One of the greatest gifts my parents gave me was taking me to see the world at a young age. We didn’t have a lot of money, we stayed in crappy hotels (recall frantically packing up in Brussels once because my mom found bed bugs as soon as we walked in), but it didn’t matter where we stayed or where we ate. It gave me the urge to understand the world and appreciate differences in people and cultures at an early age. I myself was different as an immigrant, but traveling made me see so many more families that culturally were more like my own and at the same time so different. And it didn’t have to cost a fortune (we certainly didn’t have it). Being able to bring our kids on this trip - which is far from over - is like experiencing it all over again with them when I came as a child. Seeing them open up their eyes, notice small differences in life here, try new things, walk their little butts off, and also appreciate how good they have it at home for other reasons, is amazing. If you’re thinking about taking the trip, take the trip. You’ll never regret it.