Slow Travel: Experiencing Places, Not Just Visiting Them

We love to travel as a family. But we're not the "visit 10 cities in 5 days" type. We explore places deeply—staying long enough to feel like home. We get to know local people, explore different food, culture, and language. It's not about checking boxes; it's about truly experiencing a place.

This approach to travel mirrors how I approach most things in life: depth over breadth, understanding over skimming, connection over consumption.

The philosophy of slow travel

Slow travel isn't about speed; it's about attention. It's staying in one neighborhood long enough to recognize faces at the market. It's learning enough of the language to have simple conversations. It's developing routines in a place that isn't home.

This requires resisting the urge to optimize. The most memorable moments often come from unplanned detours, spontaneous conversations, and simply sitting still long enough to notice what's around you.

Traveling with a child's eyes

Seeing the world through Nunu's eyes makes every trip magical—her excitement, her wonder, her fearless curiosity. Children don't just visit places; they inhabit them completely. A puddle isn't an obstacle; it's a wonder. A street market isn't a tourist attraction; it's a sensory feast.

Traveling with a child forces you to slow down. Nap times become part of the schedule. Meal times matter. You notice parks, playgrounds, and ice cream shops you'd otherwise walk right past.

Cultural immersion as education

For us, travel is our family's primary form of education. It teaches:

Empathy: Living in different cultures builds the muscle of seeing the world from others' perspectives.

Adaptability: Navigating unfamiliar systems—transport, food, language—builds resilience and problem-solving skills.

History as lived experience: Reading about Roman history is one thing; walking on 2,000-year-old stones is another.

Environmental awareness: Seeing different ecosystems and climate impacts creates a visceral understanding of our planet's beauty and fragility.

The practicalities of slow travel

Slow travel requires different planning:

Longer stays: We aim for at least two weeks in one place, often a month or more if possible.

Local living: We rent apartments rather than stay in hotels. We shop at markets and cook some meals at home.

Minimal itinerary: We plan one or two activities per day, leaving plenty of space for discovery.

Digital balance: We limit device use while maximizing real-world interaction.

Bringing travel home

The real value of travel isn't just in the going; it's in what you bring back. New perspectives on home. New appreciation for what you have. New recipes in your kitchen. New phrases in your vocabulary. New ways of seeing that permanently alter how you move through the world.

These moments—watching Nunu make friends with a local child despite language barriers, sharing a meal with people whose lives are completely different from ours, feeling both the profound differences and fundamental similarities of human experience—these moments remind me what life is really about.