Sep 15

Sep 15 Traveling With a Parent

If you’ve taken a scroll through my blog or instagram, you’re familiar with Terri; my mom is a Whit Around the World staple and one of my best travel buddies! I consider myself extremely lucky to have such a great relationship with my mom, and even more lucky to have a mom who is curious, adventurous, and always excited for an adventure. Travel has always been a special part of our relationship — my first trip abroad was tagging along on Terri’s work trip to London in elementary school.

What started out as mommy/daughter trips down to Virginia Beach to visit my grandmother turned into trips to Newport, Tampa, Savannah, and eventually Puerto Rico, Ireland, Scotland, and Spain. They say if you want to know a person, travel with them. We’ve certainly done our fair share of getting to know each other across continents and timezones. I often get asked how we’ve done it all without killing each other, so here are my tips on traveling with a parent:

Separate bedrooms
I truly can’t overstate how important it is to have separate sleeping spaces, especially if you are on different sleeping schedules (or if one of you snores...love you Mommy!) In recent years we’ve opted for Airbnbs over hotels to ensure we have privacy and room to spread out, while still having a shared common space.
Easy travel schedules
If I’m traveling alone I might be able to swing a red eye flight or a super tight layover, but if I’m traveling with Terri I find it’s important for both of us that we have an easy travel schedule. This means as few flights as possible, nothing too early or too late, flying into centrally located airports (instead of long drives), and paying extra if necessary for prime airplane seating. Terri has also adopted a love for lounge life like me; having a space to relax at the airport gives us both peace of mind and makes travel days a little easier.
Do things separately
Traveling together doesn’t mean you have to do everything together. Terri and I have cultivated a relationship of mutual respect where we understand it’s okay to give each other time and space, even if it’s just for a 30 minute solo walk on the beach. On that same note, build down time into your schedule to give everyone time to breathe.
Research!
This applies to every trip (or, I could do the research for you…), but especially when traveling with a parent. Is the restaurant you picked going to be super cramped and loud? Does the activity you want to do require a lot of walking or stairs? You know your parent(s) best, so think about the things that are going to be difficult or annoying for them and try to steer clear.
Define roles
Try to establish roles and boundaries early so you can avoid stepping on toes. I, clearly, have taken on more of the planning role, but Terri and I always brainstorm together before a trip. We talk about the vibe we’re going for, weather, any activities we’re interested in and then pick a spot on the map that meets our criteria. I do most of the heavy lifting in terms of research and booking, but I always make sure to check in with Terri to see if there’s anything she has her heart set on.