If anyone tells you that traveling with wee ones is a cinch, they’re lying.

Sure…it’s fun, in all sorts of ways, but definitely not easy. Kids under six expect ALL of you, most of the time. They’re like miniature dictators—making loud demands and keen to make a scene when their needs aren’t met. That being said, for the most part, our two fajondilizers have been a magical addition on this journey.

Charlie and I were curious to find out how it would be to bring Sophia and Alfie, just three and five, on the road for a three-month adventure. Both of us had done a ton of travel on our own, but would they rise to the occasion? Would they make the travel experience hellish? Or would they surprise us completely and act in ways we never expected, making our hearts sing with happiness. Now that the trip has come to an end, we find ourselves commenting how children bring a depth to travel we could never have imagined. They also force a level of patience that we never know we possessed.

Several of my family members have asked how the children have changed during this time away. There's been too much growth to measure, but I have a few poignant examples to share.

Almost two and a half years apart, Sophia and Alfie look more like twins.

Sophia’s creativity is literally exploding from within. In the past few months we’ve seen her express herself in all sorts of new ways. It’s like watching a perfectly woven tapestry unravel into entirely re-found patterns. Our daughter is in her element as she explores new lands and cultures. She’s constantly looking for found objects she can bind, paint, stick or mold into a new object of fascination. Her razor-sharp creative vision (enough to make my head throb) focuses like few adults. There is little she can’t transform as she’s discovered that pretty much anything makes great art, if you’re open to it. It’s a marvel to watch. But it doesn’t stop there. Her imagination extends past her tiny, deft fingers. She simply loves the spoken word. Like most children, she adores a good story. Sophia pleads with any adult she can find to tell (and re-tell a million times) stories with an obvious moral. Each time she picks up a new lesson to impart on Alfie. Most recently she’s started telling her own made up stories by singing them in her soft and reverberating sound. On occasion when the three of us shared a room, we begged her to sing us to sleep. I squeezed myself with pride and could visualize Charlie’s smile bursting in the dark.

This was Sophia's ode to Aris the German Shepherd. He was a giant dog that lead us through the Black Sea Mountains. To begin with, she was afraid of this burly canine. He wasn't a small dog. But the fear disappeared as the gentle pooch stole her heart and inspired her to write her first song.

Aris the German Shepherd only spoke Turkish.

Sophia's developed a passion for origami. She used whatever paper she could find and folded for hours.

Her deep concentration is hard to break.

Sophia's making up her own version of the story. Alfie is soaking it up with admiration.

All this sparkle needs fuel. Sophia could out eat most adults. I wonder where it all goes?!

Painting for hours makes the days slip away.

A sculpture Sophia calls 'Fruit Art'. She stole one of Daddy's driftwood treasures and expertly placed three perfectly ripe berries.

I swear she looks older in just three months!

Alfie doesn’t sing, or create much. But he does take direction from his dictator sister quite well. That is… until he’s fed up and rebels with force. His attention span is a minute long, so Sophia conjures fun ways to keep it from flitting from activity to activity. She’s a master at soothing his monkey mind (three cheers for siblings!). Our budding three year old seems to live to destroy and watch the consequences unfold. I'm guessing this is fairly typical three-year-old boy behavior? He usually has some sort of accessory aiding and abetting the action like: orange gloves, some sort of stick, sword, chain, bow and arrow, rope…whatever. His chubby fingers can grasp any number of items at once. Implements are a must for this little man. He wields them with confidence and joy.

Alfie is one for wearing hats. He fell for this 'Sultan' hat. We were told (after we bought it) that it wasn't a Sultan hat at all, but rather a circumcision hat for Turkish boys!

He fiddled and faddled with any rope he could find. They became the ideal belt for holstering tools and weapons.

An eggshell and a stick fascinated him for hours.

Alfie found this gun on the beach. He carried it everywhere, until it was confiscated due to misconduct. Daddy had major rules around gun pointing!

Alfie carried around his 'money' for three months. He loved making up transactions.

