Is Travel Too Much of a Hassle? [why you should suck it up]

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Travel with kids
A bloody hassle

“You must get sick of all the travelling.”

I felt this was a weird statement for my brother to make since he has been travelling for many years longer than me and has no intention of stopping.

He must have felt my confusion through the phone.

“I mean the actual getting from one place to another. It must be so hard with the kids.”

“Oh that. We sure do. It’s a hassle.”

It’s a bloody hassle.

Extra luggage, strollers, baby carriers, portable cots, car seats, nappies, bags of snack food on hand, changes of clothes in case of accidents, toys, constant demands, Savannah running everywhere and climbing over everything on moving trains to poke strangers, tantrums in restaurants, on planes, and the tantrums both unleash at the same time on crowded buses.

And that’s just the travel part.

Combine this with the fact we are travel bloggers juggling all that whilst trying to take photos, notes, and video and updating facebook, tweeting, instagram, foursquare and networking when necessary.

Does my head in.

Sometimes I want to scream when childless travellers complain about the hassle and the lack of time.

“WTF? You have no idea how much time you do have and how easy it is!!” ( and you really don’t)

But then before children, I used to complain about the hassle of travel too. Back then it was arduous journeys, the high price of beer, and sleepless nights. (WTF? You never knew how much sleep you had girl!)

My hassle now is kids. I don’t know what someone else’s hassle may be. It might be a gummy knee, anxiety issues, chronic fatigue, crohn’s disease, or any number of things that slow us down and make life challenging.

We all have our challenges. The point is are you going to let them overwhelm you so they stop you from living your dreams?

Overcoming the hassle

“That’s it. I can’t do this anymore. It’s too much hard work”

Somewhere along the journey now with the kids, I will seethe this statement. And I am serious until a few hours time when the stress melts away into the moment when I experience the joy of exploring the world with my children.

The plays in the park, our relaxed family bond as we hold hands wandering the street, me answering Kalyra’s incessant questions as she discovers the world around her.

Me enjoying seeing the world anew again through my children’s perspective.

Travel with kids

Seeing my girls have interactions as special as this

My heart filled with wonder, joy and total gratitude as my inner voice bursts out a Thank you for my life with each step.

What hassle?

You can’t focus on the hassle, you have to focus on the why. Why are you doing this and what will be the greater gift once you get past the sacrifices and challenges?

It is that simple.

So I know when Savannah is wriggling to get free on a train, at the same time I’m trying to stop the pram from toppling over (and instragramming it at the same time), what will soon come.

Priceless memories and total joy.

If you can have that at the end then the hassle is worthwhile.

What is at the end for you?

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What happens when the hassle wins out?

Many people don’t allow travel to enter into their life because they don’t want to deal with the hassle, even if it means driving an hour away for a short break.

They’d rather spend their free days on the couch watching TV, with a glass of wine and maybe a foot rub from their partner. And then after that it’s ticking off the odd jobs and household chores.

And that’s ok if that’s what makes you happy.

But for most, before they know it, work rocks around again and they return to the grind, unconsciously aware of how much they are letting their precious time here on earth slip by.

And purely because they don’t want to deal with the hassle of getting from A to B, a hassle that could only be an hour long, but an hour, that at the end of the journey, returns freshness and control to their life.

Control that says, “This is my life and I intend to live it the way I want.”

Most people are missing out on this because they are focusing instead on what it takes to get what you want (and this always involves hard work and sacrifice).

Trust me; I totally understand the hassle, more than anyone. We travel non-stop with our two young children and run a business around it.

It’s a bloody gigantic hassle.

But I know that if I don’t suck it up, I’ll be stuck in a rut, miserable on the couch living a life that is less ordinary to me.

And no one deserves that.

Do you find travel a hassle?

Is there anyway we can help you to overcome it?

Check out our 25 tips for travel with kids

23 thoughts on “Is Travel Too Much of a Hassle? [why you should suck it up]”

  1. Brilliant!I have always found it easier to be abroad with my kids than here in the UK;no “funny” looks when you enter a restaurant with your little ones in tow for one! In every country we have visited our babies have been taken from us to be passed around the staff while we enjoy our desert(goodness knws how many professional kitchens they have been in).

    We always use the “getting there” as part of the trip too!

    1. Love that Melanie! Going to other countries like this is so great for your children. I love how other cultures the village raises the child.

  2. You’re right, travel can be a hassle – although I don’t have the issue with kids that you guys have! Finding out information and figuring things out in a foreign language with a different alphabet, getting completely lost and always being wary of over-friendly strangers…it can be a hassle.

    But, travel makes me feel so free. My work right now (the 9 to 5, not the blog) is an absolute nightmare and I’m enduring it solely so that I can save up money. Most weekends, my partner and I escape the city that enslaves me and go somewhere new. It always gives me energy and makes all my stress melt away.

    1. It’s exhausting! But as you say worth it as it gives you freedom, relaxation and energy, all the things that count. It’s so great that you are making use of your spare time and the money you earn to enjoy those days off. It is so vital we do this otherwise what is the point?

    1. Oh my gosh, everything is so hard with kids. Day to day living is just as hard if not more so, so I figure I might as well travel and get some kicks in there. It’s a wild ride Jade! (but worth it)

  3. It sounds like you don’t really have a choice. This is your life! I think traveling would be a completely different experience showing little people the world. Their lives will be so rich as they grow and develop into adults. You can’t get these experiences in any other way. They will be so grateful when they realize how unique and amazing their lives are because you put up with the ‘hassle’.

    1. Nope we have to put up with the hassle. I wouldn’t have it any other way. ALthough we are quiet now until the end of the year, which I am happy about as we need some down time.
      I hope the little uns are grateful when they are older! I can already see the positive effects it has had on their growth already so I’m happy and grateful for travel

  4. It is totally worth the hassle! I can’t imagine all the extra things you have to deal with that come with having kids. But even the things every traveler has to deal with can get overwhelming, plus the things that are unique to each person. You mentioned crohn’s, I have colitis which is quite similar, and it means taking pills every day. The amount I had to take with me for my round the world trip took up precious space in my bag, plus I’m constantly worried about getting sick on the road. But there’s absolutely no way I’d let that stop me. The hassles are totally worth it because the reward of travel is so amazing. Plus sometimes those hassles make for really funny stories!

    1. I’m so glad you have not let your illness get in the way of your travels! You can make it work. I love how you can turn the disasters into stories too, you have to look at it like that. If you do you’ll laugh more than you cry.

  5. Sometimes problems comes your way when you plan to travel to the new world.
    Bt thinking about all the fun we are going to explore these hassles are nothing 😀 Tours packages of india

  6. Great post. One obstacle for me and my wife is our German Shepard. We want to go places, but we always feel bad about having to get someone to watch him and having people accomodate their schedules for him, that we usually end up cancelling anything farther than a 3 hour drive.

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