TINY SHOES BIG VIEWS

When I imagined traveling with my child, I pictured sandy beaches with tiny footprints ahead of me. I imagined us laughing while climbing cobblestone stairs in Europe, or watching his wide-eyed wonder as trains passed through unfamiliar landscapes.

And now here I am, staring at my son’s dazzling smile… in the bread aisle.

And you know what? That’s okay.

I used to believe “travel” had to mean far-off places — something grand, new, and far from home. And while I still dream of those distant destinations, there is a quiet magic in watching my son’s eyes light up the moment we step into a grocery store. To him, the sounds, the people, the colors — it might as well be a foreign land.

Unveiling the World to Levi: A Journey Through Aisles

Levi loves people. He stares at everyone. He waves, he says “bye” to strangers, gives high-fives to cashiers, and shouts “d-aw!” at every dog that rolls by in a cart.

I may not be able to take him to a fruit orchard just yet, but I can still see his face light up in the produce section as he reaches for his favorite fruit: bananas.

He’s not picking out treats at Disneyland, but he does help me choose a snack for us to share while curled up at home.

We don’t have snapshots in front of famous landmarks — but I do have Levi laughing as his dad races the cart down an empty aisle, his joy echoing louder than any sightseeing memory.

Where I am Failing as a Mother

It’s easy to feel like I should be somewhere else. Like I’m falling short by not giving my son a life filled with constant travel. But then there’s a moment — like the time at our local Fry’s — where I turned around to find Levi beaming, holding a bottle of avocado ranch. We’ve never even had avocado ranch. Maybe it was the only bottle he could reach, maybe he liked the picture — but he picked it, tossed it into the cart, and clapped when he heard it land.

That moment didn’t cost a plane ticket. But it still felt like an adventure.

To me, travel has always been about seeing the world. But to Levi? I am his world. And through his eyes, every aisle is worth exploring.

Turning the Grocery Store into an Adventure

With a little creativity, your everyday grocery trip can become a moment of discovery for your child. Here are a few fun ways that my family does to add a bit more adventure to a mundane trip:

• TREASURE HUNT
  • My son is two and starting to pick up on colors and shapes. So why not continue that exploration at the store. We pick a color or shape and spend the entire time finding as much as possible. He does great with red in produce, pointing out the raspberries and apples. For older kids, you can add in more specific items.
• NEW AISLE EVERYTIME
  • To broaden what my son sees, I always make it a point to check out a new aisle, even if I am getting nothing from that aisle. My most favorite was taking him down the Asian aisle (always have to get a box of pocky). I know sooner or later we will hit up every aisle, to which I want to focus on a new product.
• HIS CHOICE
  • My son is getting more independent (cue crying mommy) and developing his own tastes and wants. He love bananas but does not like raspberries. Loves chicken nuggets but not grilled chicken. So we let him choose his own snacks, fruits, and even drinks (apple juice won over grape juice).

Going Home

I realize while I am not jetting off to some foreign place (yet), I cannot forget that traveling is not just going somewhere but how you experience that new place. And if I keep looking far away, I will forget that my son sees even the most normal of places as his own big adventure. And those are the memories worth making.