By the raise of hands, who wants to go to a Disney Park in the next 2 years?

Keep your hand up if you have your dates already on the calendar!

If you put your hand down, then this post is especially for you! But even if you have dates or you have things booked, you’ll find this post helpful as well.

So if you are still reading, it is because a love for Disney Parks flows through your veins, or at the very least puts a smile on your face every time you think of going. 

We know, cause we’ve been bit by the Disney bug (probably multiple times) and we want to help you reach the goal of going…and we want it to be soon!

The thing about travel goals though (if we have even considered them goals before) is we don’t always treat them the same as physical or family goals, where we act on them every single day. Instead, we think about it one day and maybe add some ‘wants’ to our plan (that is of course if you have a written plan — click here if not) and then we get back to it weeks or months later.

But just like our fitness or family connection goals, we’re gonna achieve them quicker, the more effort and time we put into thought and action.

“But Garrett, what should/can I do right now while I am not traveling”

Well, I’m glad you asked!

Here are a few things you can do when you don’t have a date on the calendar for your next vacation or you don’t have anything booked yet.

Just Get Started

1. Treat this like a goal, not a wish. You don’t need to work on it every day like a fitness goal, but by treating a trip to Disney like a goal rather than a wish, you will take more action to make it happen.
2. Put a date on the calendar. The best tip I can give you is to pick a date. And don’t worry, you can move it if you really need to. But having a date on the calendar will help you subconsciously move towards that goal

3. Book something. Hotels can be booked months in advance with no upfront cost and can be easily modified if necessary. Even park tickets can be purchased and used later on. Having something booked, especially if it’s paid for, is very motivating to make sure the other details come together.

4. Start a Disney Fund. This could be as simple as a Disney jar or as involved as starting a side hustle…and don’t be shy…you can tell everyone why you are doing this… ‘I started this business to pay for my epic Disneyland trip’. That way the extra ‘work’ will just feel like it is part of the trip planning

You can also learn how to use points which can pay for a huge chunk of your trip. We’ve even had clients pay for their whole trip with points once they learned the best way to do it!  And the best part is, that you will be able to do it over and over again! And we would love to show you how.

Reasearch & Plan

Even if your trip is a year or more away, the more time we spend planning and dreaming, the longer the trip will bring excitement into your life!

Keep Dreaming

1. Picture yourself there. You’ve dreamed of going to Disney, but now start dreaming of what it’s like to be at Disney. And if you’ve been, that doesn’t mean skip this step, it means you’re better able to recall the sights, the smells, the tastes, and even the touch. And each time you go, is a new experience. Your kids are at a different phase of their life..or you are. 

2. Take to the Tube. If you haven’t been before, here are some ways to help you keep dreaming.

Love YouTube? Find a few Disney YouTubers and start watching some of their stuff or follow some people on IG (nevermind, you are probably already doing that). 

We like The Tim Tracker and Disney Food Blog on YouTube and we like disneyparksblog and disneylanddailycasey on IG.

But a quick search will bring you hours of binge-watching Disney enjoyment. Trust me on that, hahaha!

The Point is to Enjoy the Process

I hope you enjoyed this list of things you can do to enjoy the process of dreaming, planning, and going on your trip to Disneyland. It’s easy to feel down about the fact that you aren’t going right this second. But if you follow a few of these tips, the joy and anticipation of going means the vacation can spark happiness for more time than just the days that you’re there.

Have you heard the phrase that the only constant in this world is change?

Well in the travel world, the only thing you can truly plan for is that your plans will change. 

After arriving for our first visit to Amsterdam in the late afternoon, it only took about 10 minutes before our plans needed revising. 

So we pivoted, something we actually do quite well when we travel, and decide to head straight to Vinkeveen for dinner and an early night.

Cue dramatic music. This is where things get a little crazy.

So we took to Trip Advisor and Google to look for dining options near our accommodation. We found a wonderful place right on the lake that the town sits on and the menu looked delightful.

We arrived just as the sun was setting and you couldn’t ask for a better scene for our first night there. We sat down, tried to muster our best Dutch to be polite and our waiter was very patient as his English was not the best.

Ok, maybe here is where you cue the dramatic music. This is where things get interesting.

With most big cities in Europe, credit cards have become just as commonplace as they are in the U.S.. 

But we weren’t in a big city, we were in a fairly small town about 30 minutes outside of Amsterdam.

So when we tried to pay with our card (ya know, we’ve got to earn back some of those points we used to get there) their machine wouldn’t accept our card. Nor would it accept any of the other cards we brought with us. 

And guess what we didn’t do when we were at the airport?

You guessed it…we had no cash.

If you remember, our plan was to go into Amsterdam first and we would have been able to easily find an atm to pull out cash. Be we skipped this step.

So the restaurant basically held Mandi and the kids hostage while I went on the search for a bank with an atm…at 9:00 at night. 

