As any seasoned traveler can tell you, airports, train stations, land border crossings and ship ports can be home to some of the most stressful moments while traveling. The truth is, no matter where you go, arriving in a new destination can be disorienting.

Foreign languages, unfamiliar customs, fear of being scammed, and the uncertainty of how to get where you need to go can all play havoc as you leave one country and enter another. While smaller crossings can seem the quietest or easiest, that’s not always the case when you’re in a foreign country and the lack of infrastructure at a smaller terminal can actually makes things worse.

Sometimes the sheer size of the airport, bus terminal or port can be overwhelming and leave you lost. Couple that with time changes, heightened security, a mountain of baggage, jet lag, lack of movement for hours on end and differences in air pressure, heat and even humidity can often make you wonder if leaving home is worth all the aggravation.

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We can honestly say that while we love to travel, and having been to the far corners of the world and back again, dealing with hectic border crossings can tire out even the seasoned traveler. While those moments are often few and far for most trips, they can still lead to panic for those not accustomed to some of the worlds more zanier border crossings.

In this post I’m going to list a few of our more memorable border crossings, how we dealt with them and the lessons we learned. Don’t worry, once you read everything you’ll be crossing borders like a pro too!

Dealing with touts. Pick me! Pick me!

One of the most chaotic moments for any traveler, whether they’re seasoned pros or first time out-of-towners, is going to be dealing with touts as they enter or leave a country.

Tout (noun).

A person soliciting custom or business, typically in an aggressive or bold manner.

The truth is, touts flock to ports and airports for exactly the same reasons you hate being there. You’re tired, and a little unsure about your next step, and the touts are ready to use that to their advantage.

Nowhere in our travels was this more evident than when we arrived via ferry from the relative calm of Melaka, Malaysia into the craziness of Dumai on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. The day we stepped off the ferry in Dumai, craziness literally engulfed us.

After one of the coldest ferry rides in the known universe (seriously, it was sweltering outside but we could see our breath inside the air conditioned ferry), we made our way from the water ferry to the small building welcoming us into the country. Before a single person even exited the water ferry, the local touts were already shouting to get our attention. Luckily, they were still far enough away that each voice was indistinct, but as we left the building after passing through customs, the real chaos erupted.

As we walked the long fenced off ramp down to the landing, what seemed like hundreds of voices were shouting at us to use their taxi, take their tour or come to their hotel. The volume was insane. At that moment, Micki and I severely questioned our decision to come to Indonesia.

The closer we got to the end of the ramp, it got even worse as hundreds of arms tried to grab us to get our attention. Imagine a hallway of arms and a hundred touts screaming for your attention (and not using their nice inside voices) and you might have an idea of our situation.

Luckily, we had read a little about this phenomenon and picked a random driver from the crowd and used them as a shield to further our escape. It seemed the moment we had chosen someone that the majority of the other touts backed away and looked for fresher meat.

We’re not sure we chose well or not, but our choice eventually lead to the most ridiculous, fingernails embedded in the dash, nine hour rally road ride of our lives but, as always, that’s another story.

Lessons learned about dealing with touts

We learned quite a few things that day, the least of which is that when arriving in another country, it’s important to always have a game plan and sometimes, the tout you choose isn’t as important as the speed of your decision.

When arriving in a new location, always know where you want to go and hold fast to your decision.

It also helps if you have a pre-booked room somewhere so the driver can’t supplant their choice of place (with a nice kickback for them) rather than yours.

While you’ll often be charged higher rates for taxi and bus rides from most ports (whether that be bus, train, air or ferry) compared to the average prices in town (don’t worry, it’s pretty much a universal thing in every country), try to have an idea of what it typically costs.

There are lots of websites out there where you can get that information, but in the end don’t be surprised if you have to pay more than you expect. If it’s a lot more, feel free to negotiate a better price or ask one of their competitors. Just realize that the majority of touts have a common number they’re going to tell you the first time you ask and it’s not often they’ll undercut someone who might be seen as a competitor to you, but could very well be a friend, family member or even someone working for the same company.

Another option is to push past the loudest and most aggressive touts and either seek someone less pushy or someone not actively seeking your business. We’ve found some of the best deals this way. However, we’ve occasionally gotten so far past the throng of touts that we can’t find any one willing to drive us to our hotel and had to double back.

A final option, depending on the port’s location, is to just walk directly to your hotel or take a local bus a block or two away from the port. Of course, this totally depends on the how close the port is to everything, so make sure you’ve done your homework before going this route. Also be mindful about security if you’re in a more dangerous country since straying from the norm could make you a target.

The slow bus from hell and chaotic border crossings

Transportation from one country to another can sometimes be tricky. Some places, like the Schengen countries in Europe, have no real border crossings, so going from place to place can be as simple as jumping on a bus and getting off at your destination.

While renting your own car is almost always an option to bounce between smaller countries, you’ll need to deal with unfamiliar driving laws and customs, likely need to get a car insurance quote , and possibly even drive on the wrong side of the road. There’s also a chance that the vehicle itself won’t be allowed over the border, due to insurance, ownership, or registration issues. We almost always take public transit across border crossings for that very reason to reduce hassle.

Some border crossings require you to get off one bus and get onto another after passing through customs, though sometimes you get back on the same bus and keep traveling. These organized border crossing buses can be a boon or a bust depending on the situation.

No where was this more apparent to us than the time Micki and I crossed from Thailand into Cambodia. Rather than jumping on the backpacker bus out of Bangkok (widely known at the time as the slow bus from hell), we decided to go it ourselves.

After doing a bit of research, we settled on a plan. First, we would purchase tickets for a much nicer air conditioned bus that left hours later than the early morning backpacker bus. Once we got to the Cambodian border, we would pay our fee and cross over before hiring a private car to take us all the way to Siem Reap.

It all sounded easy on paper. However, the truth is the border crossing itself was insanely chaotic and left us doubting our choice to stray from the pack.

For instance, we knew there was a crossing fee, but there were people all over trying to collect it. Once the crossing fee nightmare was dealt with, finding a ride the rest of the way was a little crazy as well, since most of the people had passed through earlier and taken the best transportation.

Long story short, we finally found a car to take us to Siem Reap. A few minutes later, we passed the overloaded Backpacker bus that had left hours before ours. Not only was the bus traveling much slower than us, but they had their windows rolled down and the dust that was flying in through the open windows made everyone in it look dusty and miserable. The bus also seemed to bottom out on every pothole they passed, which couldn’t have been very fun.

As we cruised by in the comfort of our private air conditioned sedan, we realized that those few minutes of chaos at the border didn’t diminish the fact that we drove in comfort on both sides of the border for literally only a few dollars more and still arrived hours before the slow bus.

Lessons learned about chaotic border crossings

If you’re crossing a border in a foreign country and aren’t sure how it works, do some research. You can find nearly everything you need online. If you feel safe and comfortable doing so, don’t be afraid to leave the group and do your own thing. Not only can you often save money and time, you can often do it in greater comfort.

Also, especially at more chaotic border crossings, it’s always important to keep your head. Corruption is fairly rampant in many countries and the chance to pull a fast one over on a rich foreigner is often too easy for unscrupulous people to pass up regardless of how poor you might actually be. That’s why it’s important to mind your belongings, and definitely don’t be too ostentatious. Flashy rings and jewelry, as well as expensive clothes and luggage, only heightens the differences and can make you a target.

When it doubt as to whether someone is an official or not, best not to disrespect them. Feel free to question things, but don’t be belligerent or threatening. It won’t endear you to anyone and could land you into troubled water. If you did your research you should have a pretty good idea of what to expect regardless.

Some border crossings, like the Thailand-Cambodia one back then, are more of an outdoor free for all where buses, cars, people and officials all mill about. It was easy for people to think that an official looking person was actually an official and we had no less than five official looking people approach us for payment at different times. Turns out none of them were actual border officials, so we eventually found the person who was the real official, paid our amount and continued on our way.

Choose your routes carefully

The old saying that the journey is often greater than the destination isn’t wrong. Some of our strongest memories after years of travel are the moments in between destinations. While some see them as merely an inconvenience, we’ve realized that the journey can oftentimes outweigh the destination.

No where is this more apparent than when we went to Morocco with our kids. Instead of jumping on a cheap flight and being there in hours, we wanted to see some of the country from a different perspective. That’s why as we left Andalusia, Spain and crossed over the Strait of Gibraltar into Africa, we knew it was going to be a long day.

Forgoing a cheap flight, we decided to travel by every other mode of transportation possible to get into Morocco. By the time we had arrived at our Riad in Marrakesh, we had spent no less than 24 hours taking taxis, buses, a ferry and an overnight train to get there. Considering we had two young children in tow, it was a decent feat even for us.

It was a great journey without any real problems. However, what probably saved us the most hassle was choosing a ferry that landed at the smaller port closer to town, rather than the main port on the outskirts. The caveat to that is we had to be pretty organized, considering that the ferry we chose only left twice a day.

