Away is my happy place!!
Hi, I’m Marisa, lifetime traveler and planning guru. I was fortunate my parents shared their wanderlust with me starting when I was two months old! The many trips and places we went instilled in me a strong appreciation for all the different kinds of people, cultures, & ways there are to live in the world. I have traveled to 30 countries and 36 U.S. states with more being added all time!
When my husband and I dated, our mutual love of travel, sci-fi, and Star Trek 🖖🏼 in particular are what formed the core of our relationship. When we married, we traveled for years before having kids, and once they came along we had no desire to stop. Instead, through some trial and error, we figured out how to continue exploring with kids in tow.
A lot of families travel, but not like ours. We travel to places and within budgets that many people are shocked to discover. We are an active family that enjoys skiing, swimming, biking, outdoor activities, and scuba diving. Our love of science fiction, movies, food, and adventure binds us closely together as a family. My travel plans incorporate cultural and historical sites along with movie/TV filming locations. Nothing beats seeing a beautifully photographed or filmed location better than with your own eyes and ears, and kids really love seeing places in real life that they only seen on a screen.
While we love all that stuff, you can’t leave out the tastebuds. Every trip is crammed with stops to local restaurants, bars, and markets to indulge in the local cuisine & experience the people and their culture. Wherever you are in the world comparing your home town version of a dish to where it came from is a fun and often shocking experience. Sometimes, you just have to woman up and try the haggis!
We rarely travel with just our own family anymore. Combining peoples likes and wants with a destination is my specialty. I’ve planned and executed many small group trips with delightful itineraries and friendly budgets. My friends and family have been telling me for years I should be using these skills for people as my job because I enjoy it and I’ve been very good at it.
That’s why I’ve started this blog and became a travel agent. I want to help people, especially families, enjoy fabulous adventures without breaking the bank. I want to reassure families their children will love seeing new people and places while having new experiences. My family enjoys theme parks, but children love seeing the real world just as much if you give them the chance. While I can’t promise a trip will always be easy, I firmly believe exposing children to situations that require flexibility, adaptability, empathy, and understanding of the world’s great diversity leads to better people.
Our traveling companions often joke that I start planning my next adventure before I even get home from the current one. That’s me in a nutshell.
Travel by Marisa 