"Carry your own luggage and pack light" were the final instructions I gave my two oldest children, ages 15 and 12, before we boarded a Lufthansa flight direct from Boston to Italy, with additional stops in Greece and Turkey.

This is my kids' third trip to Europe, so they have become used to the protocol. "Don't ask for souvenirs, $5.00 soft drinks are off limits and plan on doing plenty of walking" I warn them. Most of all "keep your eyes open, soak it in and enjoy the splendor of what the world has to offer."

I believe that one of the most important things you can do for your children is to expose them to cultures and different societies early in their lives. Giving children a vision of the world from an entirely different perspective helps build tolerance and understanding, a key ingredient in raising successful children.

Even with high-speed technology, many children grow up believing that life only exists around a limited ten mile radius in which they live and attend school. A knowledge of geography and history, and a vision of humanity, is limited and tends to be swayed by the opportunities that surround them.

A child's vision is expanded when they are able to make a connection to the things they study and read within the world around them. I believe that seeing really is believing.

Traveling and experiencing cultures, extinct and modern, provide an excellent base for teaching life lessons.

In Ephesus, Turkey, my son Chase touches the base of an ancient Doric column which once housed a huge Ephesian modern library. The Ephesians were a civilization that were eventually wiped out and are now completely nonexistent in young minds. The only thing that remains are acres of extensive ruins that define a complex period of time. In one afternoon, so many lessons from architecture to medicine can be taught right on location.

With a stop in Istanbul, we quickly discover that the media has created an image of Muslim families that is inconsistent with what we find. Families shuffle to and from the Grand Bazaar helping one another and treating each other and treating us with kindness and respect.

American children have been raised in fear towards certain groups of people and have learned to generalize complete societies into a single dangerous extremist group. This stop provides an outstanding opportunity for my children to understand that most people in the world want the same things - a family, a good job and love. The children were able to develop a sense of tolerance and understanding that CNN and You Tube don't always offer them.

Moving on, as we shuffle through Florence, we learn important lessons about Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. Each great figure learned to work hard and complete the tasks that were given them despite tremendous challenges. Understanding the stories behind these Great Masters helps us to appreciate their remarkable art and sculptures to the fullest. We learn lessons that we can apply to our own lives such as hard work, goal setting, and obtaining the most education that you can. Upon arrival at the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel ceiling takes on a whole new meaning as we understand at what toil and cost Michelangelo personally paid to paint this masterpiece.

Once we return home the learning doesn't have to stop. The great thing about living in New Hampshire is that you don't have to travel far or even out of our region to discover so many things about the past which helps define our future.

An afternoon trip to visit Minuteman Park in Concord, Massachusetts can provide the framework for more independent thinking as young minds explore the roots of our nation's very foundation.

If you set the education aside, the most important thing about traveling and exploring with kids is the emotional connection you make with your children. I love to just spend uninterrupted time with my kids without having to shout - "Did you finish your homework?" or "Clean your room."

The memories of the food, foreign languages, people, and places are captured in 1500 photographs which becomes a priceless scrapbook waiting to be reviewed – over and over again. The entire experience becomes priceless.

We return home, unpack, wait a few weeks and start dreaming about where we are going to go next year. The planning is half of the fun.

And it starts all over…

Angela Hughes, while meeting the demands of her four children has worked as an adjunct professor at Brigham Young University and New Hampshire Technical Institute. She is the founder and chairman of Color My World: Kids Who Care, a non-profit humanitarian organization. (www.colormyworldkids.org). Angela is the co-owner of Trips Inc. Travel Agency specializing in cruises and tours. Contact her at mailto:angela@tripsandships.com

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