Our Travel Manifesto
Just go. Next, adapt as you go.
Marvel and enjoy how it’s not like home.
Be belligerently tenacious to carve out time to travel.
Boredom is the decadent space in which creativity can explode.
Discomfort leads to new coping skills, stamina, or an unforgettable story.
Kindness, tolerance, and empathy are always the best reaction or response.
Feel the fear of the unfamiliar, bulldoze through it, and revel in your new mastery.
Embrace living on the fringe of the unknown, it’s where all the goodies await.
Foster your family’s unique sense of humor, lighten up, laugh more.
Courage, confidence, and kindness strengthen with practice.
Be perpetually curious. Live in awe. Live in wonder.
Do it now, there may never be a better time.
Our Travel Resume
Even as a young broke couple strapped with student loans, we had an insatiable curiosity to see the world. Back then it meant eating popcorn to save up for gas money and road trip to stay free with family and friends. Since having our youngest daughter 18 years ago, we’ve traveled 2,700 to more than 93 countries. This is a summary of the travel styles we’ve done so far.
Round the World Trip
~ 32 countries, 402 days, 53,000 miles
Round the World Summer
~ 11 countries, 70 days, 34,468 miles
~ Ending with a cross-country road trip from Los Angeles to Miami
2 Multi-generational Heritage Trips
~ Each 3 weeks long with 13 family members, ages 3-83
~ Germany/Poland with my mom
~ Japan with my dad
10 Summer Sabbaticals
~ Circumnavigation focusing on Southeast Asia – 1
~ Europe – 8
~ Costa Rica – 1
14 Extended Stays of 1-6 months
~ Paris – 3 months
~ Haiti – 4 months
~ British Virgin Islands ~ Kier sailing 1 month ~ Cali sailing 3 months
~ Tahiti, French Polynesia – 1 month
~ Kagoshima, Japan – 2 months
~ Ireland/Northern Ireland – 2 months
~ Jaco, Costa Rica – 2 months
~ Thailand – 1 month
~ Quito, Ecuador – 1 month
~ Guatemala – 6 months
~ Madrid – Madi 3 months
~ Tokyo – 1 month
~ Costa Rica – 1 month, Madi at animal sanctuary
~ Peru – 3 months, Kier
~ Bolivia – 2 months, Kier
~ Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil – 1 month, Kier
1 Solo Gap Year (between high school and college)
~ Kier in Madrid
4 Family Gap Years
~ Round the World trip
~ Guatemala – 3 years
What started as a half-year sabbatical in Guatemala, turned out to be a total of 3 years. The girls loved it so much we kept going back.
15 Cruises
With kids, without kids, with other couples, girls getaway, or Semana de Quince.
~ Mediterranean – 1
~ Scandinavia, Baltic Sea – 1
~ Panama Canal and South America – 1
~ Caribbean – 12
~ summer trip to Colombia
~ Cruise lines: Holland American, Carnival, MSC, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Celebrity, Renaissance
2 RV trips
~ Drove all over the East Coast of Canada, down through New England.
~ Have also rented a pop-up trailer to camp with other families.
11+ Girl Tribe Trips
Otherwise known as getaways with girlfriends or mom/daughter.
~ Mediterranean cruise, Caribbean cruises
~ Spa weekends, meeting in cities like New Orleans, Chicago, Ontario cottage.
12+ Guy Getaways
~ Too many to count, in a city for sporting events or the family cottage.
21+ Teen solo travel
All three of our girls have had experience traveling solo. We’re huge fans of it. The girls usually start with group camps or trips. All the girls started going to sleepover summer camps at 7. This helps start their independence.
10+ Ski Trips
~ 1-2 weeks in chalets mostly in Ontario and Quebec
49 of the States
– 6 times to Hawaii
– Still coming to see you, Alaska!
Solo Travel by the Girls
Kier
~ Gap year in Madrid and Europe
~ Half a year in Guatemala
~ British Virgin Islands living on sailboat
~ Summer in Peru
~ Summer traveling in Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil
~ Summer in Bolivia
~ 2 weeks Colombia
~ 2 weeks Honduras medical brigade
~ 2 weeks in Costa Rica building houses
~ 2 weeks in Netherlands dance competition
Madi
~ Traveled to Europe at 14 to spend summer with older sister during her gap year.
~ Nicaraguan medical brigade
~ Costa Rica summer internship working at animal sanctuary clinic
~ Thailand internship working in a hospital
Cali
Our youngest was born fiercely independent and was eager to do any activity that her age would allow. Flown many times alone. At 13 she had already been to well over 60 countries. She’s on the cusp of a lot of solo travel. The top places she wants to visit next are: Bora Bora, Hawaii, the Galapagos, and the Maldives. Not the closest grouping of islands, but I’m sure she’ll find a way.
47 Airlines we’ve flown with:
Aegean Air
Aer Lingus
Air Asia
Air Asia X
Air Canada
Air New Zealand
Air Transat
American Airlines
American Eagle
Bangkok Air
Brussels Air
Canadian Pacific
Cebu Pacific
Condor
Continental
Copa Airlines
Delta
Emirates
EuroWings
Frontier
Hainan Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines
Iceland Air
Japan Airlines
Jet Star Japan
JetSmart
KLM
Lot Air
Lufthansa
Olympic Air
Norwegian Air
Qatar Airways
Qantas Air
Scandivanavian Airlines System
Singapore Air
Southwest Airline
Spirit
Sunwing
Thai Smile
United
US Air
Virgin Air
Vueling Airlines
West Jet
Wizz Air
World Ways
Wow
“You have exactly one life in which to do everything you’ll ever do.
Act accordingly.”
~ Colin Wright