Holidays with children just aren’t the same as life before parenthood

But that doesn’t mean they aren’t a worthwhile, albeit different, experience

I was somewhat of a late bloomer when it came to being bitten by the travel bug. Two consecutive years of ‘lads’ holidays’ didn’t count as they were void of culture with my youthful and ignorant perspective at the time. With the same mindset, I also eschewed the idea of a gap year, travelling before starting university. It’s a decision I lament but I simply couldn’t appreciate what travel could afford me when juxtaposed against what it would actually afford in financial terms.

It wasn’t until after university that I started traveling but once I started, I was gripped with Wanderlust. With the end of one trip came the initial planning of the next one. As the list of places I visited grew, so did the list of places I wanted to travel to.

It was the same for my wife. Before we became a couple, she went backpacking for several months, travelling throughout South America and Asia Pacific. Subsequently, our mutual love of travel continued with shared trips and experiences.

We would visit long haul and short haul destinations, soaking up culture and seeking adventure and new experiences. We’d take long walks nonchalantly exploring the local town, both on and off the beaten track, and were always keen to meet locals and like-minded travellers.