Family Travel Blog – Dreams Are Worth Fulfilling
For many years, a family travel blog has been my unrealized dream. I used to say, “If I weren’t doing what I do and wasn’t who I am, I would definitely be writing a travel blog!” Those words were always accompanied by a great longing. But the main reason I am starting this family travel blog is the intuition that woke me up one night, telling me that dreams must be pursued.
It’s hard to determine when my passion for travel began; as a child, we couldn’t afford big trips, but I remember our first family travels to the Czech Republic, Austria, and Italy with my parents. My dad wouldn’t let my brother and me sleep in the car; we had to admire the views. Back then, I wondered how one could be so fascinated by mere landscapes. I preferred sleeping through the journey and waking up at the destination. Now, I can’t believe how true the saying “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” is, as I find myself saying the same things to my children.
From small to big, family travels:
It was only during my studies that I first traveled to the United States and France, where I worked as a volunteer to improve my language skills. Later, I spent many years studying and living in Spain, and then the travel bug really took over. Proximity to Portugal, friends from South America, a trip to Mexico, a research internship in Belgium… It was hard to resist more travels. Benelux countries, North Africa, Greece, Turkey, finding a soulmate, getting married, and honeymooning in Peru and Bolivia – life seemed to be writing the script. Finally, life led us on a journey of a lifetime as a family, settling in South America, specifically in Chile, where I received an exciting job offer. From then on, I have been steadily fulfilling my dream of traveling with my family and exploring all the countries on this continent, visiting the magical places one reads about in National Geographic or watches on travel shows.
Chief Family Travel Expert:
Before I knew it, I lived and worked on three continents, became fluent in five languages, married my kindred spirit and great support in life, and became the mother of a cheerful and quite noisy bunch: Julia, Natalia, and Adam. Professionally, my job, though very demanding, allows me to indulge my travel fantasies as much as a year’s leave will permit. I navigate our family’s travel compass, searching for hidden travel gems and meticulously planning our adventures, while the rest of the family just hops on the same bus, or rather, plane in our case, as we live in the driest desert in the world and evacuating by plane is practically the only option.
Traveling with kids – Does it make them happy?
God has blessed us abundantly in life, and I am grateful every day! We have each other, we have good health, we have financial stability. Traveling with kids is neither easy nor cheap. I won’t sugarcoat it – it poses both parenting challenges and significantly depletes our family budget. Nevertheless, children accompany us on almost every trip. Are they happy because of it? It’s hard to say. Honestly, I haven’t seen overwhelming enthusiasm in them so far. But I still hope that one day they will appreciate the tremendous opportunity they have in life to explore the world and experience different cultures, as well as enjoy their multilingualism, a trait they were practically born with, whereas my husband and I had to work hard to acquire it over the years.
To write or not to write a family travel blog?
So, one night, not long ago, I woke up with an unsettling conviction that I didn’t know why I was postponing writing a family travel blog. At 3 a.m., I jumped out of bed, took out a piece of paper, and the plan for the first 15 posts was born. The topics came to me one after another, and I realized that even if no one will be interested in reading my thoughts, at least it will be a keepsake for my children. It will be a life lesson for them, teaching them that if they truly desire something, they must put in the extra effort to achieve it and fight for it.
When I was a child, I didn’t want to be like other girls, fairy or princess; I wanted to be a writer. I have been writing for as long as I can remember: poems, stories, reports, articles for newspapers and magazines, and even books. Along the way, I considered journalism, but all those childhood and adolescent plans somehow faded in the script of my life. It doesn’t mean I regret it, but I believe the time has come for me to make up for the “lost” time.
My family travel blog, Global Mama Diary:
And so, my family travel blog, Global Mama Diary, was born. What can you expect from my blog? I want to combine family travel topics with children and those only for two, to share experiences from magical and unique corners of the world. I want to show, especially to women, that a professional career and motherhood don’t have to be an obstacle to fulfilling travel dreams, even the most daring ones. You don’t have to abandon your current life and live in a camper to explore the world (although, I won’t deny, it’s an interesting life plan)! There will also be stories about living abroad, raising multilingual children, whether it’s time to think about retirement, and how retirement relates to travel. We will talk about both low-budget and high-budget travels.
Ah, speaking of finances. Whether we want it or not, family finances and travel go hand in hand. I spend most of my money on retirement investments, my children’s education, and… you guessed it, family travels. I don’t like to and don’t want to cut corners on family travel, as memories and experiences are the most precious things in my life. I wouldn’t have reached the point in life where I am now if I hadn’t met people from all over the world, opened my eyes and heart to the opportunities that lay before me, and to which I spent my whole life preparing, by getting to know different cultures. I want to offer the same to my children, especially since I have the opportunity to do so.
You don’t have to agree with what I write, but I ask that you respect me and everyone else who visits and expresses their point of view on my family travel blog. The world is vast and diverse; we are not all the same, and we don’t all have the same priorities. And that’s beautiful. So, shall we begin?
