8 Life Defining Things Travelling Has Taught Me

There are lessons to be had everywhere and its so important to always reflect on what has been learned.  Every time we return from a trip and we adjust back to the day to day stuff of being back at home I do exactly that.  So here I bring you eight life defining things travelling has taught me that I’d love to share with you.

How Much I Appreciate My Husband

David and I share an equal amount of the workload when it comes to our boys.  This is what makes all the difference when we travel.  Supporting and helping each other is essential if we are going to make it through the highs and lows of travel specially with two young kids.  I’m forever grateful to have found a life partner that shares the same view and is happy to do what needs to be done.  Not only for me, but for the boys.  This means that although we are busy, my hands are not as full and we are free to enjoy each other more.

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The importance of self care

It may seem that the act of travel in itself is of self care, you know, doing what makes you happy, what you love.  However I can guarantee that spending every breathing minute with a baby, a 3 year old and your husband, is bound to eventually raise some hairs.  So making time for yourself even when exploring the world is extremely important.  We have never had our boys babysat by a stranger so the onus is on us to help each other out.  Many a time when travelling we have taken turns looking after our boys so the other can sleep in, get a massage or grab a quiet coffee.  This of course makes all the difference. So whatever helps you feel like you, make sure you make time to do it.

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Why we should probably move to a tiny house

Every time we come back from being away from home, it really dawns on me how much space we have at home.  Our house always feels massive when we walk in after a trip.  And we don’t even have a huge house to begin with!  I’m extremely grateful for the roof over our heads and how lucky we are to have the living conditions we do.  However travel has shown me how much less room we actually need.  How being outside, living, experiencing is a lot better for the mind and soul than having lots of rooms.

How much unnecessary stuff we have

Something that always hits me as a bag of bricks when we return from our travels is the amount of stuff we have.  Each time we return I realise how little we actually need out of all the things we own.  When we backpacked through the north of Argentina for four weeks, we literally lived out of the small amount of stuff that fits in a backpack.  We wore the same clothes all the time in different combinations. To be honest we weren’t any less happy for it! In fact, quite the opposite.  The minimalism of travelling with only the stuff you can fit in a bag or two is completely liberating.  I’ve particularly been slowly removing a lot of the excess in our home since we returned from South East Asia.

How unnecessary kids toys can be

Travelling has taught me how little they actually need to play, to be happy, to be creative and learn.  On our road trip through North Queensland we only brought a handful of little cars and sand toys which were actually barely even touched.  Javi found random objects to turn into spaceships, boats and fire engines and let his imagination run wild.  I also brought books for them which were only grabbed once or twice.  With nature at their footstep, neither one wanted to sit still for a story.  Instead, we spent time talking about our surroundings of the new places we visited.  Javi asked questions about new things he was experiencing and noticing.  He spent his days jumping waves and walking in nature.  We played number games as we counted the steps in and out of the swimming pool in English and Spanish.  Travelling has highlighted how I want my kids to grow up and mountains of ‘things’ are not it.  As the saying goes, accumulate experiences not things.

How much free time we all actually have

Something that travelling has definitely emphasized is how much time is actually wasted on technology and social media!  There is just so much to see and do, there’s no time to be wasted scrolling through Facebook or Instagram.  And to be honest, this has always been one of my favourite things about travelling.  I love the feeling of disconnect, of being far and away, that feeling of endless time I don’t get when I am at home and I’m overwhelmed with to-do lists.  Believe it or not I actually started and finished a whole book during our road trip!

How energy sucking routine is

I know, I hear you.  Some people thrive on routine and like that comfortable and secure feeling they get from the day to day stuff.  I despise it.  Maybe because routine when not travelling involves a million chores and endless to do lists.  Routine also means there’s no near as much quality time as I’d like with my boys and my husband.  Routine for me is juggling our home and raising our little boys on my own from Monday to Friday.  However, when we travel, there are two of us to manage all the nappy changing and there is no home to maintain.  This leaves so much time for all the other more exciting stuff.  Nothing quite like waking up and going where the wind blows.  Don’t get me wrong.  I love being home with my little boys so unless you are offering to come clean, do my laundry and cooking, then its got to be done and I’ll be daydreaming till our next trip.

How we only need each other

While travelling we have had stressful situations, long days, frustrating moments, exhausting sleep deprived mornings.   However if there’s something travelling has taught me is how we only really need each other.  It doesn’t matter where we are staying, what situation we are overcoming, as long as we have each other to get through these moments then nothing else matters.  You don’t need fancy hotel rooms, expensive room service, all inclusive resorts, or costly attraction passes.  Sure these things are nice.  However a sense of adventure, comfortable walking shoes and your loved ones are the only requirement to make the memories of a lifetime!

What has travelling taught you?  I’d love to hear your thoughts below!

Elisa

The World n Us
Travel with Kids | Travel Blog | Travel Vlog

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