I’m a mother of 4, from New York, living in Florida for the past 20 years! I am an Early Childhood Specialist. I currently work as a contractor for the Federal Government to partner with Head Start bringing Training and Technical Assistance to the Region. I’ve been a teacher for the Brevard County school district for many years, mostly in Pre-K, and I worked as a Head Start Instructional Coach. I LOVE what I do. Early Childhood and Travel go together so well because when we provide our children with new experiences, we are building connectors in their brain. I have a Master's degree in Education Leadership, my Bachelor's in Early Childhood, and my AS in Fine Art. I have been able to work in schools my own children attended and have been a part of their educations’. It is important to me to be my children’s biggest educator. I believe by giving access to the real world around us I can help them connect to natural motivation and curiosity to expand their own learning.

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I don't say single as a status, I use this term which can have a very derogative snide attached to say if I can make all this happen on a teacher's salary with only one income for a long period of time, I think anyone can do this. I am not doing anything outside the realm of possibility I just hope to use my experiences to make it easier for other families. 

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As a single mama, it is a challenge to enjoy my family at home. Busy? That's an understatement. There is always a sport to attend, practice to get to, house to clean, something to do…. the list never ends. I love this list, and yet I find we get the best quality family time by getting OUT! And enjoying the places around us. My budget is always limited. Our day trips are often planned and executed with a lot of thought infused. I have planned many itineraries and shared with friends and colleagues to help them save money while making great memories. And so this blog started to make sharing easier. As my kids get older it's harder to make the magic happen. What I do find is we enjoy each other's company, and we are a very different tribe, that all get one another.  

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While reading you will see my children mentioned pretty regularly. Westley is my oldest, now 29. Jasmyn is my daughter, 27 and a has her own daughter! Joshua is 21 and attends college at Florida Tech. Darrien is 19 and plays sports in High School. They help me plan our trips often by making suggestions, and we survey what's next on our wish list. We currently are on back log of trips waiting to be lived. Life has gotten busy!! I am also a Grandma now! My sweet Nasali is just over a year and I am revisiting many of our favorites with a new person to introduce the places to!

 

When we rate places, it's after a full blown family conversation. We all travel well together as we've been doing this for many years now. We discuss bests and worsts and we are all generally on the same page with our rating scale, but I tell you this so you know how much thought goes into these pages. I appreciate how my kids humor my whims and wishes, by waking up early and keeping to a schedule. And they appreciate my being flexible when they request their own wishes. I am happy you are a part of the story and appreciate feedback. PLEASE share your adventures and experiences as your favorite family travels as well. I started a Facebook page, Adventure Abundance to make connecting easier. Please comment and feel free to share!