Unexpected Highlights
These unplanned, unprompted, and unexpected highlights from a trip are simply small moments that tickle a child’s brain in some way and leave a lasting impression.
We’ve all been there. You’ve envisioned how a trip would go and what would amaze and delight your children. The magic of the Eiffel Tower sparkling at night. The immense power of Niagara Falls. The thrill of exploring a coral reef with a snorkel for the first time. And yet, when you ask your kid to recount their top memories, often times what sticks out the most to them aren’t these grand places, but rather more mundane (in our minds, at least!) or ordinary things. These unexpected highlights from a trip are simply small moments that tickle their brains in some way and leave a lasting impression.
On one particularly hectic travel day last summer, we were visiting Kravica Falls in Bosnia and Herzegovina before crossing the border back into Croatia to drive south to Dubrovnik. It was a long day, but the highlight was supposed to be these waterfalls where we would swim in the emerald waters surrounded by lush nature. My kids were excited, and I was certain this memory of swimming in the Bosnian waterfalls would become a top trip moment.
On the drive through the mountains to Dubrovnik, however, our little rental car was stopped, literally, by something apparently more impressive. An unattended herd of cattle just waltzed along and stopped in the middle of the road. We were stuck. Not wanting to risk damage to the rental car, my husband wisely decided we needed to wait them out. Our wimpy rental car horn did nothing to persuade the cattle from moving along. Yet while Mom and Dad were frustrated (“We’ll be so late to check in! What about dinner plans? Why won’t they MOVE?!”), our children were utterly fascinated and entertained. These lazy mountain cows didn’t care one bit about us and had zero intention of getting a move on. There were so many jokes made and at many points my kids were in fits of laughter, especially as my husband’s annoyance grew at the wayward Balkan bovine.
When we reminisce on that trip, there are many moments that are “top” memories for the kids, but what always sets off the giggles is when someone says, “But remember THOSE COWS?!” A seemingly insignificant, and certainly unplanned interaction became an unexpected highlight of the trip. You just never know what will stick out in a child’s mind!