A Letter to My Daughter: What Travel Has Taught Me About Raising You

Dear Lola Grace,

There is a moment I will never forget. We were at Disney World sitting down for character dining, and the second you spotted the princesses making their way across the room, your whole body lit up. You started bouncing up and down, unable to contain your excitement and the look on your face stopped me completely. In that moment, I wasn’t thinking about the planning, the packing, the cost, or the miles we’d traveled to get there. I was just overwhelmingly proud and happy that I could bring you to a place where dreams quite literally come true. That was the moment I knew that traveling together was something priceless. Something I would spend a lifetime giving you.

Our earliest trips were built for swimming pools, waterslides, theme parks, magic, Disney characters, craft tables, and ice cream at every opportunity. Everything was new and special, and watching the wonder on your face never got old. Slowly, the waterslides made room for museums, theme parks gave way to cobblestone streets and historical landmarks, and recently, I’ve watched you appreciate nature in a way that moves me. As you grew older, you didn’t lose your sense of excitement, you expanded it.

I watched you become genuinely curious about the world. Not just the fun parts, but the history and the stories behind the places we visited. You became quite the little history buff, absorbing details about different cultures and time periods with such enthusiasm. Travel didn’t just entertain you, it shaped the way you think. There are things I could teach you within the walls of our everyday life; manners, kindness, work ethic. However, true gratitude, a love for nature, and a genuine curiosity about people whose lives look nothing like yours are lessons lived in the world, not in our routine. Travel handed them to you in ways I never could have taught at home. Watching you appreciate what we have, while also being inspired by what else exists out there is one of my greatest joys as your mother.

My greatest hope is that you carry with you everything travel has given us. Not just the knowledge of places, but the memory of experiencing them together. My parents gave this gift to me at a time when capturing memories wasn’t as easy as pulling out a phone. They were so intentional about photos and videos, preserving moments I now treasure. Those childhood vacations are among my most cherished memories. Not just because of where we went, but because we were present with each other, free from the daily routine. I want that for you too. I want you to look back one day and feel what I feel; a full and grateful heart.

Here is the part I didn’t expect. I thought I would be the one doing the teaching but somewhere along the way, you started teaching me. You would research destinations on your own, put together presentations, and pitch me on places I had never considered. Watching you build a case for a new adventure showed me a side of you I might never have discovered without travel. Every trip, every stamp in a passport, every meal we shared somewhere new was all quietly shaping you, and me, together.

There are so many places I still want to take you. So many memories left to make. Let’s go Lola. The world is waiting.

With all my love,

Mama