Like a lot of port cities in poorer countries, Tangiers is also well known for its touts. Luckily, the port this particular ferry landed at had only a small fraction of touts the larger and busier port had. Since the smaller port was in town, we managed to get a local taxi that only charged us a few dollars to drop us off at a restaurant, where we killed a few hours before jumping on our overnight train.

The bonus is that the taxi driver liked us, so he waited while we ate. After that, he took us on a short tour of Tangiers before dropping us off at the train station. We gave him twice his asking rate simply because he was so helpful. Again, it never hurts to be nice and everyone benefitted.

Lessons learned from choosing your route wisely

By choosing our route carefully, we managed to make a long journey doable for a family of four with small children. We planned ahead, did a ton of research, had a few contingency plans in case something didn’t go as planned, and then actually enjoyed our journey.

That particular trip shows that timing matters at border crossings. We gave ourselves an extra hour here and there in case a bus ran late or we had trouble flagging down a taxi in time, a real problem we’ve had on numerous occasions where taxi service was a complete hit or miss.

Tip! One of the troubles with doing things independently is that an empty bus or taxi makes no money, so if you’re not someplace busy or popular, every taxi you spot is likely already full, meaning finding an empty one can often take longer than just waiting in line other places. Make sure you factor that in when doing your calculations. Also know that while Lyft and Uber are getting more popular the world over, they still aren’t everywhere yet and you need a WIFI or data connection to hail them.

The second thing we learned on this journey is that location matters. Had we chosen to take the larger, busier ferry from Spain, we would have been descended on by a horde of touts and forced to overpay for a taxi or bus back into the city. By going with the slightly smaller ferry that landed right in town, due to the much shorter customs lines and no need for a taxi, we actually ended up saving both time and money getting exactly where we needed to be with much less hassle.

So sometimes a smaller border crossing makes more sense than a larger border crossing. However, always do your research, because smaller border crossings often have reduced hours and if there is a problem it can often take longer to sort out due to lack of staff or language issues.

Airports and the need for due process

While the above examples deal more with border crossings in Southeast Asia and Morocco, many European border crossings come with their own issues. From ever changing paperwork, to hidden airport fees, to tighter time allowances and banned items not allowed on flights, sometimes it can be more work to cross from one European or North American country to another.

While you may , or may not, have to deal with as much corruption, sometimes bureaucracy can make a border crossing nearly unbearable.

On top of that, when 9/11 hit the USA, airports and even land border crossings changed how every country around the world now dealt with border crossings. Increased security increased lineups, which in turn increased wait times. Now that’s all good from a safety aspect, but it can make the whole process wish you stayed home.

Luckily, these are generally easier to navigate. Besides for a lost pocket knife or two, some nail clippers years ago, and more drinks than I’m comfortable admitting to (when you have kids you carry liquids, what can I say) we haven’t been overly affected by European or North American style border crossings.

Now that doesn’t say how many times we barely made a connecting flight due to overlong customs lineups or having to run a mile through an oversized airport with a carryon and a small child in my arms, but there are a few stories of insight in there.

Like the time we got off a plane into Columbia and all the Canadians on board were herded into a line far from all the rest of the passengers in customs and had to pay a $80 a person fee, since Columbia was annoyed that Canada was charging them a similar visa entry fee.

The frustration and annoyance in that lineup was almost scary. Since the credit card machine was down, any people without the cash were stuck in customs until either the machine got repaired or they came up with the money. Luckily, we had cash on us.

That brings up an important tip, always travel with some USD currency (it’s the most widely accepted the world over) and some local currency. We’ll often grab some local currency at the first ATM we come across the airport however, be careful because sometimes these have extra fees. Another classic option is to convert some money before we go or hit an in airport currency house and change some money over. (Again be careful they don’t severely overcharge you.)

Many airports around the world have fees as you pass through customs that aren’t prepaid with your ticket. While most accept credit cards, it never hurts to have a few extra dollars to cover the costs.

In this particular instance they wanted us to pay for the kids as well, but we managed to talk them out of it. So again, be nice but feel free to question things.

Beware the layover in a foreign country

Another example of issues of border crossings is the dreaded layover.

As Canadians, we often fly through the US to get down south. Whether we’re headed to Mexico, the Caribbean, Central or South America, the odds are that we’ll have to switch planes somewhere in the US. While this isn’t a problem per say, this also means that we have to go through US customs regardless of where we eventually end up.

This means getting out of the plane, grabbing all our things and then going through US customs before doing it all again for the next country. This process often takes longer than we expect and is why we never book flights too close together when traveling through another country. To be honest, more often than not, we’ll usually take the opportunity to explore whatever city we land in for a day or two since we have to go through customs regardless.

Now the biggest issue with this is that next to increased time, while you are in that layover country you are under the same laws as if you are staying there regardless of never leaving the airport.

For instance, on one trip, our son’s passport developed a rip that we hadn’t noticed. Of course it had to be the main page, but the rip wasn’t big and didn’t really affect the ability to read the passport. It hadn’t even ripped completely off. However, as we passed through US customs on our way to Mexico the US customs agent said that they wouldn’t allow a defaced passport to enter the country. Never mind that our son was six years old or that we were literally on our way to our next flight out of their country within the hour.

At that point we were already in the US and would have needed to get back on a plane home or somehow managed to get a new passport issued via the Canada Embassy without leaving the airport. Either way it meant time and lots of money to cancel all our plans.

Luckily in this instance, their boss was within hearing distance and eventually came over to see what all the fuss was. After listening to the customs agent and then looking at us he grabbed a piece of tape, taped the ripped passport and sent us on our way.

The lesson in this story is that no matter your destination, any customs agent, regardless of how close you are to a border has the power to refuse you entry and can severely impede your travels. A second lesson is to always be prepared and in this specific case, make sure your passport and any needed visas are in order before you leave your current location.

Tips for mastering border crossings like a pro

No matter where you travel to, the minute you exit one country you’re crossing into another. Sometimes this can be as easy as tilting your seat back and ordering another drink and sometimes it can mean grabbing every piece of luggage you have and navigating an endless horde of touts or, even worse, bureaucrats.

Regardless of how you got there, there are always a few things to remember.

The first is to do your homework. A few minutes of research is all it takes to let you know what to expect and what steps you’ll need to take to keep your travels going smoothly. Don’t always expect that someone there will make it easy for you. It might come as a shock to some people, however it’s very likely that many, many people have done whatever you’re attempting to do and at least one or two have thankfully written it down to help you out.

Secondly, relax. Take a breath. Check out what’s happening around you. Almost no situations have gotten better because someone got angry or careless.

If you’re surrounded by touts, choose one and move on or tell them all no thank you and decide for yourself what you want. You might decide that it’s easier to pay their inflated prices than argue for a better deal. Chances are the price isn’t so extravagant that it’s worth your energy. Especially after a long day on the road.

If you’re dealing with bureaucracy, God have mercy on your soul. Haha, just kidding. Chances are that everything will be sorted out and you’ll be on your way eventually. Just be patient and keep calm. If things really aren’t going your way, try to find their boss or someone else who is more sympathetic to your needs.

Be safe! While ports and border crossings are generally secure, they’re also an area of confusion for some. Always be vigilant and pay more attention to your bags, since areas of change usually also means it’s an area of opportunity. Now is the time for you to take that opportunity to get your bearings, don’t let someone take that same opportunity to take your stuff.

Above all, enjoy the journey! As you exit one country, you’re entering a new one. Those first few moments might create a lasting impression on you. Don’t judge a country by its initial lack of infrastructure or its overdemanding one.

While ports of all kinds are great places to meet people from other countries, they’re not necessarily the best to meet the locals. Give it time, you’ll have plenty of it once you get out there experiencing whatever brought you there in the first place.

Lastly, have Fun! After all, isn’t that why we all travel in the first place.

Have any great border crossing stories you want to share? Maybe you have a great tidbit of advice to give. Leave us a comment down below.

As frequent travelers with both a teenager and a tween, we’ve witnessed the good and all the bad when traveling with someone whose moods and hormones can fluctuate like a duck on a pogo stick.

The good news is that you can travel with a teen!

Benefits of traveling with a teen or tween

Mood swings and occasional disdain aside, teens can make great travel partners. Not only are they now better at communicating, they can sit still for hours and can better occupy themselves during extended travel or down times. Some can even tolerate museums, art exhibits, and even enjoy the odd architecture tour, which is something we dreaded when our kids were younger.

Teens and tweens can also better create and hold onto memories than younger children can.

We’ve traveled with our children since they were babies, and it always surprises us of what they do and don’t remember about our previous travels. We’ve definitely discovered that they retain way more now, as well as better understand the cultural and historical significance of the places we often stop at. They even sometimes surprise us with their knowledge of certain events and people that made a landmark important in the first place.

Another big plus of traveling with teens is that teens and tweens can generally do the same physical activities we as parents enjoy, such as extended hiking, ziplining, biking, waterslides, and even going on scary amusement park rides.

Travel memories with your teen

I can now look back at certain moments of my childhood with a certain clarity. That’s right, I can remember in perfect detail what that 14 year old teenage me was thinking as I walked into a Disney theme park and compare it to the first time I went when I was only seven. I can even compare it against the 21 year old me’s thoughts as well.

