Hi, I’m Christine
As a young girl, my family and I traveled often.
One of my most memorable trips was in 1989 the summer before middle school when we took my 80 year old grandmother to Europe for the first time. We traveled modestly and visited multiple cities by bus. I remember rooming with my grandma in London, waking up before the crack of dawn to the sound of her rummaging through her plastic bag for her toothbrush and Ponds cream. My grandma was beautiful inside and out. She was intelligent, dignified, well respected and yet a very simple lady. She had mastered the art of traveling light with her plastic grocery bags.
I will never forget our first morning in London, I still hear her enthusiastic voice waking me up, ready to take on the day's adventures in a new city.
Traveling is invigorating, inspiring and yet therapeutic. It wakens the spontaneous part of me that is kept aside when motherhood demands my attention.
I love learning about the history, photographing the beautiful architecture, beaches and nightlife, wandering through city streets discovering places hidden from tourists, sitting on the streets of Barcelona savoring a plate of fresh tomato bread made Catalan style, enjoying a platter of Gavros at a local family owned cafe in Corfu and waking up to a cup of Ginjinha at one of Lisbon's most historic bars.
I can still taste, smell and visualize it all.
If traveling is considered a hobby, then it's definitely mine.
It's not just about staying at the best accommodations and finding the Michelin star restaurants, it’s about the experiences and finding beauty in the most unassuming places.
I have taken the bus from Pakistan to Northwest China on the world's most insane Karakoram highway through loose gravel, mudslides and potholes, backpacked to India for 3 months, multiple trips to China, West Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Spain, Portugal, Greece, France, Croatia, Italy, Germany, Jamaica and multiple other countries, while finally moving to Portugal and making it our second home base.
When I became a mom, I chose to share the same passion for travel, culture and food. I love traveling with my husband and children. Traveling can be one of the greatest educational tools. It enlargens our worldview and cultivates a curiosity for other tastes, culture and history. It creates memories and stories we collect together.
Travel has played a significant role in shaping my perspective of the world and given my family and I the space to heal through some of life’s greatest losses and challenges while allowing us to overcome some of our greatest fears.
My grandma's beautiful smile is forever engraved in my memory and I can still hear her gentle voice waking me so I wouldn't miss out on the day's adventure. She was always ready to celebrate life. Her legacy was the greatest gift to me that I hope to pass on to my children as we continue to travel through life's adventures whether it be in a foreign country, camping in Morro Bay, or cheering from the sidelines at one of my boys’ soccer/football games.
The decision to share my passion for travel, culture, and food with my family reflects a desire to pass on the gift of curiosity, understanding, and a global perspective. Just as my grandmother's legacy influenced my love for exploration, I aim to create a legacy for my children—one rooted in the appreciation of life's adventures, wherever they may unfold.
Here's to the timeless beauty of exploration and the cherished moments it brings – a celebration of life's great adventure!