Pathfinders spotlight: the Spring Break Family
The Spring Break Family exploring Paris, France © The Spring Break Family
This month the spotlight shines brightly on the Spring Break Family, who love to explore the world together and inspire other working families to do the very same… even if it’s just an adventure in your own backyard.
Tell us about your blog…The Spring Break Family is a travel blog dedicated to all things family travel. Have you heard of the term ‘just 18 summers’? It refers to the limited amount of time you get with your kids before they grow and venture into other things. We embody that philosophy, utilising every spring break (instead of summer) to take our kids – affectionately referred to as ‘the girls’ – on a week-long trip where we learn, grow and experience new things together.
We are committed to empowering average working families like ours to make time to travel with their kids. We do this by practising transparent travelling: we share everything from our mishaps to the things we loved and the things we didn't like so much, and even the actual numbers from our budget. We promise to always keep it real. For most families, information is power so we give as much of it as we can.
Describe your travel style in three words.Too much luggage. Just kidding! Flexible. Kid-centric. Fun!
Already an epicurean adventurer... © The Spring Break Family
What destinations are on your bucket list for 2019?
Our spring break 2019 trip is to Spain. We’re going to start in Barcelona, end in Madrid, and hit up a few cities in between. The rest of our travel calendar is open for now but we hope to visit New York City (special request from the girls), Atlanta and Seattle.
Why do you think it's important to travel with your kids?This time while they’re young is our opportunity as parents to give our kids a global mindset. Travel allows us to not only tell, but to show them that there is a world outside of their living room. Exposing them to new cultures, languages and food enhances their education and helps expand their perceptions beyond their immediate environment.
Time spent on vacation is uninterrupted family time. No chores, no job duties, no school work – just family, food and exploration! And while they’re learning about the world, I'm learning so much about my girls – I truly believe travelling with my kids helps make me a better parent.
'The girls' © The Spring Break Family
What advice would you give to a first-time family traveller?
Budget, budget, then budget some more. If you need a budgeting template or budgeting example, we share money-saving tips on our website. Do your research but stay flexible. Leave time to explore randomly, to stop at that cool ice-cream place you passed, or to just take a nap.
Don’t make the trip just about the kids. It’s a family vacation, but this trip is for you too. That said, please don’t take your kids to raunchy cabaret and say I told you to do it! However, that history museum you thought might be too boring for the kiddos might end up being their favourite stop.
Grant yourself some grace. Travel mishaps are inevitable – relax, enjoy the quality family time and have fun. There is a lot of information out there and plenty of families going on some pretty epic adventures. But if that’s not what works best for your family at this point in time, that’s OK. If all you can commit to is finding adventure in your backyard, that’s enough!
Family travel is also an opportunity for parents to learn something about their kids © The Spring Break Family
Why do you love travel blogging?
Well, for one, it gives me a platform to share all my corny jokes (and trust me, I have a lot of them). But I also love being able to share information with other families and see them take a chance on a trip. I talk to parents all the time who say they want to travel with their kids but don’t know where to start, or they finally got the funds together but are stuck at ‘now what?’. Being able to help encourage and equip them is such a joy. Hands down it is my favourite part of travel blogging.
If you’re a member of our Pathfinders community and would like to share your story, drop us an email at pathfinders@lonelyplanet.com and tell us what exciting things you’re up to on your blog.
