Travel Theme: Secret Places

Secret Places Of Childhood

There’s a secret place in your heart and memory that leads to a door of magical childhood. A childhood once filled with beautiful dreams, of laughter and play, of adventures to an imaginary world where fairy tales seems so vividly real.

Before my son was born, I was pretty much like any young adult, too busy pursuing his dreams and trying to experience the excitement and fun the world has to offer. Yes, I was happy for a while when I’m with friends, going to places, traveling, making thrill seeking adventures but at the end of the day, when all the adrenaline and excitement has passed, somehow I felt something was missing.

Then came my son. The first time I held him in my arms, I knew right then and there, he was the missing link for both me and my wife. At that very moment, that magical door of childhood long forgotten suddenly appeared, and with a renewed excitement in my heart, I jumped in.

Every stage of a child’s growth and development is different bringing unique and fun discoveries that every parent should never miss. To me, it was when my son turned 4 that we totally started exploring the world around us like two great adventurers. From searching for treasures, dinosaur bones, finding the most fascinating bugs, discovering the amazing world of animals and other living creatures to having a blast experiencing the joys of being close to the sea, my son gave me a priceless opportunity to feel like a kid all over again.

A Parent And The Little Bundle Of Joy

Today, on Father’s Day, my son and I went to swim in the pool. He brought his huge water gun while I brought our goggles and water torpedoes. We played and swim for about an hour. At first, he squirted the water blaster on me but I told him not to aim it on any person inside the pool. Instead, we squirted the water up high towards the sky. Halfway during our water activity, I took a round life saver floater and my son would aim his shot into the center of the floater. Our personal favorite was diving down into the bottom of the pool to pick up the sunken torpedoes. I’m amazed by his lung capacity. He never seemed to get tired of jumping and diving. I tried a few times but I finally decided to give it to the young and the energetic.

These week’s Travel Theme by Wheresmybackpack explores on our “Secret Places.” Some of these places are mysterious while others are inspiring and beautiful. Others lead to places where Nature gives a breathtaking spectacle while others lead us to places where fun, joy and dreams seems to co-exist. Some lead to a place in our memory where innocence , play, laughter and magic abounds. A secret little place where we can be genuinely happy and feel like we are kids all over again.

Thanks for sharing your day with me. I hope it made you remember a happy memory in your childhood. May it inspire you to seek the inner child in you. It’s still there, hiding in a secret place, waiting to be rediscovered. What’s your secret place?