The Adventurous Travel Mom: An In-Depth Interview
Looking for a little travel inspiration? Look no further! Jocelyne from That Adventure Lady is my go to resource for all things hiking, family travel, and packing light!
Adventure Mom Jocelyne By The Numbers
Jocelyne is mom to three amazing kids, ages 19, 12, and 9. In addition to homeschooling her children, she has managed to visit 3 continents, 10 countries, 35 states, and countless National Parks.
Have You Always Loved Traveling?
I have such fond memories of traveling with my mom growing up but I would say that it wasn’t until I started traveling with my own kids that I truly fell in love. They taught me to slow down and enjoy the locations we visited rather than check off all the boxes of the itinerary.
How Do You Find Time For Travel?
While school schedules have never been an issue my husband had limited PTO for years. Travel was a huge priority for me and has always been the backbone of our homeschool. To travel as much as I wanted I had to become confident at traveling solo with my kids. I started taking them on extended road trips and my husband would meet up with us in one location for a week. We now deal with my oldest having his own schedule but wanting to join as often as possible. This often looks like dropping him at the airport partway through the trip.
What Advice Can You Give To Families Who are nervous to start traveling?
Start with a weekend trip a couple hours from home. It’s far enough to feel like an adventure, but close enough to feel like you could easily turn around. Keep your expectations low, plan just 2-3 low key adventures, know where you plan to eat, and make sure the accommodations are comfortable enough for the whole family. I think a cabin in the mountains or a house on the beach would be the perfect way to start.
What’s one travel mistake you’ve made? So we can all avoid it!
I forgot to book ferry tickets for our time on the Isle of Islay in Scotland. I planned our trip a year in advance so it wasn’t until I was confirming everything about six weeks out that I realized my mistake and they were completely sold out. If you plan to stay on a remote island make sure you can actually get to the remote island!
You are such a light packer, how do you do it?
Team carryon is definitely not for everyone! If it is your goal my suggestion would be to give it a try at home first. Pack a carryon and challenge yourself to live out of it for a week. Then you can decide what worked well and what you need to improve. Or you can decide that you want to keep checking bags!
You’ve been on some pretty epic adventures, how do you decide where to take your family next?
Currently I am focusing on giving my kids a world-school education over the next 5 years. I focus on choosing locations with culture, history, and nature, aiming for a balance of international and domestic destinations. Given that it is my children’s education I also involve them in the process, using their interests and input to help select the right destination.
Favorite travel destination and why?
Internationally, my favorite destination is Iceland I loved it because it felt the most different from home. I also loved traveling in a campervan because the itinerary was loose allowing us to go with the flow.
In the US, Western Washington will always have a piece of my heart and I can’t not mention it when asked about a favorite destination. It is the one place we return to over and over.
What is one piece of advice you would give to families who want to be more ‘outdoorsy’ but don’t know where to start?
Make a list of ten local trails and nature centers that you can get to within 30-minutes. Choose a day of the week and start working through the list. Take notes on which places you loved, and which you didn’t. Get to know those few places you love really well by visiting often. The next thing you know you’ll be making lists of places just a little further, then a little further, and before you know it you will be getting outside all the time!
Looking for more adventure moms like Jocelyne? Check out my interview with Priscila.
