Birthday Trips
From frosted cakes illuminated by colorful candles to family & friends enthusiastically singing the “Happy Birthday” song, birthdays are fueled by traditions. Yet, birthdays do more than simply mark the passing of time, from one year to the next. They help to reinforce our identity, through repeated meaningful experiences. The message sent reminds us that we are loved. Research in developmental psychology shows that when we intentionally celebrate a child's birthday, year after year, these experiences become part of their autobiographical memory, which becomes part of their personal story.
My parents definitely thought outside the box when they first began our family tradition of Birthday Trips. At the time, we were stationed in Germany. I had just turned six years old, when my parents decided to take me to the Netherlands for a belated birthday trip. Even at such a young age, I felt like I was part of an incredible adventure as we camped among the pristine sand dunes of the North Sea. I was as mesmerized by the creative floral displays in Keukenhof as I was in awe by the working windmills we toured in Kinderdijk.
While this wasn’t a traditional birthday celebration for a 6 year old, it was far better than anything I could’ve imagined. For each of the 9 years that we were stationed in Germany, my parents continued the tradition of taking me to the Netherlands for my birthday. During that time, we explored as much as we could of this beautiful country. Some of our highlights were the miniature city of Madurodam, Amersterdam, including the hiding place of Anne Frank, the historic Dutch village of Volendam, as well as Rotterdam and The Hague.
As a child, this annual tradition became part of my personal story.
It became part of who I am.
When my husband and I began a family of our own, more than 25 years ago, there was no doubt that Birthday Trips would be an integral part of our family traditions. Each year, my husband and I would ask our three children where they wanted to go for their special day. Like my younger self, our children eagerly anticipated their birthday trips as much as they anticipated the birthday itself. Months before their big day, our children would plan out the details of their birthday trip, based on their passions and interests, at the time.
When our daughter was turning 5, we decided to surprise her with a birthday trip that was truly based on her interests. Like most little girls at that age, she was fascinated by horses, so we arranged for our daughter to have a series of horseback-riding lessons. This was a little out of the norm from our traditional birthday trips, it was something that meant the world to her.
As a boy, our youngest son was drawn to military history. So, for his 10th birthday, he chose to visit Arlington National Cemetery, which was about 2 hours from our home. Cemeteries aren’t a typical location for a birthday celebration , but that’s exactly what made this one so memorable. It was a sobering experience for our family. As a parent, it was humbling to watch our children come to terms with the reverence they felt as they walked those hallowed grounds.
From early on, our oldest was fascinated by the story of Henry Ford and the concept of the modern assembly line. For his 8th birthday, he chose to visit the Ford Rouge Factory Tour in Michigan. This was a much greater distance to travel than our previous birthday destinations, but it was so worth it! With incredible interactive experiences, this trip helped our children better understand the process involved in assembling today’s vehicles.
Over the years, this tradition has strengthened the bonds within our family, as we ventured off to “destinations unknown”. Along the way, these meaningful experiences helped to reinforce our children's identity, while being a consistent reminder that they are loved.
Like my younger self, this annual tradition became part of their personal stories.
It became part of who they are.