This bow and arrow is a little large but nothing deters Alfie.

Our sweaty little dude is about to visit a Hamam for the first time.

Weeeee. The chase game is so much fun, until someone falls face first onto the concrete.

Look at his face! He has the chance to drive a train.

We kept loosing Alfie. I would find him holed up, reading piles of books for hours.

Both children are learning a new kind of socialization. The most base kind. The timid behavior that plagues a lot of North American children is mostly washing away. No more hiding behind our legs when they meet new people. The kids interact easily with new adults (as if they’re kids) and are becoming more aware of those around them. But how could their behavior not change? They’re constantly being uprooted from one living situation to another, being asked to meet new people and respect unfamiliar routines. Each day they ask, ‘Where will we live today? Are we meeting new people?’. ‘What bed will we sleep in tonight?’. When I get frustrated with the constant questions, I have to stop and ponder how crazy this situation has been for them. They’re pulled along on this adventure with no choice or insight into the larger plan. They trust completely.

These two are always primed for an adventure.

Charlie, Alfie, Sophia and I have spent every minute, every day, every moment (almost) together for over three months. It is the complete opposite of our previously frantic routine of rushing in from work, kissing them goodnight and sharing harried weekends of trying to get on the same page. We have gotten to know each other beyond imagination. With this comes a splendidly close bond. Charlie and I understand and can predict their moods and reactions and relish in their comical company. This closeness also translates to NO space and little time on your own. The children react to our moods more than ever and can use this to expertly get under our skin when they want to. It’s skin-crawlingly frustrating to want to flick your annoying child away when you just want a minute to yourself. Then you stop yourself and realize if you were to flick, they might just (literally) fall down the mountain your climbing.

Having words with Sophia. She is being super annoying wild in the mosque.

Along our travels, it’s been fascinating to watch how the Californians, Brits and Turks interacted with our kidlets. Different cultures accept children in their own way. California is truly ‘easy breezy’ and for the most part children are accepted into life as a bonus. They are allowed in (most) restaurants and the majority of adults seem keen to be around them, especially if they’re engaging little ones. I found the U. K quite different (not counting my relatives of course). A strong culture of ‘children must be seen and not heard’ is still living. Well-behaved, polite children with impeccable manners are appreciated. Loud, rude, hyper children (read:any child at some point) should be taken somewhere else. In Turkey all children, no matter the behavior, have arrived at their safe haven. The Turks live for children. Little humans are seen as life’s blood and should be crushed, kissed and squeezed constantly. We haven’t just seen this with Turkish people we get to know. Our kids (particularly Alfie) were often grabbed by complete strangers on the street and given very strong demonstrations of love.

The moments I’ll never forget on this magical journey:

Holding hands: I’ll always have an endearing memory of holding each of their little hands in mine. Alfie's hands are like little mallets of warm, sweaty, chubby and soft skin. And in contrast, Sophia's hands are wiry, flexible and strong with constantly wiggling digits. Both conditions say so much about their personalities.

Kid Care: Who knew kids could be such able nurses? They know when you really need extra love and attention.

The stories they tell: When you’re around kids long enough the funniest stories emerge. Tall tales, disjointed imagination stations, silly antidotes all come pouring out of their tiny mouths. If you’re really listening you can hear their (big) brains working as they piece the world together. Most of the time their outpourings are wise, proving our kids are always listening and learning.

Mighty will: Sometimes our kid's strong wills serve us and other times they serve themselves. As frustrating as these elaborate demonstrations were at times, I tried my best to appreciate each situation for what it was. Kids have power. You can choose to bend it, break it or shepherd it.

Shhhh…you can hear them growing: If you slow down for long enough you’re able to see and hear your kids growing before your eyes. The differences seem slight but they’re pronounced enough to prove a growth spurt is happening. Our kids grow more some weeks than others, I swear. When their sleep patterns change, their appetites increase, and their energy shifts, growth is most definitely happening under the surface. Before you know it the spurt is over and they look slightly older.