by Mary C Gesteland

Created on: March 01, 2009

I traveled alone all over the world with my four boys. When my eldest son was four and the second was two, twin boys came along. Our first trip together was eighteen months later.

At that time, when we traveled by air on home leave, we couldn't push a stroller on board, so I carried one twin in each arm. The eldest boy took our tickets and checked in. And when we reached our destination, he and his brother pulled our luggage off the rack and stacked the suitcases on a cart. I held the twins and directed the other two as much as I could. However, they learned how to take care of each other very early in their travels.

I went on a tour of Europe when the little ones were three and the elder two were five and seven. The next year we did our first of four trips around the world. We never took any suitcases on these trips. Each boy carried his own backpack, which weighed from three to five pounds, depending on the age of the child. We had a rule; if you bought a book, a souvenir, or a toy, you had to carry it. So they were content with one book each and maybe a small light fuzzy bear to sleep with. If they wanted to buy a new book, we sent the beloved old one back home or the one, not so beloved, they donated to the bed and breakfast we stayed in, or to whoever came after them on the train.

How did we keep their backpacks so light? In the summer the boys carried two short-sleeved t-shirts, 1 pair of shorts, one long pants or jeans (their choice), a sweater, three pairs of underpants, three pairs of socks, one swimsuit, one pajama, a hat for the beach and one pair of flip flops. They wore a t-shirt, shorts and tennis shoes with socks,or sturdy sandals if it was hot, and the jeans and sweater if the weather was chilly or rainy. They also had a toothbrush and a small tube of toothpaste.

In the winter, we traveled less often. But when we did, we dropped the shorts and short-sleeved t-shirts and took one more pair of jeans, two long-sleeved t-shirts, a sweater and sweatshirt. One pair of tennis shoes was added. We wore a coat, hat, gloves, boots, a pair of jeans, one long sleeved t-shirt and a sweatshirt.

We didn't carry rain gear. So when it rained, we would pop into a cafe or a store with games and enjoy.

If we stayed with friends, we washed our clothes once every two days. If we stayed in a hotel, we lined up and washed out our underwear and socks daily.

I was always concerned about saving money. I enjoyed these trips and wanted to take as many as I could. So when possible, we stayed in a bed and breakfast, with a sink in our room and the toilet down the hall. Whatever we didn't eat at breakfast, I wrapped up for the day. We had one good meal at a bistro, trattoria or family restaurant. I avoided fast food places, though once every couple of weeks, I might give in. For the other meal we went to a grocery store and bought sandwich makings, fruit and raw veggies. Everyday we had a picnic.

Each day we studied the places we wanted to see. Each boy picked one place and then I had a choice. Sometimes we saw all five, but often it would take us a couple of days. They would find my choice pretty boring, but since I suffered going to their choices without complaint, they suffered mine.

Four boys can be rambunctious. Their most favorite sport was wrestling with each other. So in order to keep a ceiling on their energy, we did a run before breakfast and another one before we went back for bedtime. We walked and walked all day. Some days we would go to the beach, but mostly we saw sights and met people. By the time we washed out our clothes, had a late dinner, the boys and I were ready for bed. All in all, we have some great memories.

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