about us
Hi! My name is Stephanie (the Redhead), and I am so glad you’re here. I live in Michigan in the United States with my husband, Sam, and three kids – Elizabeth (19), Natalie (16) and Nolan (8). I am fortunate to be a stay-at-home mom and homeschool Natalie and Nolan (Elizabeth already graduated). I love to be outdoors, hike, cycle, and research and plan our next trip!
I first got the international travel bug when I studied abroad in Spain in 1998. This was before smartphones, the Internet was fairly new, and you could easily create whatever email address you wanted (hello Hotmail and Aol). I took a 16-day tour with Contiki and traveled through the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy and France. After college, I moved to Florida and worked for two years as a cast member for Walt Disney World, including being a part of the grand opening team of Disney’s California Adventure.
In 2002, I met Sam (my husband) and asked him pretty early in our relationship if he would be up for going to London for a long weekend if I found a good deal. He looked at me like I was crazy. This was a boy who had never dreamed of going abroad, much less with no advance planning and just for the weekend!
After we had kids, we traveled frequently in the United States. In 2019, I took the kids (then 13, 9 and 18 months) with my mom for their first time around Europe. It would take us until our 20th anniversary in 2024 to return, but now I am obsessed.
Sam and I have now been married for over 21 years, traveled to 14 countries together (my count is currently at 20) and are still adding to the list. Our travels include exploring the United States, cruising in the Caribbean, visiting all-inclusive resorts in Mexico, driving in Canada and several trips to Europe (including following the Tour de France in a campervan). Our kids are well traveled as they have joined us on most of our travels.
Join me as I share our adventures, recommendations, and tips for finding the best deals and what to do when things go terribly wrong.
My Mission
To share my love of traveling and the knowledge that I have learned along the way.