Kids Traveling Outside the Box by Travelogger

May|25|2007

Kids Traveling Outside the Box

Some of the best family vacations I’ve had are those that involve airplanes and passports. Flying out of the country has always been an adventure for me. As young as elementary school, I saw myself as a jet setter (even when I didn’t even know the meaning of that word then). I reveled in the “new” the “exotic” and the “unfamiliar.”

To this day, I’m forever thankful that my parents allowed me to experience such diverse environments. Being engulfed in a totally different culture has made my mind broader and more open to ideas. It has also made me more respectful of cultural differences.

I remember our trip to Japan. Everything seemed magical there and the people were so disciplined. The streets were cleaner than my bedroom. One thing I can’t forget is when I held on tightly to a small piece of candy wrapper. We were crossing the street then and I was afraid that the wrapper might get blown away by accident and a policeman would come after me.

Paranoid, I know. But that wasn’t the lesson I took back home with me. ~:>
Kids who have seen more of the world certainly have an advantage. Vacations that don’t just include the usual merriment like swimming, eating and shopping don’t just provide excitement but help create a certain way of thinking.

Out-of-the-country vacations also add fuel to the imagination. Just seeing new and wonderful things allow children to wonder if there’s something else like it or something more.