To say that my memories and mindset were in vastly different places would be an understatement. I was at a different place in my life at each age. Not only were my expectations and enjoyment different, but I was different both physically and emotionally.

Trust me, you probably don’t want to know exactly what’s going on in your teenager’s head, however, if you realize that they’re their own person and have their own thoughts, expectations, problems, likes and dislikes, you’ve just discovered the best secret to successfully traveling with a teen.

Why you should travel with a teen or tween

As I get older, I realize I have years of my childhood where I have no significant memories, outside of a few school events or family emergencies. I’m guessing this is common for most of you. We often don’t remember the day to day events of our past and really, why should we?

The fact that I can remember our family trips so vividly is important because it not only gives me glimpses of my past, but helps me realize that the memories my kids carry forward likely won’t be the hours of video games we’ve played together, or throwing the ball around in the backyard or the neighborhood hikes, but of places and events so out of the ordinary that they create a time stamp of their past.

The reason I say that is because even though our teens and tweens are constantly marching towards adulthood, the memories they look back upon will likely determine how they move forward.

Isn’t a memory of shared time, exploration, discovery, adventure and culture one of the best gifts a parent can give their child?

Don’t believe me? In terms of travel, many families will look back at shared trips with a certain fondness, even though regular day to day family life was a struggle for them.

I think the reason for this isn’t the location or sights you see. Often, just the fact that you spend quality time with your teen, experiencing things together, trying new things, getting out of your normal habits and putting their enjoyment occasionally over your own, creates these lasting memories. The rest is just a bonus.

Understanding your teen

Every time I go back to Disney Parks as an adult, I’m reminded not so much how it’s changed, but how I have changed over the years and what my mindset was each time I went there.

The first time I went at age seven, my family took three weeks off and we all drove down to California to check out Disneyland. I can still remember most of the rides and the thrill at being at my first true amusement park. To say it was magical would be an understatement.

Fast forward seven years and now I’m walking into Disney World in Florida for the first time. Considered the jewel of the Disney empire, what did that 14 year old have to say as he crossed the fabled gates? “Ugh, how long do we have to be here?“

So what had changed? The park still had its familiar castle and rides, it had characters I grew up with both old and new, it had everything I remembered from that first visit and much more.

The difference was obviously me. I was going through the awkward growing pains of adolescence. Yup, I was in my teen years.

To make matters worse, I was there with my cousins who were so excited to be there that they could barely contain themselves. The moment we walked in they were literally vibrating with enthusiasm.

My parents, who were supportive as usual, couldn’t understand why I was so bitter. The truth is, even I didn’t know why. They had just spent a small fortune flying with a teenager out to California, and tickets to theme parks aren’t cheap.

I’m not exactly sure when or why it happened, but somewhere that day the unhappy teen cynic that I had become took the day off and I ended up enjoying myself no matter how hard I fought against it. Some might say that it was just the magic of Disney, but given the right circumstances, it could as well apply to any place in the world.

So, what can make even the sourest teen laugh out loud in delight? Well, let’s go over a few suggestions on travel with teens and let’s find out.

Tips for traveling with teens and tweens

Now that we have a teenager and tween of our own, we’re constantly trying to figure out new ways to appeal to their likes and dislikes, and also keep the whole family happy and entertained when we travel. If you have a tween or teen of your own you’ll understand. If yours aren’t there yet, just keep some of these travel with tweens and teens tips handy. You’ll thank us later.

Keep your teen informed

The most important thing we’ve discovered when taking either a teen or tween someplace down the street (or anyplace in the world for that matter), is to give them options and keep them in the loop. Younger children are often happy to just follow along, but teens like to know what’s going on.

Don’t worry about giving them too much information (unless they ask for more details), but make sure they know what’s going to happen beforehand.

Yes, your first instinct might be to skip talking about the two hour bus ride you all have to take, or the overly long airport connection you’re going to have to sit through, but all that’s going to happen is they’re going to resent you once it happens. Give them the info beforehand and tell them that it’s required to make this trip happen.

If your child understands it has to happen regardless of anyone’s choice, they’re more likely to go along with it and hopefully make peace with it before it even begins. There’s also the added bonus that they’re now in the adult loop, which is what most teens crave for anyway.

Telling them beforehand puts them in the right mind space and lets you prepare for possible fallout before it happens. Having a plan to tackle inevitable boredom with video games, books or pre-downloaded Netflix movies isn’t a bad idea either.

Get your teen on board

If you want your teen or tween to feel like this trip isn’t all just about what you want, get their input in the planning stages. Everyone is much more likely to go along with a plan they helped establish.

It doesn’t mean giving in to every one of their demands, but give them options and let them choose from what you find acceptable. If they really don’t want to go, give them a small win by letting them choose the restaurant you’ll eat at that night or picking out the next movie you all watch together.

It doesn’t have to be much, but teens often feel like they have no control over their lives, and often rightly so. If they feel like they can control one aspect of the trip, it should help with the rest of it.

Let your teen help plan the vacation

Want to get your teen excited about your next trip? Give them some material to research before you leave, whether that’s a guidebook, a YouTube video or a couple websites for them to peruse.

YouTube videos are a huge hit with our kids. We often search for videos of the places we’re thinking of going to, and watch them as a family.

Given a little nudge, you might be surprised what interesting research your children do on their own. Whether they read about it in school, have a friend who talked about it, or whether they saw it online, searching for a few answers to a question they have about a place can lead to a desire to find the answer out themselves. This desire can even lead to excitement and that’s the best any parent can ask for in regards to their teen.

Give your teen some space when you travel

Nope, not talking about Space Mountain (but that is an awesome ride for teens), the trick is to give your teen and tween room before and after the days major events. Whether you’re checking out an amusement park, walking through ancient cathedrals or hiking the alps, everyone needs a little time to decompress after a long day of seeing the sites.

Whether that means getting them their own room or just upscaling your accommodations for a bigger sitting area, we’ve found giving our teenager space to relax and unwind pays for itself in peace of mind for everyone.

Tip: At this point in their lives, teens are going through changes, both physically and emotionally. Give them a chance to recharge their batteries at their own pace and they won’t be such a drain on yours.

Split up the group occasionally

It hurts me to say it, but the truth is, not everyone loves roller coasters and not everyone likes magical rowboats. If you find yourself traveling with two or more children of different ages, their interests might not crossover so well. Accept that and split the group up as needed to keep everyone happy.

If you do split up, arrange meet up times so you can swap parents and make sure to choose some activities you’ll all enjoy together so you can make family memories you share. Travel means different things to different people. It only makes sense that your growing children have their own passions they want to follow too.

Let the older kids play

This one is hard for most of us to accept, but your older teen is almost an adult. If they’re comfortable exploring an area on their own, and it’s safe, let them. Just make sure that, as above, you have pre-determined times and places to meet up so you can all have some shared memories as well.

This applies to major sites and activities, as well as amusement parks. Smartphones make it particularly easy to regroup later.

We used to travel with walkie-talkies when the kids were younger. When one of us went to run an errand or take the kids to the beach or someplace similar, it made splitting up into teams so much easier to regroup after.

Schedule some down time

After traveling to more than 30 countries with our children, often for months at a time, the one thing we always make sure to do is schedule in some down days. Whether you’re visiting Disney World or Universal Studios with your teens, exploring quirky and unusual things to do in London, checking out the Louvre in Paris, or gallivanting around the Galapagos Islands with your tween, everyone gets burnout eventually.

When you’re tired and cranky, standing in line or waiting around in the sun can make a good day become a bad day. Unless you’re a family whose members all have extremely high energy, don’t schedule something for every second.

Instead, enjoy a day off in the pool. Hit up a spa while letting your teen get a few solitary hours full of gaming, watching YouTube, reading a book or even checking out their social media and chatting with friends back home. It will go a long way to making every memory a good memory and the holiday a success.

These days, we’d rather miss out on an “OMG, we have to see this while we’re here” place than overburden the family. If it’s high enough on the list, it will happen regardless and if it’s not, there’s always next time. For us, the flow of travel is often more important than the destination.

Choose your destination carefully

Your children are getting older. Soon they’ll be traveling on their own. Try to pick out places today that you’ll all enjoy experiencing.

If you crave a tour of Ireland’s pubs, or a quiet remote island getaway, it might be prudent to visit those after the kids have moved out. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t visit certain places, it just means that you should consider what your family members will get out of the trip as well.

This realization has rearranged our travel lately more than anything. When our kids became teens and tweens, we realized that it opened up a lot of possibilities that we didn’t have when we traveled with young children.

For one, we can now go enjoy a parent’s night out since our kids are old enough to safely stay on their own for a few hours. We can now do activities that the kids were just too young to take part in like ziplining or mountain climbing. We can visit places we held off because the thought of little ones zooming around gave us panic attacks before we even got there.

On the down side, traveling with teens can get expensive quickly, since in most places they’re charged full adult fares. Don’t even get me started on their much bigger, and more expensive, eating habits. All these combined made us realize that traveling with teens is different than traveling with younger kids, but can still be just as rewarding.

