Our family consists of 4 people (2 + 2 😉), 2 little boys and their parents, Sven and Kim. As a couple we have spent already 20 years together, studying, working, traveling and enjoying our combined goal of visiting every single country of the world before we die. Current tally: 90… so still a long way to go!
Kim Verplancke
39 years old, and most of my life spend working to save money for travel 😊. My parents have truly instilled a curiosity for the world, with my dad traveling for work selling cookies (the edible ones), and my mother being a flight attendant whenever she could. Our school holidays were often filled with a trip, from cycling in our home country to a 3-week discovery of Canada and everything in between. Much time was spend in Europe, and all of it was no-frills, either camping, youth hostels or other basic accommodation.
After high school I ventured out into the world, both for studies/work and for fun and quickly expanded the range of countries and continents visited. I lived in Ecuador (the Galapagos Islands to be precise!), Tanzania and London, and was lucky to meet Sven early on who shared the same love for the unknown. Together we explored the world and intend to do so for the rest of our lives. Many lessons learned along the way which we would love to share with you through this website.
Sven Middelkoop
Born in Holland in 1980. I’m a husband, a father, an easy going guy who is better in riding a bike on tarmac than on single tracks. I love cycling. For me a bike isn’t just for the road, or just for cross country racing and compete to become faster on a Strava segment or just a tool I use to drive to work once in a while. It’s a way to explore new tracks, meet people and most of all have fun with friends.
When I was a small kid, I travelled a lot with my parents and it felt like we were gone every single school holiday. They were both teachers – retired now – and they enjoyed spending time in France, the UK, Germany and Scandinavia. For that reason, many holiday homes and places we went to I have seen several times. During a warm summer holiday in Bretagne (France) I told my mom I wanted to become a waiter. Just for the sake of people leaving tip money on the table which seemed to me like a good way to make money. Two decades later I graduated from the Hotelschool The Hague with a Bachelor in Hospitality Management. Somehow I was right on that terrace in France.
My relationship with Kim – I know her ever since I was 20 years old – and my international study sparked a fire in me to explore the world. To make things even bigger, our life goal is to visit every country in the world.
Luc & Bo
The first thing to do when they were born: Get a passport! The boys have experienced already many different destinations across the globe and are true travelers, moving from one destination to the next. Their view of the world is what makes travel with kids such a great experience, they can go micro to macro in a split second and put a smile on our faces.
Of course they are just as annoying as any other small child that is tired/hungry/grumpy/etc, but their open approach to any new experience is great to witness. Luc is very curious and sucks up any information that comes to him, studying from a distance and … . Bo is the light of the party with a very outgoing personality, charming any stranger into helping him out (or feeding him… which never fails).
Together we try to travel multiple times a year, holidays permitting, and then save up for longer journeys in between. One has been 6 months of Oceania, and another 1,5 years covering North/South America and Antarctica. Have a look around our site on destinations where we have been and tips on traveling in general.