Travel with your kids!Enjoy this sweet hassle

Even if you’ll remember nothing but endless inconveniences and troubles, but.

Although for the kids, they might only recall what they most want to remember, and even now when I’m asked, I’d still say traveling with kids is a hassle.
(Recommended reading:)

From the moment you board the plane, you have to manage the kids’ behavior. (Crying, whining, or making a scene)
From the moment you land, you have to keep the kids close and prevent them from running off.
From the moment you clear customs, you have to endure endless “whys” and “what’s that?” questions.
From the moment you sit down to eat, you have to adapt to different etiquette and food cultures around the world.
From the moment you need to use the restroom or change a diaper, because you’re not yet familiar with the area, finding a family-friendly toilet isn’t as convenient as it is in Taiwan.

But all of this adjustment is genuinely “leveling up” — whether it’s the kids’ experiences and perceptions, or the unique learning that happens during the trip. I can’t quite put into words what each trip brings to the kids, but we can truly feel how much they’ve grown through travel, so no matter how troublesome, we still find it “a joy to endure.”

Of course, the troubles encountered along the way are far from few.

I still remember the first time I took Nini to Okinawa — it ended with her getting a high fever in a foreign country.
I still remember the second time I took Nini to Tokyo — she was already sick before we even left, and stayed sick the entire trip.
The third time I took both kids to Okinawa, they cried non-stop on the plane.
The fourth time I took both kids to Macau, Nini was sick before we even left, and slept the whole way.
The fifth time I took both kids to Okinawa, the weather was so cold that mom got sick first.

Looking back, it really was nothing but sickness after sickness — and perhaps because of all these miserable moments, when I get midnight messages from other moms in the fan group asking for help, I can calmly assist them. (I don’t even know if that’s a good thing or not?)

After traveling abroad many times, I’ve found that I can face the small issues of domestic trips more calmly. Even with all the experience, it’s still impossible to prevent every little mishap or the chaotic situations that come with traveling with kids.

I still remember the last time — we even booked the wrong room, and four of us had to squeeze onto one king-size bed. Well, let’s just enjoy that rare family cuddle time — it actually became a unique memory.

In discussions with friends over the past two years, I’ve come to realize something deeply.

Like how Nini remembers going to Disneyland during our Tokyo trip when she was one year old, or how we went to the Okinawa aquarium twice, while the little boy only remembers sliding down the big slide. But they still remember those things. In conversation, they’ll tell you, “We went there, we saw that, we experienced it.”

These are the shared memories among the kids right now. Because they’re young and innocent, they simply remember certain things purely, so they actually recall little details more clearly than we adults do. No matter where the trip is — even a small local park across the city — it’s still “travel.”
(Recommended reading:)

Whether near or far, short or long, each different kind of trip brings unique growth and rewards to the family. Whether the kids will remember these beautiful memories in the future or not, I firmly believe these memories will stay in mine and Mr. Zhuang’s, becoming a part of our lives.

So take your kids on a trip!It’ll become a wonderful memory in your life!