Travel

Destinations

In 2009, we sold our house to travel the world as a family, experience new cultures and languages, and expand our minds. So far, we’ve been to over 45 countries and dozens of cities and towns. Below, you can find a map of the highlights. Clicking any location will take you to posts about that location. (Note: Some of the places we’ve traveled may not have yet made it into blog posts or on this map.)

Latest Travel Posts

The West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island —Three Traveling Families Sharing One Epic Roadtrip New Zealand / Travel

The West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island —Three Traveling Families Sharing One Epic Roadtrip

by Jul 30, 2016 12 Comments

Have I mentioned how much more kids learn when they are exploring the world with their friends? For example, what might be “just another hike” morphs into an exciting adventure with new playmates. “Boring” car drives suddenly shift gears as kids learn the valuable art of car swapping, so they can score a seat next to their friend. Party in the back seat anyone? Playing on...

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A Reunion of Friends in Nelson, New Zealand Family / Friends / New Zealand / Photography

A Reunion of Friends in Nelson, New Zealand

by Jul 22, 2016 2 Comments

One of the most amazing things about traveling as a family is becoming friends with other traveling families. It is really fun to get together and play in different places around the world! We feel exceptionally fortunate that we had two of these wonderful families to adventure with during our stay. New Zealand was a first for all of us, and it was great to discover...

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New Zealand North Island Encounters Education / Family / Food / Friends / New Zealand / Photography

New Zealand North Island Encounters

by Jul 14, 2016 7 Comments

Centrally located near the top of the South Island, Nelson made an excellent home-base for our three-month visit in New Zealand, and we completely luxuriated in the time we spent there. Because the country is quite large and packed full of awesomeness around every corner, we did occasionally venture to other places as well. Our first trip began with a short stay in Auckland on the North Island, to renew Aysia’s passport....

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Home-basing in Nelson, New Zealand New Zealand / Travel

Home-basing in Nelson, New Zealand

by Jul 07, 2016 6 Comments

Kia Ora! Nau mai! We’re so glad you made it to our first New Zealand installment. Settling into a new country is always an adventure for our family. The fun, and sometimes the frustration, all come as part of this process of discovery. We never really know what to expect, so it always turns into an interesting combination of surprises. Air New Zealand Just for...

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Canada / Family / Household / Personal / Travel / Victoria

A Glimpse Into Our Life in Victoria, BC

by Jun 29, 2016 12 Comments

Hello, from Victoria, BC, Canada! We are here until December, and are currently living in a beautiful rental home near the water. There are many things we’re enjoying about our new home, including the walkability, the neighborhood, the community, and the fabulous property. Let me show you around! In this video, I start at a nearby beach, but then take you on a tour, showing this lovely...

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Bali / Family / Indonesia / Personal / Travel

Luggage and Packing Insights from World Traveling Family

by Jun 05, 2016 3 Comments

After traveling together as a family for seven years and visiting over 32 countries, one of the most common questions we get asked is this: How do we pack for long-term world travel? In this week’s video, we provide a glimpse into our luggage, and offer some packing tips. I share my favorite travel backpack, as well as what’s inside my suitcase. Jennifer struggles with what...

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Bali / Personal / Spirituality

Meditation Demystified

by May 28, 2016 2 Comments

Meditation is a simple mental focus exercise that can have powerful effects in your daily life. Personally, it’s increased my awareness of the thoughts and emotions I experience and improved my ability to choose how I respond to situations in life, rather than react unconsciously. When I’ve had a consistent practice of meditation, it’s also reduced stress and anxiety, increased my compassion for others, and...

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Costa Rica / Ecuador / Education / Family / Food / Galapagos Islands / Guatemala / Honduras / Mexico / Nicaragua / Panama / Personal / Peru / Spain / Travel

Memories of Spanish Speaking Countries

by May 20, 2016 4 Comments

In this week’s video, Emily, Marie, and Aysia share some of their memories from Spanish speaking countries. My niece recently asked us to create a video for her Spanish class in school and we thought it would be a great opportunity to share with our readers, as well. Some of the memories include Dia de los Muertos in Mexico, Machu Pichu in Peru, ziplining in Costa Rica, the...

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Bali / Family / Finances / Indonesia / Personal / Travel

Practical Tips for Living in Bali

by May 13, 2016 9 Comments

In my latest video, I share practical tips for living in Bali. If it’s your first visit, you may be wondering how to obtain a visa, where to find accommodation, what medical care is available, and how to use the local currency. I cover all of this, and more. I hope after watching, you’ll understand that travel doesn’t need to be intimidating. There are people...

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Bali / Family / Indonesia / Personal / Travel

Highlights of Ubud, Bali

by May 05, 2016 4 Comments

This week, Jen’s cousin is visiting us here Ubud. As we’ve been showing her around some of the sites, I thought it would be fun to share some of the highlights of Ubud, Bali with you, as well. Ubud has so much to offer to visitors. The surrounding area has incredible natural beauty. Culturally, it’s packed with temples. You can get any kind of healthy,...

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