Make your own memories

One of the biggest reasons people travel is to make new memories, to include special places and events that stand out from everyday life.

That’s why it’s just as important to not only see something you’ve only seen in print or online, but create a few strong memories to stay with you long after your trip has ended.

The truth is I’d rather have a single great shared memory of specific time and place with my teen than a jumble of memories all intertwined.

As an example I’m going to go back to the very first time I visited Disney when I was seven. After a very long day of rides, getting autographs signed and watching all the shows, my father and I were feeling burnt out. My older siblings wanted to go on a few more rides, but we needed a break.

My mom decided to take my brother and sister on a few of the bigger rides while my dad and I hung back. It turns out that my sister got motion sickness and my brother lost a shoe or something. It’s not my memory but it is one forever shared by my mother and her two tweens.

My memory is of my father and I stealing away into one of the little bakeries and each having a huge $5 piece of chocolate cake with a little blob of ice cream on it. Seeing this is well over 30 years ago, that was a lot of money for a piece of cake regardless of where we bought it.

The kicker? I can clearly remember my dad looking down at me and saying itwas worth it. To this day, I have yet to taste a chocolate cake that was as delicious and rich as that cake was and, for all the fun and excitement that day brought, that specific memory is still the most vivid of that entire trip and one of my most cherished.

Enjoy the moment

The fun part about when you travel with teens and kids in general is that you never know which moment will be the memory everyone keeps. For you, it might be having that perfect croissant while looking up at the Eiffel Tower with your children at your side. For your teen, it might be standing in line at the airport when someone’s bag failed to show up and their dad chewing out the poor baggage handler.

Teens have their own view of the world, and their own take on what’s important to them. Don’t be afraid to listen to them, they might shed light on things you’ve never thought of and have ideas you’ve never dreamed of.

Just realize that they’re people too and what’s important to them is what’s important to them. Understand that and you’re on your way to having one of the best trips of your life and a shared memory that will last forever.

Are you putting off your dreams of exploring far off places for fear of schoolwork and activities your kids will miss out on while they’re gone?

Have you fell in love with the notion of worldschooling your children to make them better global citizens but don’t love the idea of having to become their teacher as well as parent and now travel guide?

Not convinced that homeschooling while you travel will work for you but convinced that homeschooling and long term travel have to be synonymous?

Well, I can’t say how your kids or your family will deal with worldschooling, however, I can tell you about our personal experience with educating our kids while we travel the world.

Is worldschooling for everyone?

Before we answer that, I believe it’s important to define worldschooling. In its simplest form, worldschooling is getting an education while you travel, with an emphasis on incorporating your journey into the curriculum.

Traditional Worldschooling Methods

While there are many ways for children to get an education while they travel, this post talks about the most common ones we, and many of our fellow travel families, have explored over the years.

Homeschooling: Where the parent takes on the role of teacher and educates the child themselves, usually with a rough outline and somewhat keeping pace with standard curriculums.

Distance education, online learning or e-learning: Where your child is enrolled in a school, but taught at a distance with a teacher, usually online.

Unschooling: Where children learn through life experiences that you or they initiate without following any standard curriculum.

Local schooling: Where children enroll in either local schools or specialized schools in the area that they’re currently visiting.

How to become a worldschooler

This post is actually in response to an email we received from a concerned mom who wanted to break away from it all and travel the world, but was nervous that her kids would miss out on going to a normal school. She wasn’t sure that worldschooling her kids was for her.

We understand her concerns and probably yours if you’re reading this. We thought long and hard about travel with kids even before we started our own family. Considering Micki and I got engaged in Thailand and then later married in New Zealand while on a year long round the world trip, you can understand our desire to keep traveling once there were more than just the two of us.

Tip! If you want to travel and homeschool your children, look into the laws about homeschooling in your country. Some, like our home country of Canada, have relatively liberal homeschooling laws, but others, like Germany, have restrictions on homeschooling.

That said, we’ve traveled with our kids since they were babies, and though we once again have a home base in Canada, that wasn’t always the case. You see, we jumped around Canada and the world for years at a time.

How We Homeschool on the Road

Once our kids were old enough, and we happened to be back in Canada for a stretch, we usually found ourselves enrolling the kids back into regular public school.

If we were gone for an extended trip, we would enroll our children into an e-learning distance education class where our kids would chat with a dedicated teacher from back home a few times a week and got assignments that way.

How we combine regular school and distance education online

In our province of British Columbia, Canada, this is called online distributed learning. It’s essentially distance education offered by our public school system. It’s a provincially accredited online K-12 program with the same curriculum as physical schools in our province.

Our kids were taught by a public school teacher employed by the online learning education department. This meant that they could go back into a regular, physical public school at any time, and be at pretty much the same place in the curriculum as other students from the grade. Many Canadian provinces offer something similar. There was no cost for this.

Typical weeks would see us emailing photos of their physical work to their teacher, and there was also some online work they had to do. As they get older and past the “learning how to write with a pencil phase”, more and more of their learning takes place online.

To stay connected, they would chat with their teacher via Skype, or by email when they needed additional help. Even though we were out on the road somewhere, our kids still roughly followed the same learning plan as they would in school back in Canada.

Unlike a lot of traveling families, we’ve never officially homeschooled our children or even unschooled them. It wasn’t that we didn’t believe in it, it’s just that neither of us ever wanted to be teachers, and for the duration of our travels we were lucky enough to have an online version of our public school curriculum. It also didn’t hurt that there was no charge, and that Canada ranks as one of the best public school systems in the world.

The nice part about e-learning, or distributed online learning as it’s called here in British Columbia, was that they still had a teacher that assigned and checked their work. We were strictly the helpers who made sure the kids completed their assigned tasks. Of course, we were also always on hand if they needed help and support.

A few bonuses to online distance education while you travel

To be honest, being able to be there for our kids is one of the biggest pluses to what we do. When you travel extensively together, you have way more hours together as a family than regular 9 to 5 working parents have.

If you enjoy your you time, don’t become a long term traveling family. You’ll likely get tired of always being together.

Luckily for us, we’ve always enjoyed spending time with each other, so our lifestyle generally works well for us.

The greatest part about following a more standard education while we travel is that we can still work, research our next move, and enjoy wherever we happen to be without also having to make sure our kids learn the basic necessities they will eventually need in life like reading, spelling and math. Having a teacher guide them also forced us to not completely ignore their schooling since, for the most part, assignments and timelines were out of our hands.

In truth, that alone kept us honest, otherwise I know a more traditional education would have faltered if it was dependent on us finding the time to create, assign, then mark their schoolwork while on the road.

World Schooling via e-learning

A cool aspect about the Canadian e-learning classes they took was that the teacher, used to dealing with students on the move around the world, would often assign projects based on where we were.

For example, our kids learned about democratic history while we were traveling in Greece, the home of democracy itself. Our son Cole was especially interested in how governing bodies are formed and who gets a say in a country’s development.

That trip they also learned about the Age of Exploration in Portugal while walking the same cliffs that Henry the Navigator walked on while ushering in the European expansion to Africa, China and the new world in the 15th century. The names of Dias, Gama, Columbus, Magellan, Drake and Vespucci became part of their world and gave our kids courage in exploring their own world.

Even while on holiday exploring the Mayan ruins in Mexico, our kids studied ancient civilizations and their effect on societies today. As a bonus, they also became experts on chocolate and can tell you exactly how cocoa beans were originally harvested and how they go from fruit to finished product.

In terms of culture, after watching the flamenco being performed in Spain, our kids and their teacher decided to learn about different dance and music styles around the world and, having a multi cultural dance off with your kids, is nothing short of fun.

More recently, last year, while we were exploring the Galapagos Islands, they learned about Darwin and his theories of evolution. That same trip, they learned about the Amazon rainforest and it’s effects on global weather before we had the opportunity to visit the Amazon for ourselves and see it firsthand on our Ecuador Amazon tour.

Worldschooling regardless of education

No matter where in the world we’ve gone, we’ve tried our best to tie the kids learning with where we were currently staying. We like to think that it has spurred their imaginations and made them more aware of how we’re all connected.

Though some of that learning was spurred on via a teacher, it’s not to say that when we happened upon an interesting place, event or historical figure that we wouldn’t do our own research as a family.

The truth is that learning new things, seeing different cultures, embracing different ideas and exploring the world around us all come hand in hand with long term travel. Let’s face it, if we didn’t already have an innate curiosity to our world, we wouldn’t be traveling anyway.

Travel as a learning tool

In terms of education, just being in a foreign location is enough to spur curiosity and learning. For instance, our kids learned Spanish while traveling through South America and their curiosity about marine animals was peaked while snorkeling with sea turtles and sharks in Belize which, in turn, lead to plenty of reading about marine life and habitats.

Even our trip to Harry Potter World at Universal Studios was a result of our daughter (who was eight when we went) reading the entire seven-book Harry Potter series while we traveled. Now, it’s not conventional learning, however her reading speed and vocabulary improved a lot because she wanted to read the complete series as quickly as she could. (See our Wizarding World of Harry Potter tips here).

