Here's Why Traveling with Your Kids Will Radically Transform Your Family

In the wake of COVID-19, families everywhere discovered something surprising: life doesn’t have to be tied to one place. Worldschooling became a popular trend as more people saw that they didn’t have to be location-dependent - they could continue their jobs and education while being elsewhere in the world. Working on a beach in Bali or hiking Machu Picchu on a weekend became a possible reality.

Traveling as a family, whether for one month or five years, is the perfect opportunity to create lifelong memories and provide a powerful, one-of-a-kind education for your children. I should know, I was one of the first kids to be dragged out of school and onto a whirlwind journey across 128 countries. And I’m so grateful that they did.

At 13, my parents decided it was time to move away from Venice, Italy, and embark on a full-time exploration of the world, living a completely nomadic life. Over eleven years later, my entire teenage and young adult life has been defined by the transformative adventures, mishaps, connections, and memories made along the way. This kind of travel transformed my worldview, turning my siblings and me into the definition of global citizens, as we learned educational lessons through cultural immersion.

Travel is the education of the future.

Travel is a fundamental element in educating the next generation. Kids who experience the world can learn to question societal beliefs and approach life with curiosity and critical thinking. They have the opportunity to see beyond their schools and cities, challenging the misconceptions or beliefs they were taught about other cultures, religions, and people.

While much of this education must be assisted by the initiative of the parents, when done right, it has the opportunity to create young changemakers who understand who they are and their place in the world.

For every parent or future parent who is considering taking the leap of faith into a nomadic life, here are 10 reasons why you should make it your next move:

1. Travel Awakens Curiosity

As a child, I would experience new environments and cultures, encountering things I had never seen or heard before. I began asking questions such as “Why do they dress like that here? Why do they say hello like that? What does that word mean?” These questions are powerful in the minds of children, as they awaken their understanding that their reality isn't the only reality, opening new doors for research, conversations, and a willingness to learn.

If you have ever wondered if your child is passionate about learning, travel can help spark their curiosity by introducing them to new experiences that may lead to new interests or passions.

2. Your Quality Time Together Will Increase

In a traditional setting, at least in the United States, many children and young adults are always busy. Between schoolwork, activities, and meeting friend, they often spend a few hours of the day engaging with their parents. However, when traveling, you get to spend a large amount of quality time with your kids - spending meals together, exploring new towns, and discovering new passions.

I will not lie to you and tell you everything is perfect. There are often frustrating times when families get on each other's nerves. My family has faced numerous meltdowns, fights, and canceled trips due to a lack of personal space.

Looking back now, I would never change a thing. My mother, the dreamer and true explorer of the family, passed away in 2023. I am grateful every day for the time we spent together, deciphering ancient hieroglyphs, hiking volcanoes, speaking on stages for refugee rights, or talking for hours after long museum walks.

The memories I created with my parents as a teenager are ones I will treasure for the rest of my life.

3. The World Will Raise Them

Chances are, you’ve heard the phrase “it takes a village.” In this case, people you meet in various countries will have a part in teaching your kids and helping them grow. Reflecting on it, I recall the Guatemalan weaver who taught me about perseverance, the Syrian refugee who taught me about hope, and the Kyrgyz tour guide who spoke of freedom and the importance of understanding one’s past to shape the future.

Regardless of your kids' ages, they will learn from their experiences, pushing them to understand the concept of shared humanity, regardless of one’s background or faith.

4. People Will Question Your Choices

When swimming against the tide, there will always be those who question what you do. Be prepared to be called strange, crazy, or even irresponsible. My parents left to travel in the mid-90s, and still to this day, we get questions about whether we made the right choice or if travel can benefit kids. The most common question I have gotten my entire life abroad is: “What about school?” Understandably, most people have never heard of worldschooling and can’t imagine their lives without the structure and rigor of a school schedule.

In our case, we balanced a traditional education with worldschooling. Following an online American curriculum, we took math, science, English, and other subjects that can only be taught by teachers. Beyond these classes, I built an entire curriculum of extracurricular learning that spanned from languages to history, environmental science to business building.

Don’t be afraid to follow your path and go against the crowd.

5. Things Won’t Always Be Perfect

Travel is messy - there is no way around it. Traveling with kids can be even messier. Whether it’s canceled flights and late nights in airports, dirty hotel rooms, or catching a stomach bug, there is no escaping the madness that can be nomadic life with children.

I could name countless moments when I felt like traveling was pushing me to my limits, yet I somehow made it through. I learned resilience, patience, and not taking things so seriously in the process. Don’t be quick to give up - I have learned that nothing is ever as bad as it seems in the moment.

6. Expect the Unexpected

No matter how prepared you think you are, something always seems to derail your well-thought-out plans. Before you set off on your adventures, be prepared to expect the unexpected. I’ve seen borders shut at the last minute, flights get diverted, or visas get denied. The feeling of being out of control of our itineraries was a difficult pill to swallow. Yet, no matter what happened, we always made it through - oftentimes happy with the changes.

What radically transformed our experiences was to approach them with flexibility and humor. Soon enough, we found ourselves in adorable villages, making new friends in remote deserts and jungles, or discovering wonderful archaeological sites we had never even known existed.

7. Give Back Whenever Possible

Volunteering at a young age transformed my entire outlook on the world. At 17, I found myself amid a Syrian refugee camp in Greece seeking to help in any way possible. My whole family supported me in their own ways, playing with the kids, teaching, or managing events through the organization we worked with.

One week turned into 6 months. Each day, we volunteered at a make-shift school, danced with kids who had fled the most unspeakable violence, and created a new family with people the news outlets were calling “scary” or “dangerous.”

This experience altered our life trajectory in a way we never saw coming. Even though we were 17, 15, and 8 years old, we understood the importance of setting aside our own needs to help others in dire conditions. We learned compassion, kindness, and speaking out for change.

8. Find a Like-Minded Community

Tapping into the global community of worldschooling families and like-minded travelers is a crucial component to surviving on the road. It’s not only for your kids to have friends, but also for you to create new connections with parents who are going through the same struggles, joys, and logistical travel planning as you.

Worldschoolers groups on Facebook are the most active when it comes to coordinating meetups and sharing travel tips and stories.

9. Travel and Cultural Immersion Will Boost Opportunities and Careers of the Future

In our interconnected world, cultural intelligence and global citizenship are sought-after skills. Universities, businesses, and entrepreneurial companies are all seeking individuals who are open-minded and aware of the current shifts and changes occurring in our world beyond our borders.

It is no surprise, then, that young people who grow up traveling around the world are excelling in academic careers. Many of the worldschooling children I know have gone on to have successful global careers, speaking multiple languages, working at the United Nations, or building businesses that focus on inclusion and diversity. Travel teaches young people that there are other paths to finding their careers other than a singular route, and that the world is open to them to experiment, pivot, and imagine something new.

10. Don’t Take Time for Granted

Whenever I meet new people, I get asked, “So why do all this travel anyways?” The truth is that we understood the importance of making the most of our time. With my mom’s passing, it made it all the more clear why we made the right choice. My mother knew she wanted to create a legacy of global memories and giving back, and she seized every opportunity she could.

She taught us to seize every single day with an open heart and open mind. That every day is a gift, every sunset is a gift, every smile, every moment of laughter. And even if it feels like the opportune time has passed, it is never too late.

Now, my question to you is: how are you going to make the most of your time with your children? What steps can you take to explore with them?