Roots & Wings: the Key to Intentional Family Travel

I have followed various family travel influencers off and on over the years, but for me there was always something missing. Their content was certainly aspirational, but not what I would call inspirational. Eventually, I realized the reason I wasn’t inspired by traditional family travel content was that I didn’t want to either (a.) sell all of my family’s belongings and give up our home to travel full time or (b.) race through a hundred locations just to check them off a list before my kids head off to college. Out of this realization was born my own travel philosophy–that travel is not just about seeing new places, it’s about providing us with the opportunity to connect and grow together in ways that are different from our daily life. It’s the idea that travel can simultaneously anchor us in our roots and give us wings to grow.

Roots:

Travel has the potential to strengthen family bonds and build family traditions that are part of the foundation of who we are as a family. We discover the values that matter most to us, and look for experiences that help anchor our children in a deeper sense of belonging. And these don’t have to be grand adventures. Of course, a trip to our ancestral homelands would be amazing (and is on our list), but simple frequent walks in a nearby park or our annual visit to the grandparents’ small town for the July 4th holiday festivities are just as meaningful. We love to use travel as a reminder of where we come from and the stories and values we want to pass down to our children.

Image shot in Rovaniemi, Finnish Lapland

Wings:
Travel fuels curiosity! It encourages us (kids and adults) to ask questions, try new things, and see the world a little differently. Traveling outside one’s comfort zone helps us grow and learn resilience. It’s amazing how encountering challenges while traveling–and then overcoming them–can remind all of us that we can do hard things. These often become the most memorable parts of a trip. I know I’ll always remember landing in Helsinki just before Christmas only to discover that the airline lost our luggage containing hats, coats, and gloves, and we would have to navigate the city in zero degrees without it! (Luckily, it arrived the next day!) Building resilience and confidence little by little through our family adventures gives our children wings that will empower them when they’re ready to leave the nest.

Where the Magic Happens:
True family travel magic happens when we balance both roots and wings. This doesn’t just happen automatically, we have to create this balance. We do this through setting intentions for each trip, whether that is to reconnect and relax, experience a new city and culture, or find stillness in nature. Then, we make sure we leave space in our schedule for those quiet, in-between moments where often the most meaningful connections take place. We also like to balance exploration with downtime to keep from getting overwhelmed, overtired, or just over it. We’ve found that focusing on experiences rather than a checklist of things to see leads to more memorable and enjoyable travels for all of us.

For me, travel is not an escape from daily life, it’s a tool for strengthening our family relationships and helping our kids learn resilience. It’s not checking off destinations on a bucket list or creating a perfect Instagram aesthetic. Every trip is an opportunity to grow roots deeper into what matters most, and to let our wings carry us somewhere new.