about what they had accomplished during their lifetimes. I walked through a gallery of dresses belonging to past First Ladies of the United States, witnessing a timeline of women’s fashion from the late 1700’s through the 1990’s with every step. In Washington DC we also visited the Capitol Building where I saw the wondrous architecture of the rotunda full of its magnificent artwork. I saw placards on the ground indicating where famous politicians such as Abraham Lincoln once sat when they were there as senators or representatives. Honestly, I could go on and on about the incredible things I was able to observe for myself that deepened my appreciation for the world around me. Now sure, my parents probably did put up with a lot of backseat arguments during those long road trips, but it really was an amazing way to see much of the country and I don’t think that they have any regrets about taking us on these trips.
Our travels as a family were not just limited to domestic road trips, however. Shortly after 9/11 we took a family trip to England, a trip that fundamentally affected my whole life. I saw the changing of the guard outside of Buckingham Palace. We visited the Tower of London and got to see the Crown Jewels. We toured the Natural History museum where I got to see the Rosetta stone, Dinosaur fossils, and more. At the time, I’m not sure I even understood the magnitude of what I was witnessing, but that trip single-handedly turned me into an Anglophile and voracious reader of books about England’s monarchs. Upon reflection, I am sure this trip must have cost my parents quite a bit of money, but it created lasting family memories and a truly priceless experience for us all.
My next international traveling experience was much different from the first as we spent a whole week in Nicaragua. At the time, I was in my second year of studying Spanish, so this was an incredible opportunity to practice my listening and speaking through simple interactions such as buying an ice cream. I learned about Nicaragua’s history as we drove through one of the oldest existing colonial cities in the Americas and toured the National Museum housed in the former Presidential Palace. Aside from the stunning scenery and rich history of the country, this trip exposed me to extreme poverty. In the capitol, Managua, we daily drove past what I can only describe as a tent city with cardboard boxes and pieces of metal roofing being used instead of actual tents. At stop lights people would come to your car window to try to peddle something or start washing your windshield, hoping for a nice tip. When we drove out through some more rural areas of the country, I saw children being bathed in a bucket outside a tiny family home. It’s one thing to hear about this level of poverty on the news or at school and something entirely different to witness it firsthand. That trip made me a lot more grateful for what I had and much more sympathetic towards others.
All of the trips and experiences I just described took place before I entered High School, and there were many more that I left out for the sake of time. I probably learned just as much about history and science from traveling with my family as I did in elementary school and to this day those are the subjects I’m most passionate about. I don’t mention these things to brag about how awesome my childhood was but to emphasize how great of an impact an educational vacation can have on a kid. If you’re a parent, I would encourage you to take your kids on at least 3 trips while they’re young: one trip that showcases the beauty and wonder of nature, another that is historically or culturally relevant to you, and lastly a trip that is new and genuinely exciting for you so that your kids can see how you respond to learning and trying new things.
Now, at 26 years old, I’ve been to 36 US states, including Alaska and Hawaii, and internationally, I’ve had the opportunity to see parts of England, Mexico, Nicaragua, Canada, Honduras, Belize, Panama, Columbia, and all three of the former Netherlands Antilles. I suppose one day I should count up all of my dad’s flags so I know how many countries I need to visit in order to beat his record. This should be easy enough to accomplish as there are several more countries in existence now than when he started traveling, but even so, I think I’ll take my time and savor each experience; learning and growing each step of the way.
