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Imagine traveling with your parents on vacation as an adult. While the holidays may have been filled with trips or relaxing at home during childhood, by traveling with your parents as an adult, you can explore new places and share special moments together that you can look back on with a smile.
However, this experience does even more. A trip with your parents is also an opportunity to rewrite old stories, discover more about them, and become closer, according to Forbes. Read ahead to discover the benefits of traveling with your parents as an adult.
The Opportunity to Refresh the Relationship
While there were old dynamics in the parent-child relationship, a trip abroad can offer a positive restart. “Something interesting happens: the old parent-child dynamic gets a soft reboot. You are no longer the sole one who clogged the sink with gunk, and they are no longer alone who yelled about it. You are travel companions,” Veronica West, a psychologist, tells Forbes. Experiences such as navigating new locations and encountering challenges like losing hotel keys create moments of common ground and connection.
You Get to Know Them Better
A trip can provide an exciting opportunity to discover new things about your family. For instance, you might discover that one of your parents has a talent for bargaining. West says these realizations can create new layers in the relationship that are grounded in humor and curiosity. Furthermore, through watching your family handle trip logistics, you notice competencies that may not be obvious in daily life.
The Chance to Create New Memories
While everyone has a different outlook on their early years, traveling can offer the chance to experience new and positive moments together. “If you didn’t make the best childhood memories growing up, travel lets you connect on something other than memories of your childhood or reunions,” West explains. “Instead, you’re building new memories — ideally with less yelling and better snacks,” she adds.
You Realize the Gift of Time
Traveling with aging parents isn’t always simple due to schedules and different energy levels and interests, according to Refinery29. However, moments like laughter, quiet conversations, and viewing the same sight are deeply meaningful. Writer Dontaira Terrell tells Refinery29 that traveling with her father filled her with gratitude and served as a reminder of the gift of time.
You Carry Legacy Forward
A shared trip also provides the opportunity to see the world through your parents’ eyes. For Terrell, her trip was a chance to experience historical sites and reconnect with her roots. It was also a reminder that she and her father’s stories, rituals, and culture are living legacies. Her experience traveling with her dad taught her that legacy lies in moments.
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