The First Journey: From “I Have a Crazy Idea…” to “Let’s Do This.”

Before we were a family of five, Patrick and I were two teachers with carefree hearts and open summers. One of our earliest adventures was a road trip from Chicago to Glacier National Park—camping, hiking, chasing sunsets—and somewhere between mountain trails and roadside diners, we started dreaming big. That trip sparked something in us: a shared vision for a life built on purpose, adventure, and impact. Somewhere between Montana and Illinois, we made our first vow—to make no little plans (thank you, Daniel Burnham)—and to build a life rooted in compassion, curiosity, and a drive to make our lives and our work in education reflective of those values.

Years later, we still feel most at home with the windows down and the world ahead of us. During COVID, we packed up and drove from Chicago to Boston to visit my sister, her husband, and their new baby—me seven months pregnant, with a one- and three-year-old in the back seat, snacks flying, lullabies on loop. A few months later, we hit the road again, this time to Florida, with a four-month-old, a toddler, and a preschooler in tow. It was wild and exhausting and oddly wonderful—exactly the kind of adventure that’s become woven into the fabric of our family.

But somewhere along the way, life sped up. Our calendars filled, our patience thinned, and our days got tangled in tasks and distractions. With three little girls and more emotions than we sometimes know what to do with, we’ve found ourselves constantly rushing through moments we wish we could linger in—teachable moments, snuggly moments, silly moments. And that stings a little.

Still, that whisper we heard on those early road trips—the one that nudges us toward wonder and simplicity—never really left. And now, it’s louder than ever. We’re craving a different pace. A different kind of life. One shaped by curiosity, connection, adventure, mindfulness, and joy—not by what’s expected, but by what feels right for us.

So when one of us said (again), “I have a crazy idea…”—we didn’t dismiss it. This time, we looked at each other and said, “Let’s do this.”

This blog is where we’ll tell that story—how we’re making space for a slower, richer way of living and learning. It won’t be perfect, but it will be real. Thanks for being here. We’re glad you’re along for the ride.

Two dreamers at the start of it all...
Glacier National Park, 2013

"Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men's blood." — Daniel Burnham

From belly...
Chicago to Boston, Summer 2020

...to baby. Inducting Baby C into roadtrip life!
Chicago to Florida, January 2021

All five of us, en route to somewhere
Somewhere at sometime in 2025