It’s true: we left behind our lives in Canada for an entire year. We said goodbye to family, friends (and our belongings) and set off to travel from Argentina to Australia with our four kids. During that year we saw wild animals in Africa, road street cabs in India, toured the Louvre in France, and met new pals in Japan.

 

We wanted an immersive, authentic travel experience. We didn’t want to feel like tourists, but to truly experience life in other countries. We still feel the same, and six years later, our style of travel hasn’t changed much at all.

 

I often get asked the secret to having an authentic travel experience with kids. Especially when so many “family friendly trips” are geared toward entertainment, movie screens, souvenirs and wild rides. I definitely understand the desire for kid-friendly vacations. It’s tempting to stay at a resort, go on a cruise, or travel to an all-inclusive spot with kids’ clubs and pre-planned activities, so you can sit back and relax.

 

For our family, our travels around the world have to incorporate us living our “regular lives.”

 

We’ve never wanted to take a tourist approach. We want engagement and genuine connections around the world. We’ve always had to continue to work during our travels. We keep up with our regular lives, whether we we’re in Israel, Japan, or Guatemala. Our kids still keep up with homeschool work. We view our trips as travel, adventure, learning and exploration, but not vacations.

 

Wherever we’ve gone, we’ve connected with new people and made new friends everywhere we went. We learned that whether in Turkey or Dubai or Germany, it was actually easier to have an authentic travel experience because we were with our kids.

 

Here are some lessons we’ve learned about what it takes to have a truly immersive cultural experience.

 

1.   Embrace an Experiential Mindset

 

To do this, it means we truly LIVE our life on the road. We stopped thinking of home as only Canada (although that’s also home), but rather “home” becomes wherever we are at the time.

 

We truly try to embrace each destination and fully immerse ourselves in the culture, the food, the art, and the way of life in each new spot to have an authentic travel experience. Honestly, between exploring and working, we didn’t fit in a lot of “downtime.” Yes, there’s some relaxing, but for the most part we just busy living our day-to-day lives.

 

Whether on our one year trip or any shorter travels since then, it’s never been a possibility to simply take time “off” life, so our trips have become part of our life. With this mindset, it’s easier to have an authentic travel experience with kids. The world becomes their classroom. They experience life the way others do all over the world.

 

We try not to view activities as tourists, bystanders, or outsiders (although it’s impossible for us not to at times), but instead we do our best to become part of the world around us as much as we can.

 

While this is the way our family travels, I know it’s not for everyone. I certainly understand the desire to kick back and take a vacation. (There’s NOTHING wrong with that!) In our case, our travels have to integrate with our as-normal-as-possible family life in order to work for us. The benefit of this approach is that we had a very authentic travel experience.

 

2.   Set Your Family Travel Philosophy to Guide Your Planning

 

Before we spent the year abroad, I wouldn’t exactly have described myself as a carefree, spontaneous person. 😉 I was adventurous, yes, but I liked structure.

 

And yet, authenticity during travel has always been important to both Ryan and I. We spent time living abroad in Japan when we were younger (Ryan and I both taught English there our first year of marriage) and we both felt very connected to the people. Once we settled down into our parent life in Canada, though, it became obvious that I like things a little more well-defined, shall we say.

 

When we started planning our first big trip, I realized we were going to face a lot of unknowns. Right away I had to change my mindset toward going with the flow. Were we going to jump in and really have an authentic travel experience with our kids? Was I going to let myself really become immersed in the experience?

 

For the benefit of both myself and our family, we decided to go for it. We wanted to really enjoy a 360-degree experience. We wanted our kids to learn new languages, see art, animals and architecture, connect with new people, enjoy street food… and “live” in a full, global way. We knew there were going to be moments we couldn’t plan for but no matter what it would be okay.

 

We embraced the mindset of: “We’re not on vacation; this is life with different scenery.” This philosophy kept driving us toward each decision we made. It allowed us to live normally but thrive and connect with each new environment which led to more authentic travel experiences.

