My and David’s first overnight trip together when we were dating was a week long camping trip into the wilderness of East Tennessee without cell phone service or showers. To say we jumped feet first is an understatement… I don’t know many people that would agree to a week in the woods with someone they’ve just met. And live to tell the tale, or end up marrying each other. I think we would consider ourselves professional campers, but for some reason we are just now taking the twins tent camping for the first time at 4 years old. I think time just got away from us during previous summers and now the boys are begging to go.

Summer break is here- long days, family road trips, beach outings, and maybe a plane ride or two. But what if you could do more than just go somewhere? What if you could turn your summer vacation into a living, breathing classroom? This is the essence of worldschooling. Everything can be a learning experience or a hands-on field trip. David and I plan on worldschooling the twins long term, but here’s how you can dabble this summer and try it for yourself. You don’t have to follow a strict curriculum, need a teaching degree, or need loads of resources. You just need to connect with your kids, light up their curiosity, and your family trips will become more meaningful!

One of the biggest, quickest trip expenses comes before you even get to pack a bag- booking a flight. There are so many airlines, so many connections, so many possible itinerary combinations that it can be overwhelming. As we Millennials like to say “It’s a computer purchase… not something to book on your phone.” And it’s a purchase that comes with strings attached- bag policy, no refunds or exchanges, add ons like seat selection. One of the most “brain power intensive” parts of trip planning for me is choosing the flight. I hope these tips and resources help make things easier for you!

People are always asking me “Where are you traveling to next?” Sometimes it’s a destination they’re familiar with, sometimes it’s a far-flung locale they’ve never heard of and there’s a blank stare after my response. More often than not, I am flying into a large city, using the international airport, and then getting the heck out of dodge and into the more authentic countryside. So how do I choose our next destination? Whether on the traditional tourist route or into the depths of a culture, here are the questions and considerations I ask when narrowing down the choices to see if a place is a good fit.

There are lots of reasons a person may decide to take a trip- scenic reasons, food reasons, work reasons, family reasons, adventure reasons, shake-things-up reasons, rest and self-care reasons. But whenever I leave my daily routine and later return home to “normal life,” I always take a moment to pause and evaluate my reentry. Something special can happen in that tiny window of time before work emails start begging for attention and the laundry pile stares at you from the corner… it’s a delicate time to decide what habit souvenirs you want to bring into your life.