We have always enjoyed traveling with our kids – they are both great people, looking out for one another, willing to try (or eat) new things and it’s always lots of fun and laughs.

But traveling with adult children has added a new dimension. When we started traveling with the kids, we usually brought more stuff for them than us – cribs, strollers, etc. As the kids got older, longer care trips included a VCR and TV – and eventually a laptop with DVD capability to pass the time. We took our first international trip (to England to visit my aunt and uncle) when the kids were 7 and 10 (I think). Managing two kids, their bags, our bags, etc through airports, train stations, etc was an adventure – and a fun one – but required lots of energy and attention. Later trips got much easier as the kids got older and took responsibility and required less oversight.

Fast forward to the future – Heather made all the reservations for where we are staying on the trip. She arrived in Houston before we did, rented the car (which she reserved because she can get the best rates as federal employee), checked in at the hotel and picked us up when we arrived. Ryan met us early and the airport (8am after a 50 minute bus ride), checked out places to eat in downtown Auckland and has been driving us everywhere since he’s comfortable ‘driving on the wrong side’.

Bottom line – traveling with the kids is fun in new and different ways.  It’s harder to create that ‘sense of wonder’ in things, but it’s been replaced with “Dad – I don’t believe that you just did/said that”. And it’s gotten easier logistically, which lets all of us relax more and enjoy each other’s company and where we are and what we’re doing. I wouldn’t trade our adventures of travelling with the kids when they were younger, but the new model is pretty darn good.