I had my kids young (I am 45 and my kids are 22 and 24)... I counseled my son to wait on having kids, as it was very difficult raising kids when I was younger.

That said, I am 45, very healthy, have had success in three different professions and am looking at an amazingly free run into my 50s. It would be easier now for me to travel than when I was young, not to mention that I am much better positioned to learn from that experience than I might have when I was in my 20s.

So on one hand, when you have kids it indeed doesn't look fun (or even possible for most folks) to travel or emegrate. But on the other hand, you can have kids without spending the rest of your life raising them.