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Published: February 5th 2013
Our months in Asia led us to believe that we were so firmly acclimatized to our tropical surroundings that the return to Europe in the height of winter would be a shock to our system (both in terms of temperature and culture... let alone time differences, food habits, domestic tendencies, etc.) But in fact, it was surprisingly easy. The flights home were smooth and uncomplicated, despite the crowds and disappointing lack of upgrades. We were met at the airport in Geneva by my parents who, armed with our winter coats and wool mittens for all, promptly whisked us away to their comfortable Provencal farmhouse 3 hours away in the South of France. Given that this use to operate as a guesthouse until a year ago, the hotel feeling made for a familiar transition from our lifestyle of recent months. And to be entirely honest, we don’t mind the culinary shift away from rice and noodles. Furthermore, the fact that we don't have our "old lives" or jobs to return to has made this feel more like a continuation of our adventures, than an end. The only small key difference being that we no longer can wear shorts and flip flops... oh
and perhaps also the fact that we must spend our days searching for jobs rather than hotels and temples.
But our fond memories of Asia continue to dance through our thoughts and we frequently beam with pride when responding to people' surprise at our claims that the trip was relatively stress free and traveling with our children was a delight. It might not be for everyone- especially not those hell bent on respecting the very highest standards of health and safety for their children... and for this very reason we may be judged as reckless or irresponsible parents. But I cannot think of a better way to open the minds and hearts of our children while also sharing a wonderful experience with them. Our family has come out of this experience more united and happy than we ever were. We were driven to embark on this journey because we felt the need to reconnect and reprioritize. Furthermore, we were convinced that even if our children will likely not remember much of the details of this adventure, it would have an impact on their characters, as well as their perspective of the world.
Could this trip be considered a
vacation? An act of indulgence? Perhaps even a bit of folly, dodging reality and responsibilities? Maybe... But I do not consider those accurate representations of our journey. We did not carry out this trip with ambitions of leisure, nor as a means of escapism. It was about discovery and shifting focus. It was about teaching our children to be curious about the diverse world around them, in all its colourful and chaotic splendor. It was about turning their attention away from toys, TV and comfortable routines by teaching them to take pleasure from different sources, while also adapting to new environments and circumstances. This trip was also about being together, sharing an experience and making sure our children know they have our attention. It is precisely because of our sense of responsibility towards our children that we felt the need to travel as we did and when we did. Our eldest will be 5 this Spring. School obligations are rapidly approaching, meaning we wouldn’t easily have another chance to embark on such a journey before both our children are caught up in time restrictions and competing commitments associated with academic education. Furthermore, the window of opportunity to create a family
bond and enjoy a shared focus and experience, as occurs on a long and often challenging trip, was limited. When the right conditions presented themselves to allow for such a trip, how could we possibly not take the leap?
On all accounts, I believe we accomplished our mission.
Back by popular demand… a few lists to summarize our trip: NEW HABITS WHICH MAY BE TRICKY TO SHAKE:
• 3$ massages
• someone else always taking care of cooking breakfast, washing the dishes, making the bed and doing the laundry
• chicken noodle soup for breakfast
• no alarm clocks
• no socks
• no cellphones
• pointing with our thumbs (because using the index finger is rude in many Asian countries)
ASSUMPTIONS WE WILL HAVE TO DECONSTRUCT AND OVERWRITE FOR OUR CONFUSED CHILDREN:
• all bald men are Buddhist monks
• you always take your shoes off when entering a home or temple
• you must always haggle for a good price
• you can get anywhere in town for a couple dollars
• ice cubes are a bad idea
• you don’t always have to wear a seatbelt (let alone sit in a childseat… something they only vaguely recall using, ages ago…)
• when in doubt, order chicken satay
OVERALL STATS:
• No. of hotels: 25
• No. of forms of transportation: 28
• No. of borders crossed: 8
• No. of pools enjoyed: 12
• No. of new passport stamps each: 6
• No. of photos on a daily average basis taken of our children by strangers: 3
• No. of revised declarations that “this” is our favourite place: 5 (the most recent being Georgetown, Penang.)
FORMS OF TRANSPORATION USED:
• Long tail boat
• Row boat
• Kayak
• canoe
• Speedboat
• Ferry
• Junk
• Fishing boat
• Water Taxi
• Banana Boat
• Tuk-Tuk
• Remorque
• Car
• Bus
• Mini Van
• Scooter
• Bicycle
• Cyclo
• Rickshaw
• Elephant
• Pick-up Truck
• Train
• Subway
• Monorail
• Funicular
• Airplane
• American Amphibian vehicles from the Vietnam War (converted into a Singapore tour bus)
• Golf cart
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Natalia
non-member comment
Truly Amazing!!
Job well done. I felt like I was living your adventures, but jealous at every turn. I aspire to be brave enough to take our son on such a trip. I'm also going to seriously consider 're-focusing'...it sounds like fun if you ask me. Thanks for sharing!!