 

3.    Work While You Travel (Especially if You’re Taking a Long Trip)

 

Because we don’t view our trips as vacations, we also know we have to work to be able to afford it. Both of us have been entrepreneurs since before we began, which meant we had businesses we could run remotely.

 

Remote-working is definitely NOT the same as a vacation (ha!), but it does allow you to become intimately acquainted with every Wi-Fi hotspot in town. There were late nights online, early morning Skype sessions, and a few times when one parent took the kids on an excursion while the other one worked.

 

That said, we are so grateful for our work. Without the flexibility of working remotely, we wouldn’t have had such an immersive and authentic travel experience. Being able to work during our first year abroad allowed us to provide for our family and ensure we had a regular income even while being on the road for such an extended period of time. It let us live our normal every day life in a new environment.

 

One of our favorite travel gurus, Rick Steves, writes about experiencing new places “through the backdoor.” I (Stephanie) was greatly influenced by his ideas when Ryan and I planned our first short trip to Europe when our oldest was a toddler. He says, “A tight budget forces you to travel close to the ground, meeting and communicating with the people. Never sacrifice sleep, nutrition, safety, or cleanliness in the name of budget. Simply enjoy the local-style alternatives to expensive hotels and restaurants.”

 

Peripherally, travelling on a budget and working on the road also lent itself to authenticity and connections with locals. We weren’t interacting with other tourists or standing outside looking in on people going to and from their daily jobs. We weren’t having an authentic travel experience.

 

We were actually a piece of the local economy (for a brief time). For example, we spent a month in a single town in Argentina during our first big trip. This stands out in my mind as the place where we were truly able to develop a routine and experience the full flavor of everyday life and that experience has continued to inspire us to plan longer stays in single locales as often as possible.

 

4.    Don’t Pass Up Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunities

 

There were plenty of opportunities we could have passed up because we thought they were too much for the kids—maybe they could’ve been too difficult to understand or wouldn’t excite them. I have to say, hands down, every experience we took our kids on, we were grateful we went.

 

Before we would embark on a heavier historic site like ruins, a museum, or a church or other religious site, we would discuss the experience beforehand to give them information and historical context. I’ll never forget the image of my oldest, Abby, who was around 8 during our trip to France. There we were at the Louvre in Paris, and we decided to give her the headphones with the audio guide and let her lead a “tour” for our entire family. She was so enthused and had so much to say. She wanted to go again the minute we finished.

 

In Prague, we attended a formal classical concert in an ancient church because we wanted our kids to really see how you should act in those types of situations. In Seville, Spain we took our kids to a flamenco show. In Athens, we took the kids to the Parthenon museum the day before In Germany we even went to the Holocaust Memorial at Dachau, explained as much as we could at a child’s level (and simply avoided a few things that we felt were too heavy/graphic for the kids). We tried to never shy away from an authentic travel experience because we thought it was too difficult or too heavy for our kids. This was especially true for cultural experiences like museums, music, and dance.

 

Looking back on it, these moments were once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. Yes, an amusement park, waterslides, or the zoo are the places you think to take your kids when visiting a new town…but these experiences are often the same wherever you go. Kids are capable of deeper, richer experiences when given the opportunity. Every time we took our kids somewhere, they surprised us with their insights and connections.

 

5.    Aim for Balance on the Road

 

Travel takes a lot out of you. Admittedly, authentic travel isn’t as relaxing as a stereotypical “vacation.” In our case, we were really living our normal lives throughout the trip. That meant there were days when we had to do laundry, clean up, work, do homework, and simply rest. I found that pockets of time when we could simply soak in the scenery or linger over lunch together as a family were the most memorable and refreshing.

 

Sometimes we packed a picnic and would go to a nearby park. Ryan and I would often find time to work in a café or a corner of our Airbnb. Taking a minute to watch the sunrise, breathing in the steam from a delicious cup of tea, or simply watching people go about their day-to-day lives really helped us feel connected to our surroundings.