Homeschooling on the road

I honestly can’t talk a lot about homeschooling on the road, however, we have friends who have gone that route and their kids seem to do well. Some have even pulled their kids in and out of different schools around the world while homeschooling as they moved from one place to another.

It’s interesting to read that many studies these days conclude kids actually do better with homeschooling (if done in a structured form) than traditional schooling. See this article from Gwen Dewar, PhD for a helpful look at homeschooling outcomes.

Homeschooled kids get much more one on one time and frankly, even though their school days are a often few hours rather than an entire day, they seem to retain what they learnt better than children in traditional classes. Homeschooling may also get them past their awkward adolescent stages easier since they don’t tend to get caught up in typical school drama such as bullying or peer pressure.

We decided a few years ago that a more standard education, coupled with our own self-driven desire to learn and seek out new worldwide experiences would work for us and so far it has. Our kids do well both in school and out when we’re on the road. There’s even a name for this type of homeschooling and traditional schooling mix: it’s called hybrid homeschooling, and it’s becoming increasingly popular.

Going to school in a foreign country

The beauty of travel is that you can put your kids into schools around the world or continue to teach them yourself. So many more parents are traveling today that there are way more options than even a few years ago.

For instance, we have some American friends living in Spain who put their kids right into the Spanish school system without knowing more than a few words in Spanish. The first few weeks were awkward for them, but they were soon fluent in Spanish and thriving in their new school environment. You can find out more of Heidi and Alan’s story on their blog, Wagoner’s Abroad.

It’s just more proof that you don’t need to follow any set rules while long term traveling. That’s the beauty of it all.

We’ve even taken our kids out of school for three months and without signing up for e-learning. Both their principals and teachers were aboard. We learned the basics of what they were going to teach in that time frame and just taught it ourselves as we went. It was probably the closest we’ve ever actually came to homeschooling, and when the kids got back it only took them about a week to fully catch up and keep going.

Education matters, exactly how, not so much

The truth is that your kids will likely be fine no matter what you choose as long as you cater to their educational needs and make it a point that they continue to learn as you travel.

The negatives of worldschooling

While there are many bonuses to worldschooling, of course there are a few negative ones as well.

For instance, if you take them out of school for long term travel then yes, they may miss their friends and a few birthday parties. They might even miss some memorable class moments however it’s highly likely their new travel memories will stick in their mind for the rest of their life rather than for the rest of the year.

The bonus of growing up today in the digital world is no matter how remote you travel, if you need to connect, your friends and family are likely just a quick call away.

If your kids are into a lot of extra curricular activities like sports or music, then yes, the new life paradigm will be an adjustment for everyone. The good news is that a lot of sports are universal and there’s always new sports to learn wherever you happen to be. Music is the same. Each country has their own music and learning about them has always been one of our children’s biggest travel draws.

The benefits of worldschooling

Yes, there might be a few things your kids might worry about when they leave the safety and comfort of their everyday lives, however, to us and our children at least, the benefits of long term travel outweigh all the negatives.

When kids travel, they will see and do things that stay with them for a lifetime. It’s also likely they will be more mindful of other cultures and ethnicities. They will witness for themselves both the hardships and the beauty that other people in the world experience. They will hopefully also realize that the biggest things holding them back from doing anything in life is themselves.

I only wish that more families and more kids could travel so that everyone had a bit of worldschooling. I truly think the world would be a better place if we could all walk in another cultures footsteps, if only for a while, and try to see the world from a global standpoint rather than only a regional one.

Are you dreaming of extended travel?

If you’re looking into educating your kids via worldschooling during an extended trip abroad, I wish you good luck with whatever decision you make and wherever you choose to make it.

If you go, know that there are tons of websites with useful information out there, as well as Facebook groups that will let you meet up with similar traveling families. We’ve made some great friends that way and there’s tons of valuable advice from other families on the move as well.

The greatest part about travel is that you can go or stay as long as you want. There are no rules. If you want to move to London, Bali or Rio for a year, you can make it happen. If you’re tired of travel, you can also settle down right where you are or stop someplace else. Your kids will adjust and most will thrive however, how you go about their education is up to you.

Long term travel with a family is about options, choice and change. If you think that’s a good thing to teach your kids then start packing your bags.

As long as you make education a priority, they will learn what they need to whether that’s at home in a regular school system, through e-learning or through homeschooling and, if your kids are learning anything while you travel, they’re worldschooling regardless.

Whether that’s to meet new people, eat new food, see new places, or to walk a few steps in another person’s shoes, the result is new memories to record and cherish.

So, how do you keep the memories alive long after your trip of a lifetime is over? Well, the trick to retaining memories is having something that triggers the memory.

Want some ideas? Here are some ways to keep your travel memories alive forever.

Looking for a great gift for your travel lover? Check out these small travel gifts for stocking stuffers, unique travel gifts, or our best gifts for business travelers.

A picture lasts a lifetime

Probably the easiest way to relive a travel experience is to record it. That usually involves taking lots of pictures and a smattering of video which is something most of us do anyway.

Standing in front of some monument is classic but how do you remember the restaurant you ate in with the crazy waiter or the hour long lines at Disney World? Well, the secret is to take two kinds of pictures, what I call the public look at me pictures and the private remember this moment pictures.

Take care of all your memories. For you cannot relive them. – Bob Dylan

Most of the time we take pictures to impress the people that weren’t with us. Those are what I call the look at me pictures. They’re the kind of enviable photos you see on the best travel instagram accounts. As in, look at me in front of the Statue of Liberty. Look at me in front of the Taj Mahal. Look at me dangling off a cliff. Look at me swimming in the ocean.

Those look at me pictures are wonderful for sharing on social media and letting others know exactly where you are in the world. Years later those look at me pictures will still trigger memories, but the memories will include just the pretty highlights of your trip on the whole, and maybe not any particular, meaningful, moment.

The private remember this moment pictures are usually the photos that don’t make it to social media. Those are the ones you only share with the people you know best or just keep for yourselves. They might include a picture of a flopped cake or a look of annoyance at something in the distance. These are the pictures that will bring you back to the moment the waiter tripped on his shoelaces and spilled dessert all over you or the time you waited 6 hours in customs due to having a major language misunderstanding.

The private remember this moment pictures and videos are the ones that really bring back the details and emotions of your trip.

If you want to really capture a memory, try to make sure your photo or video captures your feelings at the moment. It’s these little nuances that made your trip memorable that you’ll end up treasuring in your photo collection.

You can take it with you

Another great way to relive your travels and keep the memories forever is to purchase a souvenir from abroad. The thing is, the more authentic the souvenir, the more the memory will stay with you.

When Micki and I first traveled together many years ago, we picked up keepsakes from every country we visited. As a result, we have boxes full of memories. In truth, we overdid it in the beginning and could probably furnish a few houses with our knickknacks (which, to be honest, are still in boxes in our basement). Whenever we want to reminisce about our first trips, all we need to do is open one of the boxes and it all comes flooding back to us.

The cool part about mementos is that sometimes the search for the perfect one is a story in itself. Like the time we followed the advice of a few Danish fellows we met in Malaysia and decided to spend three weeks in Sumatra, where we met an expat who told us to go on a hike to a remote village. In this village, we chanced on a master goldsmith and his shop. It was there where I ended up buying Micki’s engagement ring. She still wears that ring today and it’s backstory is one of our favorites.

So don’t stock up on mass produced souvenirs from the first stand you stop at, grab something that’s personal from the farthest or the last. It will make the journey to find it that much sweeter.

The fabric of life

Clothes are also a great way to relive your travel memories and, as luck would have it, we all need to wear clothes anyway.

Whether you’re in love with that Indian silk blouse, that Scottish plaid kilt or that traditional Mexican Sombrero, nothing captures the hands on pure feel of a country better than local adornments.

If you can, try to buy articles that are made locally using locally made fabrics, but if you have to have that t-shirt with a cool looking Bob Marley image, then that’s fine too. The important part is making sure that whatever you buy has an emotional connection to the area you’re visiting, so that every time you don that clothing, you travel back to the land where you bought it.

Write it down

A travel journal is one of our favorite ways to preserve precious vacation memories.

We haven’t always put pen to paper, though. We’ve used a lot of ways to journal your travels, including email, notes on our smartphones, and even this blog! Emails to friends and family from way back in 2002 are still some of our favorite travel journals.

Sounds good

It doesn’t matter if it’s Reggae in the Caribbean, Latin beat in the Americas or Spanish guitar in Spain. Music can be heard on many street corners throughout the world and each one is as unique as the country it’s found in.

One of my earliest memories is of seeing my mother in her beach chair, reading a book under an umbrella by the water’s edge while my sisters and I played beside her. Of all the life lessons she taught me, that is one of my favorites: to take time at a place I love, restore my spirit with books and the beach. – Luanne Rice

If you’ve taken a lot of video, then you’ll notice at least a few of them have some music playing in the background. That’s because no matter the country or culture, music is universal. Now it might be chanting in a remote village in Africa, or a flavorful polka in Germany, but every land has its own beat. One of the quickest ways to relive your travels is to turn on the music and engulf yourself in memories.

