Family Holidays Are What It's All About

Karen Morath — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 09:00:00 -0500

Life after divorce is never better than when I — the no-one-else-to-negotiate-with-parent — get to plan and book a family adventure trip.

This week we're going to Cambodia. I'm so excited, and my children, who are 15, 13 and 11, can hardly wait. It is their first trip to Asia, and listening to them talk about their anticipation of the language differences and the way people live is intriguing.

Last year I took them to California and that was a culture shock for my Melbourne-born kids. Different accents, different foods, different sights. Imagine their reaction to Phnom Penh!

We are going to see Angkor Wat and the Killing Fields and probably the odd swimming pool in a more-than-comfortable resort. So they will learn some history and religion, have to deal with some of the atrocities the world has dealt itself and be confronted by the reality that their life goes swimmingly while others really suffer.

I think we'll be better off for the experience.

While it is obviously not easy to finance overseas family adventures on one parent's resources, it is my priority, and we make lots of sacrifices throughout the year with this in mind.

I doubt my kids would have this opportunity if I was still married, as planning the trip would probably get bogged down in negotiations. As a single woman, I just decide we're going to do it and set the course toward making it happen. I am not suggesting my kids would rather have parents who are divorced. But since not having divorced parents isn't an option, going on adventures with their solo mum, isn't so bad.

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Family Holidays Are What It's All About