I think our trip made just as big an impact on my children as it did on me.
I usually tell my kids they can travel to places I've already been when they are older. I started traveling as a teenager in high school and never stopped and my travels have taken me all over the world. In my quest to see and experience as much of the globe as possible, I am reluctant to return to the same place twice.
My approach to travel didn't change much when I had kids. That's why they have been to off-the-beaten-track destinations like Antarctica and Panama, places I hadn't yet visited before they were born. They still haven't seen more popular destinations like Germany or Scotland, which are fantastic, but aren't necessarily worth a repeat visit for me. "You can go there when you're older, when you are funding your own travel," I usually tell them, "I want to see somewhere new before I am too old to travel." They don't always like this answer, but they accept it. Nevertheless, I do make occasional exceptions. One of those was a trip to the Galápagos Islands with my family.
A visit to the Galápagos Islands stuck with me
One trip from my days of globe-trotting solo stayed with me, and I have been dreaming of bringing my children back.
In my early 20s, I was a starving student living in Ecuador, studying Spanish and interning at a non-profit that supported the country's indigenous population and the forest they call home. While living in Ecuador, I constantly heard about the wonders of the Galápagos Islands, but didn't think I would be able to visit them myself. However, thanks to a tip from another intern, I snagged a last-minute spot on a boat. I slept in a tiny, windowless cabin on the lowest level of the ship, but still, it was a magical and unforgettable experience.
The author (second from left) made an exception to a travel rule she follows to bring her family to the Galápagos Islands. Courtesy of Jamie Davis Smith.
I spent my days wandering around the remote islands inhabited only by wildlife I had never before encountered. I walked among mating blue-footed boobies and marine iguanas who seemed as curious about me as I was about them. I swam with sea lions and snorkeled with sharks. I didn't want the trip to end, but when it did, I was grateful for the experience.
I made an exception to my one-and-done rule
When I first visited the Galápagos, I considered my trip a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Yet after I had kids and saw their love for animals, their quest to explore, and their deep concern for the environment, I couldn't stop thinking about bringing them to the islands.
The author said she was positive her nature-loving-kids would enjoy a trip to this remote destination. Courtesy of Jamie Davis Smith.
At first, I hesitated. I was worried my memories of my first trip to the famous archipelago might be tainted by a second visit. Still, eventually, I booked a voyage.
I knew the trip would be different than the one I took decades ago, and would require more planning. I booked a trip with HX Expedition, the same expedition cruise line I took to Antarctica, because they offer on-board activities for kids, such as cooking classes and painting sessions, a science corner, and naturalists specially trained to work with kids to help keep them curious and engaged. None of these things were on my radar during my first solo trip, but they helped make the trip run smoothly. And, this time, I had a window, which felt luxurious compared to my first trip.
My return trip was just as special as my first
As a parent, one of my greatest joys is traveling with my children and seeing the world, all of it, through their eyes. Snorkeling, my son was excited to share his finds: a large sea turtle resting on the ocean floor that looked just like Crush from "Finding Nemo," a school of brightly colored blue-and-yellow fish swimming undisturbed beneath us, and nurse sharks he had only previously seen in our local aquarium, swimming freely in their natural habitat.
While on the trip, the author and her family got to take in unique wildlife like the blue-footed booby and marine iguanas. Courtesy of Jamie Davis Smith.
My children asked pointed questions about crabs, birds, and lizards as we hiked. They laughed. They learned how people live in the Galápagos, the ever-present tension between the human and nonhuman animals that call the islands home, and about the scientists who dedicate their lives to preserving this isolated, unique part of the world.
I am so glad I made an exception to my "one-and-done" rule and made a return visit to one of my favorite places on earth. I hope that the place that originally sparked my own love of adventure travel and visiting remote parts of the globe resonated with my children in the same way. I think it might have, because they haven't stopped talking about our trip since we returned home.
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