One of my favorite aspects of social media is discovering remarkable people who, against all circumstances, accomplish what most others believe is impossible.
Toni Southam will give us an inside peek at what it’s like to travel the world with four children in this interview. Toni is proof that moms can still be adventurous while working multiple jobs.
Inside Info: I learned about Toni’s adventures while researching my trip to Guatemala back in 2018. Browsing through her Instagram account, I rapidly grew to admire her adventurous spirit, outstanding photographic talents, and desire to travel the world with her children. Toni enjoys the freedom that comes from exploring new areas and meeting new people, while also inspiring other families to do the same.
Tell me something interesting about your family, and where this passion for traveling started?
I grew up road tripping around the United States. My father’s schooling and eventual job moved us far from family for many years. Both my parents come from large families, so driving home for the major holidays made more sense than everyone trying to come out to meet us. Those trips were some of the best memories of my life and are definitely what gave me the travel itch.
How many of your family members are on board with you traveling with 4 kids?
I’m so lucky with how supportive my family is. Of course, they get a little nervous, but overall, they love that we travel and get just as excited about our crazy trips as we do.
What is your favorite kind of travel: independent, all-inclusive resort, cruise, a mix of all? What do you like about it?
I love very off the beaten path kind of trips. I have a passion for experiencing places where the culture has a rich history and it’s still felt today. I find that some of the more “dangerous” countries that everyone is afraid to travel to have been the places I love the most: El Salvador, Egypt, Guatemala, as a few examples. People think we are absolutely nuts visiting these places but I can’t get enough!
I strongly dislike, okay, flat out hate, resorts and that style of travel. I can’t really put my finger on why I hate it so much, but it’s just not my thing. My kids, on the other hand, love them. We spent 5 days in Costa Rica at a resort last year and they could have lived there if it was an option.
How do you decide on a destination? Have you ever had an epic fight over where to go?
We use points and miles to cover the costs of most of our trips, so we pretty much go where the points and miles take us. We tend to stick to traveling to places in the off-season, Iceland in mid-December, Guatemala in the rainy season, etc. because it’s easier to find availability. There are some great benefits of off-season travel, as well, like less tourists and cheaper prices.
I can’t say we have ever even argued over a destination. We are both pretty laid back and down for whatever when it comes to traveling.
When you are hiking up a volcano, for 5-hours in the jungle of Guatemala, how do you keep everything under control?
I don’t! Haha. I have an aversion to trying to control things, and probably to a fault, but also, I just don’t get overly stressed about making sure our trips “flow” and we follow the plan. In fact, I tend to book accommodations just days and even hours before we reach our destination.
What are three items you never leave home without?
Oh boy, this is embarrassing to say, but I always take my nail supplies with me. We are talking e-file (nail drill), acrylic, polish, etc. About every two weeks, we have a lazy rest day where we don’t leave the house and I do my nails. I just can’t give it up.
I always bring a bunch of snacks, as well. There is nothing worse than a bunch of hangry mean kids and we have had some weird situations where we had to go without food for many hours. Everyone was melting down and we were so stressed out. Now I always make sure to have an excess of snacks and food.
Lots of medications are always a must, as well. My son had a dental emergency in Croatia years ago, and because of a series of weird events, it ended up being very complicated to get him the antibiotics and other medications we needed. Now I have a small fear of not being able to get meds, so I just bring them along. This is definitely not the norm; most countries have all the meds you could ever need and more.
What and where is the best food you’ve eaten while traveling?
This is a tough one. I’m a pretty picky eater and not adventurous with food, so I haven’t tried anything too crazy, but as for the best, I think everything we tried in Egypt was amazing. Their falafel is to die for!
What kind of packer are you? carry-on only or everything in sight?
Less is more type. My very first trip I way overpacked and it was an absolute nightmare. Ever since then I try to fit everything in just a carryon. If we are going away for months at a time, I will usually pack one big suitcase with some necessities, but that’s it.
Are there any specific items you suggest packing when traveling with babies?
I’m finally out of this stage in life, but I do feel like I learned some very valuable lessons on how to make traveling with a baby easier. My number one suggestion is to bring a stroller. And believe it or not, the bigger, the better. I would take my gigantic double jogging stroller on all our long trips.
I would actually use it to haul my kid’s car seats and everything else we had to carry. Then I used my baby carrier to carry the youngest. It worked really well. At one point in my life, I was traveling with 3 very heavy car seats. I don’t think it would have been physically possible to travel without a stroller.
To the nervous parents out there wanting to travel with kids but are nervous about it, what would you say to them?
If you can brave the grocery store with your kids, you can travel with them! But seriously, I truly believe that traveling halfway across the world with kids is easier than going grocery shopping with them.
The hardest part is the actual travel, but once you get through the airport and onto the plane, it’s smooth sailing from there. The pros of traveling with your kids more than outweigh the cons. Also, you won’t ever regret showing your kids the world, but there is a good chance you will regret NOT taking it.
Do you have a dream destination you haven’t managed to go to yet?
I really want to get down to the tip of Argentina and Chile and hike around Patagonia. That won’t be for a few years, but hopefully, I can get there soon rather than later. Nepal is also way up there on my bucket list.
Three travel tips that everyone must know?
Learn to travel hack! Use durable luggage. It doesn’t have to cost a fortune, but make sure it can handle a lot. I’ve been stuck with broken roller wheels and it brings a whole new level of complicated to your life.
All you really need is a passport and a credit card when you travel. Don’t worry too much about all the tiny details if it’s going to stress you out and put a damper on your trip.
What are you most excited about right now?
Right now, I’m counting down the days until I can be in warm beautiful Guatemala. We spend a lot of time there each summer; it’s my happy place and I just cannot wait to get back.
Anything else to add?
I think that’s about it. Thanks for this opportunity to do this interview. I love traveling and I love to share our experiences in hopes to inspire others to travel with their kids.
You can follow her adventures on her website or follow her on Instagram account.
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