Why Our Kids Need More Than Just Disney

The Importance of Travel

We live in a globally connected world, whether you like it or not.

Regardless of what the political fast food shoved in front of our faces daily says, it is only going to get more so.

Our kids are going to be dealing with people from every corner of the planet, and if their only frame of reference is TikTok trends and the local mall, they’re going to be outmatched.

Traveling forces them to see beyond their own backyard. They learn that not everyone speaks their language, eats their food, or thinks America’s brand of politics is the gospel.

It is a harsh dose of reality, delivered with a side of adventure.

I remember the first time my son Hunter experienced poverty in Africa, it hit hard in a good way.

You don’t need to be rich to do this. Hello, van life?

My parents moved my sister and me on a 47’ sailboat when I was 11. Our family didn’t have much money back then, and we still managed to spend a year sailing in Baja, Mexico. I still remember running around Cabo San Lucas, shirtless, in cheap Mexican flip-flops. Those are some of my best memories.

It is about exposing our children to different cultures, different struggles, and different joys.

Try skipping the fancy stuff and try going a little native.

Let them get a little dirty. Let them be a little uncomfortable. Let them see that the world is a vast, complicated, beautiful place.

It will help forge them into resilient, adaptable human beings. And in this increasingly interconnected world, that kind of perspective is going to be worth more than any college degree.

So, pack a bag, grab your passports, and get out there.

Thx for listening. -Brandon