For weeks, I've been writing to you about Paris. Today, I want to write to you about decisions.
There is a universal moment that happens before every trip we take. Not after we book — before. It's the moment when we're sitting somewhere completely ordinary. At the kitchen table. On the sofa. At our desk between meetings. In the school pickup line.
And we always have THE conversation with ourselves.
Should I do this? Is this practical? Will everything be okay if I step away for a week? Will I regret spending the money? Will I regret not going?
This year my daughter graduated from high school. It's one of those milestones that loudly closes a chapter — the chapter where her time was my time. That's abruptly changing.
As I've looked back over the past eighteen years, I haven't found myself thinking about random Tuesdays, the errands that got done, or how clean the house was. I think about our vacations. The places we explored. The dinners that somehow lasted for hours because that was the whole point.
I'm incredibly grateful we invested in those memories. They weren't always easy decisions — we could have invested our time and funds in more responsible places.
I will never be prouder that we didn't.
And while Abroad on Purpose isn't about family vacations, it is built on that same belief: that experiences stay with us. That a beautiful week can outlast the unpacking of your suitcase and sustain us when we need to go back in time, even just for a moment.
Don't forget this: we never regret travel. We regret waiting. We regret assuming there will always be another year, another season, another opportunity.
Time has a way of moving much faster than we expect. The years and moments don't wait for us.
"Don't let fear keep you from an experience that could become one of the most meaningful adventures of your life."
Whatever reason is keeping you from joining us this October — you absolutely won't regret it. Life is incredibly short. Chapters close. Opportunities lost. Take this one for you.
I promise. Sydney ✨
