This week’s traveller of the week is the McCracken family. Leslie and her husband enjoyed many trips abroad together, but were unsure how their kids would react to being away from home. They decided to take their daughters on their first family trip to Seville, Spain. She chats with us about how the trip went and what their kids learned abroad.

3 Questions with Leslie

What inspired you to take this trip?
My husband and I have always loved to travel. We have been abroad a number of times, but never with our three young daughters. Our oldest turned five on the first day of our vacation here in Spain, and our twins are only three years old. It felt like a real risk – a gamble even – to bring them on a trip of this magnitude. Even on the flight over, as I sat flanked by sleeping children, I wondered if I had made a mistake; if they were too young to enjoy an experience like this.

Did your family enjoy the trip?
We are still here. I am typing this from the terrace of our apartment after looking over the pictures from our Flytographer session. They are gorgeous. They capture the fun, the silliness, the exploration. Our girls have thrived here. Our youngest, who can get quite nervous in new settings, is soaring. She is more talkative and excited than I have ever seen her. We have explored castles, narrow roads that seem more like passageways, elaborate gardens, and the many parks that are sprinkled throughout Seville. Their sleeping habits, as expected, took time and patience to adjust to, but this trip has been such a success.

What is your biggest takeaway from this trip?
I’m so grateful we didn’t let fear hold us back. I hear a lot of parents cite this as a reason they don’t travel with their young children. “They won’t remember it, so what’s the point?” they say. I will have these pictures to point to. They may not remember each day, but I believe the joy on our faces that was captured in these photos is imprinted on their hearts. I believe that to share a family value such as travel and new cultures is essential and worthwhile at any age, and I am so thankful for these stunning, candid, beautiful pictures that I will have to show them as proof of this grand adventure for the rest of their lives.

“Yes,” I will say, “we went to Spain when you were little girls. Yes, you loved it, and we loved sharing it with you. Yes, our family experienced this amazing adventure. Together.”

“They may not remember each day, but I believe the joy on our faces that was captured in these photos is imprinted on their hearts.” – Leslie