I flat out love traveling with teens and did not suffer from a psychotic break. When you travel long enough with your teen, in places that challenge them, you’ll notice their emerging superpowers. These travel skills will enhance the pleasure and efficiency of your trip–no, no really. Their minds are wired differently than ours since birth, which helps them figure certain things out and with greater speed. Sure we’d all get there eventually, but when? No more giving teens a bad rap as travelers. Top 10 reasons your teen is an asset on your adventure.
- Subway system wizards. Teens have a way of taking in lots of complex information and solving puzzles. Regardless of the language, lack of signage, or complexity (like in Tokyo there were four independent train lines), Madi could navigate any subway system you threw her into. We’d tell her where we wanted to go, and she would solve the riddle of the route.
- Discovering the flow of water. They’ll figure out any bizarre set of shower handles, water faucet, toilet contraption faster than you will. And yes, even the Japanese ones. Before I’d get in the shower I’d ask the teens to give me the cheat sheet on how that sucker works.
- Figure out most mystery machines before you will. Ordering lunch in Japan through a machine waiter. I just want some noodles. They figure it out. In Hong Kong they were the first to figure some elevators went only to odd floors, the other to even ones. Paul and I kept walking another floor up or down, wondering why no elevator went to our floor.
- Observing social cues and systems, with lightening speed. The girls enter any new arena and survey the scene, and watch. By watching what people do they know what the system is, where the line starts, where to go to pay or get whatever ticket. Developing these skills of quick observation is how they adjust to all the new situations they’ve found themselves in.
- Wifi passwords. Cali memorizes every wifi password even if it’s 20 ransom digits and numbers. First thing she did when we entered a new house, she took a minute to memorize it, and remembered it for as long as we were there. When someone needed it, she’d rattle it off, and could remember the last 5 wifi passwords.
- They step up and step in. Sometimes the girls could see we parents are worn out or frustrated, and they step in. They come up with solutions, what we should do, where we could eat, what might work better to fix something that’s messed up. They are very intuitive, great at finding creative solutions, and can take over when we are weary.
- They have huge hearts and display empathy constantly. Often one of the girls will ask us to order an extra sandwich for someone they saw begging, or duck into a grocery store to buy a package of hotdogs for a stray dog who’s been following us around for hours. They are kind and they take action.
- Stamina. They can flat our whoop your old butt in that dept. They are young, strong, and can lap you, for sure.
- They suck it up. It’s a huge sign of patheticness if you whine or complain in our family. It helps no one, ever. If its other than your mild discomfort, then by all means, let us know. But I fear we’ve trained them too well. One day in Osaka, my nephew (an Army Ranger) was being our fearless tour guide leader. I was tired, cold, and there were way too many times I asked if we were there yet or can we just sit down forever and a snack, whine, whine, whine. I’m not proud of it, but I thought I was gonna die and need to be cremated and left with my ancestors in Japan. My girls didn’t complain all day. I found out one had gotten huge open blisters on the back of her heels, not a peep from her, she had sucked it up all day. Her fitbit said we’d walked 18 miles.
- Gratefulness. Cross my heart I am to making this up. My teens often, often, often thank me for the experiences we are having. I swear I almost end up crying every time they do it, it’s so dumb. When we leave a restaurant, they thank us for the meal, which is pretty amazing when you’re eating out for over 400 days. They thank us for an ice cream, a coffee, or for having a great day. It touches me because they’re already aware what incredible experiences they’re having, and they let us know.
No doubt you’re teens also have emerging travel superpowers. Enjoy them and what they bring to the adventure.