The Help Others to Fly Tour

When I was 10. My parents took my brothers, sister and I on a month long trip around the western USA. That is the first memory I have of taking a trip and really learning. I. Loved. It.

It’s with that in mind that I starting thinking about a trip. Lauren is 9 and Shannon is 7 now and both are old enough to really enjoy and learn from traveling. In addition, there are a few other thoughts driving this.

• Designing the life we want… then choosing to live it. Over the last 5–6 years I learned the concept that I have a choice. I can go live my life, or it will live me. It’s up to us to decide what opportunities, we have and how and when to go get them. In my experience the best way to figure that out is by surrounding myself with others who have different thoughts and experiences. The fastest and easiest way to get that is to travel.
• Learning. I believe travel is the greatest way to learn. With these experiences, I can learn about culture, geography, faith, emotional intelligence, street smarts, economics, time management, politics, interacting with people, physical challenges, and so so much more.
• Life is short. Let’s be real. With the last few years as an excellent example, we just don’t know what tomorrow will bring. Pandemics, sickness, natural disasters, loved ones in need, funerals, etc, are all going to happen. We can’t predict when, how serious, or how they will change our lives. I believe in living now as opposed to waiting till everything is perfect to live our dreams.
• Purpose: In my 20’s I had a lot of fun. Concerts, baseball games, bars, parties, traveling, and so much more. Choosing that life felt like an extension of college, was a ton of fun, and I don’t have any regrets. But over the last few years I’ve thought a lot about purpose. What is my purpose? Why am I in this world? What does God intend for me to contribute to it? One thing that I keep coming back to is that for most of my career I’ve decided on a path that in some aspect includes helping others. My kids and I keep coming back to this phrase… “To help others to fly.” We say it every morning to each other before school and think about it as we live our lives. It has a lot baked into it including leadership, contributing to a greater cause, seeing people for who they can become, compassion, finding a better way and more. With travel we can learn how others fly, how others help each other fly, and we can help others to fly as well.

So with that in mind. This summer… we’re not just going on a vacation. We’re creating an experience. We’re calling it “The Help Others to Fly Tour”.

We leave on July 11th and return August 11th. We’ll be mainly in Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, and Arizona over this month long adventure.

Each day we’re going to do (at least) one thing to help others to fly. We’ll be documenting the trip right here so you can follow along, so we can look back, and most of all… so we can help others to fly.