The Blaxpat Weekly #3.2024

Not sure where to take your kids this year? Here's my experience...

Jul 15, 2024

Travel has always been an important part of my life. A family trip to Niagara Falls later turned into a School Year Abroad in high school, and then there was no putting this genie back into her little hometown bottle.

Unlike many travelers who enjoy vacations as an escape from a norm, being on-the-go is my norm. But, over the years, my one-woman show has expanded to a +1, and now we’re a party of 5. This reality has transformed my travel style and my travel needs. Yes, needs.

There are things I can’t do anymore, places I wouldn’t dare go. After all, it’s not just me out here winging it. I’ve got to make sure they’re good… and that requires experimenting.

woman and girl showing their tongues beside motorcycle — Photo by Sai De Silva on Unsplash

In 2023, we took our kids to 5 different countries for varying lengths of time. Some were even repeat visits. Here are 3 things I learned after traveling w/ kids under 6.

There’s no reason to take them to nice restaurants, ever. They don’t appreciate it, and you’ll be annoyed when they don’t finish their meal.
Less fancy is best. While there’s no need to go so far as a hostel, fancy hotels are a thing of the past. Everything is made of glass. They can’t jump off of stuff, and it’s hard to get markers off the wall. We opt for places that are more lived-in and spacious, rather than high-end or ideal for adult nightlife.
Airport lounges are worth every cent. When I was traveling solo, I could post up in an airport restaurant with a laptop and make it home for hours. But with iPads charging and diaper changes on 30-to-60-minute rotations, there’s nothing like an airport lounge to take a load off. It's not negotiable.
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