If you’re more old school, feel free to grab a CD or vinyl record that highlights the countries brightest stars. If you want the money to stay local, purchase it from some street performer who’s selling her music one CD at a time.

The spice of life

We’ve covered sight, sound and touch, but how do you bring back the tastes from your travels? It’s actually easier than you probably think.

The trick with recalling the tastes of your travels is to bring back a little piece of it with you. The easiest way to do so if you’re traveling in an exotic land is to bring back some of the spices that make the meals so special.

As any worldly traveler can tell you, most places in the world have their own flavor. Whether that’s cumin in India or oregano in the Mediterranean, if you love to cook, then you know that the right spice can make any dish go from ordinary to extraordinary.

If you love the food, talk to the waiter and see if they may just sell you a bag of the chef’s favorites, or hit a market.

Tip! The only problem with spices is that they don’t typically age that well. The best spices are the freshest ones and they’re one of the reasons certain countries use them in every other dish. As with anything in life, you work best with what you have so if you run out, hit up a local shop specializing in spices and ask for a certain countries typical mix.

You’ll be surprised how a handful of spices and herbs can bring back memories of lavish nights on the Mediterranean or backpacking in Asia.

Smells like heaven

As well as the food, everyone knows that a lot of countries have a certain odor to them. Experts say that smell is likely the strongest emotional memory inducer there is.

Though smells don’t have the same memory acuity of, say, an image, they do bring back the feelings of a certain place, which in turn bring back memories of days lounging on the beach or partying the night away in Rio.

Usually, a country’s aroma is of their most used spices, but it can also be anything from ocean salt spray to a certain clove cigarette that the locals enjoy. The trick here is that it doesn’t have to be the most pleasant of smell to trigger a memory.

We have items covered with a cheap preservative from Asia that never seems to dissipate that one whiff will take me back to the day we bought it. Likewise, we own objects from Mexico, the Philippines, Thailand and Morocco, where even the tiniest of sniffs brings us back to walking the street markets looking at local goods.

If you’re so inclined, candles and incense can also remind you of your journeys. We don’t typically burn them since we don’t want to use them up, but one sniff can send us back in time and allow us to relive certain portions of our trip.

If nothing else, scents help us relive the feeling of the moment and isn’t that what we truly wish for the most? The freedom, excitement and wonder of visiting a new land and all the marvels that come with it.

Hopefully, some of these ideas will help you rekindle the memories of trips gone by. So throw on some music, grab that hula skirt and mai tai, pull up your pictures and indulge in a little mini vacation as you walk through memories of past trips.

Hopefully, it won’t be long until your next journey begins and your new memories get made.

If you have any more ideas for keeping your travel memories alive forever let us know in the comments below.

It’s no secret. Between this website and our social media channels, Micki and I get a lot of questions from people all around world. My favorites though, are the ones from aspiring nomads.

These are questions from readers who have seen a bit of the world or have never even left their home country. The ones who sit in front of their computer screens for hours each day poring over travel sites and travel blogs and wondering why they’re still doing the 9 to 5 thing. The ones who deep down know there’s more to life than what they’ve experienced, and are just trying to find a way out of the box that they call everyday life.

These messages get me stoked because deep down they further my belief that there are others who share our passion to explore the world. To live outside the norm of society. Who question the validity of what it means to follow their dream.

First off, I want to say that living a nomadic lifestyle isn’t for everyone. It’s not even always for us. However it’s always an option for those willing to make it a priority.

Yup, I said it. Nomadic lifestyles aren’t for everyone.

This brings me to the point of this post. You see, a few months back, I got an email from a fellow asking for a few tips on beginning a nomadic lifestyle with his wife and daughter. They had already gotten a glimpse of what’s behind the nomadic curtain and had decided that their current life wasn’t cutting it anymore.

They had come to a crossroad. They were about to sell their house and leave everything they knew behind to see what the world could offer them. The problem was they were starting to get a little nervous about their decision. You see, it still wasn’t too late to call off their nomadic dreams.

I think they just wanted confirmation that they weren’t about to make the biggest mistake of their lives.

Months later, after re-reading my reply to them, I feel that there are probably a few others that need that same encouragement.

That inspired me to share this letter with any other would be nomadic travelers who wonder if it’s the right choice to forgo a traditional 9 to 5 for a life on the road. In truth, this letter is geared more towards older nomads with kids, but most of it can apply to anyone tired of the daily 9 to 5 grind.

A message and a few tips to those dreaming of becoming a nomad.

Congrats on taking a big step towards changing how you view life. Bet you’re starting to get a little nervous right about now. Maybe even doubting your choice occasionally…

I only have one thing to say, don’t worry about it!

Being a nomad is awesome and rewarding and I’ll let you know a little known secret. Just don’t tell anyone else…. You can always settle down someplace new or go back to your old life any time you want.

I can’t guarantee that  everything will always be sunshine and roses for you, but I can guarantee you 100% that you will never view life the same way again.

You’ll realize that you have options. That there are other ways to live your life contrary to what most of your friends and family think. That you don’t have to get on the pathway of bigger house, nicer car, more expensive toys and work, work, work until you’ve climbed that golden corporate ladder.

100% Guaranteed you will never view life the same way again.

You’ll realize that there are other paths. Other more rewarding pursuits. It will help broaden your mind and your soul to all the possibilities the world has to offer.

That’s not to say there won’t be pitfalls and hard times but at least you’re seeing the world while you’re doing it.

The best advice I can give you, especially when you have a child with you, is go slow.

A nomadic lifestyle is as much about the journey as it is the destination and not the speed in which you go about it.

Long stays

If you’re traveling as a family, then living out of a tiny backpack in an even tinier backbacker dorm probably won’t cut it for long as well. Things like couchsurfing also gets really hard when there’s a group of you.

You’ll want to look at Airbnb and long stays more. Housesitting is another cheap option if you can get into it. For shorter stays, there are even hostels that accommodate families.

Looking for a great deal on your next Airbnb? Click here to get a $35 USD credit (we get a credit too)!

If you can cook for yourselves most of the time you’ll save heaps. Stay away from expensive anything unless it’s something you’ve always dreamed of doing and you feel like splurging.

Saving money

Chances are you’ll have more time than money so seek out free museum or discount travel days. Check out the local papers for any deals or discounts and remember that parades and most outdoor festivals are free entertainment.

Walk and take the metro whenever you can! Search out discount airlines and get a train pass only if it totals less than airfare or includes an overnight stay to save money. It sounds simple but accommodation, getting from point a to b and food will be your biggest expenses.

If you can, always have your first night after a long travel day pre-booked. You can check out other places the next day once you have the energy and patience.

Read next: How to save money for travel.

Taking your time

The best advice I can give is to go slow and don’t push you or your family to their breaking point. With children, you’ll always need to have a little extra energy in reserve in case they need to lean on you. If you manage your time right, travel with kids can be amazing.

Remember if your family isn’t happy, you won’t be either so spend a little extra time in the pool or the park and a little less checking out another once-in-a-lifetime, can’t believe I’m actually seeing it with my own eyes, monument/temple/church/waterfall/peak/sunrise/sunset/view, etc.

Remember if your family isn’t happy, you won’t be either.

Also remember that you have nothing to prove. How long, how far you go and what you see is up to you. You can stop any time, whether it’s a few months or a few decades. By leaving it all behind you’ve already proven that you can pack up your life and make your dreams of a better one a reality.

Don’t trash your friends’ lifestyle

At first, it’s hard to break away from traditional living, and your family and friends might even resent you a little for it, but don’t trash their way of living unless you want to alienate them. Make sure they know that your choices are what you feel are right for you, not necessarily what’s good for them.

Chances are that they’ll eventually realize that they have more options as well and you might be surprised who you see on your doorstep in the middle of wherever one day.

Lastly, being a nomad isn’t about just packing up your things and constantly moving. New destinations are exciting and thrilling but the most important aspect is just enjoying where you are and what you’re doing while you’re doing it.

Hope this message finds you well. Good luck on your new life and take it one day at a time.

Like most nomads, one day you might wake up in the city you want to call home for a while and when that happens, don’t fight it, just realize that you can always move on again if the mood strikes.

To me, being a nomad is about choices, not necessarily destinations and becoming one is the first step to choosing how and where you want to live your life.

Congrats on making that choice and enjoy the freedoms that come with it!

Safe travels,

Charles

Read next: 31 Tips for Better Family Travel.

I’ve wanted to travel for a very long time. When I finally had the resources to begin my first trip, I heard a lot of different opinions. First of all, I was only 18 when I started, I’m 5’0”, and a girl. People were worried about my safety.

On staying safe as a solo female traveler

Safety is very important when traveling alone as a female, but if you take the right precautions, you’ll be far from danger. It’s essential to research the place you’ll be visiting before you arrive. This will give you background knowledge on the area, current issues you may need to keep in mind, and the people you’ll be around. Your background knowledge will assist you in staying aware, another vital part of safety.

