#good #show #mother #world
They joke that traveling with mom is good, but not too often
As a child, Makalius did not travel anywhere with his mother – his parents had higher priorities where to spend the money they earned than traveling. So he went on his first trip with his mother when he was almost an adult – he traveled to London. During the period when it is not interesting or embarrassing to travel with my mother, he says, apparently he has already grown up.
“I notice that the further along, the less the younger generation spends time with their parents. I remember how when I became an adult and started studying in Vilnius, I looked with envy at my fellow students, whose hometown was not the capital, so they, after moving to Vilnius, practically started their independent lives. And I, from Vilnius, after all, lived with my mother – no personal life!
I decided to move out as soon as possible, to live in a rented apartment with female students. I saw that I am not the only one who wants to grow up to become independent, learn to live independently and, of course, spend less time with my parents. So, traveling with mom is, first of all, that precious time together that everyone misses so much. Without phones, without televisions in front of you – simply when traveling, resting or discovering something new”, R. Širvinskas is convinced.
The traveler says that he is not a pioneer in this type of travel: “Many of my friends take their moms or dads on a trip and spend time with them. We always joke that we can go on such a trip once a year, but maybe we don’t need more than that (laughs, author’s note). Who can get angry about life lessons on the first day, when parents start raising them as an adult. Imagine if that child is almost 40 years old, but I’ll repeat myself, I say this jokingly, because parents will always be the ones who give advice to others, and less often – listen to advice or instruction from children.
Maldives is the best place for mom
R. Širvinskas and his mother have been several times to Egypt and the Maldives, the Spanish island of Mallorca, the United States of America, a cruise in the Caribbean Sea, and the United Arab Emirates. The list of countries, they say, is not long, because my mother wanted to return somewhere and once again, and besides, the pandemic, like everyone else, had a foothold, so the trips were stopped.
“Mom’s favorite place is the Maldives, she could go several times a year!” She already has friends here, she knows my business partners, a Lithuanian friend also lives here, so we can always feel as comfortable as at home. It seems to me that basically this direction was created specifically for my mother, because there are a lot of water activities, sun, warmth, views, little activity, although if you want, you can easily find activities”, Makalius answers when asked where his mother liked the most.
When organizing trips, he also asks, so he learns from his mistakes
„Travels I suggest the direction to my mother, or if I want to make a surprise, then I choose it at my own discretion. When traveling together with her, it becomes clear what the mother would like the most and what should not be organized.
So far, there have been no objections to the directions I have suggested, because I really try to choose them carefully or… I have learned from the mistakes I made before! For example, I already know that my mother will prefer passive rest in warm regions, and I wonder if she will enjoy some autumn weather, a trip to the mountains or to the capital of some city, where she will have to walk an incredible amount – I already know that it is not for her.
Nevertheless, you still want to show something to be remembered – not just a pool, a cocktail and a sunbed. Here, as an example, we traveled together to the United Arab Emirates. I planned to be active that week, I booked a lot of attractions, and it was my mistake – when I arrived, I realized that my mother prefers quiet rest, doing nothing, so I had to reduce my activities very much.
Since I take care of all the planning of the trip, I also take responsibility if she doesn’t like something. Now I’m already adjusted, so I don’t plan too much and see what mom would like during the day.
Most of all, I like to show her what she has not yet experienced – the experience on a cruise ship, the first transatlantic flight or the first trip in business class, which, by the way, you will be surprised and laugh – mom did not like it at all! It’s just that the seats reclined too much to the bed position!”, the traveler laughs while sharing his experience.
Basic homework before traveling with mom
To the question of what would be the essential advice for those who want to travel with their mothers, R. Širvinskas says that you should listen to the wishes of the mother, because you know her best and not to force her to do something she is not interested in, it is too difficult.
Nature or city, heat or cooler weather, active day or passive rest without doing anything, or maybe combining both things in one trip – with this most important information, it is already extremely easy to plan such a trip. And maybe the best time together for mom would be in Lithuania, swimming in the pool at some health resort, going to procedures or bubbling baths together.
You should also not only take care of health insurance, but also plan as much as possible in advance so that the mother is not stressed during the trip, but also keep some flexibility so that she does not feel too obliged to fulfill the entire planned daily program”, advises the traveler.
And Makalius also advises not to forget yourself: “The journey is not only a mother’s journey, but also yours, so don’t forget yourself, your wishes and preferences – I recommend you also think about what you yourself want.” It must be fulfilling the wishes of all travelers and adapting to each other, then the trip will be perfect and you will want to go on it together many more times.”
Mothers usually choose warm countries, active people like cruises
“I can assure you that not only my mother, but also the majority of mothers like to go to warm countries. We very often organize such trips to Turkey, Egypt or Greece. More active mothers go on excursions during their rest, but they also have enough time for rest.
Bus trips to near abroad are suitable for those who do not have much time for a trip that can be spent on a long weekend, or who want to test whether such trips are a suitable way for mom to spend her vacation. Here, a Lithuanian-speaking guide travels together, so the mother, who does not speak foreign languages, will not need an interpreter, she will feel much safer and the trip will be much more meaningful. But you don’t need to stress about it when taking care of the travel route, when placing attractions – just follow your guide”, R. Širvinskas mentions the advantages.
Makalius says that he has noticed that active mothers choose cruises and if it seems that there is nothing to do on the ships, that it is boring and that it is a very passive recreation, then you are very wrong: “There is so much entertainment on the ship that you just have time to turn around. And every time you get out, there are even more of them. You want to go, you don’t want to. Complete freedom of choice. My mom and I really like cruises.
The nice thing is that you only need to unpack things once – after boarding the ship, of course, and collect them (smiles). You travel more, you sail through different countries and you don’t have to worry about logistics or carrying things with you. There are a lot of cruise options today, so if you haven’t tried it, it’s definitely worth doing it at least once in your life.
If mom likes to get to know new cities and, again, is active enough, take her to one of the big cities in Europe. You can go on a gourmet trip in Barcelona with your mother. Maybe mom likes fashion – visit museums in Paris or Milan.
Or maybe she likes mountains and their views – go to Madeir. There are also easy trails on the island, suitable for everyone. Amazing Rome is probably the most popular among Makalia travelers! But the great thing is that all the most interesting objects in Rome can be reached on foot, everything is conveniently located. And anyway, all roads lead to Rome, the same applies to mothers, so go ahead and make new discoveries with your dearest person, because when, if not now!”.
