Raising Tiny Nomad: Inspiring a Love for Travel and Culture

Traveling provides an excellent opportunity to observe interpersonal relationships. This time, we embarked on a journey in the company of Germans. The ship was German, a significant portion of the staff was German, and all the information was provided exclusively in German. There were several hundred passengers, mostly Germans, with the exception of our small group. Among them were several families with children ranging from 13 months to teenage years. The Kids Club accepted children from 3 years old, and our fellow passengers followed this pattern precisely. Up until the age of 3, family vacations with the child, and then the child would spend the entire day with caregivers while the parents operated on their own schedule. Of course, on one hand, there was envy... lounging, sunshine, interesting reading material, but on the other hand, observing these same families in the evening in shared spaces. Children aged 6-7 sitting silently at the table with their parents, who didn't have...

After 18 hours of sailing, we arrived in the capital of the United Arab Emirates. The weather was very windy, significantly cooler than in India, but of course, Pia didn't hesitate to jump into the pool with icy water (according to Dad's opinion). I must admit that I didn't dare to even dip my feet. The Germans, bravely occupying the sun loungers reserved early in the morning, wrapped in sweaters and jackets, were quite shocked, but well, Pia has her priorities. However, the water was cold enough that after 10 minutes, the little one decided to bid farewell to the pool and, slightly chilled, threw herself into the "ever-reliable comforter" that is a remedy for any discomfort. After a short nap, we went for an evening trip to the capital of the UAE. The city made a very good impression on us, which was confirmed during a more thorough exploration the next day. Abu Dhabi is a beautifully located, spacious, and modern city - completely different from Dubai. It resem...

Early in the morning, we arrived in Muscat. We were greeted by pleasant weather and very friendly and polite Omanis at the port. Undoubtedly, of all Arabs, the inhabitants of this mountainous country are the friendliest. Our little one is an excellent barometer of human behavior. Among people who look very similar to us, Pia generally felt uncomfortable, but in the presence of dark-skinned men dressed in white robes and colorful head coverings, the little Traveler behaved as if among close friends. Maybe those are some echoes from the times of traveling in mommy's belly. In the fourth month of pregnancy, we spent some time in the charming Al Bustan palace, which we decided to visit again this time. Our plan was to have lunch and then spend a few hours splashing around in both the sea and the spacious pools. However, Pia had completely different plans. Immediately upon reaching the beach, she started undressing and dragging Robert into the water. Nothing could convince her to chang...

The next day we arrived in Goa. Robert organized a decent bus, and we set off together on a long journey to the "elephant camp." It was nearly a two-hour journey, but it was definitely worth it. Pia approached the walk on the back of a friendly elephant with some reservation. It was quite a challenging experience for me because I had to hold onto the saddle with one hand and secure our little one with the other, who decided to get off the animal towards the end of the walk. However, the bath in the streams of water from the elephant trunk went much better. Pia was the first to change into her swimsuit and was immediately ready for a bath with "tratata" (elephant in Pia's language). The fun was fantastic. Pia enjoyed the bath together with Robert, Wiesia, and Kaja... and of course, she constantly wanted to be splashed with very cold water. After playing and taking photos with the elephants, we went to the most beautiful and cleanest beach in Goa. Indeed, it was a...

Assessing India through the lens of Mumbai is unequivocally misleading. After a 36-hour voyage, we arrived in New Mangalore. Robert, based on previous experiences, was skeptical about disembarking. However, the decision was made by Pia, who woke up unusually early, and we somehow didn't have a pretext to refuse. After leaving the port and engaging in tumultuous negotiations, we rented two large SUVs and set off to explore the next destination. What awaited us turned out to be a complete surprise. There was no intrusive behavior, plenty of Catholic churches, religious individuals, and some tuk-tuks with inscriptions like "Baby Jesus." People were smiling, very friendly, and there was no military or police presence—typical exotic idyll, coupled with European-level shopping opportunities. The City Center Mall could easily be transported to a large Polish city. After a short shopping stroll during which we managed to buy lovely saris for Pia, a few toys, and, obligatory, two ...