When Savannah Met Alida in a Vanuatu Village
I don’t know why it has taken me so long to write this post.
Savannah meeting Alida was one of the most touching moments I have ever experienced travelling and affirmed for me why travel with our children is the right choice for us.
It’s challenging to travel with kids and I worry about possible negative impacts.
This is the voice of mother’s guilt that arrives the minute your wriggling, crying new born is placed in your arms.
It’s a whole lot of love and responsibility packaged into one adorable bundle and sometimes the task feels so overwhelming.
“This moment in Vanuatu made me feel like I was somehow getting motherhood right”
Our friend, Jennifer, asked about the hugely popular photo we shared on our facebook page. I told her of my struggles writing about it.
“I just don’t feel like I can capture why it was so special.”
“You can. It’s there within you, just let it come out.”
So I’ll try.
Why did I start this travel blog?
Because I have a whole lot of love for the world and its people.
I’ve been so blessed to travel for the majority of my adult life. The greatest gift it has ever given me is to understand that people are all the same. It doesn’t matter where we were born or what we do with our lives, we all just want to be happy and to be loved.
I hate fighting, I hate people hating, I hate wars.
I desperately want the world to be full of peace, love and mung beans. Life is better when we get along and are happy.
I started the blog because I thought I could share the world and show people just how much we all are alike.
I know this concept of peace is crazy and probably never going to happen, but you can never stop hoping.
Larofa Cultural Village, Vanuatu
Ready for the show
On a sunny Vanuatu morning over a cup of coffee and a biscuit, my ideal world happened through the eyes of our children.
Children don’t see divides, they don’t see hatred, and they don’t see why you are better or less than me.
They just see love and joy and wonder.
Savannah meets Alida
The two girls couldn’t have been more different.
One with curly caramel hair and dark skin wearing a grass skirt.
The other, fair with snowy blonde hair wearing a blue singlet and white skirt.
Two babies enamoured with their differences, yet joined by the commonalities of laughter and wonder.
They eyed each other from afar.
Alidia slowly crept closer to Savannah. Savannah giggled and began crawling away before stopping and turning to stare, beckoning her to come play with a smile.
She jumped up and down and began creeping again, getting closer and then running away. The game continued just as the fire walking started, the main event our cruise tour group had come to see at the traditional Larofa cultural village.
Amongst my joy in watching the two girls interact, I felt sad and guilty because barely anyone was watching the warrior perform the amazing feat of walking over hot coals.
They were watching the two girls.
Like moths to the flame they became transfixed their hearts overflowing with joy because they each recognized what it was.
Pure love and honour for each other.
What we all really want.
They celebrated the differences by pulling hair, stroking faces and holding hands. They jumped up and down and giggled and squealed
They pointed and looked back at their families,
“Hey do you see my cool friend over here?”
Why I Travel With My Children
That moment encapsulates why I travel and why I make the sacrifices to travel with my children.
It’s what I really want for the world I live in.
What sort of people will our children be if they grow up knowing that we are all the same and that is all that matters?
What sort of world will we have when those children bring with them a world that accepts the differences as something to be celebrated and learned from, not feared?
I don’t ever want to stop hoping for that world. I don’t ever want to stop working towards it. For now, I’ll just have to rely on our children to remind me that it’s possible.
I have a favourite children’s book I love to read with Kalyra. She now knows all the words and I love to hear her sweet voice read it to me.
I hear it and I think all is right with the world.
It’s called Whoever you Are, by Mem Fox
“Little one, whoever you are, wherever you are, there are little ones just like you all over the world.
Their skin may be different from yours, and their homes may be different from yours.
Their lives may be different from yours, and their words may be very different from yours.But inside, their hearts are just like yours,
Their smiles are like yours, and they laugh just like you.
Their hurts are like yours, and they cry like you, too.
……
Remember this:
Joys are the same, and love is the same.
Pain is the same, and blood is the same.
Smiles are the same, and hearts are the same, wherever they are, wherever you are, wherever we are, all over the world.”
Have you ever experienced a moment like this before in your travels?
Caz
Caz Makepeace is the co-founder of y Travel Blog and has been traveling and living around the world since 1997, first solo, then with her husband, and now with her two daughters. Don't miss her 9 best tips to help you travel more. Follow her on Google+
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104 comments on “When Savannah Met Alida in a Vanuatu Village”
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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
Yep…you captured it perfectly. The pictures say it all:) Touching stuff…
Beautiful. Adults have so much to learn from children.
Thank you for this wonderful glimpse of hope…..More from your travelogue?
Yes! More coming.
drop my tears. You’re my role model Caz&Craig! I will travel with my own little family too, someday.
And like John Lennon said “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us and the world will be as ONE.” You are not alone, we have the same dream.
I love the “Whoever You Are” thank you for sharing.
