If Youve A Pack Of Snacks To Munch On, You Know What Its Like To Travel With Parents In Your 20s

20's sounds very cool. It feels like it's the decade of opportunities and chances and more. For travelers like me, it meant exploring more in my way, finding new cuisines, and trying to meet more people.

But as a desi kid, travel for me is not packing my bags and setting off on an adventure. It also means 'family vacations'. I think it's the one thing that all of us can relate to, that no matter how much we love our family, vacations like this cause just as much stress as it does joy.

In my case, I find it relatively easier to travel with my mom instead of the whole family. Yes, my mom and I may not agree on some things but ultimately - she likes to explore and is excited to be somewhere. Versus my father and my brother who may not show excitement to anything beyond great room service.

A lot of us who were earlier only traveling solo till recently, have moved back home and hence, taking parents on vacations is inevitable. So while I did manage to travel on my own in my 20's I also spent time traveling with my parents and there are certain tips that I am sharing here not only taking insights from my own experience but also got a couple of my fellow Tripoto family members to help me out:

1. Pack snacks

Our parents may love food just as much we do. But they might not be as enthusiastic to wait in line to try a specific dish at some specific food joint. Or care much about local food. So if you are not too happy with their choice of meals while on a vacay and you cannot find time to do something yourself - pack snacks that might satisfy your cravings in the interim. And these snacks come in handy even when your parents do not find the exact 'ghar ka khaana' somewhere.

Krutarth says, "My dad needs roti sabji dal rice in meals and it is not possible every time. I started trying local cuisines only when I traveled on my own, until then food exploration was quite restricted. But what we did till then? We visited multi-cuisine restaurants where you got everything. Win-Win"

Me? Well, I once made my mother walk for about 40 minutes in Hanoi to find a specific local joint to eat rice paper crepes. Yes, there were others around me but I wanted that because I had read about it. I have never dared to try anything like that ever again because guess what guys - Desi moms do not shy away from scolding in public.

Photo of If You've A Pack Of Snacks To Munch On, You Know What It's Like To Travel With Parents In Your 20s! 1/3 by Yashodhara Roy — Tip: When you make travel plans around local food remember to feed the mother her favourite foods first... Here is my cute little mom munching on the one thing she knows she will like... French Fries in Vietnam!

2. Off-beat shouldn't be too off-route

We may love that boutique hotel in the middle of nowhere or a special hideaway tucked away from the crowds. But it doesn't mean that our parents might like it too. Yes, in some cases if we plan the logistics well in advance it should be manageable but you may still hear about how easier it would have been to be closer to the main town/market or 'everybody stays here only'.... Sounds familiar?

3. Do not underestimate 'Jugaad'

My dad always travels with a small electric kettle so that no matter where he is - he can have his black tea without sugar, without milk - just the way he likes. Until recently, I found that wasteful and extra luggage but in our last family trip to Kashmir, where all of us in Pahalgam were shivering and had no access to hot water - my dad was not fretting at all. While the rest of us went scampering about begging the caretaker to help us with some hot water to wash our faces - my father had already used his kettle to freshen up and brew his tea.

Photo of If You've A Pack Of Snacks To Munch On, You Know What It's Like To Travel With Parents In Your 20s! 2/3 by Yashodhara Roy — The 'Kangdi' the bowl of coal that was our saving grace in the chilled Kashmiri air while my father had hot tea

4. Next time your dad decides to 'explore' in the wrong places, join him

Karishma told me that her father always decides to venture out every time they are traveling by train and at every stop. It felt like déjà vu when she told me this story. Dad going to explore, mom panicking where dad is and I realized it's one of those scenarios that can be a potential Indian stereotype.

"I’ll never forget the time when my father HAD to get the specific vada Pav from Pune station and the train had started running while wasn’t onboard yet. After causing lot of panic between the family we see him coming over. He had gotten in from another coach and we all just heaved a sigh of relief 😂" - Karishma.

Has this happened with you?

5. Don't expect Insta-worthy photos

I admit, a lot of my own photos have been taken by my mom. But that doesn't mean we get lucky every time. The average desi parent is probably more like my dad who is always enthusiastic to take photos but not actually know how to! Thankfully we live in a digital world where 1000 takes are possible and there's a 'bulk delete' option, but I remember as a kid getting the camera rolls developed with much excitement to only see photographs where some body part was cut off!

Tip: Start getting them to practice while at home and keep prepping for the trip. Show them the 'frame' for your perfect shot and give it to them, show them where the finger covers the lens. Maybe they'll have a hang of it before your journey begins!