Mum Wanted to See London. So I Took Her to New York.

How a rather cautious woman from East Germany became an enthusiastic world traveller – with a little help from her son.

It Started With a Simple Question

It was 1999, and I had an idea.

“Mum, would you fancy going to New York?”

I can still see the excitement in her eyes.

She didn’t have to think about it. Not for a second. The answer was an immediate, enthusiastic YES!

And that was quite something, considering that my mother wasn’t exactly the sort of person who would pack a suitcase, grab her passport and head off into the unknown.

She was 56 years old, didn’t speak English and had never had the confidence to travel to faraway places on her own.

Her long-standing dream had actually been to visit London.

So naturally, I suggested New York.

Well, why start small?

A Rather Unlikely World Traveller

Mum grew up in East Germany, the German Democratic Republic, where travelling freely around the world was simply not an option for ordinary citizens.

She had always wanted to see more of the world, but her upbringing, her circumstances and her lack of self-confidence made independent travel something she would never seriously consider.

Life hadn’t been particularly kind to her either.

My father died in an accident when he was just 35 years old. Mum was only 34, suddenly left alone with two children. She never remarried.

We did travel together when I was a teenager, visiting Romania, Bulgaria and the Soviet Union. But those were very different times, and our options were limited.

Mum certainly wasn’t lacking curiosity. What she lacked was the confidence to set off on her own.

Fortunately, she eventually found a rather convenient solution.

Her son.

From Solo Traveller to Mum’s Personal Tour Guide

Until that first trip to New York, I’d always travelled on my own.

I loved the independence, the freedom to explore unfamiliar places, meet interesting people and occasionally get myself into situations that probably wouldn’t have happened if I’d simply stayed at home.

I’d already discovered how much the world had to offer.

But at some point, I began thinking: Why not share some of that with Mum?

So I asked her.

And that was how, in April 1999, we found ourselves heading for New York.

For me, it was another adventure.

For Mum, it was something quite extraordinary.

And although I remember plenty of things from our travels, what has stayed with me most vividly is that look of pure excitement when I first suggested the trip.

It was the beginning of something wonderful.

London Could Wait

New York was only the start.

Over the following years, we travelled together to Los Angeles, Washington, Australia and New Zealand.

And yes, Mum eventually got to see London too.

There were smaller trips as well, including Paris with Lizz.

Even Mum’s visits to us in the Philippines sometimes became little adventures of their own.

When I collected her in Germany, we didn’t always fly directly to the Philippines. Sometimes we stopped along the way in Thailand, Singapore or Malaysia.

After all, if you’re already travelling halfway around the world, why not see something on the way?

Mum certainly didn’t object.

She still wasn’t particularly confident about travelling independently, and her English didn’t suddenly improve overnight.

But she didn’t need to become a different person to enjoy the world.

She simply needed someone alongside her.

And I was more than happy to be her personal travel agent, interpreter, airport navigator and occasional problem solver.

All services included. No hidden fees.

A Birthday Lunch on the Other Side of the World

When Mum turned 60, I had another idea.

I made her a birthday voucher.

Not for a nice meal at the local restaurant. Not for a weekend somewhere in Germany.

No.

A voucher for lunch in Sydney, Australia.

Now, before anyone starts thinking I was an exceptionally wealthy and generous son, I should clarify something.

I couldn’t afford to give her the entire trip.

Just the lunch.

My generosity had its limits.

But the look on her face when she received that homemade voucher?

Absolutely priceless.

And yes, we actually redeemed it.

There we were, sitting at Sydney Harbour, enjoying kangaroo fillet.

Not exactly your average birthday lunch back in Thuringia.

Mum wasn’t the most adventurous eater in the world. She was perfectly willing to try something new, provided it wasn’t too exotic.

Apparently, kangaroo was acceptable.

And honestly, I can’t think of a better way to celebrate a birthday than creating a memory that stays with you for decades.

Have I Told You About Australia?

There was, however, one rather amusing side effect of taking Mum around the world.

She became a very enthusiastic storyteller.

Very enthusiastic indeed.

She told everyone where she’d been.

Absolutely everyone.

Whether they had expressed any interest in her travels was apparently irrelevant.

New York! Australia! New Zealand!

The world needed to know.

I sometimes wonder how many unsuspecting people received an impromptu travel presentation when all they had intended to do was ask how she was doing.

But I loved it.

Here was a woman who had once lacked the confidence to travel abroad alone, now proudly telling people about her adventures on several continents.

She hadn’t suddenly transformed into a fearless backpacker.

She was still Mum.

But she had seen the world, and she was delighted about it.

The Best Memories Aren’t Always About the Destination

Looking back, I realise something.

When I think about our journeys, the first things that come to mind aren’t necessarily the famous landmarks, the hotels or the flights.

They’re the little moments.

The excitement in Mum’s eyes when I suggested New York.

Her expression when she received that ridiculous birthday voucher for Sydney.

Her pride when she told people about the places she’d visited.

Those memories mean more to me now than ever.

Mum passed away on 20 July 2026, here in the Philippines.

And I miss her terribly.

Even her final resting place is somewhere she would once have considered wonderfully exotic: here with us in the Philippines, in this land of more than 7,000 islands and seemingly eternal summer.

She rests high above the city, with views across Davao and the surrounding islands. Aircraft taking off from and landing at Davao pass close to the cemetery. She loved watching aeroplanes just as much as she loved flying in them, and I like to think how much she would have enjoyed that view.

There is something comforting about it: Mum, who once dreamed of seeing London, now resting on the other side of the world, with islands on the horizon and aeroplanes passing overhead.

But I’m also grateful that we shared so much of the world together.

I can’t take her on another journey. I can’t ask her where she’d like to go next.

But I can remember how happy those journeys made her.

And I can write about them.

Sometimes the Greatest Gift Is Simply Taking Someone Along

Perhaps your mother, father, grandparents or someone else close to you has always dreamed of visiting a particular place.

Perhaps they don’t have the confidence to go alone.

Perhaps they’re waiting for someone to ask.

You don’t necessarily need to pay for an extravagant holiday or organise some once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

Sometimes your company is the greatest gift you can offer.

Take them along if you can.

Make those memories together.

Because more than 27 years after I asked Mum whether she’d like to visit New York, I can still see the excitement in her eyes.

And of all the things I’ve brought home from my travels, that memory is one of the most precious.

For the family story behind my determination not to leave every journey until later, read Life Is Now: The Journeys That Never Happened.