5 Travel Tips from Mom

If you’ve ever attended one of my travel smart classes or events, you might remember that I initially learned a lot about traveling from my parents. While I did have a passport before I could read or write, it was my parents that did all of the traveling. I was very lucky to grow up in an atmosphere that stoked my wanderlust and be raised by people who wanted to explore the world. After spending many years traveling the world independently, I have recently taken a couple of trips with my Mom. Traveling with my Mom reminded me of the lessons I learned early on and gave me some great perspective on the challenges experienced travelers face. Here are the top 5 travel tips I learned by traveling with Mom.

Preparation is Key

My house has always been full of National Geographic magazines, article clippings from the travel section of the newspaper and guidebooks. My parents taught me that if you work hard ahead of time, then you will reap the rewards later. “You reap what you sow”. My mom hates wasting valuable time in country when those answers can easily be researched ahead of time.    Mom schedules her hair and nails to be done two days before the trip, has a list of ideas of places to see, and already has planned what she may want to bring back so the last day of travel isn’t entirely spent shopping and trying to figure out what to bring home.  By doing these things, she feels confident, we can fill up unscheduled time with things that interest her on her list instead of trying to research on the road, and she is able to casually buy the few things she wants to bring home when she sees them but mostly on the last day. Also, Mom is the original “Travel in a Carry On” teacher and is the first person I ever saw fold & roll clothes. I grew up packing the way I do!

Be Yourself

Recently, I took my Mom on a pilgrimage to Rome (and other Catholic sites in Europe). Her joy and passion for seeking out meaningful experiences was not lost on me. In Chianti, she loved indulging in another passion by attending a wine festival (and my or may not have gotten a little giggly with my wife by the end). Mom has taught me that travel is personal and shouldn’t be about keeping up with the Jones’ (or even how my Insta looks).  While trying to work on the road when traveling with my mom, she would often make sure I put down my phone or camera and just enjoy where we were for a few minutes.  Those ended up being some of my favorite memories from that trip.

Be Polite

My Mom smiles and is polite to everyone she encounters on the road (even on rough travel days). She looks people in the eye and always makes an attempt to communicate in the local language. She will make small talk with just about everyone she encounters. Mom always said you must learn 5 basic phrases in each language:

• Please
• Thank You
• Do You Speak English?
• Where is the Bathroom?
• Can I have a beer?

By being polite, she often makes friends along the way. In Umbria, she became buddies with the groundskeeper of our agriturismo. She would wake up every morning for a walk and they would talk about their shared passion for organic vegetables, gardening and nature.

The Future is Now

Travel has changed dramatically since my Mom first started traveling.  Instead of being hesitant to take advantage of different ways of doing things, she dives right in to the new travel tools and trends. She now loves how easy things can be on the road. After a day of sightseeing in Paris she turned to me and said, “Ok. Please engage the chauffeur to pick us up in 15 mins”. That was “Mom speak” for me to get an über to take us back to the hotel. With so many great apps and the ability to make travel easy by booking ahead of time, we spent more time laughing, enjoying, eating and loving life than ever before on any trip.

Take Your Time

My Mom would rather experience a few things in a day instead of rushing thru things just to check them off a list. She has taught me that we can leave things for “next time” so that we can enjoy where we are instead of already stressing about getting to the next experience.  Quality is better than quantity. During our trip, we frequently prioritized activities that she was the most passionate about first, in order to completely relish the experience, then take our time to get to the next experience or even just discover something new.  Travel is not about checklists but about the enjoyment and experience of where you are in the moment.

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