It was the end of a long summer break. I had spent most of it toting my three kids to and from the beach, solo. We'd spent some time as a family in Maine, and the kids had done a few weeks of day camp, but by mid-August, I was more than ready for school to start. The magic of summer had worn off, the kids were ready for some structure, and I was more than ready for a break.

That's when my husband's parents invited us to attend a family reunion in Lake George, NY. I remember physically flinching when the invite happened. But the earnest look on my father-in-law's face when he invited us was too sweet to refuse. He couldn’t wait to show off his grandkids to his cousins. He wanted to take them to the arcade and to see the lake.

I had spent almost the entire summer solo parenting the kids, my husband was working in NJ, and just the thought of packing everyone up for a long weekend, fighting traffic through a 5-hour drive on my own with a 9, 7, and 4-year-old was enough to make me weep.

The morning we were leaving, my youngest woke up with a scratchy throat. The sky was thick with an impending summer storm, and it was a Friday... which meant we could expect lots and lots of traffic. We packed up the car with snacks, cozy blankets, our clothes and swim suits, and the kids' scooters. I put on a kid-friendly podcast (no screens to avoid carsickness) and off we went.

We were about an hour past Boston when my little one started crying because she couldn't find her owl. She already wasn't feeling great, and “Owl” was her security blankie (with an owl head). She needed it to fall asleep and she couldn't get comfortable. I had a split second of panic. Could I have forgotten to pack her owl? No way. I would never do that. I moved right on from that thought and passed back a book for her to look at and thankfully she fell asleep.

Traffic started moving, and the rest of the ride was fine. We arrived in Lake George around the same time my husband arrived from NJ and the kids had all fallen asleep in the car, so they were ready for the late dinner reservation with the extended family that evening. Everyone was happy…until bedtime.

My husband was in the hotel bathroom helping the kids get washed and ready for bed, I was laying out jammies and plugging in the sound machine, and that's when I started looking for Owl. My seven-year-old came in and started helping me search through our bags. "Mommy, I think I know where Owl is," she said in a slow and slightly panicked voice, "Sloane had her in the playroom right before we left. She was building a house and I bet she left her in there..."

I almost cried. I was exhausted from driving, I didn't want to come on this trip anyway, and now we'd be up all night wishing for Owl. Traveling with the kids was getting to be too much...

My little one came out of the bathroom, climbed into bed, asked for Owl, and I broke the news. She cried, and then suddenly, my sweet nine-year-old had an idea. He took some rubber bands, a washcloth, and a marker and made her "Owl's Cousin." By some grace of the universe, it worked. She happily clutched "Owl's Cousin" and fell fast asleep. For the remainder of the weekend, she proudly held Owl’s Cousin in one hand and her Papa's hand in the other. We went from the arcade to the candy store to the pool and back again. The kids had a blast, and more importantly, their grandparents were so happy we made the trip. We all look back fondly on that weekend and, eight years later, we still talk about Owl's Cousin, the really fun playground at the hotel, and scootering through the puddles in the rain.

I've spent the years since then redefining what successful family travel looks like. It's not about checking off the must-see attractions or maintaining the same rules and routines you have at home. It's about creating a different kind of rhythm—one that becomes a shared adventure that changes all of you in unexpected ways. My in-laws have since passed, and that was one of the last trips we took with them. I am so glad we said yes.

And that's the thing about traveling with children—behind the logistics, exhaustion, forgotten comfort items, and occasional tears lies the possibility for connection that shapes your family story. These moments become the memories your children carry into adulthood, the stories they'll tell their own children someday.

Travel exposes children to different cultures, environments, languages, and ways of living that simply can't be replicated through books or screens. Is it a privilege to travel with kids? Yes. Can it be challenging? At times, yes. But I wholeheartedly believe that successful travel with kids is one part preparation, two parts mindset, and a thousand percent worth it.

Over the years, our family has developed traditions and approaches that have transformed our travels from endurance events into genuine adventures. I'd love to share some of these with you—both the small rituals that have become treasured traditions and the strategies that have saved us from countless meltdowns (both kid and parent kinds).

Here are a few of our favorite travel traditions that we’ve returned to time and time again:

Night swimming in the pool with glow sticks and goggles

There’s something so special to little kids about going down to the pool after the sun goes down, it’s such a memory maker.

Dinner at the pool or beach

Skip the hurried showers, and overtired kids and instead stay late at the pool or the beach. Order food to your loungers. Let the kids graze and keep playing while you and your partner sit and eat. My husband loves to try the local food wherever we go, so this was always a great way to enjoy it without carting overtired kids around.

Passing on the Fun

This one is kinda weird, but for some reason my kids loved doing it. At the end of our trip, the kids would gather any pool toys, inner tubes, sand toys that we picked up along the way and pick another family with kids who just arrived and pass it on to them. They felt so big and important offering up their toys, and were always met with such happy, gracious smiles from others.

Get Ready to Transform Your Own Family Travel Experience:

After years of trial and error, I’ve put all my hard-earned knowledge into “Family Travel Decoded: Your Realistic Guide to Traveling With Kids” - and I'd love to share it with you.

Here’s What's Inside:

Pre-trip planning strategies that set you up for success before you even leave home
Essential packing tips (including what to bring in your carry-on to avoid meltdowns)
Screen-time strategies that won't leave you feeling guilty
Practical approaches to managing big feelings during travel days
Creating comfort zones in unfamiliar places
How to make sure parents get a break too (because it should be a vacation for everyone!)