How to travel like a child
How to travel like a child is a guest post by Caroline Eaton from Traveling 9 to 5
Playing in the rain in Gili Air, Indonesia
I aim to travel like a child.
I want my eyes to forever be open and willing to learn.
I hope my life experiences and opinions take a backseat to my curiosity.
I crave my compassion will always overshadow my distrust.
I will put my caution aside and strive for adventure.
I never want my achievements to suppress my humility.
I long to find happiness in peanut butter & jelly sandwiches and oreos dunked in milk.
Children walk through life with a joy and playfulness that adults tend to lose in the process of growing up. Everything is new and exciting to children, and traveling like a child is a practiced skill that is a true blessing once mastered.
I learned to travel through these children I met in Southeast Asia.
An aspiring photographer in Halong Bay, Vietnam
How to Travel Like a Child
Look at everything with a new perspective
The beaten path is usually pretty beaten down. Tourism has slowly chipped away at the unique and beautiful sights around the world.
Instead of going through the motions, or avoiding the tourist traps all together, try approaching travel here from a different perspective.
Inspiration is not your guide’s responsibility, only your own.
Girls with attitude in Don Khon, Laos
Ask Why
Adults are trained to accept and comply. Rules are rules, we walk on the sidewalk, we stop at red lights and we eat in restaurants with English menus…err…you know what I mean.
If you meet a local ask them questions as to why their society acts like it does. Question and compare what you are accustomed to and be open to the new way of living.
Not every question will be answered, but at least you took the time to question.
Peace in Bali, Indonesia
Trust Strangers
I am not suggesting that you hand them your wallet and ask them to watch it, but if you travel with a wall up around you, your experiences will be limited.
You will leave feeling unfulfilled and unattached to the area due to your lack of engagement. You are in their world, so take the initiative to get uncomfortable and hopefully meet a stranger or two in hopes of making a new friend.
Living on the edge in Halong Bay, Vietnam
Dream Big
There are no limits to a child’s dreams. When asked about their dream jobs, they answer astronaut, not based on anything practical, just that it is the coolest job they can imagine.
Kids don’t play by society’s rules, but believe anything is possible. They don’t ask if it can be done, but they figure out how they can make it happen.
Innocence on the Mekong, Laos
Be in Awe
The smallest bug can quickly turn into the biggest monster, while a simple hill can become Mount Everest in a child’s eye.
After seeing a handful of temples and markets, seasoned travelers can quickly become jaded and avoid venturing out when visiting new locations because, “it’s just another temple”.
The fantastic part of traveling is discovering the subtle differences each country, culture and people offer. Each sight is unique and by putting yourself out there you are opening yourself up to serendipitous situations.
As you travel, color outside the lines, be spontaneous, learn by imitation and enjoy the simple pleasures of life!
Out for a stroll in Don Khon, Laos
How can you travel like a child?
Bio: Caroline Eaton is a former corporate ladder climber currently traveling the world in search of a location independent lifestyle and writing about it on Traveling 9 to 5. She is an exercise addict and a healthy eater with an insatiable sweet tooth. She hopes to inspire you to travel and to write a better story for your life.
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33 comments on “How to travel like a child”
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Hi! We’re Caz and Craig…
Our blog is about helping you to get inspired & informed to go travel, & travel more often Read On
Hi Caroline
I think we may have been learning some of the same lessons!!
I wrote this a month ago:
http://www.goinganyway.net/2012/03/11/traveling-is-like-being-a-baby/
lovely photos!
Jill
Thanks Jill! Your children are adorable and I loved reading about comparing babies and travelers – it is so true.
Great lessons learned!
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Seriously, best post ever!!!!! Loooooved it!
Thanks Andi! We have met and been inspired by so many great kids in SE Asia we had to share
Great idea. When we’re all looking for ways to enjoy life more, why not take a new, ‘child’s’ perspective on things.
So true! Their perspective is always more open and accepting!
Great post! Traveling gives you the perfect opportunity to release your inner child. There’s a lot of learning and adjusting involved, which ultimately opens your eyes to a new global perspective. Maybe that’s why people enjoy traveling so much; they get to feel like a kid again!
