Why Are We doing this?

"Travel the world and the seven seas, everybody's looking for something...." - The Eurythmics

Travel is a word that Francesca and I hold sacred, brimming with adventure, mystery, education and romance intertwined. This common passion connected us instantly when we first met in New York City over 20 years ago. 

I like to think our wanderlust stems from our backgrounds - both our mothers were immigrants, mine from Norway and Francesca's from the Philippines. Perhaps observing their resilience and openness left an imprint. Though, strangely, none of our six siblings were bitten by the travel bug quite like we were.

But for Francesca and me, insatiable curiosity and longing for the unfamiliar has always bound us together. Through endless late night conversations dreaming over maps, saving up for epic excursions while budgeting to pay rent, missing trains and getting lost in foreign cities only to laugh about it later...we created a realm that was wholly our own.  

Now, 15 years into our marriage with kids in tow, we still venture out to discover hidden pockets of beauty across the globe whenever we can. We find through travel that our love expands, realizing how connected we all are in this human experience. Yes, travel has always been and remains our shared passion and our sacred place in this world.

Inspired by the incredible six months Francesca and I spent exploring the far corners of the world shortly after we were married, we have long envisioned embarking on a similar odyssey with our children someday. Now finally feels like that perfect moment - the kids are mature enough to appreciate such far-flung adventures and remember them vividly when they themselves are grown and yet they still delight in family togetherness at this age before teenage aloofness kicks in. 

And so we eagerly prepare to launch this dream journey abroad - to discover foreign lands beyond what our children have seen growing up in California, to tear them away from devices and expose them to foreign cultures, peoples, traditions, foods, and ways of living. We want to nurture openness, curiosity and reverence within them for how beautifully diverse this world is and yet how connected at the same time.

​They’ll taste exotic cuisines, hear foreign tongues, and practice photography capturing new vistas every day. Adventure and quality bonding await at every turn, from an elephant sanctuary in Thailand to mountain treks through the Andes. We envision this trip will profoundly shape their worldviews and self-confidence through embracing the unfamiliar. Not to mention strengthen our family bond through adventures no smartphone could hope to replicate - although we'll certainly have those with us!

Join our family as we consciously disconnect from routine and immerse ourselves in unfamiliar lands. Who knows what impact on their young minds and futures may unfold through embracing this great, big, beautifully diverse world together? We can’t wait to discover and grow! 

- Dan