When people think about memorable travel experiences, they usually think about places. The beach with perfect water. The mountain with the incredible view. The city full of history. The national park that leaves you speechless.
We love those things too.
But the longer we travel, the more we’ve come to believe that the places are only part of the story. What often matters even more are the people. Some of our favorite travel memories have very little to do with a destination and almost everything to do with who we experienced it with.
Costa Rica Was About More Than Costa Rica
Our trip to Costa Rica began with two families we’ve known for a very long time. Jesse grew up with two of them. We’ve been friends for decades. Now our kids are roughly the same ages, and we’ve been fortunate enough to travel together several times over the years.
Costa Rica was amazing. We ziplined through the rainforest, rappelled down waterfalls, whitewater rafted, explored the jungle at night, and saw monkeys, sloths, toucans, macaws, snakes, and more.
But when I think back on those twelve days, that’s not the first thing I remember. I remember kids playing at the beach, games by the pool, evenings filled with laughter, conversations after dinner, and seeing friendships deepen. The activities were wonderful, but they were really just the backdrop. The people were what made the experience special.
Lake Atitlán Changed Our Perspective
A few weeks later, we found ourselves at a worldschooling hub on Lake Atitlán in Guatemala. The scenery was spectacular. Volcanoes surrounded the lake, and every sunrise felt like a postcard.
But once again, the most meaningful part wasn’t the landscape.
It was the community.
The hub itself was run by a family who had lived in Guatemala for years and had built deep connections within the local community. Those relationships opened doors that we never could have accessed on our own.
We spent time with local families. We cooked with abuelas. We learned about Mayan culture, music, language, weaving, and traditions. We visited local schools and shared meals together.
But the experience wasn’t just about connecting with local families.
There were also two other visiting families participating in the hub alongside us. Between activities, we played games together, shared meals, swapped stories, and talked about everything from parenting to travel to education. While we all came from different backgrounds, there was something about sharing such an immersive experience that helped us bond quickly. By the end of the nine days, it felt like we had known everyone much longer than we actually had.
The connections transformed our experience. Instead of simply observing Guatemala from the outside, we felt invited into it. That invitation created a level of understanding that sightseeing alone never could.
In fact, one of the clearest signs of how much the experience meant to us is that we’ve stayed in touch with the family that hosts the hub and fully expect that we’ll return someday. Some places are beautiful enough that you want to visit again. Others are meaningful enough that you want to reconnect with the people you met there.
Lake Atitlán became that kind of place for us.
Even Ecuador Was Better With People
Ecuador was probably the most challenging stop on our trip. It was hot. There was no air conditioning. We dealt with language barriers, boredom, and eventually what we believe was dengue fever.
Yet when I think back on that month, one of the things I remember most fondly is another family staying at the same hostel. Their kids were close in age to ours, and having that connection changed everything. The beach became more fun. The downtime became easier. The ordinary days became richer.
It’s funny how often community works that way. It doesn’t necessarily change where you are, but it changes how you experience where you are.
Why Kids Need Other Kids
One thing we’ve noticed repeatedly is how much our children benefit from being around other kids. Not organized activities. Not carefully designed programs. Just other kids.
Given enough time and a little freedom, kids seem remarkably capable of creating their own adventures. We’ve watched them invent games, start businesses, learn sports, solve conflicts, create art, and build friendships with children from completely different backgrounds. Sometimes they don’t even share a common language.
And somehow they still figure it out.
As parents, it’s easy to focus on the destinations we want our kids to see. Increasingly, we’ve come to appreciate the importance of the people we want them to meet.
Why Adults Need Community Too
The same thing is true for adults.
Travel can sometimes feel isolating. You’re constantly moving through unfamiliar places. You leave just as you’re starting to feel comfortable. You build connections and then move on.
Community changes that.
Some of our most meaningful travel memories aren’t tied to famous attractions at all. They’re tied to conversations. Talking about parenting. Talking about education. Talking about finances. Talking about favorite places in the world. Talking about what matters most.
Those conversations have happened around campfires, around dinner tables, beside pools, on beaches, and during long walks. They’ve become some of the richest parts of our travels.
Places Matter. People Matter More
We’re still excited to visit new places. We still love beautiful landscapes, interesting cultures, and incredible wildlife.
But over time we’ve realized something surprising.
If you gave us a choice between an amazing place with no meaningful connections or a good place filled with people we genuinely enjoy spending time with, we’d choose the people almost every time.
The destination still matters. But the people are what bring it to life. That’s one of the biggest lessons travel has taught our family.
The places are what get us there.
The people are what make us want to come back.