Our group of nine travels like the reality show nobody asked for. Every journey comes with drama: mystery illnesses, heroic comebacks, scavenger hunts, alleged mountain lions, and of course, plenty of snacks.
Some call us a family, others might mistake us for a traveling circus without the elephants (though sometimes it feels like we packed them). Between the teens, the injuries, the snack negotiations, and the questionable bathroom breaks, our travels are less “peaceful communion with nature” and more “live-action sitcom on the move.”
Somehow, it all balances out into memories we wouldn’t trade for the world.
Adam
Known for: Superb soundtracks & being a human pillow
Super Powers: Defusing the drama with a perfectly timed, desert-dry one-liner
Defeated by: Hiking shoes, slides, or maybe just footwear in general?
Ally
Known for: Unrelenting tenacity, no call center is too challenging
Super Powers: Ability to outlast any automated menu, or 47 minute wait time.
Defeated by: Sharks, bats, mountain lions, & South African accents
Daniel
Known for: Daring mountain rescues, diving headfirst into challenges
Super Powers: Disappearing Homer Simpson–style into the nearest shrub
Defeated by: Photographs, endless photographs…
Jon
Known for: Guiding the crew to wiser, healthier choices
Super Powers: Surviving bagless for extended periods of time
Defeated by: Anti-malarial tablets, & heights
Madison
Known for: Finding hidden gems through careful research
Super Powers: Confounding airport facial recognition
Defeated by: Crickets- even dead & dried
Mandy
Known for: organizing the crew while being bossy “assertively helpful”
Super Powers: packing light, we mean really, really light
Defeated by: heat, & whining of any sort
Patrick
Known for: His infectious laugh & being game for almost anything
Super Powers: Driving in a straight line despite a broken steering column
Defeated by: Homemade beer
Quinn
Known for: Being a first class bubbly sun-seeker ☀️
Super Powers: Knowing the realtime UV score no matter the location
Defeated by: flat sections of paved road, & the application of sunscreen
Reese
Known for: Being an unexpected card shark 🦈🃏
Super Powers: Moves at the speed of light (only when bugs are involved)
Defeated by: Dung beetles – flying or stationary
⭐️ Guest Stars ⭐️
Every so often, our traveling circus of nine gains an extra performer or two. These guest stars usually arrive full of optimism, clutching snacks and reusable water bottles, blissfully unaware of the storm they’ve stepped into. By the end of a trip, they’ve either sworn eternal loyalty to our ragtag crew or vowed never to answer our texts again.
They are the One-Episode Wonders: the cousins, family friends, or colleagues who think, “Sure, a vacation with you guys sounds fun.” What they don’t realize is that they’ve just volunteered for a crash course in chaos management, complete with mid-trail debates about snacks, questionable navigation choices, and an alarming amount of inside jokes they’ll never fully understand.
Some emerge triumphant, clutching their trail mix like a trophy and ready for a repeat appearance. Others fade quietly into legend, remembered only in stories like, “Hey, remember that one guy who came with us to Skeleton Gorge and swore he saw a snake the size of a garden hose?”
Regardless of how long they stick around, our guest stars always add a new layer of comedy, perspective, and occasional trauma to the saga. And for that, we salute them.
Sarah
Known for: Being the instigator of morning sanity walks, and keeping the peace
Super Powers: Magically understands thick accents and rapid-fire speech that leave others hopelessly lost
Defeated by: Late nights
“Warren”
Known for: Misplacing important personal items in moments of very high enthusiasm
Super Powers: High class noodling and serious catfish wrangling. Blending in with the locals
Defeated by: Travel of any kind
Murphy
Known for: His tough exterior covering the literal teddy bear he is inside
Super Powers: Terrorizing the neighborhood dogs who dare to “threaten” (walk near) Ally. Meggie excluded.
Defeated by: Lightning & loud noises in general
Meggie
Known for: Regular Houdini-level escapes from homes & yards across Virginia
Super Powers: Her ability to eat and digest literally anything
Defeated by: We’re still waiting to find out
Go Together Life 
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