Thanks for sharing
Traveling has made me feel like a kid again, sometimes I have to remind myself to be patient and adjust to the constant change.
Love-love this post. It’s something that is so important to me when I travel. Thanks to travel, I’m re-discovering places closer to home, just as if I saw them for the first time.
Ayelet, We are from Chicago in the states and love when we make time to explore our own city – you quickly realize all of the cool experiences at your front door!
Caroline @ Traveling 9 to 5 recently posted..4,000 Islands but No ATM
I love the advice in this post. The one thing I am a big believe in is seeing things from a different perspective. With kids, you see things differently – even things you’ve seen many times. One of the other things I want to implement is dreaming big. Kids’ imaginations are awesome! And I envy that.
I think if all of us acted a little more like kids, the world would be a better place.
I agree – especially if adults still had nap time required during their day – we would all be a lot happier!
Caroline @ Traveling 9 to 5 recently posted..4,000 Islands but No ATM
Very nice post and even better pictures. What I miss the most in being a child is the innocence in relating with other people. Everything seemed much easier.
Every child we met was welcoming and so curious to figure us out!
Caroline @ Traveling 9 to 5 recently posted..4,000 Islands but No ATM
Your photos are adorable. I’m going to make a conscious effort to ‘ask why’ from now on. Oh, and I’m going to be a superhero when I grow up
Arianwen recently posted..Travel as a tightarse: the benefits!
HA – Yes we should still all dream about being superheros! Asking why has gotten me into some very interesting conversations while on the road!
Caroline @ Traveling 9 to 5 recently posted..4,000 Islands but No ATM
Great post. That is how I like to travel.
Volunteer Abroad recently posted..Hello world!
Really amazing and inspiring! I will do my best to think like this as often as possible, it definitely beats the alternative.
Liz recently posted..Helen, GA
It is easy to fall back into the alternative, but I almost always come across a child on my travels who inspires me and makes me smile!
Caroline @ Traveling 9 to 5 recently posted..Why We Drove Ourselves Through Africa
Excellent post and great tips for opening your eyes to all the amazing things travel can teach you. Trusting strangers is such a great tip and one that we try to follow often. Thanks for sharing your inspirational insights.
Erica @LivingIF recently posted..Traveling with Allergies
Thanks Erica, trusting strangers is hard for me. Especially when we are in questionable areas. Most of my nerves I create myself. Usually I am in safe situations but I second guess who I can trust. Always a work in progress!
Caroline @ Traveling 9 to 5 recently posted..Why We Drove Ourselves Through Africa
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“In the eyes of a child you shall see, the world as it should be.” -John Cain
Amen! Great quote.
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All very good advice, but the best part about traveling as a child is that somebody else is paying for everything. When you figure out how to do that, be sure to write a blog post about it
Ha – good plan, when I can not only trust strangers and dream big, but have my trips paid for I am sure that will make for a much more inspiring post!
Caroline @ Traveling 9 to 5 recently posted..Why We Drove Ourselves Through Africa
Nice! I think we should all aspire to do everything like a child – except driving like one. That wouldn’t be so good.
There are times when I certainly wish I was more positive like a child, open to new experiences instead of dreading them because similar ones may not have worked out so well in the past. That’s the problem with being an adult, bad experiences change you.
Simon P recently posted..Book review: The Beach by Alex Garland
Simon, I agree – adulthood makes you fear change and situations that are uncomfortable. I am working on being comfortably uncomfortable!
Caroline @ Traveling 9 to 5 recently posted..Write Your Life Story: Taking Action
Is that a poem? I love the meaning and how it’s written. It’s really more fun to travel as a child. Children get happy more easily and they’re still curious with many things so they’re really glad when they see new things. I wish I had traveled more when I was a child.
Not a formal poem, but I wrote it with the intentions of inspiring others to look at travel a bit differently!
Caroline @ Traveling 9 to 5 recently posted..Write Your Life Story: Taking Action
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