Curated Journeys: Creating Space for What Matters

Travel has marked every season of my life, shifting in purpose as our family, friendships, and priorities have evolved — always rooted in the same intention: creating space for what matters most.

Travel as a Family

For much of our married life, travel meant family.
Baseball tournaments across the Midwest. Early mornings in hotel lobbies with coffee cups in hand and directions to the next field. College weekends spent cheering from the stands. Those years were busy, loud, and full—but they built a legacy of togetherness, patience, and shared purpose.

As the boys moved into junior high and high school, our travel expanded into something new. We became Disney Vacation Club members and began building traditions that blended fun with familiarity. Those trips were filled with favorite rides, familiar resorts, and moments that allowed us to slow down and simply enjoy being together. Even now, my husband and I return each year for what has become our own rhythm—time spent dining well, enjoying a few favorite attractions, and making space for rest. It remains a shared place of joy and ease.

Those family trips shaped us. They grounded us. And they continue to influence how I think about time, presence, and what it means to travel well.

How My Travel Evolved

Alongside those family years, I was also carving out space for friendship in a different way. Scrapbook weekends became a long-standing tradition—time set aside with friends to create, laugh, and reconnect. Those weekends were restorative, offering creativity and connection in equal measure.

Separate from that, I’ve been intentional about maintaining deep friendships from my college years. Reuniting with my sorority sisters for an annual overnight at my home has become a cherished tradition. These gatherings aren’t about nostalgia alone; they’re about honoring shared history while staying present to who we are now. There’s comfort in that continuity—and renewal in making time for it.

Faith, Friendship, and Perspective

A few years ago, I discovered overseas travel in a new way—travel rooted in friendship and shared experience. A trip to Ireland with friends to see our favorite college football team opened the door to something deeper. We explored the country together, blending celebration with curiosity, and I began to understand how profoundly travel abroad can broaden perspective and deepen connection.

More recently, I traveled to Italy on a religious pilgrimage. While it was group travel, it was also deeply personal. Sharing that experience with a college friend as my roommate added another layer of meaning—faith and friendship intersecting in a setting rich with history and reverence. Walking through sacred spaces and centuries-old basilicas offered stillness, reflection, and a renewed sense of gratitude.

Closer to home, I’ve continued to find joy in long weekends exploring Christmas through the lens of different cities—St. Charles, Missouri; Frankenmuth, Michigan; and most recently, Franklin, Tennessee. Each place offered its own version of beauty and celebration. These trips weren’t about checking destinations off a list; they were about presence, wonder, and noticing the details that make each place unique.

A Shared Legacy, Continued

Our family still spends meaningful time together, especially on Washington Island—days filled with fishing, watersports, and the kind of unstructured time that invites conversation and connection. Those moments feel rooted and grounding, a reminder of how much joy comes from simply being together.

At the same time, we’ve come to appreciate how honoring individual passions strengthens our life together. My husband finds fulfillment in the outdoors—duck hunting with our sons and friends, canoeing in the Boundary Waters, and spending time immersed in nature. Those experiences feed his spirit and keep him connected to traditions that matter deeply to him.

I find mine in travel shaped by faith, creativity, and connection with women who have walked alongside me for decades. These journeys don’t pull me away from home; they bring me back more grounded, more grateful, and more present. The clarity I gain through travel mirrors the clarity I see clients experience when they create order and calm in their own lives.

A Beautiful View, Wherever I Am

Traveling independently has taught me that togetherness isn’t defined by sharing every experience. It’s defined by trust, respect, and the freedom to grow—both individually and together.

I travel with my husband. I travel with friends. And sometimes, I travel for myself. Each journey adds depth to the life we’ve built and reinforces what matters most.

If something in this story feels familiar, it may be an invitation to reflect on how you’re creating space in your own life—whether through travel, friendship, faith, or simply time set aside with intention.

However you’re creating space right now, may it lead you to a more Beautiful View.