I interviewed my middle son to see how he summarizes our family travel experiences. These were his thoughts around the time of his senior year in high school.

“Traveling gave me a better understanding of different cultures….the bigger picture of the world. It opens you up, shows you, makes you aware of the world–not the bubble of America. I liked the bus tours even better than some of the museums because someone is speaking to you and it’s more interactive.”

(On most of the museums, cathedrals, castles, etc…we had a private tour guide so he’s referring to museums where we may not have had a guide.)

Meeting relatives in Greece for the first time…..

Learning in interactive childrens museums:

Trying new experiences in foreign environments:

At 18 years old, he set off on his first independent trip. He went to Greece for 5 weeks; 3 weeks at a camp and 2 weeks on his own with a friend. He stayed at the monastery, Mount Athos, for 6 days and wrote about his experience in a journal…..a tradition we started when he was a little boy traveling with the family. He presented us with this idea of independent travel a year earlier. It took some faith on our part and a lot of meticulous planning but entrusting him with responsibility on this journey was worth it. It turned out to be a successful trip and a huge learning experience! Below is his six day journal of that experience.

Mount Athos, Greece