Have you ever watched the game show Family Feud? Do you wonder who are the people they are polling for their answers?
The Ordinary Vacationer is a project that we have had on our minds for years. We are experienced travelers with locations from Hawaii to Italy and most places in between. We spend a lot of time researching our next adventure, and we noticed there are not a lot of people like us offering there insight.
We are ordinary people with two boys in their teens. We both work full-time and share the common time crunch everyone faces. Our jobs can be stressful, so we spend our free time making memories and relaxing from our busy lives.….. we are Ordinary Vacationers!
That is the basis for what we are trying to solve with our web page. We travel often. We are consistently reading blogs, opinion articles, and pretty much anything else we can get our hands on. One of the struggles that we come up against a lot is which ones to trust. There are many people who travel for a living and write blogs to earn an income. While to me that would be a dream life, it has to influence their perspective on things.
Travel for us is our lifeline. We try to take at least a few trips a year. There are times we take our boys and there are times where we go with just the two of us. Sometimes our trips are weekend getaways, sometimes they are 10+ days to exotic locations. We have a wide range of experiences. We enjoy sharing these experiences with others!
A little about each of us …..
Brian – I am what I would consider as a fairly basic middle aged guy. Standard two kids, married and mortgaged.
Our kids are in their early and late teens. Travel now consists of family trips as well as trips for just Christina and I. With our busy work schedules travel gives us all time to be together and make some memories!
Some quick facts about me:
- I am fairly healthy but working out is not in my vocabulary. I bring this up because I dislike travel advice from those paper thin marathon runners. They tell you a short walk is like 10 miles. If its 10 miles away and I can’t drive to the location, I am not going!
- From a career perspective I have been in banking for most of my 20+ career. I manage a team of analysts for a large regional bank.
- I do enjoy dining at nice places, but I don’t consider myself a foodie.
- I am a fan of NBA, NFL, and Formula 1.
- I am an avid bass fisherman, fishing at least one day per week during the warmer months.
- I am too old to enjoy camping, I like a nice bed, air conditioning, and a good meal.
- I love the outdoors! So much so that we escaped the subdivision life a few years ago to live in the country.
Christina – Oh, I’m just your average mid-40s professional woman, living the dream! I’m married to that wonderful man up there who just shared his “about” excerpt, but really, did anyone else catch that he totally forgot to slip in the word happily before he mentioned being married and mortgaged? Rookie mistake! Yes, I have jokes too. I also juggle raising two teenage boys while practicing as a Family Nurse Practitioner for a large non-profit healthcare system in the Midwest. But hey, everyone needs a hobby! Mine just happens to be travel (I wish I could have chosen a cheaper one). “I travel not to escape life but for life not to escape me.” – Anonymous.
Here are some other facts about me:
- I wouldn’t say I’m the biggest fan of working out – I mean, who enjoys torturing themselves willingly? But put me in my yard, and suddenly I’m a fan of exercise! Just don’t ask me to go on any grand hiking adventures or attempt a swim across the ocean. I prefer the more leisure shore excursions with some hiking (<2 miles) or some snorkeling.
- I am not a fan of reading books. I’d rather wait for the movie version—less effort and more popcorn! The only time you’ll find me with a book is when I’m checking out medical journals or travel blogs, pretending I’m studying for a degree in “You Won’t Believe This Trip!” Before I visit somewhere new though, I have been known to flip through a Fodor’s travel guide.
- I absolutely love exploring new places I’ve never set foot in before. But hey, I also enjoy discovering hidden gems worth a repeat visit! Family traditions of visiting the same spot every year? This is great for some but that’s just not our style. We live more on the adventurous side!
- I love NFL football. Watch out because I am fierce competitor when it comes to fantasy football! Some of our favorite quick trips are heading to a new city to go see an NFL football game and exploring the city while we are there.
- Don’t get me wrong, I love eating out at nice restaurants, but I, like my husband, am not a foodie. Just give me a decently priced place with good service and food, and I’m as happy as can be – unless, of course, they try to serve me avocado toast!
