I’ve traveled to more than 70 countries. Each one helped prepare me for motherhood in a unique way.
In a heartfelt reflection, Jennica Peterson draws parallels between her extensive travels across over 70 countries and her journey through motherhood, highlighting the shared themes of adventure, courage, and adaptability inherent in both experiences. From bathing elephants in Nepal to tussling with monkeys over pancakes in Guatemala, her travel experiences have profoundly shaped her approach to parenting. Peterson asserts that the challenges and joys of motherhood mirror the unpredictability of adventure travel, where moments of chaos and beauty coexist. Just as she has navigated the complexities of different cultures and landscapes, she finds herself navigating the equally vast and sometimes tumultuous landscape of raising her daughter.
Peterson vividly recalls the early days of motherhood, likening them to her experiences in bustling cities like Kolkata, where she was confronted with both stark poverty and incredible beauty. This sense of overwhelming emotion—fear, wonder, and excitement—was not unfamiliar to her as she transitioned from a seasoned traveler to a mother. As her daughter grew, Peterson embraced the role of a “pint-sized travel partner,” transforming mundane activities into grand adventures. Simple outings became opportunities for exploration, with ladybug hunts and zoo trips reimagined as safaris and rainforest hikes. This fresh perspective not only enriched her daughter’s upbringing but also rekindled Peterson’s own sense of wonder and curiosity about the world.
Now, as her daughter enters her teenage years, Peterson reflects on how these early experiences have cultivated a traveler’s mindset in her child—one characterized by courage, curiosity, and kindness. She emphasizes that, much like in travel, there are no definitive grades in motherhood; both journeys are filled with mistakes and learning opportunities. Ultimately, Peterson’s narrative is a celebration of the adventure that is motherhood, suggesting that the skills gained through travel—resilience, adaptability, and an openness to new experiences—are invaluable in navigating the unpredictable terrain of parenting. Through her words, she encourages fellow mothers to embrace their unique journeys, recognizing that every day can be an adventure, regardless of the destination.
The author and her daughter on the shore of Lake Powell in 2017.
Courtesy of Jennica Peterson
I spent many years traveling the globe and have been to more than 70 countries.
Experiences with wildlife and diverse cultures inspired have inspired my approach to parenting.
Motherhood, like adventure travel, requires courage, adaptability, and a sense of wonder.
I’ve
given baths to elephants
in Nepal, played tug-o-war over pancakes with a monkey in Guatemala, and spent sleepless nights on roach-infested buses through Brazil.
I’ve been humbled, amazed, and
tested on my travels
, at times wishing I could just go home and other times feeling more alive and overjoyed than ever before — kind of like a day in the life of a mom. After all, if you are a mother, perhaps you, too, have bathed an unwieldy, toddler-sized elephant, tussled with tiny monkeys over pancakes, and had your share of brutal sleepless nights.
In my mind, moms and other dedicated caregivers are true adventure travelers, even if they barely leave their neighborhood. I should know. Over the last 27 years, I’ve
traveled through
more than 70 countries across five continents, and motherhood is the wildest, most wondrous adventure I’ve ever known.
The author and her husband while traveling in Nepal in 2003.
Courtesy of Jennica Peterson
I gained inspiration from gorillas
Before I had my daughter, I worked seasonal jobs in ski towns and
national parks
to save up for months-long backpacking trips all over the world. This itinerant life led me to a career as a writer and editor for national travel magazines.
The author said that working at TK gorilla mama and twins in Rwanda in 2012. Mom’s name is Kabatwa and twins are Isangano (meeting place) and Isango (appointment).
Courtesy of Jennica Peterson
Then, the
once-in-a-lifetime chance
to see a wild mountain gorilla mama and her twins in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park inspired me to want a different, deeply primal adventure — something that I couldn’t get to on a plane, bus, or train. Instead, I longed for the meaningful, internal exploration of life as a parent.
Good thing my husband, Mike, was also up for the trip.
There are overlaps between adventure travel and life with a baby
The first days after my daughter came home from the hospital, the experience of early motherhood felt familiar, but only because I’d been that bleary-eyed, overwhelmed, and at the same time absolutely enthralled before — in India. Riding an old-fashioned
yellow taxi through Kolkata
on our first day there had exposed me within minutes to more desperate poverty than I’d ever seen, but also more beauty, humanity, and the mind-blowing knowledge that this other, intense way of living went on every day, all the time, despite my ignorance of it. So goes life with a newborn.
The author at Chichén Itzá in Mexico in 1999.
Courtesy of Jennica Peterson
As I navigated those
first months of motherhood
, I felt the same sense of adventure, fear, wonder, and excitement I had while traveling alone to the Mayan ruins in Mexico, whitewater rafting amid crocodiles in Zimbabwe, and climbing the cable ladder up Half Dome in Yosemite. It took the same kind of courage and tenacity to get through it as well.
But the fierce love I felt for my baby journeyed beyond any place in my heart I’d ever known.
My new travel partner helps me see life with fresh eyes
By the time my daughter was a toddler, I’d come to see her as my
pint-sized travel partner
, transforming everyday events into fresh adventures.
Hunts for ladybugs and snails were our safaris. Chats with the diverse crew of nannies and parents at a local park became intercultural exchanges. Trips to the zoo were rainforest hikes, filled with macaws and monkeys. Wherever we went, she helped me explore the world anew through her eyes.
Along the way, when things fell apart or I felt like a failure, I remembered how many times I felt the same way on my global journeys.
There is no way to get an “A” grade in motherhood, just as there is no way to ace traveling through a complex, unfamiliar place. You will get lost and make mistakes. You will also depend on the generosity of strangers and the friendship of fellow travelers or other parents traveling through their own wild, amazing, unmapped terrain. You can only do your best, guided by your own internal compass.
Now that my daughter is 12, it’s clear to me she already possesses a traveler’s mindset of courage, curiosity, flexibility, and kindness. Wherever life takes her, she’ll be ready for the adventure.
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