The Adventures of Alex & Ma: What Traveling With My Son Taught Me About Letting Go

Geovanna
Jul 9
5 min read

by: Geovanna Burgess White

"I came home two days ago, and I am still processing this trip. Not because of the cities we visited, the museums we saw, or the miles we walked... but because I got a front-row seat to watch my son become a man."

This blog is honest. It's vulnerable. It's a reflection written just two days after coming home.

How It Started:

Although Alex (aka James) is about to begin his third year of college, we knew back at New Student Orientation in 2024 that he wanted to study abroad one summer.

Fast forward to Summer 2026. After changing his major twice, he landed exactly where he was supposed to be—Art History. That decision gave him the opportunity to spend four weeks studying in Florence, Italy.

Why This Was Bigger Than a Trip:

As a mom, my goal has always been to give my children opportunities. To let them see the world differently. To understand that life isn't only about the traditional path of school, a 9–5 job, getting married, having kids... blah, blah, blah.

While experiences like this are definitely not inexpensive, they're priceless.

So here we go... literally and figuratively.

I decided to meet Alex after his four weeks in Florence, and we would start our adventure together in one of my favorite cities in the world—Paris. A city known for fashion, art, architecture, history, and so much more.

I went back and forth on whether I should join him before or after his study abroad program. If I went he would not be exhausted from traveling but wouldn't yet understand the European way of life. If I went after, he'd be fully immersed in it—but after four weeks away from home, during one of the hottest European heat waves, I knew he'd also be tired.

I chose after.

And immerse ourselves we did.

One of the coolest surprises was getting to experience Paris while France was playing in the World Cup. The energy was unlike anything I've ever experienced. Cafés were packed, people gathered in the streets, flags were waving, strangers were hugging, singing, and celebrating together.

Then there was me... 😂

If you know me, you know I couldn't just stand there. I was dancing right in the middle of the streets with everyone else, soaking in every second of it. The look on Alex's face watching his mom fully embrace the moment was absolutely priceless—equal parts embarrassed, entertained, and "Yep... that's my mom."

It was one of those unplanned moments that reminded me the best memories usually aren't on the itinerary.

Reel coming soon...

Paris Was His Experience, Not Mine:

As a mom, I worked really hard not to have expectations. This was the first time I had ever traveled solo with my now young adult son.

I've been to Paris multiple times, but this trip wasn't about me.

It was about him.

For those who know me, you know I'm a planner. But this time, like a true Parisian, I didn't over plan. My goal was to immerse ourselves in the culture, live like locals, and let Alex experience all the history he had spent the past year studying.

What I didn't anticipate? The crazy airfare out of Paris.

So we spent four days in Paris, hopped on the two-hour Eurostar to London, and finished our adventure with two days there.

He checked off nearly every Art History dream:

Musée d'Orsay
The Louvre... oh, THE Louvre
Versailles
Champs-Élysées
Big Ben
Changing of the Guards
Burrough Market
The National History Museum
Walking neighborhoods like locals
And plenty of unexpected moments that weren't even on the itinerary.

The Unexpected Lesson:

I learned what it looks like to travel without expectations.

I learned patience.

I learned to see my firstborn in a completely different light.

I saw the man he has become.

But what surprised me most was something I already knew deep down...

Our American lifestyle takes a toll on men just as much as it does on women.

I could feel it.

I heard it.

I watched it.

The pressure to always be "on."

The pressure to work.

To think about finances.

To constantly wonder what's next.

Even before he came home, he was already carrying the weight of what came after this experience.

He wrote one of the most beautiful reflections about his time in Florence. If he lets me share it someday, I'll link it because it's worth reading.

For four weeks he became part of Florence.

He embraced slower mornings.

Siestas.

Long dinners.

Walking everywhere.

Actually enjoying life instead of racing through it.

Exactly what I had hoped he would experience.

But by Day 3 or 4 together, I could also see the sadness setting in.

The exhaustion.

The realization that this chapter was ending.

I'm not going to lie...

Some days were emotional.

Watching him light up while explaining paintings, architecture, sculptures, and history was incredible.

Listening to him teach me about things I would have simply walked past made me incredibly proud.

At the same time, I saw the pressure he puts on himself.

The need to have everything figured out.

The feeling that time isn't on his side.

The questions of...

How do I keep traveling?

How do I build a life like this?

How do I balance school, work, money, and still experience the world?

The Moment I Had to Stop Being His Coach:

One conversation has stayed with me ever since.

He looked at me and said...

"Don't coach me."

"Don't nag me."

"Just let me complain if I need to."

Whew.

As hard as that was for me, it became one of the biggest lessons of the trip.

Instead of fixing...

I listened.

Instead of coaching...

I became his safe space.

And it made me ask myself some bigger questions.

How can I continue being a safe place for him during this season of life?

How can we, through YGC, better support and guide men the same way we've helped so many women?

What kind of woman do I need to become for him now?

What is my role as his mom in this season?

And Me?

You know I can't end without a few Geo moments...

Being mistaken for a Parisian absolutely made my entire trip.

Almost not making the bullet train because of my November Maker belt would not get through security. (until I modeled it was a belt)

The FN Louvre. 😂

All the zhuzh.

All the vintage shopping for TGco.

The countless laughs.

The conversations I'll never forget.

Most importantly...

Creating a memory with my son that neither of us will ever get back—but one we'll both carry forever.

I hope this gives you a little glimpse into The Adventures of Alex & Ma.

You know I'm all about storytelling, so if you haven't watched the episode yet... go watch it.

"Maybe the greatest gift we can give our children isn't a perfectly planned path. Maybe it's the space to discover who they are, and the trust that we will still be there when they need us."