Why Travel Is So Great for Kids (and what it has to do with personal branding)

You might be looking at that heading and thinking, “well of course travel is great”, but how often do you truly stop and think about why? For what it’s worth, here are a few ideas about the benefits of travel, especially for kids and families.
This past week or two I’ve been doing some training on branding, and the number one rule of thumb seems to be to always be yourself. Not just in a cliched way, but really honestly and authentically presenting to the world who you are. 
To that end, I’ve been participating in a challenge to post daily on Facebook and to write honestly and from-the-heart. We have been tagging it #sharefromtheheart and it has been great fun. The main reason it is so enjoyable is because it has forced a focus at least once a day on tuning in to the heart.
So what’s that got to do with travel and families I hear you ask?. Put simply, a lot.
When we travel, we take ourselves out of our comfort zones and into an unknown and uncertain future. This is exhilarating, and also can be kind of challenging. We are put in a position where we have to define ourselves, not by our house, our car, our stuff or our jobs, but by how we feel and how we behave as a result.
Kids are great at this. Kids often live in a day to day reality of not having a huge amount of control. They may have routine and some certainty to their lives, but they don’t often have to make big decisions or respond to the pressures of an adult life. I believe this makes them a bit more resilient and open to the experience of travel on the whole – we can learn a lot from this (and I regularly am schooled by my children).
As parents we can be very used to having to make a thousand small decisions a day for ourselves and our families. We often feel we have to at least create an illusion of control. However, when we travel, we are more free. We can decide differently, without concerns about work the next day, or keeping routines in tact, or what others might think. FREEDOM!!
And therein is the most wonderful thing about travel. When we get in touch with how free we actually are to be completely ourselves and authentically individual, we remember our divine true state. We are reminded of our humanity, our unique gifts and our inimitable style. If we are really fortunate, we remember our purpose.
And that is the essence of our brand. If we can be who we are and consistently shine our little light upon the world, we are going to find a following of like-minded souls.
And with that, I send you many blessings of safe travel and wild experience through which you may be all that you are in the coming weeks.
ps I might be heading off to far-flung overseas places, but in the past I have managed to emulate the feeling of travel just by catching a bus or a ferry somewhere I don’t usually go. So no excuses! Just get out there and enjoy! 
Photo credit Rich Turley