Roots & Wings: Lessons I've Learned from my Mother

Some people get the taste for travel on their own, but I was fortunate enough to have it offered, taught and ingrained into me since I was little. I was raised into a family of travelers, and my mother can’t help but laugh and sigh whenever I go on another trip, since though she misses me, she’s happy I get to experience so many opportunities.

From a young age, my mother’s parents encouraged her to travel. Though they didn’t always have the means growing up, they made sure that her, and her siblings had an abundance of experiences and adventures. They would road trip across Canada in their youth; driving to meet up with family across the province. When my mother was in high school, she travel abroad and widen her horizons. Even as an adult with a family, she continued to go on trips with us, or with friends, or with my father. She went to new places, and returned to some of her favourites. And so what have I done? Well I’ve been on family road trips across Canadian provinces. I went on my first international trip when I was in high school. I continued to travel by myself, and with family and friends to new places, and returned to some of my favourites.

It has become my favourite way to learn and to experience this wide world, and because of this thirst for adventure and discovery, I am not afraid of it. I am cautious and always safe, but I am never afraid. Some people find it strange how I can so rightly go off on adventure on my own, well these are the reasons why.

• I learned from my mother that it’s good to know what’s happening outside of my daily life. It’s important to be well informed about the world if I want to be an active part of it. And though it might be often different from what I’m used to, different isn’t always a bad thing (or a good thing in some cases).
• I learned to try everything once. From food, to activities, to cities and experiences, it’s best to test things out to find out whether you like it or not. There’s nothing to be lost, and knowledge to be gained; either of something you enjoy, or knowing not to waste your time with something that you do not.
• I learned that patience is a key virtue. Each place has its own pace, and there’s no point in getting frustrated about things you cannot change. If you’re worried about being late, you should’ve left earlier.
• I learned to be flexible. You can plan, and plan, and plan again, and still something unexpected will happen. It’s best to have an open mind, and see what can be done to either fix it, or go with the flow.
• I learned that the best way to learn is to live. I can better do what I love best by having lived experiences to relate them back to. It opens you up to new ways of problem solving, and a new attitude to adopt when doing so.

I also got my optimism, my sense of wonder and my perseverance from my mother, but I rather learned from her example. And though I did learn a lot from my father as well, my mother was my first travel partner, and will continue to be my travel buddy and inspiration. She has made sure that throughout my life, that travel would be accessible; not just a luxury, but an ever-present possibility. So I will continue to roam the globe to make her proud with all the lessons I’ve learned from her! In honour of Mothers' Day, I'd like to thank my mother for giving me roots, but also for giving me wings.

Love you maman to infinity and beyond,

Kyla xo