Planning a vacation is exhausting. By the time you have all the details nailed down it can feel like you’ve done enough research to live successfully in your destination for several years. One of the unfortunate side effects of…
Trip Report: Spain 2010
Without question, our favorite vacation destination in all this world is southern Spain. Any time we plan a trip anywhere, we spend at least a few minutes discussing whether we should just go back to Spain instead. In October of…
Rule #10: It’s Not Worth It
March 2013, Monteverde, Costa Rica. We had driven the death-defying mountain pass after spending several fabulous days in the rainforests of Fortuna and were now ready to start exploring the Monteverde Cloud Forest. Matthew and I were excited to see…
Rule #9: Your Kids Are Your Passport
One concern I hear from many parents planning a trip overseas is that taking kids along will cut them off from any “authentic” experiences and doom them to a vacation full of children’s museums and swimming pools. This couldn’t be…
Change Your Kids’ Lives. Get Outta Town.
During the summer of our third year in Beijing, we arrived in America for a two week visit. While we were chatting with some of my parents’ neighbors, one asked where we were living. “We’re in China, actually!” She took…
Rule #8: You DO Need All This Stuff (aka What to Pack)
Now that I’ve told you what NOT to bring, it’s time to help you figure out what you SHOULD bring on your next trip. First of all, the same rules apply. Pack light. You do not want to be…
Rule #6: Not All Friends Are Travel Friends
We’ve all seen those movies where a group of friends go on a life-changing, outlook-altering trip together. They sit in cafes eating incredible food, ride in convertibles down scenic highways and achieve deep spiritual insights in remote temples, and their…
Trip Report: Greece 2011
In October 2011 we set off for a glorious week in sunny Greece. (We didn’t know how lucky we were that it WAS sunny–apparently October is usually non-stop rain.) We arrived in Athens late at night and took the airport…
17 Things I Learned . . . On The Plane.
1) Babies do not fly free Internationally. Even on your lap. 2) Sweet little grandmas can be mean. 3) Tattooed leather-clad bikers can be lifesavers. 4) Benadryl is the same thing as Dramamine. Exactly the same thing. At half the…
Rule # 5: Editing aka We’ll Laugh About This Someday
You know the episode of Everybody Loves Raymond where Robert and Amy are getting married? Remember Ray’s speech about Editing? Yeah. Editing is a really important part of staying sane while traveling. So what do I mean by that, you…