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What
will your family be talking about this Christmas?
I
recently took a trip to South Australia to
see my extended family and to introduce Max,
my now 5-month-old son, to them. It was a
whirlwind of a journey catching up with people
from all generations; X, Y, Baby Boomers and
Seniors. Though sewn with the common
thread of being members of my family, it was
intriguing to sit back and look at the different
age brackets and how travel has influenced
all of our lives in one way or another.
My
mother met my father just before a planned
trip to Europe. She never made it
to Europe that time but they have been the
best travelling buddies and on the go ever
since, including a trip to the continent when
my brother and I were living there.
My
sister in law comes from England;
my brother met her when he was there on a
gap year, travelling around the world. They
will be gracing English soil this Christmas
after a stop off in South East Asia
to warm their bodies in preparation for the
colder climes.
My
husband I met in South America
whilst on an Overland Tour, we married in
Africa and remain addicted
to the road, even with a baby in tow!
My
Aunty and Uncle were off to Egypt
the week I visited; they have both had a strong
hankering for the history of this country
and were off to quench their thirst.
My
young cousin was about to head off to
North America on her first overseas
trip and was bursting with that ‘first
time traveller’s’ enthusiasm that
I remember oh-so-well.
We
sound like a fabulously global-roaming family,
but the truth is we’re pretty damn normal
for this day and age. Travel is accessible
and has made us all rich in experiences.
Visiting
my family reminded me of the different benefits
of travelling: fun, friendship, learning,
adventure and great conversations around the
dinner table. Travel has brought us, as a
family, even closer together, as over and
above blood we have a common interest that
breaks down all generation barriers.
Every
Christmas our conversations are laced with
tales of foreign lands, we often
pull out the silly hats collected from various
countries around the world and wear them instead
of party hats, we cook food from various countries
and bring out all the tacky souvenirs collected
along the way; it really adds a great flavour
to our family gatherings.
When
we are not altogether for Christmas it normally
means some of us are in an exotic locale enjoying
the break under foreign skies.
It’s
a fun exercise to add up all the countries
your family members have travelled to. Do
it, you’ll be surprised. Perhaps add
it to your Christmas activities list. Or why
not go a step further and venture a little
further this Christmas?
Check
out Kumuka’s Christmas trips.
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Back
from the wild
Here
are some tips to help you enjoy your flight
as much as possible.
My
name is Mark Fitzsimmons and I have just finished
the 10-day leg of a 28-day tour in Europe.
Just wanted to say what a blast I had. Our
tour guides, Susan and Kevin went out of their
way to ensure that everyone on board had a
great time. I would appreciate it if you could
pass on my thanks to both Sue and Kev. I would
highly recommend a Kumuka tour to any of my
friends thinking about touring Europe.
