For much of my life, I vehemently believed that children should not travel when they are too young — primarily because it is an unpleasant experience with which they are unfamiliar. One example is when the air pressure changes while aboard an airplane but a baby is usually unable to clear his or her ear and therefore will usually cry in pain and discomfort, which can then disturb fellow passengers…
Sunday Morning Photograph June 19 2022: Matthew Cohen. Because Today Is Father’s Day.
…but in order to meet some members of his family for the first time, my son Matthew Cohen had to travel via airplane when he was only a few months old — and I reluctantly decided to go against how I long felt. He not only behaved very well; but he also seemed to actually enjoy the experience — and that started a lifelong passion of travel for him.
He proved me wrong — and he changed that point of view for good. I now vehemently believe that travel is the best form of education for a child.
That passion for travel includes the day he asked me if he can write an article here at The Gate. Until then, I had protected his privacy and virtually never mentioned him in the articles which I have written — he has been on many trips with me all over the world — but since that day, he has authored 15 articles to date here at The Gate. His first article is a review of a restaurant back in 2019, with all of the photographs and text by him.
This past week, he started his full-time job several hours away in another state as an engineer after graduating from college a few weeks ago — and I wish him all of the best — but I hope he will have the time to still share his passion for travel by writing the occasional article here at The Gate.
In celebration of Father’s Day today, Sunday, June 19, 2022, I decided to feature three photographs of Matthew Cohen during his travels which are some of my favorites — choosing three of many photographs was a difficult task — just because.
Final Boarding Call
Since his first trip via airplane to South Florida, Matthew Cohen has traveled to five of the seven continents and greater than half of the states in the United States — and the priority of his future destinations are the remainders of those continents and states, of course.
I am so proud of you, Matthew. I miss you; I love you; and I cannot wait until we embark on our next trip together — whenever and wherever that may occur — as well as many more subsequent trips in the future.
We can never have too many memories to share…
Please click here for a complete list of the Sunday Morning Photograph series of articles at The Gate.
All photographs ©2015 and ©2020 by Brian Cohen.
