I went silent for a minute, and Garrett stepped in and we explained the situation to the kids. I remember sitting at lunch not being able to do a thing and being so mad and so frustrated, and having to be that example to my children that when things go wrong, you choose your attitude. So, we checked them despite my better judgment, and they lost them. On this one flight from Tanzania to Botswana, they made us check the bags. That was the plan so we didn't lose our luggage. Last year, we’d been carrying on our bags all summer. JG: My dad would wake me up every morning when I was a teenager - and I would just be so tired and grumpy - and he would say, ‘Are you happy, Jessica?’ And I'd be like, ‘Yes.’ And he'd be like, ‘Then tell your face.’ Then he would proceed to tell me, ‘You choose your attitude.’ Now, that is the Gee family platitude of choosing your attitude. What would your advice be for other moms when facing a bad travel experience?

SM: Y’all have had so many truly epic experiences, but you’ve also had some doozies, from botflies to skiing accidents. What can sometimes be a long grueling day is now just a great time and stuff that they're excited for. We don't do screen time very much at home, so when they're on an airplane, they're pumped to be on a screen.

Their little backpacks, whatever they have on the plane - they're excited for their little toys, and they're excited for whatever show they picked out. It's going to be this big adventure, and we're going to pick out your snacks.’Īnd I guess that's tip #2: letting your kids pack for themselves. When our kids were very young, we used to tell them bedtime stories. What are your favorite kid-on-a-plane tips? SM: OK, we’ve gotta talk about airplanes ‘cause your kids are on them a lot. We feel like we're in the pocket, and we're trying to seize the day here. So, we're really enjoying where we're at right now. Now I feel like our kids are pros, and the travel days are so seamless. The whole time you're on a plane or wherever you're going, you're constantly just on high alert. When you're traveling with a toddler, that 9 months ‘til 2, it's just a ticking time bomb. Travel days do not stress me out like they used to.

11, 9, and 5, and everyone is so capable. JG: We are in a beautiful spot right now. SM: Since you’ve seen what this looks like at various stages, do you think there are any sweet spots when it comes to the best ages for traveling with kids? And I think especially as Americans stepping a little bit outside of our comfort zone into a different culture, I think Turkey's a great place to be. I think Turkey is so unique, so different, beautiful people, beautiful history, culture, food… all of it is just wonderful. My favorite place in the whole wide world is New Zealand, but as a family, I really love Turkey. Scary Mommy: I know this is an impossible question, but if you had to pick one place you wish every family could visit, where would it be? Scary Mommy recently caught up with Gee to talk about the new book, some of her favorite parenting-on-the-road tips, and why travel will always be her family’s true north. Over 400 pages, it contains everything from itineraries for some of the Gees’ must-visit destinations to tips and tricks for handling common family travel woes (think dealing with jet lag and surviving a plane ride with a toddler). In fact, Jessica just marked off a major item on her bucket list - writing a book about the family’s adventures for none other than National Geographic.īucket List Family Travel: Share the World With Your Kids on 50 Adventures of a Lifetime contains tons of how-tos from Jessica for parents who want to start exploring with their own kids. Along the way, they’ve shared those experiences, amassing a social following of millions who know them as “ The Bucket List Family.”Īlthough they recently bought and renovated a little bungalow on the beach in Hawaii, they remain firmly rooted in the travel community. They’ve slept in castles, visited theme parks, and lived on a houseboat. They’ve eaten breakfast with giraffes in Kenya and swum with whales in Tonga. The plan? To spend a few months journeying full-time, learning more about life, love, and other cultures - and to maybe find a place in the world that felt like the right fit for their family.Īnother child (hey, Calihan!) and more than 90 countries later, they’ve redefined what it means to travel with kids. In August of 2015, she and her husband Garrett made what would seem to many like a radical decision: They sold everything and left home to crisscross the globe with their two children, Dorothy and Manilla. No one knows that better than Jessica Gee.

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