I drove to the closest place I could find on Google Maps, anxious to get back to my family. And I struck out. No atm. I searched and searched, driving around a new country with spotty wifi in the dark and continued on with no luck. Days later we would discover that the only atm in the town was in the grocery store, which closed early that night. 

After about an hour or so of searching, we had to try and come up with another plan.

We proposed and  they agreed to let Mandi leave her drivers licence and we promised that we would be back the next day to pay. 

I figured things would work out somehow, someway, but for that hour, it really was unnerving as  I was scrambling to come up with the ransom money to free my captive family. (Ok, so maybe they weren’t really held hostage, but the restaurant owner really wasn’t interested in any of our other proposals and just kept demanding cash, without offering any solutions.)

So I decided to help you not make the same mistake we did.

Here are 5 quick tips to do when you land in Europe.

1. Take a breath and prepare for some extra time at the airport.

This tip really starts long before you land. When you are planning your arrival day, it is wise to double how long you think things will take in the airport. Plan for plenty of time to make it through customs, collect your bags, get money, and pick up your rental car or locate ground transportation. This is even more true if you have never been to Europe or that city before. We recommend planning for 2-3 hours between landing and actually leaving the airport. 

It might take less than that, but if you give yourself the extra time, you’ll be happy when it goes quicker rather than stressed that you are going to miss a train or reservation. So plan the extra time, you’ll be glad you did!

2. Get cash. 

But don’t get cash just anywhere. Find a bank branded ATM and not a currency exchange or an atm branded with Travellex. And when you make a withdrawal with your debit card, make a large withdrawal. We recommend roughly half the amount of cash you plan to spend on your trip. 

Secure the majority of your cash, and then split 50-100 euros between you and your travel partner and keep the money split between a couple of different pockets.

3. Familiarize yourself with the airport.

If you are flying home out of the same airport you flew into, it is helpful to get a little bit familiar with the place, especially if your return flight leaves before 10 in the morning. The last thing you want when you leaving is to be flustered because you’re lost. You’ve already budgeted some time at the airport so use some of it for research. And if you want to be extra  prepared, find a ticketing desk for your airline and just ask them where you will need to be and go when you return in a few days.

And while you are at it, you can soak up the atmosphere. You are in Europe! And many of the airports are much cooler than what we are used to in the U.S.

4. Talk to someone.

I can’t tell you how many times our bacon was saved because we simply talked to a local. From finding great food spots, to avoiding unnecessary delays, to avoiding potential danger. Finding someone to just say hello to and ask for advice is invaluable 

One place to find someone to talk to is the tourist office

Even if you have your itinerary planned to the tee, a visit to the tourism office is worth the time. You may find unique events that interest you but you can also pick up train and bus maps and ask any questions that only locals are going to know.

5. Plan your next few steps.

Generally speaking, airports are much safer places than the streets of a big city. So take a few minutes here, use your map to plan your journey to your hotel, and make sure everyone is on the same page for your next few steps. Also take some time to buy some food. No one wants to be hangry while also navigating a new transportation system and dealing with your luggage.

So there are a few easy steps you can take that I know will help you avoid a little stress on your next trip to Europe

Didn’t read to the end? That’s okay. Here’s the TLDR summary: 

1. Budget plenty of time at the airport
2. Find a bank ATM and withdraw some cash
3. Familiarize yourself with the airport to help when you return home
4. Make sure you talk to some people and don’t overlook the tourism office.
5. Take a few minutes to craft a plan and make sure everyone is on the same page.

You wanna know what one of the  biggest lessons  I have ever learned was?

That feeling like you don’t belong sucks! Bad!

Have you ever felt that (I mean, we all do from time to time), but perhaps more strongly or over a longer period of time?

How did you get through? 

What are some ways you know of that make you feel like you belong?

Over the last year or so, Mandi and I have been learning more and more just how much we as humans crave connection. And studies show that the difference between people who feel like they belong and those who feel like they don’t is that those who feel they belong, feel like they are worthy of love.

We built this display in our home and call it the ‘You Belong’ wall. We wanted to have a constant reminder of how connected we are to each other and that we belong…that in spite of struggles, we are a team who can always rely on one another.

 And most importantly remind us that we are loved and are worthy of love.

Most of the pictures on our belonging wall are from our travels…but they’re not of monuments or museums. Instead, they’re of the moments between the big events where the deepest connections were and are made. 

But they’re still images from our travels….because that’s where, it seems, many of our strongest connections are made and where we feel most unified as a family. 

And this is why we emphasize, as much as we can, how invaluable traveling as a family truly is! Because we want to help you strengthen your family as much as we have been empowered to strengthen ours.

It’s also why we do what we do. To remove obstacles in the way of families so they’re free to travel more and to more amazing places; experience this amazing world of ours. 

How about you, do you have a spot in your home or a photo album that reminds you of belonging? 

Do you have experiences where travel has restored or increased connection between you and your loved ones? 

