My husband and I have been traveling with our four kids since they were young.When I first realized they didn't have the most vivid memories of our trips, I was disappointed.But I've since changed my perspective, and I'm glad we shared the experience anyway.

While we were growing our family, my husband and I raised our kids in the Middle East, starting from when our oldest child was a toddler up through her middle school years. Since we were already on that side of the Atlantic, halfway around the world from our native United States, we seized the opportunity to travel and experience nearby locations.

While we quickly recognized that it's not always easy to travel internationally with children, we took on the challenge. We didn't want to miss opportunities just because we had young kids, including a toddler and a baby. In fact, during many of our trips, our four kids were all under 10 years old.

My husband and I, with three kids at the time, explored Amman and Jordan, and drove the scenic route through the country to Petra. We went to Lebanon to see Byblos, Jeita Grotto, and the cedar forests. We traveled to Europe for a snowy Thanksgiving and took a trip to visit friends in London. Our family kept up traveling after our youngest was born and camped in the desert of Egypt, swam in the Red Sea, and beheld the resting sites of the ancient pharaohs.

But when we looked back at photos of different adventures, I began to discover that sometimes my kids barely remembered the actual trip at all.

Their memories from our trips aren't quite what I'd hoped they'd be

From our trip to Petra, the two older kids remember riding a donkey and riding a horse. From our time in Lebanon, my daughter remembers seeing a broken-down playground near the lodge where we stayed. One son remembers eating eggs and za'atar. From London, my younger son remembers "everybody looking at a big clock." Sometimes, the only thing anyone remembers is if someone fell down and skinned a knee.

I couldn't believe it. All these incredible places, and they remember a donkey? Eggs? A minor injury?

At first, I was disappointed they didn't remember more from our family vacations. I wondered if it was a waste of time and effort if they didn't remember. But I've since changed my perspective about this.

As Sarah Seefeldt's kids have gotten older, they've started to help plan the family's vacations.




Courtesy of the author




Despite what they remember, my memories are still priceless

My kids are a little older now, and the trips we take stick in their memories a little better. But I still don't regret the trips they have forgotten. Being there with them as we explored a new country or new city was invaluable for me.

I loved getting to see their wonder and excitement while climbing into caves or discovering a desert oasis. Together, we saw history come alive as we explored ancient cities, Roman architecture, and medieval castles. I delighted in hearing their observations about the modern cities we visited, whether that was confusion about the traffic patterns or jubilation when they saw mountains and waterfalls.

While some of the logistics of traveling together while they were young were difficult to manage, the hassle and extra expense were worth it. I don't mind that they didn't form as many memories as I'd thought they would. My husband and I show them pictures and tell them stories. When they say they only remember little pieces of the trip, I just laugh. I have the memories for them and am happy to fill in the blanks.

Traveling together has shaped who we are as a family

We moved back to America last year and look forward to continuing to explore new countries. My kids are now seasoned travelers. They still love seeing the world, helping us plan trips, and studying maps to dream about what could be another destination. They like that we prefer to discover places on our own without a tour group — not just the famous touristy sights but also the small local restaurants and the places off the beaten track.

Though international travel comes with challenges — flight delays, strange transit airports, long layover times — it also opens the door to understanding more about who we are as people in this great big world. Even if the specific memories fade, I'm happy about all the doors my family got to walk through together. And I've got the photos to remind them.