Who We Are
- LOVES: Hiking, mountains, good books, well-behaved kids (my own)
- DISLIKES: Spelunking, scuba diving with 6-foot long bull sharks, fire ants, one-foot long earthworms
- DREAM TRIPS: Hut-to-hut hiking in Switzerland, cross-country skiing across northern Scandinavia beneath the Northern Lights, vacation in Japan staying at traditional ryokan, and visiting Ethiopia
- FAVE TRAVEL GAME: Five-minute mad-money market dash
- WHEN NOT TRAVELING: I’m writing this blog, walking my dog, doing yoga, attending multiple book club meetings, and spending time with my family.
Janice
I am a travel writer, blogger, and bookhound, specializing in family, group, and multi-generational travel. I have traveled extensively domestically and internationally to 40+ countries.
With a profound passion for destination research and trip-related family learning, I lose myself in the planning process. I indulge in deep dives and comprehensive destination overviews that I love to share.
I know there are others out there just like me—who love the pre-trip research nearly as much as the trip. So, to my fellow travel planning enthusiasts, I dedicate this site to you.
When I am not traveling, I spend my time planning my next trip while living in the Chicago burbs with my husband, two teens, and my dog.
Learn how the blog came to be in “It Took 20 Years—A Blog Story.”
Jordan
I am a backpacker who got lucky when I met Janice. The last time I planned a trip on my own, a buddy and I ended up in the most polluted part of China—the coal-mining region. Since then, I have benefited from Janice’s love of travel planning, and I have not come close to being run over by a 30-ton coal truck, not even once! I love going on adventures and getting out into the world.
My favorite moments are people watching at an outdoor cafe, jumping out of a crowded microbus into a strange market, or hanging out on a seawall to watch the fishing boats head out for the night, drinking local beer, and telling stories. I am happiest when I can wander around a new place with a pack on my back and my two favorite things: a camera and a journal.
- LOVES: Boats, scuba diving, tidal pools, safaris, museums, street food, local markets, photography, telling stories
- DISLIKES: Heights, baboons, and the morning after too much homemade booze!
- DREAM TRIPS: River cruise down the Amazon, camel trek to Timbuktu, sailing around Tonga, scuba diving in the Philippines, archaeological tour of Luxor, a full week at the Louvre
- FAVE TRAVEL GAME: Lateral thinking puzzles
- WHEN NOT TRAVELING: I’m hanging out in a hammock while smoking meat and trying to be the best husband, father, and friend I can be.
- LOVES: Video games, YouTube, uninterrupted screen time, trips with the dog, music, reading (thank goodness!)
- DISLIKES: Homework, chores, screen breaks, mandatory physical activity, early morning flights
- DREAM TRIPS: Mars, Italy, Maine for a month, Europe in the winter, lots of National Parks, every continent
- FAVE TRAVEL GAMES: Screens and lateral thinking puzzles
- WHEN NOT TRAVELING: Enjoying alone time in their rooms.
The Kids
Thankfully, our kids, now in the teen stage, embrace travel. Their agreeableness has as much to do with being interested in the trips we take as it does with being involved. We make sure we always incorporate activities they want to do, then give them the downtime and space they need afterward to decompress.
Fortunately, in our travels with the kids over the years, we have only scarred them a handful of times with experiences that have gone awry. Pro tip: nine-year-olds should NOT ride the Revenge Of The Mummy roller coaster at Universal Studios.
The good thing is that despite any fumbles—which make for excellent stories—our teens happily continue to be up for more adventures and for exploring the world with us.
Duffy
Our beloved family dog is a gentle giant with an eager-to-please demeanor. He is devastatingly handsome and photographs well. He’s not big on travel, mainly due to getting horribly and repeatedly carsick.
And ever since we bought our big rooftop cargo box for the car, we insist he joins us on vacations. He likes the hikes and got his own bottom bunk the last time we went out of town, so he liked that. Despite his extensive travel—to Wisconsin and Michigan—his favorite place is home.
- LOVES: Bones, belly rubs, and bacon
- DISLIKES: Getting wet
- DREAM TRIPS: The backyard
- FAVE GAME: Tuggy
- WHEN NOT TRAVELING: He's napping.
