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Writer's pictureJodi Samuels

From the Mouth of Babes

Updated: Mar 17, 2021



I admit we travel a lot. We use all our spare money on budget travel. It’s not always easy but it’s always an adventure. For example we pulled into our hotel 20 minutes before Shabbat to find out they could not find our reservation, even though I had a confirmation, and the hotel was full…


This past week we have been on a road trip that started in NY. We drove to the Blue Ridge Parkway, Smokey Mountains, Nashville and Chatanooga. We drove through 8 states, over 2000 miles of driving and 8 different hotel rooms. Last night at dinner I asked my kids if they tire of traveling and if they would prefer to be at sleep away camp. After all we don’t stay in luxurious places, we change hotels each night and they have to help pack, unpack, schlep etc. They also have to spend many hours in a car and we don’t do kids activities specifically. We even torture them by making them listen to 80’s and 90’s music! My 11 and 13 year old both unanimously agreed they never get tired and the more they travel the more they want to travel. I should have predicted the answer given Meron achieved his goal of 30 countries and over 30 US states by his Bar mitzvah.


I started exploring with them why travel intrigues them and here are some insights:

They want to understand different cultures and enjoy people watching.

They are interested in seeing how different people live

They love seeing nature.

They enjoy seeing how different cultures react to special needs people.

They question what makes people happy – how people in poor countries can be happy.

They are intrigued by history and seeing how people survived under harsh conditions.

They like learning about countries’ politics.

They thrive on the adventure of the unknown as many of our trips have spontaneous elements.

My son loves engaging in discussions about businesses and how different business models work.

They love the family time and looking back at photos.

I simply agree…


Originally published: August 5, 2015

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