Things won’t always go as planned and that’s okay, learn to go with the flow.

Not everyone has practice in this so you may have to consciously focus on paying attention to your surroundings. Pay attention to the area you’re in, time of day, what kind of people are around you, and how far you are from where you’re staying. Don’t be afraid of asking for help if you’re lost, but trust your gut in who you decide to ask.

What does it take to travel solo?

Deciding to travel alone requires strength and ambition. I say this because, like I mentioned, many people will give you negative opinions about traveling alone as a female. It not only takes ambition to do it, but it takes strength to not let people’s opinions control you.

Traveling alone requires the strength to simply be alone, as some people may not be used to it. Through solitude you will come to know yourself better and become more confident.

It also requires physical strength to carry a pack while traveling and being able to push your limits. You don’t only learn to push your limits physically, but also emotionally. Not only by being alone, but by being away from loved ones and forcing yourself to meet new and different kinds of people.

On trusting in the universe

While traveling you learn to trust yourself, others, and the universe. You will surprise yourself, be surprised by friendly locals who are willing to help you, and you will be surprised in the way things will fall into place. You might start worrying about money, or time, etc., but eventually you will learn to trust that these things will work out on their own.

Things won’t always go as planned and that’s okay, learn to go with the flow.

As a girl it can be hard to balance judgement for safety while also being open to people. Over time you will find this balance and learn from people by opening up and trusting your gut.

After about five months of travel so far on my own, I can say that traveling alone was the best decision for me. I’ve learned countless things about myself and the world. I’ve made great friends in several different continents who have all taught me something. If you are willing to push your limits, grow in ways you didn’t even know you needed to, meet new kinds of people, and expand your mind, you too should travel alone.

Don’t be afraid of all the things that could go wrong; be smart, be strong, be open, and be trusting, and your expectations will be exceeded greatly.

Most importantly, you will gain a true understanding of humanity itself, and it is a truly spectacular thing.

About Athena

Athena Sternklar, a 19 year old American, is a solo female traveler. She has now been traveling for about five months and has been to nine countries so far. Throughout her travels she has been documenting her experiences through photography and blog posts. Her photography can be found on her Instagram page, and her blog posts on her website Language of Travel. She hopes to inspire people to follow their dreams, believe in themselves, and of course, travel.

Want to learn more? Check out Athena’s posts on traveling on a budget, or what traveling has taught her about happiness.

Things change. Travel changes.

Back when we first started traveling together in 2002, iPhones were just a germ of an idea in Steve Job’s brain. They didn’t debut until 2007 and most smart phones came well after that.

We didn’t even carry a cell phone; instead, we called home at special booths in Internet cafes.

Since Kindles and Kobos weren’t even invented, we lugged around paper copies of guidebooks and books to read, making our backpacks pretty full and very heavy.

We carried a then top-of-the line 3.0 megapixel Minolta digital camera in a time when most people still used film. We could only take a handful of pictures at a time because our memory card was so small and they were super expensive to buy.

The Internet was far too slow and most remote areas were still on dial-up. We couldn’t upload our digital photo backups to the cloud (not that anyone had even heard of the cloud back then), so we would stop in Internet cafes and physically burn the images onto a CD for safekeeping. USB thumbdrives weren’t even invented back then and external hard drives were still in their infancy.

To get on a plane, we needed a physical, paper ticket, printed specially by our travel agent. On our first trip together, we had to carry our return tickets through New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia and Taiwan for 365 days in advance of our return. If we lost the tickets, it would have meant time-intensive trips to a central Malaysia Airlines office in each country.

While a few progressive hotels were booking online, we made a good chunk of our hotel bookings by phone or by walking into a hostel directly. Even companies that did allow online booking, asked you to submit all your information and wait for them to get back to you if they had a room.

Today, we take many of our photos for this blog on our smart phone and upload them to the cloud instantly. We book everything from our hotels and planes to our taxis online, and never need to print a ticket or hotel reservation.

Now, 2002 was only 13 years ago.

It makes you wonder how travel is going to change in another few years.

A new survey from Marriott Rewards Credit Card from Chase asked Americans to imagine the near future and predict what the travel experience could look like by the year 2030. The top predictions have a few interesting surprises, from unique travel experiences to putting the real in virtual reality.

So what do people think travel is going to look like by 2030?

It turns out that 35% of people surveyed think it’ll be possible to travel to space. Interestingly, 40% of men vs 29% of women thought space travel would be a reality. With the development of private spaceflights by companies like Virgin Galactic and XCOR Aerospace, they may be onto something.

Even more people surveyed (58%) think that passports may be available for digital devices. 50% of people think that human face recognition technology could replace passports altogether.

Over half (58%) think that smart watches and other mobile payment options will rise in popularity for travelers.

We love that 40% of people think underwater hotels would be a big thing. I mean, how cool would that be to look out your window directly into the ocean?

Our thoughts on the future of travel

We have a few thoughts about the future of travel as well.

Digital will definitely rule and paper will be all but obsolete. Few people will carry paper books or even have a paper passport any more.

Our smart phones, smart watches  or even an implantable chip will be ultra powerful and contain every piece of information about us from our passports to our medical records. This will also become our way of paying for anything with digital payments becoming the standard payment platform worldwide.

One-click trips will also become a reality, and you’ll be able to purchase them directly from companies like Amazon just like you buy electronics or books today. You’ll also never need to input all of your credentials anywhere again, because there will be a global database with all your information, and all it will take is a swipe of your finger or tap of your smartphone to verify your identity.

We’re not sure hover cars or transatlantic trains will be the norm by then, but everyone will be driving electric or super-efficient hybrid vehicles with batteries lasting for days before needing to be charged. You’ll also see an explosion of electric bikes and electric personal transportation devices like monowheels and scooters everywhere. If you don’t own one, you’ll be able to easily rent everything from cars to bikes via quick kiosks all around major cities.

Have any predictions about the future of travel? If so we’d love to hear about it.

This post was sponsored by Marriott Rewards Credit Card from Chase, which lets you earn Marriott Rewards points on all purchases, accumulate free night stays and more to help you get the most out of your travel.

Like earning points to put towards your next trip? Visit Marriott Rewards Credit Card to learn more.

People travel for a lot of different reasons.

One could say almost as many reasons as there are stars in the sky. Whether it’s a vacation to get away and relax, to visit family, to volunteer, to sample foreign cuisine and culture or to have an adventure and experience the world.

You see, travel is an intensely personal thing and honestly, I think that how you travel and why you go isn’t as important as the fact that you’re willing to just put yourself out there.

Whether you’re snapping photos at the Grand Canyon with the family or on a week-long trek in the jungles of  Borneo, I’m just glad you’re out experiencing the world.

We’ve been traveling a long time together (since 2002), and in that time we’ve traveled for almost every reason possible.

Our very first trip together was a week-long vacation from a job I didn’t particularly love and to escape a cold, Canadian winter. Hello all inclusive umbrella drinks by the pool and quick dips in the ocean!

Sooner than we anticipated, our first year long extended trip together was a journey of discovery. We set out together to explore the world, and set foot in Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Cambodia, Australia and New Zealand.

A dozen years ago, we traveled to the South Island of New Zealand and decided to get married while we were there.

A few years later, the kiddos came along and our travels became about them as much as us.

You see, travel has been a way to introduce our kids to a bigger world. We want them to know firsthand that people are essentially the same, no matter where they live, what god they pray to, the color of their skin, and what language they speak.

These days, it seems we travel a lot to visit our family in Canada. That means a lot of time in the car. It’s a 26 hour, 2,450 km drive from visiting my brother on Vancouver Island to Winnipeg, where Charles’ family lives.

That makes for a lot of long road trips.

We also travel for experiences that will stretch us as people, and help us grow. Sometimes, we challenge our fears, and get pushed outside of our comfort zones.

Today, I was chatting with the kids about traveling to help volunteer with sea turtle conservation. Their eyes lit up more at that idea than at any birthday present I’ve ever seen them open.

So it’s interesting to see how other people approach travel.

As a matter of fact, Marriott Rewards Credit Card just conducted a US nationwide survey to take a peek at the global travel mindset of traveler’s age 18-67 who stay in a hotel at least five nights per year for business, pleasure or both.

I expected to see a few differences in why people travel based on age, but I was really struck with how different the approach to travel was between millennials (aged 18-34) and older travelers.

Plus, I’m a numbers geek, so it was really interesting to see the differences broken down.

84% of millennials say they would travel abroad to participate in volunteer activities, while only 68 % of Gen Xers (age 35-49) and 51% of Boomers (age 50-67) say the same.

That’s a huge difference.

On top of that, 78% of millennials are far more interested in thrilling vacations than lazy trips (32%). 67% of millennials are interested in water sports (compared to 55% of Gen Xers and 46% of boomers). 63% of millennials are interested in interacting with wild animals through activities like safaris or swimming with sharks.

It’s an interesting shift, especially the 84 % of millennials who would travel to volunteer. I love that.

No matter what, in the end, it’s about respecting our differences.

