Traveling as a mom looks different than it did years ago, but it has always been a hobby of mine for two decades. I love to research states and countries and choose a new destination. Visiting new locations helps me learn and grow as a person, and it helps to appreciate what is in your own backyard!
When I was single, I would travel as often as possible. My schedule was very flexible, and I made sure to fill my summers as a teacher with multiple trips. I even led international groups through the People-to-People Student Ambassador Program. I was extremely fortunate to visit many countries in Europe and even travel to Australia while chaperoning forty students along with three other teachers.
Traveling as a mom
Traveling as a mom is a bit different than traveling as a single person, but I think chaperoning middle school students overseas certainly prepared me. I still like to research different states, but now the focus is on my family and making sure that there are parks and family-friendly restaurants in the area. Easy parking at a hotel is necessary and a pool is key for our family.
What I use to plan my trips
I am a huge fan of Trip Advisor as my starting spot when researching vacation possibilities. People can be quite honest in their reviews of hotels on here. I like being able to see reviews by other families and why they chose certain spots over others. Trip Advisor helps with hotels as well as day-trip options, too. It helps me brainstorm all possibilities before narrowing down options based on the number of days allocated for our trip.
Packing tips
Once the trip is booked, I check the weather and make a general packing list for our family. I make sure that we have clothes, plenty of socks, bathing suits, water shoes, toiletries, many snacks, and our entertainment bag. Our entertainment bag is a small piece of luggage on wheels filled with books, a few games, coloring supplies, sticker books, and a couple of small toys. Our children use the entertainment bag while we get ready in the mornings, in between activities, or for some quiet time before bed.
How we travel as a family
As a family, we have visited a handful of states including Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., and Florida. Having a safe car that is roomy and can carry our bags in is also convenient. Traveling in the comfort of our everyday vehicle is our favorite way. It is easy to bring music that everyone enjoys and we can listen to audiobooks for the ride. During our one flight to Florida, we used many types of public transportation, and everything worked out well.
This summer I look forward to visiting New Hampshire again but with both children this time. We will visit Storyland and Santa’s Village, but also hope to explore some unfamiliar territory as well. I have looked up some new parks and might even visit a splash pad since both children enjoy playing in the cool water and the sprinklers.
I hope that you are traveling as a mom with your family this summer or having a fantastic staycation trying to beat the heat!