Thank you Sheila! I am so glad you are inspired to travel with your own family. It is the best!
I remember seeing this photo on Facebook! I thought it was the sweetest thing.
It’s nice knowing the story behind it now.
Wow. No words.
Probably the most important post about travel that I’ve ever read. Really moving and just wonderful.
Wow! Thanks Clare. Loved hearing that
Absolutely adorable kids and beautifully captured moments. I wish I could take my daughter around with me and give her the kind of education you talked about.Unfortunately, formal education is a necessity at the moment.
Thank you Vibha! Education can get in the way of so much life learning!! I understand though. It’s never too late though, once schooling has a break or is over you can travel more then
You have done a great job putting the moment into words. Thank you, thank you and thank you!!! It’s such a joy to be able to show our children the world. And thanks to you and your blog I hope many more families will decide to do the same.
I hope so Amy, it might be challenging at times, but it is so worth it.
Travel with kids can open their eyes and change your perspective. Seems that kids open doors to connections and experiences that we just can’t do as adults. Maybe one lesson we can learn from this is speak less and play more with others.
I love that Jeremy- speak less, play more! IT’s amazing the connections that come from this
Wow! What a great story. And what amazing photos. You really captured the moment. What a wonderful and blessed life you are living. I’m so happy to have found this blog.
Thank you Charlene! We are so happy you found us too.
Thank you. I just shared twice today via Facebook with my friends in Egypt, where I now live after 20 years of also being blessed to travel to many places and meet many amazing people. Life here is not always easy, and I have learned more from people and their different-but-sameness than any university could ever teach.
Caz,I share your dream, as the old song goes “I’d kike to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony…” Even when the world conspires to frustrate that dream, and when some of the people I meet make it hard to believe, the negative experiences and people are outnumbered 10 to 1 by the good, and by moments like those you captured in this post. This is what makes me continue to believe a peaceful world is possible.
These children will soon be the adults responsible for our world, and what you are teaching them through travel, I believe will make a difference. Never doubt that.
I hope some day your kids also get to meet Bata, Mohamed, and the other children here in Egypt who have reminded me through their acceptance and love, of what really matters.
Thank you for sharing Sue! I agree the negative experiences are outnumbered. I feel sad that some people think it is the other way around.I think it is just their perspective and life can be so much sweeter if they change their view.
We would love to come to Egypt Sue. What an amazing experience for myself as well as my daughters.
What little cuties! So touching! You expressed this beautifully Caz, you should be very proud of yourself, your kids and your amazing achievements! Here’s to many more encounters like this one!
Thank you Steph! I hope we experience more of this
Such a beautiful story!! Can’t wait to experience travel through my babys eyes as well
Jade – OurOyster.com recently posted..How To: Survive Salmonella In Vietnam
It’s truly magical! I love it so much
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A picture tells a thousands words and that one certainly does. Amazing photos and you can see the joy and excitement on the face of all those people watching on.
That is a wonderful tale and I can only imagine the amount of joy it would provide to a parent. Thanks for sharing your wonderful experience.
The Guy recently posted..A Photographic Tour Of Schipol Airport Amsterdam
Complete joy. It was amazing to see how everyone watched and was so touched by it. There are lots of photos of the two girls in peoples’ photo albums now!
That is so cute! I didn’t know you guys all went to Vanuatu! What a cool experience for the girls.
Christy recently posted..Bird’s Eye View of Maui
IT was only for a day stopover on our cruise, but we loved it. We want to go back
Love this post – I think your words have matched the magic of the photos and maybe even captured the magic of the moment – and that is saying something. You are so right to travel with your kids – you are giving them the gift of empathy and like you I believe that the more we travel, the more we explore each others worlds through the internet when we can’t meet face to face, the more chance we have of peace.
I so agree Kathy. It is amazing how much smaller the world is getting. It can only help us find a way to connect and embrace
Wonderful story! You did capture it
Stephanie – The Travel Chica recently posted..Help pick my prints! (part 2 and more chances to win)
This is one of the best posts I’ve read in a long time, and the reason why I cannot WAIT to show Erika the world. Lovely job, guys! You should be so proud.
Charu recently posted..Jamaica Off The Beaten Path
Oh Charu, you will have the most amazing experiences travelling with your girl. It can be challenging, but this proves that it is so worth it.
Thank you so much!
Ah, words and pictures brought tears to my eyes. I love it when children communicate and make friends beyond language and cultural boundaries. You did it.
Thank you Natasha. It is so special when you experience moments like these. My girls never stop teaching me
What a beautiful experience! It makes me look forward to having kids and traveling with them one day. Great Mem Fox book, too. She’s a brilliant author and illustrator. Thanks for sharing!