We all travel for different reasons. And our reasons for travel change, depending on our circumstances.

Those millennials who travel today to experience adventure and culture may someday travel on a family vacation or just to enjoy a week of relaxing on a beach.

It’s all good. No matter your reason, just get out there and see our gorgeous world!

The Marriott Rewards Credit Card from Chase lets travelers earn accelerated Marriott Rewards points on all purchases to help you get the most out of your travel.

So if you like earning points to put towards your next trip, visit Marriott Rewards Credit Card to learn more.

It’s been interesting to follow along and see what travel trends are emerging.

So when American Express Canada approached us to share their top trending destinations for winter 2015, we were excited to share the results with you.

2015 Winter Travel Trends

The folks at American Express Canada have surveyed more than 200 American Express Travel Counsellors throughout Canada, the United States and Mexico, to come up with a list of the top 10 trending travel destinations for 2015.

What do you think the next hot spots are for winter travel?

Like a lot of our fellow Canadians, we’ve been dreaming of an escape from the Canadian winter so all this talk of winter travel really has us dreaming of a getaway.

For Canadians, a winter getaway traditionally means fun in the sun. As such, we love the sound of the great warm weather destinations on the list like the island of Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos, Puerto Vallarta down in Mexico and Buenos Aires in Argentina.

It seems like city breaks are hugely popular this year as will, with great cities like London, Paris, Sydney, New York and San Francisco making the cut.

There were even a few surprises for us on the American Express 2015 Winter Travel Trends Survey, like Mumbai, India and Santiago, Chile.

Have you been to any of the trending 2014 travel hotspots?

It was also interesting to learn that among the 200 experts surveyed; 86 per cent indicate travellers are spending the same or more on travel as they did in 2014.

We travel with our two little ones, and it seems that there are a lot of other family travelers out there too. About one in four travel counsellors indicated travellers are planning to travel with their immediate family this year, and 19 per cent cent are seeing a rise in multi-generational family vacations.

So what do Canadians want from a travel counsellor?

As busy parents, we know that we’re really starting to appreciate help with our travel plans. We never used to take tours, but we’re finding now that a well-designed tour can be a great way to simplify travel planning. It seems that our Canadians agree with us, as over 57 per cent of travel counsellors say that enriched experiences such as tours are the most important activity where customers look for help.

There also seems to be a real demand for customized itineraries, as 67 per cent of counsellors spent the most of their time helping travellers by creating customized itineraries by helping identify the best flight and hotel options based on schedules and fares for each individual. Counsellors also found that 38 per cent of vacationers are taking longer trips despite the fact that 40 per cent found an increase in airfare and 39 per cent found an increase in hotel accommodation costs.

American Express Travel Perks and Benefits

Years ago, when we first started traveling, Charles and I were definitely budget backpackers. Over the years, our travel style has changed, and we’re loving a little more comfort and luxury.

It may be the fact that we now have two kiddos along for the ride, or that we’ve just slept on too many airport benches, but luxuries like airport lounge access are now worth their weight in gold.

So we love perks like the cloud 10  benefits at Toronto Pearson airport, including lounge access to airport lounges at over 600 airports worldwide.

Saving Time on Travel

We’re also started to really appreciate ways to make planning our travels faster and with less stress. It can be easy to be overwhelmed with the hundreds (thousands?) of travel planning sites on the internet, and it can be hard to know who to trust with precious travel dollars.

American Express is a trusted company that’s there to help planning, during your trip, and even after you’re back. The American Express online travel booking tool  lets all Cardmembers book flights, cars, hotels, cruise and travel experiences at competitive prices. You can use membership rewards to pay for travel, and have customer support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

For more information on the American Express Platinum Card and the online booking tool, visit AmericanExpress.ca.

Join the chat!

One of our favorite things to do even when not traveling ourselves is to chat about travel.

If you’d like to ask some questions and learn from some real travel experts, join the #TravelChat hosted by The Planet D (@ThePlanetD) and Amex Canada (@AmexCanada).

All you need to do is join in on Twitter on Tuesday, January 13 th at 1 p.m. EST. The hashtag is #TravelChat.

Hope to see you there!

If you go on any travel adventures in the near future, you can share your pictures with Amex by tagging them #AmexLife on Twitter.

This post was sponsored by Amex Canada. The views and opinions expressed in this blog, however, are purely our own.

Travel is a dream that many people put off (along with a whole laundry list of other things) until they retire from the workplace, and they’re free to pursue their own interests.

But is it realistic? Will it really be easier to travel when you stop working?

Here’s the thing. I’m all for delayed gratification. I have a retirement savings account, and in fact, think that the ability to plan for the future is one of the markers of true maturity.

So why am I telling you that putting off travel until you retire just might be a bad idea?

This isn’t about hedonism, or abandoning your responsibilities, or throwing away your future security. This is about taking a good, hard look at the realities that life can throw at you, and making a choice about how you want to live.

Here are 10 good reasons why you shouldn’t wait until you retire to travel.

It’ll probably cost more to travel when you’re older

It’s a simple fact that travel insurance is more expensive for older travelers. And that’s if you’re lucky. Many older travelers can’t even get travel insurance because of pre-existing medical conditions. Plus, if you’re like most people (me included), you’ll crave (or need) more creature comforts as you get older, adding to your travel bill. It’s one of the reasons you don’t see a lot of 70 year olds sleeping in hostel dorm beds.

You could die first

I’m not going to mince words with this one. Actuarial tables say that roughly 17% of men will die between age 25 and 65. Will you be one of them? It’s a gamble you take. For women, the odds are better, but there’s still roughly a 10% chance you’ll die from the age of 25 to 65.

Here’s how we got those numbers. If you look at the US Government’s Social Security actuarial table, if you start with 100,000 people, on average at age 25, 98,043 men will still be alive (98,447 of women), but at age 65 only 80,308 men will still be alive (87,769 for women).

Life has a habit of getting in the way

Life has a way of getting more complicated as you get older. You could marry someone who doesn’t want to travel or your current partner may decide they don’t want to. If you become a grandparent, your kids could need you to help take care of their little ones. Even more commonly, you could end up having to take care of your parents as they age. In short, a thousand things could change, making it harder for you to get on the road.

Will you be healthy enough to travel?

It’s a sad fact, but our health can often start to take a turn for the worse just as we approach the age of retirement. Your health could decline to the point that travel is difficult or near impossible.

Anxious to go on a walkabout through the Australian Outback or want to climb the stairs of the Eiffel Tower? Make sure you’re healthy enough when you retire to still be able to do it.

Here’s a scary fact, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says that almost 23% of Americans 65 or over are in poor to fair health (Table 52, Health United States, 2013). Couple that with mortality rates and your odds of enjoying your golden years abroad are diminishing all the time.

The world, she is a changin’

If there’s someplace you want to go now, keep in mind that the world may change a lot before you retire. Whether you want to hit the open road, hidden gems are getting harder to find and more and more people are traveling all the time. The world is getting to be a smaller place every year and a lot of time, our dream destination is often more than just a destination, it’s a frame of mind.

Ten years ago, seeing the pyramids in Egypt was on every round the world trip itinerary. Today, political unrest has made Egypt a much more dangerous place to visit. The same thing can be said for Kiev, the capital of the Ukraine. Of course, places can change for the better as well (just look at Sarajevo, which was a bombed out shell in the 1990’s), but you never know.

Just realize that if there’s someplace you’ve always dreamed of visiting, by the time you retire it might no longer resemble that same dream anymore.

What if you lose your nerve?

Adventure is like a muscle; if you never use it, it tends to atrophy. If you don’t travel at all when you’re younger, will you have the nerve to start after retirement? Will you have gotten so used to your routine that you can’t imagine finally breaking free from it?

Your kids are only young once

If you have little ones, think of the gift you could give them by letting them see the world while they’re young. Sure, traveling with little ones can be hard, but it can be an amazing experience as well. If you’re planning to travel with your older kids when you retire, consider this: by then, your kids could be well established in their own life, and have no time to wander around the world with you.

What if you’re short of money?

A lot of things can put a wrench in your financial plans for retirement. Divorce, losing a job later in life, rising house costs, increased health care costs, or just an increase in the cost of living can all push your retirement date later, or mean that you have to retire earlier on less money. What makes you so sure that all of a sudden you’ll have more money to spend on travel if you can’t afford it now?

That nest’s not empty

If you’re putting off traveling until you retire and your kids are out of the house, here’s something to consider: What if they don’t leave? A whopping 56% of young Americans aged 18 to 24 still live at home with 36%  of them 18 to 31. Will you still be paying for a place for them to stay, and their meals? And don’t forget, university is expensive.

Carpe the diem, baby

Seize the day. Life is short and sweet and you only have one chance to make this one count. If you truly want to travel, find a way to make it happen, today.

Of course, the other part of this equation is figuring out how to make travel a reality when you’re younger. You can find some help here:

• 45 Great Jobs You Can Do While Traveling The World And How To Get Them 
• How Much Money Do You Need To Travel? Our Guide To Figuring It Out
• How to Save Money for your Round the World Trip