My Global Life: How Astrid Vinje Relaunched Her Global Life After Having Kids

Astrid Vinje is the writer and owner of The Wandering Daughter, a blog focusing on approachable family travel. Astrid has traveled to more than 25 countries, and now travels with her husband and kids. Her work can also be found on Pink Pangea, BootsnAll, Wanderlust and Lipstick, and LeafCanoe.

 

Hi Astrid! What does “living a global life” look like for you at this stage in your life?

I am a mother to two young children, and for me, living a global life is making sure that my children are aware of the world that they live in, and what role they play in that world.

How has your global life changed over time?

In the past, I used to focus on traveling as much as I can. Now that I have children, I have to be more thoughtful about the travel I do because it is financially more expensive to travel as a family than traveling solo. Most of my travel is now more locally focused, although we do try and do one big trip each year.

What do you find most fulfilling about living a global life?

One of the best things about creating and living a global life for my kids is seeing how they experience the world. This past summer, we took a trip to Indonesia, and it was interesting to see my kids reacting to all the things we were seeing. We visited beaches, trekked in the jungle to find orangutans, played with sea turtles, visited temples, and tried all sorts of modes of local transportation. To them, the whole trip was one big adventure, and it helped me remember how magical travel can be.

What are some challenges you’ve faced in living a global life?

The biggest challenge in creating and living a global life is being able to financially afford travel as a family. Traveling with kids has required me to rethink what travel, and being globally connected, actually means. I try and teach my kids about other cultures as much as I can, taking them to different cultural festivals or going out to restaurants with cuisines from other countries.

What are your tips for others who want to live a satisfying and meaningful global life?

• If funds are short, try and find ways to stay connected to the global world without having to travel.
• Join a meetup group, or find local groups that are interested in the cultures that you’re interested in.
• Volunteer with local immigrant or refugee populations.
• Use the public library to find foreign films, or borrow books where you can learn another language.
• If you’ve still got the travel bug, consider traveling locally, exploring a nearby city or state.

Thanks for sharing your Global Life story, Astrid!