Finding the right travel companion isn’t always the easiest thing in the world to do.
Traveling in a group can be fun and solo travel can be one of the most eye-opening and rewarding experiences to have. But sometimes the best way to travel is just with one other person. Finding the right travel companion isn’t always the easiest thing in the world to do. You want someone who shares your interests, who is easy to communicate with, and who is actually fun to travel with. No one wants the added stress of a travel buddy that complains all the time.
Most would consider a best friend or boyfriend/girlfriend as their ideal travel partner, but before you dial their number you may want to consider someone else even closer to you. Your mom! I know, I know, many of us dread the thought of having to spend time with our mothers. And can you even imagine having anything in common with her? However, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to realize that my mom and I have quite a few similar interests. Some of the most fun times I’ve had have been spent with her. She did, after all, teach you almost everything you know…with a little help from Dad of course.
Over the years I’ve heard the stories of my mother’s trips with her friends and I’ve always enjoyed the trips I’ve taken with my own friends. But, I have always wondered what a trip with my mother would be like. Would I be annoyed the whole time, or would it be a fun and memorable experience? So, when my mother was able to come out to visit me in England for three weeks, I was so excited for the opportunity to travel together. And Rome was the perfect place to begin our trip.
I had never really traveled with just my mother before, especially to a different country where neither of us had been. But with amazing sights like the Vatican, the Colosseum, Castel Sant’Angelo, and all the history and beauty Rome has to offer, I knew that it would be an exciting trip. By the end of the three weeks however, I was pleasantly surprised that our trip was so much more than I expected.
If you haven’t considered or haven’t taken one already, you should definitely plan on making one of your next trip a Mother/Daughter one. Why would you want to do that? Well for starters you can’t take a Mother/Daughter trip with anyone else. Mother/Daughter trips are a great way to not only spend time with the person who raised you, but to also get to know each other better. This isn’t that family vacation you took as a kid, when you and your siblings were bickering, or Dad wanted everyone to go golfing. This is the trip where you and your mom get to travel together and connect not just as mother and daughter, but also as women.
We all think we know everything about our mothers, since we’ve been around them for our entire lives. But we tend to forget that we haven’t known them for all their life. Taking a trip where it is just the two of you will give you the time and the opportunity to have conversations about things you wouldn’t necessarily talk about with Dad or other members of the family around. Being able to talk about dating, your future, your beliefs, or just life, in general, will not only allow you to connect on a deeper level, but would also allows you to see your mother not just as “mom’” but also as a friend.
One thing I’m sure we’ve all admired about our mothers is how strong and confident they are. Through my study abroad, I was hoping that I would grow immensely and gain some of those qualities that I admire in my mother as well. On our trip, my mom shared with me how impressed she was with me navigating our way throughout Rome and London. I had never really thought about using the Tube to get around London as “impressive,” after all everyone there does it every day. But, that is one of the great things about Mother/Daughter trips. They allow your mom to see just how mature you are. Seeing you thrive in another city, and even another culture helps your mom to see you as an adult, and as someone who is more than capable of getting through life on their own without the protection of Mom and Dad.
Whether it’s seeing a famous sight you’ve always wanted to see or an unexpected adventure along the way, there are so many memories for you to make.. I will always remember the reaction my mother and I had as we drove up to the Colosseum and saw just how enormous it was, or the feeling we got after seeing Pope Francis in person.
So before you book your next ticket, call up mom and invite her to come along. This is definitely an experience that you will look back on fondly, and even be able to tell stories about to your own children. If there is a place that you both have always wanted to go to, near or far, don’t keep putting it off and just go! There are tons of memories to be made and laughs to share. And hey, the added bonus of traveling with your mom is that she won’t mind picking up the tab sometimes.
Arrivederci!
