Hi UK Mom - Thanks for your insight. Are you American, by the way? I'm assuming yes.
Yeah, you've hit the nail on the head for at least a chunk of this -- travel-wise. I think if we move, we may be here through the summer and can enjoy a bunch of trips while here. I have to tell you though that we haven't visited nearly as many places in the States as we have around the world.
My children are small so I'm not sure what worldly experience they'll be missing out on here vs. there. Do you think it's the people you met that gave your kids more of a world view? or the places you traveled to? or something else?
I'm American, yes.
And you're right, your children are small so it's all the same to them. Which can make it easier to move!
I loved that my kids got to see history. It's REAL to them, not just a dusty history book. When my daughter and I talked about England being bombed in WWII, she asked if the Nazis drove through the tunnel "like we did" or if they flew over.
They've stood behind the darkened windows of Anne Frank's house. They've seen just what Pompeii was. And equally important, they've learned that kids in other countries speak different languages and have very different customs, but they still have a lot in common with them. I will never forget my kids waking up in a hotel in Budapest, turning on the TV to find their favorite cartoon Timothy Goes to School, and my five year old daughter "translating" the Hungarian dialogue word for word.
They've been able to make (temporary) friends with kids in at least a dozen European countries when we've traveled. I want them to grow up with that open perspective about the rest of the world too. We parents CAN make this a priority. But seeing the world seems to be a much easier thing to do (both in attitude and logistics) from England than the US.
My daughters were the only Americans in their schools. They know now that it's ok to be the "different" one. They had a blast teaching their friends about American things and learning about British stuff in return. Their experience gave them a lot of confidence when they started their classes in the US.
My kids have been to more countries than they have US states. Now that we're back in the US, I do want to rectify this. Of course there is a huge amount of history and culture that they can learn about in our own country and I think it's very important that they get that chance.
