Jenna Bush Hager shares her heartbreak
Letting Go of Perfection
In Italy, Jenna Bush Hager learned that traveling with young children is about surrender, not control.
Watching her son Hal drift in and out of sleep beneath the Vatican’s towering ceilings,
she saw awe and exhaustion collide as he fought to stay present.
Small Moments, Big Meaning
Even half-asleep, Hal clung to the experience.
Back home, his cheerful “Grazie mille! Buongiorno!”
became a daily reminder that children absorb more than adults realize.
The Reality of Family Travel
Jenna’s reflections highlighted the true texture of trips with kids:
missed naps, broken schedules, and meltdowns balanced by sudden joy and pride when a child embraces something new.
What Lasts
In the end, it wasn’t the landmarks that mattered most, but the feeling that, briefly, Italy belonged to Hal.
