They want to go to New York City. Not museums. Not a festival of some kind. Not a show. Not a historic tour. They wanted to go to the New York City that existed in their mind, and I knew that meant Times Square. The New York that they would recognize from movies. And, more importantly, the New York that all their friends would recognize in the pictures they were sure to post on social media.
One of my favorite aspects of traveling is sharing places I love with people who haven’t previously experienced those places. One of my favorite aspects of working in education is the opportunity to expand my students’ worldview and provide them with new experiences. When I have the chance to combine these two activities, the joy I feel is multiplied.
Traveling to a new place and having all new experiences is one of our favorite things, but returning to a place with some familiarity is pretty great, too. Going away from normal life will always have great benefits for mental health and family bonding, but what is so great about returning to the same place?
We can’t always go to a new place, although I often wish that was always possible, so here are some tips for how to make a usual stop feel like a completely new adventure!