Because the best trip starts with an idea.

Nobody tells you that family vacations have an expiration date.

Not the trips themselves, of course. But the years when you can pick a week, book five plane tickets, and reasonably expect all five members of your family to show up.

Now my daughter is in medical school, my oldest son is in college, and my youngest is a senior in high school with a schedule that requires the logistical skills of an air traffic controller. Getting all five of us in the same place at the same time has become considerably harder than getting all five of us through airport security.

These days, I look back at the trips we took when they were younger with a new appreciation. At the time, they were vacations. Now they feel like little markers of our family history.

Some trips are simply better with a sweater.

Think brilliant New England foliage against a rocky coastline. Apple cider donuts after picking apples in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Ghost stories after dark in New Orleans. A train winding through the Smokies. Or hundreds of hot-air balloons rising over the New Mexico desert.

Traveling during the week of Christmas can feel intimidating. Airports are crowded, prices can be higher, and traditions look a little different. But for our family, Christmas travel has become one of our favorite ways to celebrate the season.

We’ve learned that the secret is choosing destinations that fully embrace the holidays and offer a mix of adventure, charm, and downtime.

Before Bryan and I ever had kids, we started collecting ornaments from every destination we visited. We even picked up ornaments for big milestones — our wedding anniversary, our first home, the birth of each baby. (Nothing says “new parents” like a tiny glass onesie dangling from a branch.)

But once the kids came along? The ornament collection became a full-blown scavenger hunt in every new city. The kids got to help choose something that embraced the spirit of that trip — which is how we once came home with a London phone booth, a Venetian mask, and a tiny moose wearing sunglasses.

Now that our kids are teenagers and young adults, we have so many ornaments and so many stories — and Christmas decorating has turned into a full-on storytelling event. Here’s how it works: We each grab an ornament, one at a time, and share a memory from that trip before hanging it on the tree. It’s like speed-dating our own travel history.

And the stories? They do not disappoint.

Let’s be honest: sustainable travel sounds lovely in theory — but when you’re juggling three kids under six, it can feel about as realistic as meditating on the plane. (Spoiler: I tried. It lasted two minutes, right until someone’s bag of pretzels went flying.)

But here’s the truth — traveling more sustainably with little ones is possible, and surprisingly, it actually made our trip to Oʻahu calmer, richer, and more connected. Here’s how we did it — what worked, what didn’t, and how the kids accidentally became tiny eco-warriors along the way.

So, you’ve decided to take your family to Hawaii — cue the ukulele music and the logistics headache. Which island should you pick? Each has beaches, palm trees, and shave ice, but when you’re traveling with three kids, not all tropical paradises are created equal.

We did the research (and lived to tell the tale). Here’s your crash course on the Big Four — Big Island, Maui, Kauaʻi, and Oʻahu — and why our crew of five ultimately landed on Oʻahu.

I thought I was taking my kids to Pearl Harbor to teach them history. Turns out, they were teaching me.

In 2010, Bryan and I hit our 10-year wedding anniversary and decided we were due for a romantic getaway. I was picturing gondola rides in Venice, sipping Chianti in Tuscany, and maybe even reenacting a few scenes from Under the Tuscan Sun.

Then reality tapped me on the shoulder - loudly.

We had three kids: ages five, four, and one. The only thing we’d be “sipping” was apply juice from a sippy cup. Suddenly, those dreams of Italian romance looked a little more like Under the Capri Sun.

There are vacations… and then there’s Oahu. The moment we stepped off the plane and were “lei’d” upon arrival (yes, we giggled too), we knew we’d landed somewhere special. Between the soft trade winds, turquoise water, and the faint smell of sunscreen and pineapple in the air, it’s impossible not to slip instantly into island mode.