 

Similarly, long trips like ours are a bit isolating. Even though we were together, we were always in transit, which makes it hard to form close friendships outside of our family. Staying in places a bit longer and finding routine in your daily activities really helps. Ryan and I really deepened our connection with each other and the kids during the trip. We were all in it together, relying on each other. The rituals and routines we established as a family became precious to us because they kept us tethered to reality and each other. It was all about creating a new normal for each adventure.

 

6.    You Don’t Need to Spend on Luxury

 

When some people think of travel, they think of fancy hotels and luxurious spa experiences. To us, luxury wasn’t how to have an authentic travel experience with kids. We focused on finding places to stay that were, above all, safe. We didn’t shelter ourselves from the experience because we didn’t want to limit our exposure to culture or education.

 

Staying authentic meant choosing housing optionslike hostels and homes of friends to foster genuine experiences and connections with real people from the area. We loved staying in local communities and connecting with the new people we met. We found this allowed us and our kids richer, more authentic cultural experiences. The one area where we didn’t take risks was safety. There were a few times when we opted to stay at a slightly more expensive spot so we wouldn’t need to worry about our wellbeing.

 

We found when we stayed in places for longer periods of time, like our time in Argentina, we really established a routine. We were able to navigate great deals at the local market, put together simple meals, and eat outdoors as a family. We had our homeschool routine, then we’d go to the market and grab dinner—just like we were living in Canada.

 

Now, there’s nothing wrong with hotels—and each family travels differently. We found for us, hotels limited our interactions with locals. We were only meeting fellow tourists when we stayed at hotels. We were also treated a bit differently. Many places people were polite, but distant when they found we were staying at a hotel. Instead, spending time in the community and staying with local friends as much as possible helped us really feel like true locals.

 

7.    People Are Welcoming Around the World

 

If you’re wondering how to have an authentic travel experience with kids, it helps to realize around the world, people are always welcoming. There were very few places where we didn’t feel instantly connected to those around us. As human beings, we share so many similarities and this point was quickly evident wherever we went.

 

It was interesting to see the different ways people connect with each other and embrace strangers. When we were in Turkey, complete strangers would welcome us into their home instantly. Everyone was our best friend. Some places people would come up to our kids and give them a hug or even kiss their cheek!

 

Other places people were a little shyer and more reserved, but universally they always offered us a helping hand when we needed it. During one very rough bout with the stomach flu, my husband (the only one of us who was still standing) couldn’t find an open store for extra toilet paper. A new local friend ran around town with him, knocking on doors and finding us a few rolls to thankfully get us through the evening. It sounds a little funny, but honestly, this was one of the moments when I truly felt embraced by strangers.

 

8.    But People Also Have Differences (And That’s Okay)

 

Not every place we went was instantly easy to fit in. For me, China was particularly a struggle. I loved the people and the culture, but the language was very difficult. I couldn’t master a single word in Mandarin, and the language barrier made it difficult to click with others.

 

Spain was another area where it took a while to adjust. Spaniards tend to be very loyal and tightknit with their friends but are often closed off to strangers. Because of the transient nature of our stay, it was hard to establish connections there and make new friends.

 

Not to say that China, Spain, and the rest of our destinations weren’t amazing. They were wonderful experiences. It’s an interesting lesson on the way different people connect and communicate. If you’re hoping to have an authentic travel experience, it’s important to remember there are various cultural barriers that may arise.

 

We found it helpful to network with fellow ex-pats who were staying in these areas. They were often able to take us out, introduce us to others, and give us guidance as to the most interesting places to visit. To bridge the cultural divide, we simply needed to find common friends or a common connection.

 

9.    People Love Kids and Want to Share

 

All around the world, people welcomed our kids with open arms. In fact, if you want to know how to have an authentic travel experience with kids, a lot of the time it simply happened automatically. Travelling with children 100% breaks down more barriers than you’d ever dream. People fawned over our kids. They smiled everywhere we went.

 

People were amazed to see a family travelling together. They’d say sweet comments about our beautiful kids or compliment our family. It was one of the most heartwarming parts of our experience. I loved seeing strangers smile at our toddler or offer an encouraging nod to our daughter. Kids offer people an opportunity to interact.

