Staying Connected to Family While Traveling, No Matter the Distance
One of the hardest parts of traveling full-time is being away from our family—especially our grandkids. We love the adventure, the freedom, and the thrill of exploring a new place, but nothing replaces the feeling of a hug from our loved ones back home. If you’re an empty nester or a Gen X-er considering long-term travel but worried about missing your family, we totally get it. The good news? Staying connected to family while traveling is easier than ever. Over the past few years, we’ve found some heartfelt, creative, and simple ways to bridge the miles and keep our family close.
Here’s how we do it—and how you can, too!
1. Sending Postcards: A Classic Touch of Love and a Fun Way of Staying Connected to Family While Traveling
Here I am sending our a stack of postcards from our first full-time travel destination- Tokyo! There’s something magical about receiving a postcard in the mail, especially for kids! It’s a tangible piece of our travels, a snapshot of the world we’re exploring and a fun way to stay connected while traveling. Whenever we visit a new destination, we send postcards to our grandkids. They love collecting these!
- Why it’s special: In a world of digital everything, a handwritten note feels personal and meaningful. Our grandkids all keep these in their special places, and get them out when they’re missing us a little extra.
- A keepsake we don’t have to pack: This one speaks for itself!
- Our tip: We write a fun fact about the place we’re visiting and include a question to keep the conversation going when we FaceTime later.
- Bonus idea: Get creative! Some places offer “mail a coconut” services—yes, an actual coconut!—which makes for a fun surprise.
2. Gifting Little Souvenirs That Capture the Essence of a Place
We love collecting small gifts that reflect the culture of where we are, whether it’s handmade bracelets from Bali, mini Eiffel Towers from Paris, or stuffed kangaroos from Australia. These aren’t just souvenirs—they’re little pieces of our journey that bring our family along with us in spirit and help us feel connected to them!
- What we collect: Small, easy-to-pack items like keychains, ornaments, and local candies. Everyone likes getting gifts, and things we collect while traveling have even more meaning and help us feel like we’re staying connected to family while traveling.
- For our grandkids: We love bringing home stuffed animals, traditional toys, or storybooks in different languages.
- Tip: If you don’t want to wait until you’re home, or if you don’t have room in your luggage, many online shops let you send gifts straight from the country you’re visiting! We’ve even cheated and sent gifts from Amazon straight to their homes. Some of the really fun things we’ve sent our grandkids are coloring books about Bali, books about places like Paris and Tahiti, and stuffed animals. (Don’t tell them the stuffed turtles they got in the mail when we were in the Seychelles were really from Amazon!)
3. Collecting Seashells, Magnets and Christmas Ornaments: A Tradition for Our Grandkids
Every time we visit a beach, we collect a few seashells. Every new city? We grab a magnet. By the time we visit home, we have a treasure trove of memories to share with our grandkids. This is one of my favorite ways we stay connected to family while traveling.
- Why it’s meaningful: It gives them something to look forward to and helps them connect with our travels. We love showing them the seashells and sand dollars we collected during our facetime calls.
- Our fun twist: We turn the shells into simple crafts together when we visit—think necklaces, shadow boxes, or painted keepsakes.
- Pro tip: Keep a small pouch or ziplock bag in your bag for collecting special finds along the way.
I also love collecting nativity scenes and Christmas ornaments from the places we visit. Each December, as we decorate our home for the holidays, our family gets to see the beautiful, unique pieces we’ve gathered from around the world. It’s a special way to relive our travels and share those memories with our family and friends, making Christmas even more meaningful.
4. Scheduling FaceTime Calls (and Making Them Fun!)
FaceTime has been a lifesaver in allowing us to feel like we’re staying connected to our family while traveling. Seeing our family’s faces and hearing their voices instantly makes us feel closer. We schedule regular FaceTime calls, and we make them engaging to keep everyone excited.
- Storytime: Read bedtime stories to our grandkids from wherever we are.
- Virtual tours: We walk around and show them cool sights live—like feeding monkeys in Bali or watching a street performer in Europe. One of our daughters happened to Facetime recently when we at the local grocery store and the grandkids were amazed at the local food and wanted us to show them everything! They even helped us pick out a new ice cream flavor to try.
- Time zone tip: Keep track of time differences and schedule calls at consistent times each week.
5. Watching Live Events Together, Even from Afar
Just because we’re on the other side of the world doesn’t mean we miss out on birthdays, school plays, or soccer games. Our family is active and we really hate to miss these special moments, both big and small. Using technology help us feel like we’re staying connected to our family while traveling
- How we stay involved: Our family sets up a video call or Facetime so we can “attend” special moments.
- Live Streaming: Many of our granddaughters cheer and dance performances have the option to live stream. We have set our alarm for 5:00am to watch some of these, and wouldn’t miss them for the world!
- For sports lovers: We sync up game day and cheer for our favorite teams together via group texts, no matter where we are!
6. Creating a Blog and Using Social Media to Stay Connected While Traveling
We document our adventures on our blog and on our Instagram. This way, they get updates, funny stories, and behind-the-scenes moments. When the grandkids are missing their Gigi and Papa, their parents can pull us up on Instagram and they can watch our reels. This helps them feel a little closer to us.
- Platforms we love: Facebook, Instagram, and shared photo albums.
- Encouraging interaction: We ask them to comment, vote on our next destination, or send us their own updates.
7. Leaving Voice Memos and Video Messages
Sometimes, the best way to connect is through spontaneous voice or video messages. When we see something cool, we record a quick clip and send it to our grandkids. They love waking up to a “Gigi and Papa adventure update!”
- Why it works: It feels personal and immediate, even when schedules don’t align.
- Pro tip: Use apps like Marco Polo for ongoing video chats that don’t require both parties to be online at the same time.
8. Surprising Family with a Visit or Planning a Special Trip Together
While technology is great, nothing beats an in-person hug. We try to plan trips back home or surprise our family with unexpected visits.
- Surprise visits: The look on our grandkids’ faces is priceless when we pop in unannounced.
- Annual Family Reunion: Instead giving our kids Christmas gifts, we plan and pay for a family trip every year. This is usually either a beach house in the summer, or a cabin in the winter to snowboard. Or sometimes both! We love this designated time to unplug and spend fun, quality time together. Read about our recent family trip to Huntington Beach HERE.
- Meet up in a new destination: We invite family members to join us somewhere fun, turning it into a special shared travel memory. They actually have an open invitation to visit us wherever we are. We recently spent a week with one of our daughters and her family in Hawaii and it was the best time. Traveling together is such a fun way to connect!
- Budget tip: Use travel hacking strategies like JetSetClub.co to find affordable flights for family reunions!
Conclusion: Staying Connected To Family While Traveling Is Easier Than You Think
Leaving home doesn’t mean leaving family behind. With a little creativity, you can stay close to your loved ones while still living your travel dreams. Whether it’s through postcards, FaceTime, or shared adventures, there are countless ways to keep the bond strong—even from thousands of miles away.
Are you an empty nester dreaming of travel but worried about missing family? Let us know in the comments how you stay connected—or if you’re looking for more tips, check out our other travel hacks on Jetset Petersons!
Happy travels and happy connecting!
