Nurturing Global Citizens Through Intuitive Travel

She Who Wanders

Jun 2

A Convo with Jamie from @down.to.detour

Meet Jamie. She and her family sold it all to travel the world. But they’re not your average tourists - in fact, far from it! She follows her heart in practicing intuitive travel, prioritizing experiences over things, slow exploration of culture over the tourist track. She’s passionate about living life in a way that lights up her soul through having new experiences like learning new cultures + people and seeing all the world’s beauty. Keep reading to find out her deeper why for living this unconventional lifestyle and how she uses travel to foster sustainability, a deeper family connection + an incredible education for her family.

Tell us a little about you and your family like where you’re from, where you live now, how old are your boys and anything interesting or unique you’d like people to know.

Jerry and I met in Denver and started our family here. I'm from upstate NY in the Adirondack mountains and Jerry moved every 4 years as an airforce kid. Our boys are 8 and 12, and we started full-time traveling when they were 5 and 8. At the moment we are in our camper in the US on our way to the Pacific Northwest. After suffering the loss of loved ones at ages as young as 4, it became my passion to give my kids a life worth living today, while setting them up for the most successful tomorrow.

I honestly don't think we are very unique; we are just a regular family, trying our best to live each day to the fullest with the very real understanding that tomorrow isn't promised. Our life isn't unattainable, nor does it take someone special to live like we do. It just takes being totally fed up and broken from the rat race and having the sheer determination to make it happen.

I did ask Jeremiah (12) though what makes us unique, and he answered "that we enjoy being around each other and we work well together as a team." Which I thought was a really wonderful answer!

The Great Wanderlust is all about moms stepping outside of the box and diving deeper in both travel and in life! The mission is to inspire mamas and families to feel fully alive through adventure and exploration! What is your great wanderlust? What most makes you come to life??

First time experiences and learning alongside my kids is what lights up my soul. I love how travel has ignited such a passion for learning in myself, and watching my kids experience the world first hand brings tears to my eyes every time. From learning about Buddhist traditions while climbing Sri Pada, riding a camel in the Sahara, learning about global warming while watching icebergs calve in Iceland, or exploring the Amazon with our Kitchwan guide, we are constantly connecting with incredible people and having these unforgettable experiences together that I am just so eternally grateful for. Just thinking about them while I write this makes my heart swell.

I loved hearing from you on IG about how you see the difference between a tourist and a traveler? How do you view the two differently? What are some choices you intentionally make to experience a place or culture to the fullest, and why is that important to you?

We do try to hit up the big attractions like a tourist, but as travelers we really slow down and take our time to meet locals, find the hidden gems, and live like locals versus staying in places curated for westerners. We travel by rental car often to access rural and hard to reach places and we book Airbnbs often in both cities and rural places to get a feel for both ways of life in each country. We eat local cuisine and try to take cooking classes to learn how to prepare the food after we leave. We visit places of worship and learn about the cultural norms and beliefs.

All of these things are so important to me because it isn't just glossing over a country but connecting with it and those within it. It makes a concrete connection for my kids, teaches all of us different ways to live, humbles us, and as an added bonus it isn't allowing resorts to further vilify or exploit locals.

A common theme among the She, Who Wanders community is listening to your intuition and following your heart, which can be challenging with all the noise that is constantly surrounding us - both from people we know + society in general. How do you tune into your soul and make decisions for yourself and your family that are in line with your highest values + ideas, without letting outside noise cloud your vision?

I love that you asked this. Honestly I've wanted to write a book forever, and its title would be "intuitive travel" because that's exactly what I call what we do. We rarely plan where we are going more than 2 days in advance and go where our hearts take us.

In regards to quieting the outside noise- the screams in my soul are far too loud to even notice the outside noise most of the time. Some days I feel more defensive and want to show the nay-sayers why I'm not crazy for raising my kids this way. But for the most part I just see what my life is, how it was and what it could be, and I know I'm exactly where I need to be. I get to be there for all of the big, small, and in-between moments for my boys, and I get to be by their side making all of these amazing memories too. The bond between my husband and I has only grown, and my kids are well adjusted, compassionate, thriving boys.

But more than anything, I'm the mom I've always wanted to be. I'm not in a house, spending my days drowning in laundry and toys, running my kids from one scheduled event to another and trying to do it all while making my next appointment with my doctor to increase my anti-depressant dosage and wondering what's wrong with me because I "have it all". The American dream broke me, so I needed to recreate what that means and make my own dream, one where we all thrived and I could be as whole as the rest of my family.

What are the highest values you want to see develop in your kids? How do you actively foster those qualities in them, both when they’re little and as they’re getting older?

Compassion and acceptance. I've taught my kids about different religions since Walker was 3. I want them to know and love people of all cultures, colors and creed. There has been so much animosity and fear mongering between these differences, and I want my kids to bridge that gap. I want them to know and have relationships with people to know they aren't the stereotypes or their governments, nor their extremists. I want them to be strong in their convictions and proud of their individual selves and never feel like they need to be different for the sake of another, as I never want them to try to change others.

We do this from reading about religions, visiting places of worship and learning how to be respectful within them, forming friendships with people of different countries, and by MODELING kindness. We always smile and say hello to people as we walk + give to those in need. When we are in the US we travel with goodie bags for the homeless we pass along the road, and we have deep and real conversations with our boys about humanity, human behavior, and societies to help equip them for understanding the idiosyncrasies that could lead to misunderstanding. And we equally expose them to atrocities like Auschwitz so they know the kind of damage hatred and fear can cause.

An additional value that we really impose on our kids is to be stewards for our planet. We do this by having them get junior ranger badges in all of the national and state parks we visit, take them to animal sanctuaries, and constantly teach them about the impact mankind has on both animals and the earth, and what we can do to make a difference. We drink our own filtered water and always pack a filter rather than drinking from single use plastic, we clean beaches and pick up trash on our hikes, and we help if we see an animal in distress while also honoring the space wildlife deserves.

We have fostered a deep love and connection with nature for our kids by always being outside exploring, learning and enjoying. The outdoors has become just as much my children's home as any indoor space, and for that they have learned to fully respect and appreciate it.

What is your greatest hope for your family? What about for yourself?
My greatest hope is that we can continue to be a tight knit, happy family with good health. That our boys’ worldschooling can set them up to do and be whatever they choose to aspire to as adults. And that Jerry and I can continue to travel the world, finding new experiences to share together.

With the unpredictability of full-time travel and the constant togetherness you experience as a traveling family, how do you fill your own cup and pour into your own mental health as a wife, mom and human? What are some regular habits/rituals you utilize?

Being outside and hiking is my biggest mental health ritual. The fresh air and exercise keeps me sane!

Where are you off to next and what are you most looking forward to about it??

We need to be in the US for the moment because Jerry is working a contract for the federal government that can't leave the country, so we will continue to explore the US in our camper until this contract is up. Then we will be international again! SE Asia will be the first place we go once we take off again! For now I'm very excited about seeing the Pacific Northwest. I've never been, and I can't wait to explore the national parks!

Who inspires you to dig deeper in travel and life?

I just love Kristin from @inclinedtotravel and Carrie from @thewinginitfamily