Welcoming New Travelers On Your Next Journey

In one month we will be back in Europe for two weeks of city walks, exploration, photography and gelato. Many of the places we will explore are old favorites but this year’s trip comes with a slightly different itinerary because we are traveling with our son and daughter-in-law and this will be their first time in Europe as a married couple. This will also be our daughter-in-law’s first trip to Europe. To say that we are all very excited is an understatement – we can’t stop thinking and talking about this trip!

Since we are returning to places we’ve recently visited, one might think we don’t need to be as focused on the planning aspects. We are staying in one of the condos in Rome that we’ve rented before, and yet we are traveling with our adult children and want this to be the trip of a lifetime for them. So how do we help plan for this trip in ways that incorporate new experiences for us while ensuring our traveling companions experience all of the things on their bucket list? Here’s how:

• Plan for flexibility and adjust as needed. We will have a few dates and locations set in stone due to the days and hours of operation for many museums and church worship schedules. Other than those parameters, we will let the weather, geography, and wish lists determine our itinerary. There is always the inevitable transportation strike to deal with in Rome. Luckily for us, we like to walk!
• Use the interests and wants of our fellow travelers as the framework for planning. If they have no desire to visit a location or want to see something we’ve seen many times, it’s all good. Their excitement about the trip and all that they want to see and experience is fueling our own excitement and providing us with a new perspective for this journey.
• Make it ok to follow separate itineraries if our travel companions want some “alone time” in a location of their choice. After all, it’s their trip! Who wouldn’t want to have dinner and a glass of wine with their sweetheart in places like Paris, Florence, or Rome?!
• Pack the good cameras and capture memories as they unfold. When we travel as a couple it can be difficult to get photos other than selfies on our phones. Traveling as couples allows us to capture couple photos for each other and to share them virtually. I am sure there will be 4-person selfies to post as well.
• Stick to our typical travel habits. Things like signing up with STEP from the US State Department, leaving copies of our passports at home with our parents, bringing supplies (box tape and a Sharpie) to ship our purchases home and some bubble wrap to insulate bottles of wine and limoncello. Other travel traditions are more personal. I always light candles for the ones I love and say specific prayers for them while visiting churches, cathedrals, and basilicas. I look and listen for special flowers, bird songs, the laughter of children, and the music being performed by street musicians. These things are travel rituals that make our adventures extremely personal. I wonder what travel rituals our children will develop on this trip.

As we continue to plan for our summer adventures, there are so many reasons to be excited about traveling with our adult kids. We feel fortunate to welcome them to so many new experiences and perspectives in Europe and to open wide the doors to future trips.

Are you thinking about traveling with your family and friends? What suggestions do you have for expanding your itinerary and welcoming others to such adventures? Please share them here!

Happy Walking!