A Reflection on Travel and Time

Just yesterday, my family returned from 10 days in New Zealand’s North Island. It’s a trip we were supposed to take in April 2020, but obviously didn’t.

We ended up logging 1,200 miles in our Hyundai Staria van, taking in Rotorua’s geothermal activity, Waitomi’s famous glowworm caves, and the Poor Knights Island marine reserve, among other places, along the way.

New Zealand is stunning — so much green and blue (and cows and sheep). I feel incredibly lucky that we could explore more of this big, beautiful world.

But now that I’ve been home for a day, what’s really sticking with me is this: In New Zealand, I got to know my kids in a completely different way. We were outside our routine, outside the regular hustle, outside all distractions. We were just together, the four of us, pretty much the entire time.

While we were adventuring, I felt more in tune with my kids, more understanding of who they are and who they’re becoming. Now 13 and 11, they are their own people. They still like to play on playgrounds AND they want to hear the latest Dua Lipa song.

As I get older, time seems to pass by more quickly. While there’s scientific evidence for this — as we age, the neural networks in our brains become more complex and extensive, which means that electrical signals have to travel longer distances and the processing of visual information slows down — I can’t help but feel a bit melancholy about my relationship to time.

Maybe that’s why I’m replaying memories from our trip over and over again in my mind today, and why I hope to keep these memories close for a long time to come.

Here’s to fully knowing those closest to us, to finding joy in and with each other. Here’s to adventures of any size, shape, and scale with those we love. Here’s to the passage of time — and to enjoying it.

With love and appreciation,

Sarah

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📚THIS NOVEL IS A MUST-READ

I finally picked up the novel Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow during our trip. And I could not put it down. Written by American author and screenwriter Gabrielle Zevin, this book is SO GOOD. It’s about two childhood friends who become famous video game designers; the plot spans about 30 years. I’m not a gamer, but this book almost makes me want to try gaming (and it definitely brought back memories of playing The Oregon Trail in elementary school). Zevin weaves in literary references from Shakespeare, Homer, and others — and the story captures you by the mind and heart.

🧠CURIOUS ABOUT THE TEEN BRAIN?

I’ve followed artist, filmmaker, and author Tiffany Shlain for several years now, after hearing her speak at a conference. She just released a new film: The Teen Brain. Since I now have a teenager (!), you’d better believe I watched this 10-minute documentary. It’s quick, it’s insightful, and it illuminates that teenagers are emotionally brilliant super-learners with brains that are undergoing rapid and significant remodeling and development. It’s worth a watch — for the teen in your life, too.

🦙I AM OBSESSED WITH COTOPAXI

If you’ve read any of our family travel blogs — our New Zealand blog, our Norway blog, or our Ecuador/Peru blog — then you know we LOVE Cotopaxi. I am wholly obsessed with this company. Now 10 years old, Cotopaxi makes durable gear as ethically and sustainably as possible. A certified B Corporation, the company allocates 1% of its revenue to the Cotopaxi Foundation, which is focused on empowering communities in Latin America.

Besides making great gear and just generally being a good company, Cotopaxi puts its employees first. After 18 months at the company, Cotopaxi employees receive a $1,000 ‘bucket list’ stipend to put toward travel, volunteer trips, and exploration. After five years at the company, employees receive another $5,000 to get outside.

I just can’t get enough Cotopaxi…

💘NONPROFIT LOVE

One of my favorite nonprofits, Mercado Global, turns 20 this year. Two decades ago, as an undergrad at Yale, founder and executive director Ruth Álvarez-DeGolia was working in rural Guatemala, a region that was reeling from civil war, when she met Indigenous women artisans — and saw their ancient Mayan weaving techniques in action. Álvarez De-Golia spent her senior year establishing a start-up fund and set about building a social enterprise that connected the women to the international market on their terms so that they could use the income to change their communities and families’ future. Check out the full story — and go shopping! — here.