We would love for you to leave a comment or tag us on social media and use the hashtag #youbelonghere. And we want to let you know that you belong here! We welcome you and your voice and your value as a human in this community!

Happy New Year! 

I’m sure your social media feed and inbox are full of all the ‘New Year, New You’ kinds of things right now. It’s that time, for sure.  And while everyone is busy making massive lists of things they want to do, that negative thought pattern of ‘new year, same old me’ can creep it’s disgraceful fist right on in and squash those dreams fast.   

We’re doing our own yearly reflecting and making some family goals for 2020 that of course include MORE TRAVEL! And we wanted to pop in and share some ideas with you to help you make goals that will stick. Goals you’ll achieve fast because you’re empowered with some simple strategies for success.

First things first: It’s time to Imagine.

Imagine who you want to be at this time next year. 

Imagine yourself having achieved the things you said you would. 

Imagine your family flipping through your family yearbook for 2020 (let’s be honest, it’s your camera phone gallery ‘cuz you haven’t had time to make a photobook yet for all the fun you’ve been having), reminiscing about all the fun memories you made together. 

Breathe those feelings in. Really notice what your kids are saying as they point out those silly selfies you took in front of the Eiffel Tower, those underwater shots of your son’s first attempt at snorkeling at that quaint little beach you found, or that scary-looking dish you ambitiously ordered and then dared each other to sample. Surprisingly delicious or horribly wretched? Ha!

Now that you’ve imagined something totally amazing, it’s time to Write It Down. 

Grab a pen and a blank sheet of paper and just write. Write down all the things you want to do this year, next year, in five years, JUST WRITE!  Don’t let fear get in the way. And don’t worry about the How. The how comes later. Just write the What you’ve been dreaming about.

Ok, now Choose A Goal

This step is mostly dependent on your family situation. You may be able to choose a couple destinations or just one right now. But choose one thing, circle it, post it on your fridge and make it the focus of your thoughts and actions this year. You’ll be surprised at the affect of having your goals listed front and center: SUCCESS!

This next step can sometimes sound like the hardest, but it’s actually the simplest. 

Take some kind of action.

Ask yourself, What is one thing I can do today that will get me closer to taking that trip to Hawaii. Your answer might be to open a savings account and call it Hawaiian Snorkel fund. Your answer might be to research what it will cost your family to travel there (hint, what you find might pleasantly surprise you). Your answer might be to book a workshop with us so we can help you get the biggest costs like flights, hotels, car rental, for free. But whatever your next action is, do like Nike says and JUST DO IT!

Now that you’ve taken one step, take another and another, until you wake up and you’re packing your bags for that family adventure you dreamed about that one day in January. 

AHHH! Can you feel the excitement? I’m over here with goosebumps, waiting to hear what travel goals you’re planning for this year! 

I had one of those rare, quiet, nobody-was-calling-MOM-a-hundred-times moments the other day (they do happen, I promise!) And I started thinking about how my oldest son has one more year of elementary before we send him off on his next big adventure in middle school.

Yikes!

To say I’m terrified is an understatement.

Nevermind that I hated middle school–that’s a post for another day. But it hit me like a ton of bricks when I started thinking that we’ve essentially got a year to teach and support him–to create a sense of belonging to our ‘team–before he gets funneled into a gathering that will expose him to so many new, sometimes frightening, situations.

I realize that my middle school experience is different than his will be. While I was struggling to fit into a box that he probably won’t struggle with, he’ll have other, possibly more difficult, hills to climb. As well as big decisions that will determine his trajectory for years to come. I know, it sounds a bit dramatic to say, but I really believe my choices as a moody 13 yr old affected me for a decade…and maybe more.

I feel like we’re cramming for a really big test that begins next fall. Cramming in all the daily summer stuff like afternoons at the pool or hikes around the lake, trips to our local theme park, and late night chats when it’s just too hot to sleep. And because we love to travel, we’re taking in those adventures, too.

But we’re cramming to say the least.

Summer vacation is over and I feel like we’re running out of time to do the things that great connections are made from.

One thing that puts my mind at ease is all the fun adventures we’ve been able to revel in over the last few years. Trips to Europe, Hawaii, Florida, California, The Pacific Northwest, etc.

At the end of these adventures, do you know what we have?

Memories!

Moments we chat about all the time! We’ve got photos on our wall of those ‘together’ moments that our kids can fall back on when they encounter thoughts of not being enough or that nobody understands them. We know that when those tough moments come, and we know they will come, it is our hope that those memories will be enough to keep them rooted, grounded in a sense of belonging and being enough. A sense that they can get through whatever life throws their way. And that we as a family can make it through together, if we trust and stay close to each other.

We have a vested interest in your family creating those same moments.

Your kids will hang with our kids. Your kids and ours will become the next generation of strong individuals who will make a difference and change the world!

We hope you’ll turn those ‘someday’ travel goals into ‘right away’ travel plans with us!

-Mandi