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Meet the Crew


Meet the Crew

We’re a family of five who didn’t set out to become long-term travelers — but one decision led to another, and now this has been our life for the past decade.

We’ve been traveling since 2016, learning as we go, making plenty of mistakes, and slowly figuring out how to build a life centered around adventure, family, and freedom.

Before kids, we spent three years sailing across the Pacific, traveling from Hawaii to Australia. That experience shaped everything that came after — how we travel, how we problem-solve, and how we approach risk.

With kids, the adventures didn’t stop — they just evolved.

We’ve sailed from Maine to the Bahamas as a family, lived aboard, and learned what it really means to travel slowly with children.

We’ve spent four winters in Costa Rica, getting to know the rhythms of daily life there far beyond a typical vacation.

We converted a school bus into a skoolie and drove from Maine to Mexico, traveling deep into the mountains, climbing in Potrero Chico, and surfing at La Lancha in Punta de Mita on Mexico’s Pacific coast.

We’ve also explored every western state in the continental U.S. — camping, hiking, climbing, and road-tripping out of our Honda Odyssey (we call her Fryan), visiting national and state parks along the way.

This site exists to document those experiences honestly — not just the highlights, but the challenges, the logistics, and the lessons learned the hard way.

Why You Can Trust This Site

We don’t just write about travel — we live it.

We spend extended time in the places we write about, which allows us to share deeper, more practical insights than typical short-term travel content.

This site comes from real experience, including the mistakes.

How This Site Is Supported

Nomadventure may include affiliate links and advertising. This means we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

We only recommend products and services we personally use or trust.

About the Writing

This is a true story based on real events. Some names, dialogue, and identifying details may be adjusted to protect privacy, but the experiences themselves are real.

Follow the Journey

Watch our story here:

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If you’re new here, start at the beginning:

Read Tiny Bubbles — Chapter 1

© 2026 Nomadventure.org. All Rights Reserved.

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Ultimate Costa Rica Packing List: Must-Have Gear for the Mountains & Beach

When I started traveling to Costa Rica as a solo backpacker in 1997, I had done a ton of homework, and thought I was prepared for 6 months of travel through Costa Rica’s extraordinarily varied microclimates. During my adventures I struggled with being perpetually damp and often cold in the cloud forests of Monteverde and San Gerardo de Rivas . Unfortunately my tent had been devoured by a type of nylon chewing ant that turned waterproof fabric into confetti! It’s hard to be prepared for everything… Now I am part of a family of 5, so planning a yearly 6 month trip has taken on new challenges. Fortunately we have years of experience now. So here is what I have to share. Whether you’re exploring the lush mountains of Monteverde or soaking up the sun on the Pacific or Caribbean coasts, packing smart is key. Costa Rica’s climate varies dramatically—humid and hot on the beaches, cool and misty in the mountains—so you’ll need a well-rounded packing list. We’re in and out of the water a lo...
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Costa Rica Surf Spots: The Complete Guide to Waves, Wipeouts & Why Our Kids Are Now Better Surfers Than Us

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend gear we actually use. Thanks for supporting Nomadventure! Costa Rica Surf Spots: The Complete Family Guide to Beginner, Intermediate & Advanced Breaks Costa Rica Surf Spots: The Complete Guide to Waves, Wipeouts & Why Our Kids Are Now Better Surfers Than Us In 2016, we made what we thought was a brilliant family decision: pack up and move to Costa Rica for its nature, warm climate, and family-friendly Pura Vida lifestyle. What we didn't anticipate was that our children would immediately become obsessed with surfing while my wife and I remained exactly where we started: firmly planted on our rears in the sand, nursing margaritas and documenting our failures on GoPro. Now, eight years later, our family can't imagine life without surf forecasts dictating our weekends. Somehow, between the escalating ...
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El Potrero Chico: The Ultimate Climbing Guide (And How We Drove a School Bus to Get There)

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend gear we actually use. Thanks for supporting Nomadventure! El Potrero Chico: The Ultimate Climbing Guide (And How We Drove a School Bus to Get There) By Nomadventure | Mexico Climbing Guides | Updated 2025 There is a moment, familiar to anyone who has ever chosen adventure over sensibility, when you look up at a sheer 800-foot limestone wall and think: Yes. This is exactly where I am supposed to be. Then your palms start sweating, your rack clanks ominously, and your brain — that ancient, anxiety-prone organ — begins drafting a strongly worded letter to the rest of you about life choices. Welcome to El Potrero Chico , one of the greatest sport climbing destinations on earth, located in the municipality of Hidalgo, just outside Monterrey in the northern Mexican state of Nuevo León. It's a place where world-class lim...
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