It can be tricky to find someone you can travel with harmoniously. However, one mother and daughter from the San Francisco Bay Area feel lucky to call each other their perfect travel companion. They have been traveling together for over 20 years now. Although they are currently grounded due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they aspire to inspire other parents and children to experience the joy of travel together in the future.
Maxine DeCook (74) is a retired middle school teacher and currently a private tutor specializing in writing support. Her daughter Laura (42) works for a travel technology company as the mental health lead and usually generates the ideas for their travels. “We’re both single women who traverse the world together,” shares Laura. “I cherished our first trip, when Mom visited me in Australia during my semester abroad in college.”
Laura states, “Mom has always been a delightful blend of motherly affection and a sense of adventure.” While they occasionally bicker when tired, they quickly resolve their differences after a restful sleep or a good cup of coffee.
Laura excels at finding travel deals, preferring less conventional destinations. They have a fondness for The Cook Islands, having visited twice, along with recent travels to Finland and Estonia. Their annual goal is to embark on one significant journey together. In 2019, Maxine accompanied Laura on work trips to London and Mexico City. After work commitments, they explored both The Cotswolds and further in Mexico City. Their travels also include visits to England, Iceland, and Australia with Maxine’s son, Laura’s older brother, Michael.
Maxine expresses, “I’m fortunate to have found the perfect traveling companion – my daughter. Traveling together has made each extraordinary trip even richer. As a child, Laura displayed her wanderlust by hanging posters of Australia and maintaining a penpal in Japan. Her enthusiasm for travel has undoubtedly impacted me. Every destination is an adventure ready to be discovered.”
Throughout their journeys, Maxine and Laura have encountered many amusing situations. For instance, they were once chased by monkeys in Ubud Monkey Forest in Bali, convinced a tuk tuk driver in Thailand that they had no interest in visiting his uncle’s rug shop, and even found themselves in a palapa in Bali after failing to consider the effects of local water in a smoothie. Laura reflects, “We find humor in our everyday life experiences and traveling seems to amplify our laughter.”
While Maxine prefers not to engage in activities like surfing or navigating speedboats through the jungles of Fiji, she enjoys small planes, unlike Laura. Laura provides a humorous account, stating, “When my parents divorced during my childhood, Mom joked about dating a pilot. I still remember her joy during our flight over the Australian Outback, seated next to the pilot who flew low enough for us to see Aboriginal villages closely. Though I was terrified, she found it exhilarating!”
Maxine believes that their compatibility as travel companions stems from their easygoing nature, flexibility, and shared enjoyment of humor and adventure. They have shared countless memorable experiences, including watching elephants gathering near their boat in Botswana, and a heartwarming birthday surprise at a hotel in Cambodia, where staff greeted them with a cake.
“We found joy in tasting new foods from the streets of Thailand, conversing with monks in Cambodia, and appropriately dressing at mosques in Turkey,” shares Maxine. “Our travels also brought us the thrill of racing from the sauna in Finland to the icy Baltic waters, capturing moments with kids in Kyoto, and warming up with mulled wine at winter night markets in Paris. We cherish experiences over material possessions, fueling our dreams of future travel adventures.”
Clearly, this adventurous duo has forged a remarkable bond through their love for travel. For Laura, exploring the world with her mother has been a valuable opportunity for deeper connection. “It has demonstrated what a remarkably brave woman she is,” Laura reflects. “Her zest for life, appreciation of every chance, and warmth have made her not only my globe-trotting partner but also a truly amazing friend.”
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