One concern I hear from many parents planning a trip overseas is that taking kids along will cut them off from any “authentic” experiences and doom them to a vacation full of children’s museums and swimming pools. This couldn’t be…
Change Your Kids’ Lives. Get Outta Town.
During the summer of our third year in Beijing, we arrived in America for a two week visit. While we were chatting with some of my parents’ neighbors, one asked where we were living. “We’re in China, actually!” She took…
Rule #8: You DO Need All This Stuff (aka What to Pack)
Now that I’ve told you what NOT to bring, it’s time to help you figure out what you SHOULD bring on your next trip. First of all, the same rules apply. Pack light. You do not want to be…
Rule #7: Jet Lag, Baby.
You might think you know about jet lag. You may have traveled a lot, and you may feel you’ve got a handle on how you react to it and how best to combat it. But I submit that you have…
Rule #6: Not All Friends Are Travel Friends
We’ve all seen those movies where a group of friends go on a life-changing, outlook-altering trip together. They sit in cafes eating incredible food, ride in convertibles down scenic highways and achieve deep spiritual insights in remote temples, and their…
17 Things I Learned . . . On The Plane.
1) Babies do not fly free Internationally. Even on your lap. 2) Sweet little grandmas can be mean. 3) Tattooed leather-clad bikers can be lifesavers. 4) Benadryl is the same thing as Dramamine. Exactly the same thing. At half the…
Rule # 5: Editing aka We’ll Laugh About This Someday
You know the episode of Everybody Loves Raymond where Robert and Amy are getting married? Remember Ray’s speech about Editing? Yeah. Editing is a really important part of staying sane while traveling. So what do I mean by that, you…
Rule #4: Always Know Where the Ice Cream Is
Some travel lessons (never, ever, ever get on a plane with Cletus without Dramamine) you learn in one trip. Others take years of experimentation, trial and error. Rule #4 is one of those. In any given seven days of travel,…
Rule #3: The First Day is a Loss
I don’t care how early your flight gets in, or how close your destination is to the airport, or how short your trip is and how important it is to cram in every last experience you can. Just accept it…
Trip Report: Beijing — Practice Makes Perfect.
This one is not quite a trip report so much as an ‘Ideal Itinerary.’ Over our four years living in Beijing, we played host to many guests of all ages and family sizes. As the designated Family Tour Guide, I…