Angela recently posted..The Ultimate British Pie
Love Mem Fox! Her books are so great for children, this one is definitely my favourite.
Deeply touched by your photos, and words. A wonderful message you’re sharing.
Jeanie recently posted..Aussie Curves – Dark
Thank you Jeanie. We appreciate it
im not a reader but i dont really need to read to make a comment here our children can teach us so much and it comes from there innocence they show no hate no matter what color or i would imagine what gender a person is. as well it really goes to show how messed up we are when we become adults and have all types of bull shoved down our throats. god bless our children
I so agree Graham! Thank you for jumping out to share your thoughts. We appreciate you!
oh im not a parent either i comes from common sense and respect for all types
This brought tears to my eyes, such a beautiful post and a wonderful message. I really wish people all over the world would recognize the similarities we all share rather than the differences. Those two little girls are so adorable, and I’m so glad you finally found the words to write this post!
Ali recently posted..Travel Slow and See More
Thanks Ali! I am too. I feel I’ve done something valuable with the moment. I hope it can help others reach out to strangers in the same way and not be afraid
I’ve visited this post twice and was moved each time. There is hope for this world if we would only recognise that humanity in each other that Savannah and Alida recognised.
A song called Blood Brothers by Ingrid Michaelson (on iTunes) expresses the reality beautifully.
Thank you Leigh. If only everyone could reach out to touch each other in friendship like these two did. I am going to check out that song. thank you for recommending it.
Just listened to it now. Great song! Loved the film clip too. Thank you for sharing
We loved your blog. The photos are fabulous. Yes we agree people all over the world just want a happy life without problems. Some of the nicest people we have met have had hardly any possessions by western standards, but they are happy & proud.
The world isn’t some scary place where everyone is out to get you. It is full of beautiful welcoming people who are not so different to us in the things that really matter.
You can read about our travels at http://www.teachorbeach.com
Jon & Jenny Stark
Jon and Jenny Stark recently posted..Homeward Bound on a ‘Relocation’ Cruise
Hi Jon and Jenny! Thanks so much for your comment and enjoying the post. I think you learn a lot about what brings happiness when you travel and you see how happy those with very little are.
This is one of the most touching post I have ever read on your blog. Really special moments. Beautiful story!
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Thank you Mira! We hope to be able to share many more stories like this one
So Beautiful! I’m not going to lie, your pics made me tear up a little bit too! It’s amazing how small our world really is. Thank you so much for sharing
Gaby recently posted..This lonely journey (Paris, je t’aime)
Pleasure Gaby!
Thank you for this poignant and beautiful post. I lived in Vanuatu for 5 years and my two children were young like this when we moved there, back in the 80s. Your post is incredibly powerful. I take your words to my heart and will post on my FB page: facebook.com/johatcherretreats
Warmly,
Jo Hatcher
Thank you so much Jo! We really appreciate it. What an amazing experience living in Vanuatu. We were only there for a short time, but I loved it and really want to go back. It had a special air about it.
Read this link through Jo…. bought tears to my eyes. Your pictures are so moving, and your words are even more so. After traveling to the middle east, I also came home telling people that I didn’t see the differences so much as I seen the similarities. They all want the same things we want, the best for their children. I wish more people in the world would realize how alike we all are and embrace our diffences. Thank you so much for your powerful blog.
Thank you for following the link Beverly and enjoying the post. Thank you for sharing your experiences. I just know deep in my heart that the more people travel and have experiences like this the more they will see only the similarities and celebrate that.
Gorgeous story! Reminds me of my childhood a bit – mum always tells how when I was two or three my best friend was a little Seychellois boy who was about as opposite to me as you could get. I was your average blue eyed, blond haired white kid, and Cyril was as dark as they came. And we were practically inseperable!
Laurence recently posted..Visiting the hill tribes of Doi Inthanon
Wow, what a touching story. Those photos are beautiful to look at, and it really does remind you of the way kids see past differences (the way we all should).
Reena @ Wanderplex recently posted..The ultimate guide to finding great food when traveling
Children teach you so much about what you have forgotten
Wow! What a great experience. This photo story is an amazing way to inspire more parents to travel with their kids. Congratulations on living the live you two!
Deb recently posted..12 Days of Christmas – The Safari Version
one happy family. Regards from Malaysia =)
Thanks Amer! Love Malaysia!!
Well that was heartwarming!
One of my favorite posts I’ve read all year. Thanks.
The Time-Crunched Traveler (Ellen) recently posted..Celebrating 30 years of life on the Great Wall of China
This is officially my favorite travel blog post. Just grinned like an idiot while reading the whole thing. Out of the mouths (and hearts and minds and souls) of babes.
(If only adults would do the same…)
Spinster recently posted..Happy holidays.
