Unusual Travel Companions: Why I Travel With My Nephews' Toys! Travel Notes

My nephews and traveling are two of my favorite things, so you can imagine the excitement I felt when they started expressing an interest in my travel adventures. I always send them a postcard and take my time picking out the perfect souvenir to bring home for them. I hope as they get older it will be fun for them to look at all their mementos and postcards from all around the world, and give them an appreciation for different cultures.

Now that they are in school (Richard, 7, and Parker, 5), they have been learning about different states and countries. Whenever I see them, they love to ask me about my latest travels and if I have seen specific landmarks, and they love to see pictures of my trips.

This past May I was getting ready to go to Washington, D.C., and Parker was worried that I would be lonely on the plane, so he and Richard each gave me one of their toys to keep me company. During the flight I had an idea to take pictures of their toys in different places around D.C. Once I landed I put my plan into action; they got a kick out of seeing their toys in front of the White House and all the other monuments.

Now, every time I travel, I pack these two toys in my carry-on bag. My boyfriend and I have a lot fun being creative, finding the perfect photo op for the toys. I’ll admit, sometimes I feel a little silly taking pictures of toys at crowded tourist sites, but seeing my nephews’ faces light up when they see pictures of their toys at a historical landmark or in a foreign country, makes me so happy.

I look forward to the days when I am taking pictures of my nephews instead of their toys, but until then, their toys will travel!

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