travel learnings

BE PREPARED: Prepare mentally and have a plan for when things go wrong

Note: This is the seventh article in our series around our travel philosophy, Be F.L.E.X.I.B.L.E. In this article, we breakdown what I in Be F.L.E.X.I.B.L.E. stands for. If you want to first get an overview on Be F.L.E.X.I.B.L.E. itself, please click here.

You can help wipe out a lot of anxiety you may have about traveling with a young child by preparing yourself mentally before a trip, as well as being prepared as a family during a trip. AJ is more the free spirit when it comes to travel; he can go with the flow without skipping a beat. Natasha? Well, she worries about what could go wrong and wants to be prepared for the worst.

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Our Travel Philosophy: Be F.L.E.X.I.B.L.E.

Note: This is the first article in our series around our travel philosophy, Be F.L.E.X.I.B.L.E. (Flexible). In this article, we give the overview of what Be F.L.E.X.I.B.L.E. stands for and in future articles, we breakdown each letter at a time.

Before our son, Aarav, was born, we loved to travel together. AJ grew up in Dubai, traveling often with his family when he was young, and then continuing on his own once he left home. Natasha didn’t travel as much as a child, but once we met in North Carolina, she developed the travel bug through AJ, and ever since, we were travelers.

We knew we didn’t want to stop seeing the world when Aarav was born. We made up our minds to continue traveling, taking smaller trips and vacations before deciding to embark on our around the world adventure. We wanted him to see the world with him and share our experiences as a family.

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EMBRACE TECHNOLOGY: Use technology to make your travels easier

Note: This is the ninth and final article in our series around our travel philosophy, Be F.L.E.X.I.B.L.E. In this article, we breakdown what the 2nd E in Be F.L.E.X.I.B.L.E. stands for. If you want to first get an overview on Be F.L.E.X.I.B.L.E. itself, please click here.

We are big fans of technology. (Then again, we are both software engineers, so we may have a slight bias.) Technology begins with using tools like TripAdvisor and Google Translate to help you with your trip. Planning a trip requires some research, and there are many websites that can help you find your routes, seek out accommodations, and book your trip. When in a foreign location, having apps and resources to help you find your way, decipher a different language, or make alternative plans when weather suddenly changes is imperative.

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Coming Back Home After A Family Gap Year And Trip Around The World

We knew we wanted to take an around-the-world trip as a family. It would be the trip of a lifetime and we couldn’t be more excited to plan and take our 9-month adventure. But, like all good things, the trip had to come to an end and we had to return to Charlotte, North Carolina, and settle back in.

After living out of a suitcase, moving every few days, spending days at leisure, and seeing brand new things at every turn, we discovered coming back home was harder than leaving! If you’re considering taking a sabbatical with your family, here’s how we dealt with the return — hopefully we can help make it easier for you.

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IMPROVISE: Improvise and go with the flow

Note: This is the sixth article in our series around our travel philosophy, Be F.L.E.X.I.B.L.E. In this article, we breakdown what I in Be F.L.E.X.I.B.L.E. stands for. If you want to first get an overview on Be F.L.E.X.I.B.L.E. itself, please click here.

There are friends who stick to strict schedules for their children but sometimes, those schedules could cause you to miss out on things, or doesn’t always work. We are big believers in improvisation: Improvise and go with the flow with eating habits, eating times, sleep schedules and nap schedules.

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LIVE: Live your life and don’t wait for the perfect time to travel. Do it now!

Note: This is the third article in our series around our travel philosophy, Be F.L.E.X.I.B.L.E. In this article, we breakdown what L in Be F.L.E.X.I.B.L.E. stands for. If you want to first get an overview on Be F.L.E.X.I.B.L.E. itself, please click here.

Can you believe that almost a third of a child’s life at home with you is when they are young? Don’t miss out on that time together; enjoy it fully! Too often our friends tell us they will wait for their children to get a little older or have other reasons that prevent them from traveling.

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LEARN: Understand you won’t have a perfect trip but you will learn as you go along

Note: This is the eight article in our series around our travel philosophy, Be F.L.E.X.I.B.L.E. In this article, we breakdown what the 2nd L in Be F.L.E.X.I.B.L.E. stands for. If you want to first get an overview on Be F.L.E.X.I.B.L.E. itself, please click here.

As parents, we make mistakes all the time, and most of the time — if we are honest — we don’t really know what we are doing (even when we act like we do!). We are imperfect, but we continue to learn as parents.

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XPERIENCE: Experience new things and build amazing memories!

Note: This is the fifth article in our series around our travel philosophy, Be F.L.E.X.I.B.L.E. In this article, we breakdown what X in Be F.L.E.X.I.B.L.E. stands for. If you want to first get an overview on Be F.L.E.X.I.B.L.E. itself, please click here.

Don’t be afraid of trying thing you did prior to having kids; continue to build upon those amazing memories by experiencing new things.

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