Thank you so much!! I’m so glad I published it
An acquaintance of mine experienced something similar with his baby daughter recently, and I just sent him this very post a few minutes ago. I’m sure he’ll enjoy it. It definitely still warms my heart.
Thank you so much!
Thank you so much for sharing this with the world. I was having a bit of a bad day and this brought a smile to my face. I love every word you said and can relate to it so well. One day when I have a family of my own I want to give my children the same experiences you are giving to yours right now. Thank you inspiring me and reminding me about my purpose in life
Thank you Fleur!! I’m so happy it brightened your day. Thank you for letting me know. You can do the same with your children in the future for sure!
Love the story, touched my heart!! Children are so open to everything in this world!!
Where would you suggest, be the best place to travel with your kids?? I have a 10 month old and a 7 yr old.
Thanks Julie!! This all depends on where you are from. But I always say its best to start in your own country or local region, just to get them used to travelling and the experience. Other great places I feel are South East Asia, the Pacific Islands. Cruising is always a fun option- great break from everyone. Any Western country is easy, but will cost you more. I hope that helps!
Awwwww, what an absolutely touching series of photos. Love this!
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CAZ I dont know why but tears rolled down from my eyes .. when I kept on seeing Savannah and Alida playing together! It made me feel like .. two different cultures coming closer to each other and sharing the time without any selfishness! One of the awesome post from you Caz.. thanks ! By the way it made me feel happy to see both of the girls in Craigs arms!
Thank you Suzzanne! It was such a special moment for that reason and I think everyone there was able to see it. I’m so glad I could show it through this post
This is why I travel with my daughter, too! It is more challenging but so, so worth it. My daughter is now 10 and can help plan our trips
Adorable pictures! Love the look on Savannah’s face…and the hand holding. So cute!
Awe…how cute!!!
I love it when kids meet other kids, their reactions to each other are priceless.
Reading a blog has never made me cry before. Those pictures and your memories are truly priceless. And I agree with you entirely, our differences should be celebrated and enjoyed.
Oh thank you Kathryn. Happy to be the first person to make you cry online
But in a good way!
I love the photo about halfway down with the two children playing and the crowd of (Gasp) travelers in the background. There is one where someone clearly has the same thought as you and is taking a picture of the two girls. It really is a good example of what you are talking about for sure. Always loved seeing this photo pop up on Facebook!
Thanks Jeremy. It was a really cool moment to watch. I love that photo too. There were so many people there capturing the photo. One picture ended up in a Queensland newspaper and did the rounds online as well.
What a great post! Where do we go wrong as we get older? If only we could all keep our childlike sensibilities! Teaching your kids and exposing them to other cultures is one of the best things that you can do for your children. We cannot have the world you (and most of us) hope for unless more parents like you teach children when they’re young that our differences should be celebrated. I hope to have these types of experiences with my children once my husband and I start a family in the coming years. I wish you and your family all the best as you continue your adventures!
Thank you Dana! We really do believe in the power of teaching our children at a young age about tolerance and respect. This is the only way we can build a better society. I love watching my children interact with those from another culture. It makes my heart sing
Beautiful pictures! It shows the joy of childhood and they look so delighted to be in each other’s company!
So cute and touching, I love the photos of the two children laughing. No matter where you were born, what culture, and what language you speak those are not barrier to meet and get acquainted or perhaps build friendship.
Laughter is the best way to get to know someone!!
It’s a heart talking to another heart
Beautiful! We are cruising from Syndey to Honolulu on their repositioning cruise later this Spring, and I’m excited to visit Vanuatu, in addition to many of those other islands I’ve only dreamed about!!
Living Outside of the Box recently posted..Chiang Rai Markets and Homestay
I really want to go back and explore more of Vanuatu, it’s such a beautiful island and has such a gentle, happy energy
This is soooooo cute! You’re right, we ARE all the same, and I think we know this when we’re little – we’re just taught differently, or not taught that lesson, when we’re growing up. Thanks for sharing
Tom @ Waegook Tom recently posted..5 Asian Stereotypes …and the Truth
If only we could keep that all knowing that we have when we were born Tom. Damn society for stealing it away from us!!
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This is so beautiful!! It reminds me of Disney’s It’s a Small World! I was fascinated by that as a child, all the small children dancing together, in their own different costumes. And now my son is. And this is the realization of making it a “Small World After All!” Thanks for sharing.
it is too! thanks for sharing and helping me to see it that way Kristina. Such a precious moment
I appreciate you sharing this post with us. What a touching story, and the pictures really help us connect as well.
Thanks Boyde!
Hi Caz, thank you very much for sharing this post. The pictures were really touching. The kids were both extremely cute.
-Sara
Thank you Sara–it’s our pleasure
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They are such amazing pictures of your little one meeting the little tribal girl. I know what you mean by special, its almost like old world meet new world. Beautiful imagery.