Nobody’s ever truly encouraged you to stay inside your comfort zone. When it comes to travel planning, this notion is heard around every corner, and in some senses, that’s true. But putting too much pressure on yourself to be constantly outside your comfort zone while traveling can jeopardize the joy in your trip. Knowing how to take appropriate risks, and being ok with the occasional failure, can create a safer environment that will have you enjoying more and experiencing more, both in the present and looking to the future. And with kids along for the journey, this advice is all the more critical.
Fear has a tendency to keep us from incredible experiences. It’s not always rational, but it’s certainly there, whispering in your ear to avoid that perceived risk and get back to safety. When you travel, that voice is louder, that pull back to the known is stronger. If you’re spending all that money to go somewhere far away for a (usually) short amount of time, you don’t want to ruin that experience! It makes total sense; I’ve gotten sick abroad from eating something risky, and I’ve gotten stuck in a jungle without enough money to get back to town. But for every bad experience, I’ve had five good ones in similar situations that make it worth continuing to go outside my comfort zone. While life doesn’t always go perfectly, it’s worth being uncomfortable once in a while to expand your horizons thereafter. For those who aren’t used to that, taking small steps to push yourself is a great way to grow and is essential for making the most out of your vacation. Picky with food? Start with local variations of the things you like. Worried about traveling solo? Start with a morning (or even just stepping out for a coffee) alone while traveling with a group. Scared of skydiving or bungee jumping? Start with a visit to an observation deck! To put it simply, there’s no need to try to sprint before learning to walk – this is solid travel advice for any journey.
As I alluded to earlier, not everything will lead to a roaring triumph. Sometimes you try something and it doesn’t go the way you’d hoped. And that’s okay – you’ll have far more wonderful experiences than failures. But that also means that spending the entirety of your valuable travel time trying to get out of your comfort zone could lead to a trip you could do without. So test yourself in moderation; make sure you have enough in your schedule that you know you’ll love, and pepper in some things that could change your life! For example, in 2024 I traveled to Iceland with my wife, who doesn’t like being in the cold. We balanced some colder weather activities, like whale watching around the arctic circle, with warmer days hiking waterfalls and canyons. She could make the decision for herself whether it could be worth more cold weather adventures in the future. This balanced approach is crucial for effective travel planning.
The one intriguing variable in all of this is traveling with children. Pushing boundaries with kids is quite a different conversation. There’s certainly nothing more a parent cares about than keeping their child safe, so when I say pushing boundaries here, I’m not talking about pushing your child out of a plane (though some kids may be interested in that stuff already). Instead, I’m talking about using your (hopefully) deep understanding of your child’s personality to uncover opportunities for growth during travel. This smart travel planning for families can truly elevate the experience. As someone fortunate enough to grow up in a family that traveled often, I can attest to the impact of travel on my life and how it expanded my horizons.
- If they’re picky eaters, travel is a great time to encourage them to expand their palate, little by little. Challenging with veggies at home? Preparations abroad can often be explosions of flavor, and can be hidden in kid-friendly things like tacos or pasta. Struggle to get them to eat healthier white meats? Find new and exciting preparations like juicy chicken tinga in Mexico or expertly-smoked turkey from barbecue joints in Missouri or Texas, among others.
- If they spend too much time in front of screens, find a screen like the one at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, or the Sphere in Las Vegas (an amazing city for kids, speaking from experience), that will put their TV or iPad to shame. Or, take them to an event in real life that you know they enjoy watching, like sporting events or parades. This thoughtful travel advice helps create lasting memories.
I think you get my point. Traveling offers some of the most effective ways to ease children into expanding their horizons in all facets of life, while inching them towards becoming the type of people that are genuinely fun to travel with. I certainly learned to test my boundaries away from home, and learned to understand my own limitations. Ultimately, you can bring kids along on trips not just because you feel obligated as a non-negligent parent, but because you actually have a ton of fun with them! It’s all part of making the most out of your vacation, both for you and your kids.
Understanding your limits can go a long way to maximizing your experiences. Having that awareness will allow you to be smart in your decision-making as it pertains to pushing through your fear or discomfort to reach new figurative heights. These baby steps are a form of practice in a sense, so you might miss a few shots along the way, but even the misses will help you grow and keep pushing forward. And for those with kids, it’s instilling a valuable life skill that can help them blossom into brave and curious people who respect the world and all it has to offer, and who are just plain fun to be around! With this outlook on life and travel, everybody wins and you’ll always be making the most out of your vacations.
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