Families Abroad

09/08/2024

Thank you to everyone who came out yesterday to play on a gorgeous Minnesota day!

The Village Agricultural Cooperative IMAA GPC Beverage Alliance of Chicanos, Hispano, Latino Americans (ACHLA) Pamoja Women Mayo Clinic Rochester Merchants Bank Subaru of Rochester Thrivent

08/08/2024

Join us at Chester Woods until 6 pm

08/08/2024

Today is the day! MN Summers starting at noon at Chester Woods Park - Olmsted County, Eyota, MN! This day would not be possible without the generosity of so many.

Thank you to our sponsors Mayo Clinic, Subaru of Rochester, IMAA, GPC Beverage, Thrivent and Merchants Bank!

We're so grateful for the partnership with The Village Agricultural Cooperative, Pamoja Women, Alliance of Chicanos, Hispano, Latino Americans (ACHLA) and IMAA.

And of course, the volunteers are the true heroes. Thank you Dinalynn Johnson Rosenbush for coordinating all of this and getting so many people excited about joining in.

21/07/2024

Do you love fishing, kayaking, campfires, s‘mores or any of the awesome things we do in Minnesota in the summer? Want to take an afternoon off work and get to play while making a huge difference in the community? Live in the Rochester area (or willing to travel there)? Then volunteer with us on August 8 for MN Summers!

It’s our annual cross-cultural, community building event where we connect and create shared experiences for families. Just fill out the volunteer form or send us a DM to let us know you’re in!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1FM5lOpNmyLPFjbeSFRqnexY7oj1bd3DOtSvXR_H_460/edit

13/07/2024

This is what 300 s’mores kits look like! We’re getting ready for Farm Fest at Rochester Covenant Church tomorrow from 12-4! The tent is all setup for the main stage since it’s going to be a warm one tomorrow. Come enjoy some summer fun with us!

01/06/2024

That feeling when you have your next trip booked... 😍

Our family is headed to Europe this fall - Copenhagen, Berlin, Prague, Saas Fee & Rome. If you've been to any of these places - or dreamt of them - what sights are on the top of your list?

06/02/2024

We are excited to share that we’ll be launching a new podcast this spring! We’ll be sharing more information in the coming weeks.

15/01/2024

11/01/2024

As SE Minnesota looks forward to a snowy and cold forecast, over here at Families Abroad we’re already planning for this year’s MN Summers events!

Plan and ahead and get these on the calendar now: June 13, June 27 and July 11. This year we’ll be expanding them to be noon-6 pm and have multiple activities on each day!

We can’t wait!

Minnesotans enjoy their summers a lot! They squeeze a lot of fun into the gorgeous days of warmth and sunshine. Families Abroad wants to help bridge cultures...

01/01/2024

Happy New Year! While some find this day a great opportunity to set new habits or focus on changes in behavior, we like to reflect on our travel from the year and our plans for where to go next.

This year members of our family explored two new places - Portugal and Boston. Both were amazing trips and we can’t wait to share future travel with you!

So tell us, what’s on your travel list for 2024? We’ll be sharing some key plans with you soon, so stay tuned!

30/12/2023

Did you know that by law every beach in Portugal is public? Many of them are only accessible by boat or narrow trails because of the rocks along the coast, so it can feel like you have your own private beach when you find one of those for the day. We’re thankful that Portugal’s beautiful beaches are for everyone to enjoy!

29/12/2023

Happy Kwanzaa to those who are in the middle of this week long celebration! Yesterday was the third day of Kwanzaa and focuses on a principle we think the whole world could use a little more of - Ujima.

“Ujima, the principle celebrated on the third day of Kwanzaa, signifies "Collective Work and Responsibility." It is a day to honor the power of working together to build and maintain our community, solving common problems for mutual benefit.”

Regardless of what you are celebrating this holiday season, we wish you peace and joy.

https://amp.marca.com/en/lifestyle/world-news/2023/12/28/658d7463e2704e81a68b4591.html

25/12/2023

🎄 No matter the language or the tradition, the spirit of Christmas unites so many! From Families Abroad, we extend our warmest wishes for a Merry Christmas to everyone celebrating around the globe.

🌍✨ Curious about diverse holiday customs? Explore some fascinating Christmas traditions from different cultures in this article! 🌟🎁

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/christmas-traditions-from-around-the-world

22/12/2023

At Families Abroad we celebrate each person’s individuality and uniqueness while wrapping our arms around the knowledge that at our core we are all the same. We all have the same desire to be loved, to be safe, for our kids to have opportunities, and to thrive. We may see those things through the different lenses of our experiences, our culture and our environment, but they are what make us human.

