Munich, Germany

“You’re going to Germany?! With the kids?!” I got this question a lot in the weeks leading up to my family’s big trip to Germany. Having only gone abroad once, when my son was 10 months old, I knew this trip was going to be worlds different. For starters, my daughter was knee deep in toddler tantrums. My son’s needs also came into play; however, I was confident my husband and I could prepare him to have an enjoyable trip without being TOO overwhelmed. As all parents know, a vacation with children is just a trip where you’re parenting in a new place; rest and relaxation are the rare unicorns—hard to find on a family “vacation!” All of these things considered, my husband and I were determined to thoroughly prepare our children so that they could experience a new culture and make valuable memories as a family.

Obviously, things did NOT go as planned. (And we will get to that later.)

However, this trip was a once-in-a-lifetime one that I will never forget. A trip that I feel my family bonded over together. A trip that made us a stronger family. The immense preparation, horrific jet lag, death defying trips on the Autobahn, and miles walked uphill were worth each experience I watched my children have. Core memories were made, and I am forever grateful. 

For any family that has a child with special needs, trips tend to look a bit different. After learning of our son’s Autism diagnosis, my husband and I were determined to continue encouraging him to see the world however we could. Small day trips around our town, a comfortable and familiar place, became the norm. But even that frequency can be a challenge. While apprehensive, when the opportunity arose for us to all go to Germany, we felt that this would be a wonderful experience to help encourage our son, and he was on board to try it out. But we would need to make accommodations so that he was as comfortable as possible. The post COVID world has seen a great deal of people traveling to places they never dreamed of. because we know how the world can turn on a dime. I encourage other families to travel near and far, whenever possible. 

This upcoming 3-part blog post will be my first “Au-Some Destination” post. You will find information on locations that were sensory friendly or easier to navigate for different needs, and ones that I feel other families would benefit from. As I have said before, neurodiversity is everywhere, so let’s embrace it as we travel the world! 

Read Part One and Part Two