away from home / part 1 "travel tips + a life lesson"

About three years ago, I proposed celebrating my 40th birthday in Hawaii. What would be more memorable than spending this milestone with my crew, parents, and siblings on an island I'd only heard amazing things about?

(Spoiler: it didn't happen.)

A couple searches on flights and accommodations gave us a firm "nope". I was bummed, but financially, it was the right call. We ended up replacing our dying fridge and range that year, and our roof the next. Oof.

Hawaii fell out of our thoughts completely, until last fall. My parents proposed meeting them and my siblings there in July 2025. They would cover our family's accommodations. All we had to do was get ourselves there.

Well, this time, it happened!

We spent 8 days exploring the four O'ahu shores, taking in the sun, sea, and culture. Rather than splashing this post with scenic highlights, I wanted to share six travel tips I tried that worked and one big life lesson I learned for future family trips. Part 2 of this post is a personal note on why it's taken me 17 years to take a destination vacation like this and why I'm good with not taking another one for a while.

1. homemade granola

Just about every week, you’ll find a tray of oats, cinnamon, honey, and other good stuff baking in our oven, Granola is a simple to make family favourite breakfast/snack staple.

So a few days before our trip, I baked a double batch to take with us! It made a delicious, familiar start to our mornings, and helped curb hangry pains as we prepped for the day.

2. canvas tote

Light. compact. durable. washable.

Stash daily supplies, take it shopping, and still look elegant carrying it on an evening out.

3. travel tray

When staying in an unfamiliar space, designate ONE specific place to store everyday essentials. Less mess and stress spent finding things means more time and energy enjoying your getaway!

←A tray, bowl, drawer, or shelf works well.

4. downtime play

As a family, we love winding down the day with a round of cards. Two decks are compact to pack and you can play a myriad of multiplayer games, like garbage, golf, canasta, rummy, or double solitaire.

5. clothing capsule

First, choose TYPES of clothing based on your itinerary and destination’s climate.

Second, forget outfits. pack BASICS you feel comfortable in and can easily mix/match, dress up/down.

←What I wore is about HALF of what I packed!

6. laundry strips

Eco-friendly, liquid-less laundry detergent both cleans and stretches your travel wear.

Perfect for hand washing in a hotel if you don’t have access to a washer.

Won't ever travel without these → TruEarth strips!

Check out @TruEarthMovement to learn more!

7. let your kids lead

This trip was undoubtedly a wake-up call for me. When you're immersed in parenthood, marriage, a small business, and homeownership 24/7, it's hard to break off completely. Work typically follows my husband. This time it followed me, too. I was so grateful to gain a new client (a silver lining that came through when our flight got cancelled!), but both of us juggling that with a different family dynamic in an unfamiliar environment was A LOT. It weighed on me most, and that impacted my ability to turn off and tune into the experience fully.

Sometimes you can't realize all that's happening internally until it's over. Fortunately, I noticed glimmers of relief and they all came from our kids! If you can relate and ever feel yourself in a similar situation, my advice is this: Kids are pros at play, so letting loose on vacay comes naturally to them. Step into their world and soak up their energy...it will fuel you and enhance your experience 10-fold!

what vacation destination is on your bucket list?

Or where have you been that's worth a revisit? Share your adventures and travel dreams in the Comments!

Always,