During this season of peace, love and joy we ask just one thing… let’s make this world a kinder place for all people!

20/12/2023

Are you traveling with children this holiday season? First time? Seasoned travelers? What are your best tips or what worries you? Comment below. 👇

07/12/2023

Happy first day of Hanukkah for all that celebrate.

Don’t know much about this celebration? Check out this great article from Town & Country Magazine for a quick education!

https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/g13787924/hanukkah-facts-history-story/

01/12/2023

Which do you prefer when you travel to a different country with your family? A historic city with all its has to offer or playing on the beach with perfect weather?

24/11/2023

Want a break from the Black Friday shopping?? We've got a deal that won't cost you a dime!! Today we are doing a giveaway for FIVE individuals.

All you have to do is Follow one of our social media accounts (FB, IG or LinkedIn), like the post on that account and tag a travel loving friend! You'll be entered in to win a Be Kind t-shirt, our favorite travel journal or one of these amazing smelling candles!

We will announce the winners in this thread on Monday. We will NOT email you, call you, or reach out from another account.

22/11/2023

We are so excited that our friend, Wendy Cocke, has launched her second book! Her first book, “Making Flex Work” is a great guide to getting more flexibility in your work schedule. Now she’s ready to share how you can take more control over your career development and have a more fulfilling career.

Since it is book launch week, she’s dropped the e-book price to $0.99 for a limited time. Click on the link below to download your copy and start managing your career like it’s your business!

Reimagine Your Work: Managing Your Career Like It’s Your Business

11/11/2023

💯

31/10/2023

Spent the day exploring Lisbon and thinking about future excursions for our Families Abroad families. We can’t wait to share this beautiful city with you! Also had a really productive business meeting and are excited to share some updates soon! Stay tuned!!

30/10/2023

We made it to our final location for this trip. An amazing property near Lisboa where Emily Coates Watkins made a new friend! Meet Flor, the sweetest greeter we’ve met so far! We are super excited to talk to the owner tomorrow about some future opportunities. After exploring the property and getting some work done we headed to downtown Lisboa for dinner and a little after dark exploring. Can’t wait to see more sights tomorrow!

28/10/2023

Tonight we had an amazing dinner at WindMill Restaurant Bar and learned more about the different regions in Portugal. Thanks to our amazing waiter we have some great leads on places for the Ackley family to live and build the future of Families Abroad. Such a cool experience! Our team is still just so amazed at how friendly, kind and informative the Portuguese people we’ve connected with have been.

Kristi Ackley Dinalynn Johnson Rosenbush Emily Coates Watkins Levi Ackley

27/10/2023

Do you love to travel? Did you know we have travel inspired apparel in our store? And right now, while our team is off scouting in Portugal we’ve decided to give a store-wide discount until they return! Use promo code Portugal10 at checkout before November 3rd to cash in on this deal! Link to the store is in the comments.

26/10/2023

After a few days exploring the city of Coimbra, meeting new people and learning about life as an “expat” in Portugal we decided to head south. Yesterday and this morning we’ve started our exploration of the beach town of Albufeira. We were delighted to have some sunshine and may even have a few sunburned spots.

Things we’ve learned so far… the train system in Portugal is fantastic!! Emily Coates Watkins was able to get some work done using the complimentary Wi-Fi on the train while Dinalynn Johnson Rosenbush met a few travelers that shared some more insights into Portugal life.

The Portuguese seem to really be as friendly and accepting as we were told they would be. We’ve had many pleasant and informative conversations with random strangers.

Albufeira is maybe a bit more touristy than we’d like for the family cultural experiences we intend to offer starting in 2024.

More to come…

21/10/2023

We’ve had an absolutely wonderful first day exploring Coimbra, Portugal. Such a beautiful city with rich history and wonderful people. Our team has loved all the walking, coffee drinking and engaging conversations with locals. Thankful we have many more days to explore this gorgeous place!

19/10/2023

Thanks to “Queen” Emily’s fantastic language skills we’ve had some amazing conversations with locals, including one that used to work for a program with similar goals of helping families travel! We also met some American families here on an extended workcation who we are excited to learn more from in the future. The Portuguese people we’ve met so far have all been amazingly kind and love teaching us new words.

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12/10/2023

Footwear update! It's going to be rainy in Portugal when we're there, but also in the 70s! I've got boots for rain, nice tennies (the tan ones) that I can wear with anything, ballet flats for dressing up and my exercise shoes.
~emily