"I don’t think traveling with my family will ever get old. As my children mature and learn new things, it’s great to watch them enjoy road trips differently.”
Who you are:My name is Jennifer Byde Myers. I am a writer and editor, and I am one of the founders of Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism. I live on the San Francisco Peninsula with my husband Shawn and our two children.
Introduce your kid/s:
We have Jack who is 11 1/2, and Katie who will be 6 in June. They both love travel and adventure and have virtually no fear of new places, new foods, or new events. Jack is autistic and has cerebral palsy ataxia, so while he does walk, we usually take his wheelchair to make sure he is comfortable for long ambles since he tires out more easily. Katie is a very active kid who loves to take walks, hike, and swim. Jack and Kate are very fun, interesting kids, and unless there is whining, they are really great to be around.
Describe your philosophy to educating them:
My husband and I both come from families that cherished the outdoors and with parents who have a love of travel. We live in such an amazing country with all sorts of natural wonders and beautiful roads, and I am grateful that our parents instilled in us a reverence for nature and a sense of adventure. As we raise our own children we hope to show them as many National and state parks, monuments, and memorials before they grow up and leave home. We hope that they will have that same appreciation for our country’s natural resources, and some of the history of the United States. And of course, there are so many things to learn on any road trip, from evaluating what we really need while we are packing, to working on spatial awareness as we load the car, and even how to tie the best knots to keep things secure. We talk a lot about how to interact with other people, and what is considerate or inconsiderate, which is always easy to demonstrate on the roads. We try to eat at small, neighborhood restaurants, and we love it when we end up in a town during a celebration that is all theirs, like a Founder’s day, or a food festival. I’ve always thought that if you never leave home, you can’t fully appreciate where you’ve come from.
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