My 5 year old and I concluded a (lovely) trip to Lisbon sitting in the hotel room not speaking to each other. We had been to the aquarium and then spent the afternoon swimming in the hotel's rooftop pool (all the people working on their tans did not appreciate our pretending to be sharks).
We had an argument over taking a shower and my failure to pack toys for the single day we were in the hotel "What kind of parent doesn't pack TOYS?!"
When grandma and papa dropped off our dinner, they found us lying on the bed listening to an audiobook, pointedly ignoring each other.
This sounds AMAZING and hilarious and oh so true. Also, we are going to Lisbon soon so I'd be so grateful for any kid recommendations! I was thinking beach?! xxxx
We haven’t spent loads of time there as my parents live outside the city (American retirees) but we loved, loved, loved the aquarium and riding the old fashioned trams. We are going to be there for the first two weeks of July on a home exchange and my son is going to summer camp there while I write, so we are looking forward to exploring properly. Sintra is supposed to be lovely.
Everyone is super friendly, kid accommodating etc. just a really lovely way of life.
"This is the kind of travel I really relish: settling in, feigning real life." Exactly. I'm right there with you.
I'm Autistic (not sure if that's exactly why, though): Travel is a nightmare, but I still want all the time. I need to stay in a place for a week or longer to actually enjoy any trip. The idea of a cruise makes me want to vomit. Way too much stimuli....
Traveling with kids just adds beefy layers of difficulty to any excursion. It probably doesn't help that my almost-two-teens and pre-teen are all neurodivergent, but traveling with them takes "nightmare" to the next level. They *can't* be away from home for longer than 2-3 days without having earth-shattering meltdowns that not only cost us tons of fruitless money, but leaves us all exhausted and needing to recover for sometimes weeks after any jaunt.
I love reading your posts, vicariously traveling through your beautifully relayed experiences. Between you and a friend on a two-year digital nomad journey, I get to feel like I'm somewhere else for a few minutes each week. Then, my brain gets inspired to take me back to all my pre-kids travel, and how much "easier" life seemed back then. Although I wouldn't change or exchange my complex life and children for anything, it's still nice to get that mental escape every so often.
Yes! As someone who tends to plan overly ambitious family trips, and then gets completely annoyed when inevitably it turns out to not be the non-stop magic bonding experience I envisioned, I totally relate. And, though our son is not quite a preteen yet, he’s definitely getting past the age where he can be placated by working in a few playground breaks.
I will say we have done a couple trips with other families and I actually do think that’s the way to go. They’re still hard and there’s still lots of whining, but having another couple of adult friends there to share the misery really does make it better!
I loved this SO much, especially as I am currently in the natural mid-trip hump on my family trip to...Paris!
OMG amazing!
My 5 year old and I concluded a (lovely) trip to Lisbon sitting in the hotel room not speaking to each other. We had been to the aquarium and then spent the afternoon swimming in the hotel's rooftop pool (all the people working on their tans did not appreciate our pretending to be sharks).
We had an argument over taking a shower and my failure to pack toys for the single day we were in the hotel "What kind of parent doesn't pack TOYS?!"
When grandma and papa dropped off our dinner, they found us lying on the bed listening to an audiobook, pointedly ignoring each other.
This sounds AMAZING and hilarious and oh so true. Also, we are going to Lisbon soon so I'd be so grateful for any kid recommendations! I was thinking beach?! xxxx
We haven’t spent loads of time there as my parents live outside the city (American retirees) but we loved, loved, loved the aquarium and riding the old fashioned trams. We are going to be there for the first two weeks of July on a home exchange and my son is going to summer camp there while I write, so we are looking forward to exploring properly. Sintra is supposed to be lovely.
Everyone is super friendly, kid accommodating etc. just a really lovely way of life.
We will be there then -- we should meet up! :)
That would be lovely!
"This is the kind of travel I really relish: settling in, feigning real life." Exactly. I'm right there with you.
I'm Autistic (not sure if that's exactly why, though): Travel is a nightmare, but I still want all the time. I need to stay in a place for a week or longer to actually enjoy any trip. The idea of a cruise makes me want to vomit. Way too much stimuli....
Traveling with kids just adds beefy layers of difficulty to any excursion. It probably doesn't help that my almost-two-teens and pre-teen are all neurodivergent, but traveling with them takes "nightmare" to the next level. They *can't* be away from home for longer than 2-3 days without having earth-shattering meltdowns that not only cost us tons of fruitless money, but leaves us all exhausted and needing to recover for sometimes weeks after any jaunt.
I love reading your posts, vicariously traveling through your beautifully relayed experiences. Between you and a friend on a two-year digital nomad journey, I get to feel like I'm somewhere else for a few minutes each week. Then, my brain gets inspired to take me back to all my pre-kids travel, and how much "easier" life seemed back then. Although I wouldn't change or exchange my complex life and children for anything, it's still nice to get that mental escape every so often.
Thanks for these posts. They're such a gift. 💝
Amen for mental escapes. Don't we all need them?! xoxo
Yes! As someone who tends to plan overly ambitious family trips, and then gets completely annoyed when inevitably it turns out to not be the non-stop magic bonding experience I envisioned, I totally relate. And, though our son is not quite a preteen yet, he’s definitely getting past the age where he can be placated by working in a few playground breaks.
I will say we have done a couple trips with other families and I actually do think that’s the way to go. They’re still hard and there’s still lots of whining, but having another couple of adult friends there to share the misery really does make it better!
Yes, when we've traveled with friends it's been a blast, and I, too, miss the playground days! xx
Beautiful essay that makes me feel better about my recent family vacation.
Solidarity. xx