The Pros And Cons Of Traveling As A Child

Looking back, I realize how fortunate I was to have parents who took me traveling around the world with them. But I didn't always see it that way. There were days when I hated traveling and wished I could be a "normal" kid who spent her summers at home with her friends. In the end, the positive aspects of traveling outweighed the negative, but here are some things to keep in mind if you want to travel to exotic places with a child. PROS * It was exciting! How many kids get to go to China and Egypt? * I got to meet interesting people and try new foods. * Many of my friends complained that they were bored over the summer. I definitely wasn't. * I learned so much about different types of people and cultures. * I picked up phrases in various languages so it was educational. * I got plenty of fresh air. * I was exposed to arts, music, history and science from around the world. What better way to understand history than to actually see ancient ruins? * I was forced to grow up quickly, especially since most of the people we dealt with were adults. * I learned how to appreciate the fact that the world is made up of different kids of people so I became very open-minded. * My life became a lot more enriched because I was exposed to so many new things. CONS * For a kid, traveling was exhausting. We freqently took long haul flights or traveled for long distances on buses and trains. * It was lonely. Once in a while I found other kids to play with, but for the most part, I didn't have friends on the road. * I rarely got a break from my parents. This didn't bother me so much when I was 8 or 9, but by the time I was in my teens, I got sick of being with them every day, 24/7 for two months straight. * Some places were hot and uncomfortable - and yes, I whined. I was a kid after all! * I didn't have much time to simply play. I was always at the mercy of a schedule because we were always going to see something. Sometimes I wished I could have a break from all of that. Though there were some bad points, I still think that seeing the world was one of the best things I ever got to do. I wouldn't trade it for anything.