Since before our son could toddle, he’s been traveling alongside my husband and me. We’ve bundled him, backpacked him, and “Bijorned” him on boats, planes and automobiles. 

We’ve trekked together across many continents, and explored cities and deserts nearer home, instilling in all of us, a love of exploration and renewal.

Our family odyssey has taught us invaluable lessons — some profound, some hilarious, and some that smelled suspiciously like goat. Here are seven big takeaways from our travels that extend far beyond the school gates.

Curiosity creates lifelong learners

Young people sometimes show a premature weariness with life — it’s all algorithms and eye rolls. But the world outside WiFi is endlessly fascinating.

Our son’s curiosity exploded in the best way possible once he saw how kids lived around the world. We’ve watched pre-teens hunting for food with their parents in Africa, seen children clean their classrooms in Japan, and youngsters fish at dawn, in the Amazon.

In Fiji, we looked on in awe as children made music with found objects, showing a deep resourcefulness and creativity we rarely see at home. My son learned an invaluable lesson that day; when there’s no toy shop, you must make the toys. 

All our minds have been opened many times — and honestly, if my son ever loses interest in TikTok, I’ll credit the children of the Andes.

Confidence comes from climbing, not clicking

True confidence stems from real achievements and a sense of being capable. While American society often promotes confidence, it sometimes leans into a “fake it till you make it” mentality. The idea of posing in front of someone else’s Maserati doesn’t build genuine self-esteem.

True, hands-on experiences create a deeper sense of accomplishment and identity, and travel is a short-cut to that. It’s important your kids, partner, and family see you trying new things, solving problems, and having fun — whether it’s figuring out where to buy sunscreen, replacing lost contact lenses, or picking the perfect picnic spot.

Our family has learned this first hand during our travels. We’ve all faced moments of uncertainty and confusion — wondering where to catch a bus, deciphering signs to find waterfalls, or trying to figure out opening hours in another language. Tackling these challenges together has given us a “we’ve got this” attitude. 

Empathy needs no translation

In this digital world, connecting both to nature and to people has never been more important. I’ve watched our son connect to a Masai tribe in Tanzania and to a woman carrying a small goat in Peru. I’ve looked on as a beautiful lady served our son soda in Japan and admired our son’s gratitude in receiving it. 

I’ll never forget the time, high up in the Andes, a group of women grabbed him as he ran up the stairs to greet them at 12,000 feet altitude, and then nearly fainted in their arms as the lack of oxygen hit. They wrapped him in blankets and made him a cup of cocoa. 

It was extraordinary to see him give himself over to this tribe of mothers without a word of English being spoken. It takes a village, sure — but sometimes it also takes an Andean auntie with a flask and a good sense of humor.

Think outside the goldfish bowl

Fixed perspectives can suffocate potential and understanding but shopping at a busy weekly market, doing laundry at a local laundromat, or trying a food that might be considered a pet (side order of guinea pig anyone?), creates not just curiosity but also empathy. 

We’ve been to a cat park in Lima, Peru, and there was a shared sense of joy, peace and play with every human and creature in the area, and, in Madrid, a history-filled whole roast suckling pig dining, remains a family highlight.

In transit, we’ve had to visit a local eye doctor (Austria and Spain), a tailor for to fix a camera bag (Zimbabwe), and a local electronics shop to fix an iPad (Japan), which were all adventures of their own. 

And it’s not just kids who can learn. Camping is not my first choice of a vacation but when my son wanted to go, I rented an RV and it turns out, that for a few days, I can enjoy life in a mobile home. And yes, I brought half my house for a three-day camping trip. And yes, I used all of it. Don’t judge.

When the plan becomes cereal in bed

Life doesn’t always play out as it should and neither will your vacation. Things screw up, everyone makes mistakes, and sometimes things are less than the photo presented. We learned as a family how to research, leap, pivot and that sometimes it’s okay to go back to your room to sleep and wait to get out to the next place. 

On a walking trip through Japan, after a day that saw us hike at a high elevation for 7.5 miles, from Matsuzaki to Hiroshima, the three of us ended the day snuggled in our room, enjoying bowls of cereal in bed, instead of a group dinner. 

While exploring the Dolomites, a magical hiking day turned into a mad dash down the mountain when torrential rain clouds arrived with lightening. It felt like an episode of The Amazing Race to return to the tram to hitch a ride down before it closed for the day. Travel is chaos with a sense of direction, and learning to pivot is part of the package.

Adventures lead to smarter choices

Many people often have an unrealistic understanding of what’s safe and what’s risky but travel can teach us valuable lessons about making sound decisions and clearly navigating through life.

In Africa, when our son asked if he could stand and put his head out of the roof of our Jeep, our guide responded: “There are few rules out here in the Bush, so do what you want. I’ll tell you this however, the nearest doctor is six hours away and he is a shaman. The nearest doctor the way you are used to it is a plane ride away, so choose your actions carefully.” He sat down.

On a Japanese commuter train, we watched everyone clean up before they departed, and now we’re just as committed to always leaving our public areas just as tidy when leaving.

You can tell your kid to watch their phone until you’re blue in the face, but it may take being in a group when an adult is pickpocketed, such as happened to us in Spain, for them to take notice. 

Coming home with new eyes — and heated toilet seats

There’s a huge amount of joy in budgeting for a trip and anticipating the adventures that lay ahead – but mistakes happen. 

I once had to return a bunch of scarves to a Japanese museum gift shop because I’d wrongly calculated the exchange rate. And that’s fine because we also found joy in unexpected places; for example, we learned that the Japanese use heated toilet seats, and so my husband purchased one as a souvenir!

Returning home after traveling makes us fully appreciate the comfort and security of our everyday lives. These moments of gratitude, mixed with the excitement of our adventures, inspire us to value what we have and think about how we can protect and share these experiences for future generations.

From the peaks of Patagonia to the canyons of California, our journey continues. But the real treasures? Curiosity, resilience, empathy and an unshakable belief that cereal in bed sometimes beats fine dining.

Pack light. Laugh often. The world is waiting — with snacks.

Margot Black is a Los Angeles-based travel writer, mom and founder of Black Ink PR.