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My teenager doesn't like to travel to 'FOREIGN' places!

Yes it's true. I've offered to take my 16 year old away for a few weeks over the Christmas holidays and suggested a couple places that have everything I want and everything she likes, (shopping, restaurants, music etc..) and she told me, "mom, I just don't like to go to foreign places". Hmmmmm. I'm quite certain she was switched at birth.

Fine, so I asked that she give me some suggestions of places to go. Is it mean of me to tell her we're NOT going to Florida? She did however come up with some cool suggestions that are WAY out of my budget right now, like NYC, Paris (to see Jim Morrison's grave, ya she's a rocker chic at heart), Whistler BC (ummm we don't ski and I HATE SNOW).

So what to do. Take her to the airport and drag her on the on the flight Guatemala City? Or tell her that San Jose is really the name of the airport in Orlando? I wonder if I'd get nabbed for kidnapping? haha. I even bought her a really cool red backpack from MEC.

On the bright side of things I won't spend my travels shooing guys away from her if I leave her here with my mom. But as a parent I really want to expose her to other cultures and ways of life. I think it's the language barrier in part that intimidates her.

What to do? Oh what to do?

By babygirl on Sep 25, 2008, 22:34 in Travel with kids forum.

Peter (Moderator) (Trustee board) (Dev team) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Sep 26, 2008, 03:47:

Most likely switched at birth, yes :)

It does sound like she's cool (if she wants to see Jim Morrison's grave), so I'm sure you can find a place.

You know what: why don't you just tell her: we're going to Guatemala city. Don't ask her if she likes it or not. And plan some really cool activities. I'm sure she'll enjoy it. Or maybe I'm underestimating teenagers - my daughter is only 1 year old :)

Poor but snappy

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Peter (Moderator) (Trustee board) (Dev team) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Sep 26, 2008, 03:54:

Or, give her 3 places, give her a travelguide of those places from the library (so she can get inspired), and ask her to pick one tonight and tell you tomorrow.

Poor but snappy

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Peter (Moderator) (Trustee board) (Dev team) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Sep 26, 2008, 03:55:

If she feels intimidated, take her. She'll get over it, and it'll be good for her. Go to some nice beach for the first week, with lots of hot guys ;) (or not)

Poor but snappy

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kat1 (Moderator) (Trustee board) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Sep 26, 2008, 06:51:

A teenager can be difficult and at that age you really have to choose the right place otherwise they will be put off forever, what does she likes? apart from Morrison graves. ( btw reminds me my daughter who is also 16, she just told me she wants to go to America to see Kurt Cobains grave) why oh why...

does she likes the beach, Mexico have great beaches and is not that far, Cancun also can be nice, or another Caribbean island, at least those places are a bit similar to Florida and will help her to step out of the country, maybe she enjoys and next time will like to go a bit further and adventurous

can you get some brochures from different places and show her?

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babygirl says on Sep 30, 2008, 15:18:

Well we still haven't booked anything. I might have to spend our vacation savings dental work God Damn It! Man it sucks being contract, well at least for the lack of dental benefits.

I actually had her talked in to trying some backpacking with me. We did a little stint of hosteling when she was 11, here in Canada and she loved it! She was thrilled to meet people from around the world. I remembered, and reminded her of that.

We will see what happens!

"Are you too good for your home?", Happy Gilmore.Canadian Girls Kick Ass!

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Peter (Moderator) (Trustee board) (Dev team) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Oct 1, 2008, 04:47:

Let us know, you got me curious now. Yea, I imagine meeting people from all over should be fun, even for a teenager!

Poor but snappy

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august says on Oct 7, 2008, 22:55:

I'm not sure if I'm too late on this post, but I'm trying to think back to how my parents got me on the "exotic" traveling tip. When I was younger, my mom and dad made my sister and I go backpacking around Europe with them. We took some trips to Mexico, but most traveling was in more developed countries. Europe's expensive sure, but maybe the key is to start easy on your daughter. As I got older I naturally wanted to rebel against the parents a bit and seek new horizons on my own, so that's when I sort of built on what they established and leaped from there into the so-called developing world (although I of course had to re-visit Amsterdam sans parents once I was older). I remembered all the tricks they had taught me and just kind of took it to the next level. So maybe what I'm trying to say is, don't worry about making your daughter instantly appreciate foreign countries where people use sling shots to take iguanas out of trees for lunch (Guatemala) - she'll probably get there on her own, just give her a start.

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babygirl says on Oct 9, 2008, 19:55:

Thanks guys. We've done the shee-shee resorts, she's been on a cruise. We'll see how things turn out. :)

"Are you too good for your home?", Happy Gilmore.Canadian Girls Kick Ass!

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babygirl says on Oct 23, 2008, 09:35:

Wooohoooo! Colombia wins! GOD I'm so excited to go back. Just booked our flights Dec 22 - Jan 9th! I'm so stoked. We'll do a combo of hostals and hotel. Might hit up a Decameron for a couple days too as a treat. We'll see how the budget stretches. She's excited to see the cute guy from Bogota she met when we were in Panama again, so that's a bonus. His family has offered numerous times for us to stay with them in Bogota, I'm not too sure how I feel about that though. I'm always awkward staying with people but I don't want to insult them either.

Time to update my travel blog.

"Are you too good for your home?", Happy Gilmore.Canadian Girls Kick Ass!

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drvannostren says on Nov 2, 2008, 00:43:

Wow sounds like a cool-ass mom to me, I've done some travelling with my mom, and luckily she has money haha, she pays for the hotels and the stuff I'd never treat myself too cuz their too damned expensive. I find it hard to believe anyone doesn't really want to travel, but it sounds like she's there, but not quite there. I'm sure easier said than done, but you just gotta appeal to her sense of fun. Maybe see how she feels about some latin music, or just throw some spanish at her from time to time, i love the language, and if she already speaks any french it makes it that much easier!

No matter where you go, the Korean tour bus isn't far behind.

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babygirl says on Nov 30, 2008, 20:29:

Hmmmm well, after all this (booked a gosh darn flight for us both) she's decided she wants to stay home with her dad for the holidays.

Well, at least I get a credit for her flight and it looks like I'm off on another solo mission.

"Are you too good for your home?", Happy Gilmore.Canadian Girls Kick Ass!

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