Moms make my make the world go round, so take your mom around the world!

Read about how I learned to travel from my adventures with my mom

Many people know that my sister is one of my favorite travel buddies, but before we were taking trips together, I was traveling the world with my mom. Normally I like to write lists to give you advice, but today I think it is fitting to just tell you about my favorite travel moments with my mom.

I think my mom gave me the travel bug. Depending on the day, she’ll probably deny it and jokingly say that staying à la nest (or more accurately, au nid) is cheaper and more comfortable. It might surprise you to learn that I am a homebody at heart. Traveling only became a dream and passion of mine because my mom encouraged me to explore the world.

All of the trips I have taken with my mom have been remarkable experiences. My mom is a world traveler in her own right, and she knows all of the tips and tricks to traveling and has passed her knowledge on to me.

From Burma to Bali

When I was a newbie taking my first flights around the world, all of my photos were more like kodak moments than what insta-posts are today. At this point, I was nineteen and just learning about traveling and falling in love with experiencing different cultures and ways of living. This trip was really a seed that blossomed into inspiration for my future travels. I returned home and started to follow bloggers, research top destinations, and create vision boards. My dream destination became Bali and Singapore.

The following summer of 2017, I was in charge of planning our mom-daughter trip. I was responsible for budgeting, booking, and baggage- all the way to Singapore and Indonesia. I did not succeed without having moments of panic and self-doubt. The whole journey from start to finish was more like an odyssey. There were constant surprises and speed bumps and I felt a constant pressure to make the voyage wonderful for my mom and sister. Being responsible for someone else’s experiences and journey puts your ideas of happiness into perspective. I slowly learned that enjoying the time you have in the places you travel with the people you love is simply enough. By the end of the trip, I developed the perfect travel philosophy and it made me well prepared for my study abroad.

Studying Abroad in Europe

I think I always had a natural inclination to travel and study in France. Any doubts I had were dispelled once I took more French courses and started to obsess over breathtaking photos that told me adventurous stories.

Taking colorful photos became my favorite hobby. People are sometimes critical of filters and editing, but I think it’s a very personal choice. The pictures we take often don’t do justice to the memories we make and the places that really change our lives. Usually the lighting is off and the details just aren’t right. For me, editing photos is about wanting to capture the moments with the genuine brightness and joy I felt. Sharing the places I go with my family is really important to me, and I want them to be able to see the colors the way I do. So you can thank my family for inspiring me to make vibrant posts.

Next stop: Italy

When I first started planning my study abroad, my mom promised to come visit me during summer. We might be a family of travel-holics, but that’s second to being work-aholics. After a lot of convincing, I was able to persuade my mom to spend a whole month in Europe. That was a lot of work in and of itself, and it was worth it. We were able to travel to six countries together, and I had fun being able to guide my mom for a change.

Based on my mom’s love of gelato, pasta, and all Italian treasures, I planned us a trip to Venice and Rome. We may argue like mother and daughter, but we laugh like best friends and people (too) often mistake us for sisters.

We drove around together in a little, vintage Fiat 500 and we ate our weight in desserts. I think traveling with my mom is one of the most rewarding experience because I can see her more carefree and relaxed. I also love being able to tell her I already checked everything off the list or in other words- flex that I am semi-successfully adulting.

AND one of the best parts of traveling with my mom is taking personality pictures of her in our candid moments. There were many eye-rolling, bickering disputes during our trip, but we always found our way back to comedic relief. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and gems like this one don’t come without work and effort.

Penne for your thoughts?

I hope you enjoyed reading about my adventures with my mom and the lessons I have learned traveling with her. Please share your favorite memories with me and leave a comment!