Family Adventure Summit in Bali was a Huge Success!

Oct 2019 · 4 min read

The whole Family Adventure Summit community gathered for a group photo, hands raised, in front of a Balinese temple gate in Ubud

I am overwhelmed with gratitude for this amazing week, and for the people who are part of this incredible Family Adventure Summit community!

There is so much I can share about what happened this week that would fill pages. So I'll list a few things that happened, and then share some of the most powerful moments for me personally that have continued to bring me in and out of tears.

Balinese Kecak dancers performing right up to our tables at the Opening Social dinner party

The event started out with all 300 or so of us at an Opening Social dinner party, where we got to visit together over a delicious Indonesian buffet, and then watched a live Kecak dance performance! (If you haven't seen one, it's like nothing else out there)

A costumed Balinese dancer and performers lit up on stage at night

Other cultural performances and activities throughout the event included a traditional Balinese blessing ceremony, a Balinese dance performance, Balinese offering making (for the kids), and a lot of other activities in the kids program focused on the local culture, language, and arts (the kids even learned how to do kecak!). Many of these came together for us just a week or two before the event, and I'm so grateful it worked out as it really enhanced the event for everyone.

Six teen girls with their arms around each other, laughing together

As I am every year, I was so touched by the beautiful children that come to this event. The inclusivity and acceptance that is shown, as well as the maturity of the older children and teens is astounding. The joy on the kids faces when they get to spend time with friends, and do things they love is just beautiful! This year, art, technology, sports, musical theater, many impromptu pool parties and more filled their week.

A hall full of attendees seated for one of the keynote sessions

While the kids were engaged in their activities, the adults enjoyed several dozen keynote speeches, sessions, round table discussions, and unconferences where a huge diversity of topics were discussed. We focused a lot this year on the core values of Family Adventure Summit, which are Acceptance, Kindness, Courage, Adventure, and Sustainability. These values came out in our sessions, as well as in our family activities from drum circles to family art projects.

We really want to set a standard for family travelers worldwide to think about ways to travel more responsibly, cultivate greater cultural understanding and awareness, and appreciate the global diversity that so enhances our planet. Of course, more practical topics also came up, from finding cheap flights, to business strategies, communication for couples and families, consent and social media, and so much more (including non-cerebral activities like qigong).

Here's a short highlights reel that captures the spirit of the week:

On the last day, instead of announcing next year's event like we normally do, I got a bit vulnerable and shared how we've struggled to make Family Adventure Summit work sustainably from both a financial standpoint (this year, we're several thousand dollars in the hole), and with the amount of effort required by our team year-round to put on this event each year, and that we're experiencing some fatigue.

We created a survey and asked our community what they would like to see moving forward, and for ideas for how we can do this in a sustainable way. The response was incredible! Not only did we receive very positive survey responses, but members of the community are so committed to seeing this continue that they decided to start a fundraiser at our closing dance party, and began pitching in money to put us in the black in this year. We've already received over $3,900 and are well on our way to breaking even.

Dancing together under the lights at our closing dance party, where the community launched an impromptu fundraiser

In addition, so much support has been offered from people wanting to help out however they can to make sure this event keeps happening. We've received many messages from people who have said how this event has changed their life, has given their family a sense of freedom and connection, has helped their children finally come out of their shell to feel safe and accepted for who they are, and is the highlight of their year for both them and their kids. Many people said they plan their entire year around this event, and they'll come wherever we hold it.

Hearing these things, I couldn't help but sob uncontrollably. I woke up with tears again this morning, and they've just kept coming throughout the day. I feel so supported and appreciated and grateful to be a part of such a loving community. And I look forward to debriefing everything with our team this week to figure out how we can move forward in ways that best serve the community, allow more opportunities to serve, and that will be financially and energetically sustainable for all of us.

Our whole community gathered on stage, singing together in front of a purple-lit Balinese temple gate on the closing night

I've realized a lot of things this week:

We have done a really good thing in creating this event, and I need to take some time to really feel that, and to feel the appreciation.
The support is there in my life if I can just be vulnerable and share what I'm needing. I don't need to take on so much myself, pretending to be strong when I'm actually struggling.
We in this family travel community really need each other, and we need events like this to bring us together to receive support and encouragement on the journey.

Is there something you're struggling with this week that you could use support with? Who can you reach out to in your community?