 

When Ryan and I travelled and lived abroad in the past, we were welcomed by locals, but once I travelled with my kids, the openness was to another level. People were quicker to help if they noticed us struggling. People spoke to us, offered our children treats, invitations to cultural experiences, and even once a offered a free stay at a five star hotel (we accepted, duh)! It was truly amazing.

 

Some areas really appreciated our larger family (then of six, now of seven). Other places (like China) we were a fascinating anomaly. Either way, our kids gave people a reason to approach us, strike up a conversation, and extend an introduction. Our entire family felt welcome around the world.

 

10.  The World is a Perfect Classroom

 

As homeschool parents, we found the world offers a perfect classroom. While there’s nothing wrong with an amusement park or local children’s museum, the world has so much more to offer in terms of genuine, authentic experiences. Throughout our trip we were stunned by the rich anthropology lessons, the historical context of each destination, the vibrant humanities, and arts of each locale.

 

We took our kids on a safari in Africa. They explored rainforests, castles, ruins, and caves. Our kids saw and experienced the beauty of art around the world. They learned about the tragic history of the concentration camps in Germany; they saw churches, cathedrals, and man-made wonders.

 

Because we chose a global classroom approach to homeschooling, we really allowed our kids to explore and engage in as many hands-on experiences as possible. There were a few lines we drew, like the Kigali Genocide Memorial in Rwanda, which we felt might be too much for our kids (and it was). For the most part though, our kids were fully engaged in each experience. They ate the foods, they hiked the trails, and they made friends all around the globe.

 

11.  Communication is a Challenge, But You Can Find Workarounds

 

As I mentioned, communication was particularly challenging for me in China, but we found workarounds and managed to navigate. We certainly didn’t know the language every country we went, but almost universally, people were super accommodating and friendly. We learned the effective power of smiles and hand gestures to communicate whenever we couldn’t figure out the words.

 

I was also surprised at how English-friendly most of the world is. Yes, there were places where English was far from a common language, but most places we visited, there was someone who we could speak to in English (or sometimes Spanish).

 

If you’re concerned about travelling abroad with kids because you don’t speak the language, don’t worry. Almost everywhere we went there were British, Canadian, or American ex-pats who could speak the local language and were willing to help us navigate. There are also plenty of electronic translators and resources (like old-fashioned guidebooks) to help you as you traverse the globe with your family.

 

12.  Be Fearless

 

We committed to travelling fearlessly, but the one area where we didn’t compromise was on our safety. We didn’t take risks with less-reputable destinations. That said, there were plenty of times when we had to be brave. It seemed during our trip there were often major world events that followed us—the crash of the economy in Argentina, Turkey after the Istanbul riots, bombings in Syria, civil unrest in Israel. We were often right on the cusp of an event and our family members back in Canada would send us a message and say, “Maybe you should come home.”

 

But at the same time, we knew tragedy can happen outside your front door or in your own backyard. You can get the flu in Spain or in Ontario. It doesn’t really matter where you are, you can still get sick or hurt. Once we embraced this philosophy, we often thought, “What’s the worst that could happen?”

 

Sure, we were pickpocketed a few times. We had people hustle us on transportation. But for the most part, our trip was very safe. We realized if we wanted to have this full experience we would need to forge ahead fearlessly (but make wise choices).

 

This also meant being brave about little interactions too. We had to talk to new people, we had to navigate new territory. We had to figure out how to get to food, find a bathroom, decipher directions. Each of these experiences enriched our lives. We learned a new lesson each step of the way. We learned to rely on each other and we learned how strong we were.

 

Knowing how to have an authentic travel experience with kids means diving in and embracing the unknown. The world is rich and full of amazing experiences. At the same time, during our year abroad we learned more about ourselves, our family, and our own strengths as we learned about the commonalities we all share as human beings.

 

The gift of travel is not only what it teaches you about your world, but what it shows you about yourself, your spouse, and your kids. Each family has different preferences when they travel. Ours may be a little far off the beaten path for your taste—and that’s totally fine. Simply be open to the experience and discover what the world has to offer for your family.