Hi, I’m Michelle!
Welcome to We Traveled Happy! I built this place for the mom who keeps saying “someday we should travel” and actually means it.
You’ll find real destination guides, honest budget breakdowns, and planning strategies built around your actual life, not an ideal version of it.
My love of travel began on a college mission trip to Mexico City. I loved experiencing the new cultures, food, and views.
I’ve been chasing bucket list adventures ever since!
Before kids, I traveled to 12 countries and many U.S. cities. These days, my husband and I travel with our kids whenever school breaks (and budgets) allow – so far hitting 2 international destinations, 8 U.S. national parks, and countless family-friendly cities together.
We’ve been adventuring with our kids for over a decade and have built a library of core memories, travel hacks, hilarious failures, and a few passport stamps along the way.
When our kids were younger and our wallets were lighter (hello, nonprofit jobs), we stuck closer to home and got really good at local adventures. As our kids have grown, so has our travel confidence.
We’re fitting in travel anywhere we can, and I want to help you do the same.
You’re in the right place – especially if you have no idea where to start, a tight budget, or a chronic illness making it feel impossible.
Did we just become travel best friends?
I’m so glad that you’re here, and now that we’re friends, I want to share all of my travel tricks with you.
We’ve had 8 years to perfect the art of juggling school calendars, sports schedules, and tight travel budgets.
I’ve spent countless hours researching family-friendly destinations, and learning the points and miles.
Sometimes it’s smooth. Sometimes it’s chaos. But it’s always worth it.
On some of our recent adventures we’ve:
- hugged kangaroos near Mammoth Cave
- snorkeled in the Florida Keys
- navigated Rocky Mountain trails
- braved city metros with our kids in tow
- bouldered the cliffs in Maine
Over the years, I became the go-to friend for planning affordable trips, finding kid-friendly stays, and making the most of travel points.
After helping so many friends and family members, I decided to share what I’ve learned (and what we’re still learning) here with you.
My goal is to make family travel feel less overwhelming and more possible, so you can stop second-guessing every decision and start making unforgettable memories with your kids.
That’s what led me to develop what I call the Travel Happy Mentality. It’s the idea that the best trip isn’t the most impressive one. It’s the trip that actually fits your family’s season and capacity.
Friends don’t let friends pay full price for travel.
Something is free on every trip we take. Sometimes it’s our flights, sometimes the rental car, sometimes even the hotel or airbnb.
I know it sounds crazy, but you can do this too!
I want to help make travel a reality for your family with:
- Budget Strategies – how we use points + miles and other planning hacks we use to make travel affordable
- Managing Nerves – how we support our nervous systems before, during, and after traveling
- Trip Prep – how we pack and how we manage chronic illness in the wild
- Destinations – guides to the national parks, cities, and international spots we’ve visited as a family
We’re not luxury travelers or full-time nomads.
We’re a middle-class family working around school breaks and chronic illness, saving up points, managing our emotions, and choosing memories over more things.
If our chaotic crew can make travel doable, so can you!
I believe travel with kids is 100% worth it.
You can create meaningful, joy filled memories with the right prep and realistic expectations for your season of life.
I’m here to help you make it happen and boost your travel confidence, whether this is your first trip with toddlers or your tenth trip with teens.
Come find me on Instagram and tell me where your family is headed (or wants to go) next!
Want to know what kind of trip your family actually needs right now?
🍂 Grab my free Name Your Season worksheet!
It walks you through 10 questions that help you figure out what is doable for your family right now, so you can stop overthinking and start planning.