Instagram: A Look Behind The Scenes

Sitting in a nest while relaxing and overlooking rice paddies, sounds and looks so dreamy right?

Traveling the world full-time has allowed us to connect as a family and with our kids at a whole new level. We are with each other 24/7, which is so different than our days in Colorado that were full of play dates, extracurricular activities, school, and events. It has allowed us to make special bonds as we navigate new places with each other. . . Not everyday is easy, I mean after all we are traveling with kids 😂. There are still meltdowns and sibling fights along the way, but more than anything I hope the kids grow to cherish our time together. I hope they grow closer as siblings as they only have each other as a constant along the way and that they remember how loved they were each and everyday! . . . . #bali #thejetsettingfamily #letthemexplore #theheartcaptured #loveyourtimetogether #kidswhoexplore #travelfamily #familybloggers #balilife #balibible #balivibes #balikids #heartfelttraveller #gowithnugget #mommasboy #oureverydaymoments #happiness #theartofchildhood #magicofchildhood #runwildmychild #let_there_be_delight #my_magical_moments #optoutside #childhoodwonders #treasuringlittlememories #shared_joy #wildandbravelittles #pixel_kids #balinest

A post shared by The Jetsetting Family (@thejetsettingfamily) on Jul 21, 2018 at 7:44am PDT

Well, think again.

As a newer travel blogger, one of the most fascinating parts of my journey has been noticing the difference of perception versus reality along the way. Maybe I am delusional, a dreamer, or an optimist, but as we arrived at our must-see locations (made famous by Instagram), at times it wasn’t as we had expected. For instance, when we arrived to Bali we were excited to find those beautiful nests you often see that look like such peaceful places to sit, talk or read a book. I looked forward to finding one along our travels to have a picnic. I assumed, like with hammocks at a beach destination, that the nests would be easy to find. Not quite!

The picture above is our most popular post on our social media account (@thejetsettingfamily) to date. I love the photo to frame one day and am proud of the image itself, but as a travel journalist I feel the picture is misleading. Unlike most of our pictures that are candid, this photo was staged. It consisted of arriving early to avoid hour-long lines, pay a hefty fee (which included access to the nest and various swings), and climb up a ladder with an assistant helping for a mere 2 minutes to take this perfect picture. Let’s just say accomplishing this with kids isn’t a relaxing experience. The picture portrays a moment that, while it did happen, wasn’t as glorious and peaceful as it may be perceived.

This isn’t meant to take away the allure from the destinations we visit! We have loved our time in Bali and did enjoy our day at Bali Swing, which is more of an attraction park. You can ride a thrill-seeking swing, swim in a beautiful pool, see a waterfall, and take pictures in nests.

I write this not to shame ourselves or others, but to bring perspective. To some extent, we are all guilty of these moments as it is similar to when someone hires a photographer and have their family coordinate outfits, choose a location, and smile because there is an hour to get that perfect picture. For that one hour, there is pressure to capture the moment before the session ends and usually it isn’t your favorite outing. For Instagrammers, I believe it is similar, just on a more frequent scale.

Swinging into Monday and excited to have released our newest video (link in bio) where we answer tons of full-time family travel questions! . . . The Instagram famous Bali swing was beautiful and fun to ride! This stop was on our bucket list since over a year ago when I first discovered travel accounts and saw @gypsea_lust riding a similar one. This picture got me hooked to finding more travel accounts and finding inspiration in those who travel full-time. Since then I have seen hundreds of others take pictures on similar swings in Bali, and each time thought to myself: “I will work hard to see it in person one day”. So despite the $35 per person price tag that we are slightly embarrassed to have paid (it did include more than just the swing), it was worth it because I was proud to have accomplished a goal I set. . . . . #bali #thejetsettingfamily #baliswing #balivbes #travelfamily #familybloggers #balilife #balibible #balikids #heartfelttraveller #oureverydaymoments #happiness #let_there_be_delight #my_magical_moments #optoutside #treasuringlittlememories #shared_joy #goals #accomplishinggoals #surrealmoment #inspired #highabove #beautifuldestinations #feelingfree #highonlife

A post shared by The Jetsetting Family (@thejetsettingfamily) on Jul 23, 2018 at 6:32am PDT

I must admit, I feel like the mean parent taking away the magic of Santa as I unveil the secrets, but Instagram captures highlights (whether staged or candid moments) and there is so much that goes on behind the scenes. These beautiful pictures help inspire travel and for that I am grateful, but we find it is important to be open, honest, and real. We want to be sure that if someone is inspired by the pictures we take that they truly understand what the experience would be like if they went in the future.

We hope as we continue our travels, we focus more on capturing the simple moments that mean most to us and that bring back fun memories even if they may not be as picture perfect. Don’t get me wrong they will still be our highlights, but we hope that our journey can remain candid and something the kids don’t feel is a chore to capture.  Of course, we will still go to popular tourist sites along the way, but hopefully ones that capturing a photo comes with a lot more ease. When we do fall for the occasional tourist trap or photo prop, we aspire to share the behind-the-scenes as well.

It’s all about connection! . . In an era where posting highlights is the norm, it’s easy to forget what social media was truly created for! I would like to think it wasn’t created solely to boost egos and unrealistic comparisons (I mean who only posts their behind-the-scenes moments), but that It was created to CONNECT. To connect us with family, friends, and even new people amongst the communities we join. . . @instagram and @Facebook allow us the opportunity to connect with people all around the world with ease. To find new friends with similar interests and give us the chance to open our minds and hearts to people with different views. By opening up you can grow as a person, learn new perspectives, and foster life-changing relationships. . . Our whole journey as The Jetsetting Family is based on the principle of connection. It was founded on the idea that we wanted more time with our children and as a family to connect. Since we left we spend 24 hours 7 days a week together (daunting to some haha), but we love it! We also wanted to make it a priority to connect with others on different platforms and so far those relationships and meetups have been some of the highlights of our journey. . . Meeting someone you have connected with online in person is such an incredible experience. Often times it feels like meeting an old friend you haven’t seen in years. We have met with 5 families through Instagram since leaving and bumped into a few unexpected people along the way too. These interactions are what drive us to build this community and what motivated us to start a podcast. . . So we hope you take a moment to enjoy social media for much more than the pretty pictures and highlight reels. After all, we all have our behind-the-scene moments of ups and downs and struggles along the way. So instead of just leaving likes and comments in passing, take time to find a few people to get to know deeper. . . . Who have you connected with via social media or would love to meet one day?

A post shared by The Jetsetting Family (@thejetsettingfamily) on Jul 19, 2018 at 5:17am PDT

Thanks for reading and we hope that if you liked our article you take the time to share or follow along on our adventures at:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejetsettingfamily/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thejetsettingfamily/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfs_jV3r8h8eAp3ENrzVHhQ