Italy but with a flight to Malmö, Sweden.

 There are many ways to enjoy a trip, but the most important factor in determining the type of trip is not the destination, season, or cost—it’s the companion. Do you have a travel companion, and if so, who is it? The first factor in deciding on a trip was always about people. When traveling alone, you might stay in a hotel, motel, dormitory, or even sleep outside, but traveling with someone else changes the situation. You can't make kids sleep outdoors or go all day without food. Nowadays, I mostly go on family trips with my elementary and middle school-aged children and my wife. Others may say that traveling alone is more comfortable, but for someone like me, who didn’t have many family trips, I had a long bucket list of things I wanted to do with my family. As the kids grow, there’s also the fun of seeing the trips evolve a bit each time. What we couldn't do last year, we can now enjoy this year!

La nascita di Venere, The Birth of Venus

When you go on family trips, the first limitation that arises is that you can’t walk or use transportation for long periods. Since the kids get tired, we have to take breaks as we go. So instead of walking, we turn to taxis or buses, and if we need frequent transfers, we take a train, or if we want to go faster, we choose a flight. And spending all day on transportation is challenging for them. This restricts travel distances to within four or five hours. Not to mention, there tends to be a lot of luggage for the kids.

Eating on time is also a must. If we don’t eat, everyone gets exhausted and worn out. So, meals and snacks at the right times and places become essential. I, too, realized that my mood drops quickly when my blood sugar is low, so I've become more attentive to food.

Finally, we can’t just choose any place to sleep. Just because a place is affordable doesn’t mean it’s a good value. You have to consider if there are stores and restaurants nearby, if it’s in a safe area, and if it's convenient to get to attractions. Even if it’s cheap, if other factors don’t match, you end up spending more on travel. Staying in a central area with as many amenities nearby as possible was key.

With all these limitations, you might end up choosing a resort. However, if you turn these constraints into a pattern, planning becomes much easier. That’s how it was for our recent trip to Istanbul. We booked accommodation in the city center to minimize travel distances, avoided moving to other cities, and took care of meals nearby!

But this trip to Italy is closer to an adventure. Traveling with Professor Kim’s family means our group has grown to seven people. People’s preferences vary, so while it’s more enjoyable together, there are more factors to consider.

Going to Italy’s cathedrals and museums, places layered with ancient history, ultimately means deciding to do a lot of walking. A walking tour with two elementary students and a middle schooler.

On the flight heading to Malmö

However, this trip didn’t start in Italy but with a flight to Malmö, Sweden.