Quartier Collective (2024)

08/02/2024

Mallorca in March! We’ve opened a couple of spots for our month in this Balearic jewel. We’re offering a last-minute discount for those who wouldn’t otherwise be able to join. If a month in the Mediterranean with learning, community and delicious everything is calling your family, get in touch!

11/01/2024

In one week we leave seattle for our first stop on the QC Caravan, Morocco! Five years ago this month we took the same trip to research our first ever Family Gathering, a magical week spent in Marrakech and Essaouira with families who’ve become lifelong friends. Five years is a lot of time, but it feels good that the most important things haven’t changed a bit. We’ll be sharing some moments from the archives in our stories to get us ready for a return to this enchanting place.

15/12/2023

We are very nearly full for all five months of our QC Caravan, but we’ve saved space for one family to join us at a steal of a deal for February in Morocco. This is for a family with flexibility, but for whom a 50% discount would make a big difference. If you or a family you know is right for this gathering, send us a message! The Caravan begins in six weeks in the port city of Essaouira. Feel free to share this with someone who’s been waiting for this opportunity! See you soon!

14/11/2023

The wonderful woman behind is our dear friend Stephanie, and we’ve wanted to do something with her for a while! So during our trip home this December we’ll be hosting a dinner together, inspired by the time we spent as two families eating our way through Brittany, and celebrating shared things: the sea, gloomy weather, good food and long chats. Follow the link in bio for details and tickets.

21/01/2023

Japan. A Family Gathering this April.
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We have been waiting for this one for a long time… finally, a return to our favorite destination of all, to dear friends who’ve been waiting so patiently for the reopening, to the quirky little farm and it’s oh so lovely caretakers, to the cherry blossoms, to the steaming bowls of ramen…
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All the details are on our trip page (link in bio). You can sign up by emailing [email protected]. This will be a very special one and we invite you to join us!

27/09/2022

Mexico, let’s GO!
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San Pancho, our favourite Mexican beach town, absolutely deserves a month of its own. We’ve had lots of interest in staying longer in each place, so we’ve decided to stretch this out! We’ll spend a full four weeks in San Pancho on the Nayarit coast, a unique community of creative locals and long-term blow-ins, mixed like a perfect michelada. Our learning program will base out of the local community centre and we’ll explore all that the Nayarit coast has to offer.
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Oaxaca will have its own month-long program next year; the trip is ready to beo and our partners there are amazing. If we get a lot of interest we MAY offer it this December/January. So let us know if that’s you 😉.
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Registration is open now! Come join us in Mexico this November!

08/09/2022

Yesterday Taryn looked up from her email and said, “Can you believe these are the kinds of conversations we get to have? These are the people we get to work with?”
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I believe it! This vision for using long, slow travel to create an inspired, whole education for our kids is resonating, and not just with the families signing up to join us. Right now, like today, we are working with some of the most inspiring, world-class educators we’ve ever met to build a cohesive program we can carry with us.
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Imagine a sewing needle, with bright red thread, passing across a globe, from Portugal to Mexico, Bali to Japan, to Morocco, to your hometown. Tug on the thread a bit and it all comes together. Snug. This is our school.
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This November school is in Mexico: the Nayarit coast, wondrous Mexico City and magical Oaxaca. Our kids will learn from local visionaries and artists, makers and thinkers. We’ll be guided by our inspired educators who will marry this local learning with larger goals, guiding the needle. The kids are the red thread.

02/09/2022

We had a beautiful call yesterday with one of our partners in Oaxaca. Things are changing there; tradition is becoming more transactional… It makes sense, but definitely poses a challenge for travel that’s not about ticking boxes or posting for the grams.
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So what do we do? How do we find those real, meaningful moments? How do we make an exchange that’s about more than money? Can we upset a 500-year history of foreigners coming to Mexico to take take take?
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Well, having kids along is a great start… a mother sees a mother, a father sees a father. But it takes more than that.
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For our upcoming Pop-Up Life in Mexico we’re moving slowly and carefully through this question. We’ll bring our curiosity and humility, and trust our local friends and partners to guide us. We’re working with Mexican families, participating in local events and building a community for a month that’s inclusive and generous. We can’t think of a better way to travel through Mexico, and we’re so excited to share this with you.

19/08/2022

The best boss I ever had told me he hires people for everything they learned before they were 12 years old. Purpose, grit, tenacity, empathy, these things form early, and affect everything.
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Our kids don’t spend a lot of time at a desk, but they are learning how to learn, how to chase a dream, how to consider others along the way. Travel definitely is not the only way to pull this off, but it sure is our favourite, especially when we get to share it with other families 😉.
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But what about you? What experiences or approaches bring your family the most growth?

16/08/2022

Remember the first time you went somewhere REALLY different? New smells, new air on your skin, new people, that rush, and the right kind of nervousness. After four years of travel and a world in massive change, we STILL get that tingly feeling.
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And such change! The kids are bigger and we have more “smile” lines to match 😉. And then there’s the world itself… The boundaries between travel, learning and work are dissolving. We speak every day with families who are about to dip their toe into a more mobile life. And we’re here to cheer you on!
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Our business has changed too. What started as one-week Family Gatherings has become QC Pop-Up Life, month-long guided travel experiences. There’s a learning program for the kids, space for the adults to work and beautiful moments to come together. We are building a team of gifted mentors to extract learning moments from the fascinating places we visit, and help kids stay connected and growing.
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Portugal and Mexico are open for registration. Bali, Japan, Morocco coming soon. Send us a DM and we’ll start working on just where our paths will cross!

08/08/2022

Five reasons you should join us in Portugal this September/October:
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1. Your kids in a gang of friends, discovering a new part of the world in the best way possible: together & immersed in nature.
2. A soft landing in a new place.
3. Freedom to step into the feeling that only comes from travel: anything is possible.
4. Time for your kids and time for yourself.
5. The strength that comes from being surrounded by other curious, open-hearted people.
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Read this list again; it’s mostly about people! Not the sites to see, or the things to eat, though you’ll get those too. It’s the people who’ve followed on this journey as we’ve been out here these last four years, and who’ve put a pin on the map for the place they finally join us. You are invited; can’t wait to meet you!

05/08/2022

Portugal is a place that collects dreamers. We’ve never called the place home, but over the years we’ve returned to see that what our friends have planted here is growing! And there’s nothing more inspiring, for those who dream big, than spending time with others who do the same.
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This Autumn you have a chance to bring your dream and your family to join us and a community of dreamers in Southwest Portugal. We have a couple of spots left; we know they’ll be filled by those who are meant to be there, the kind of open-hearted, curious families we’ve gathered together all over the world. If that’s you, we can’t wait to meet!

03/08/2022

MEXICO -a Pop-Up Life, Nov-Dec
At long last we’re thrilled to announce the next Pop-Up Life, this time in Mexico! This will be a bit different, with part of the time spent along the Nayarit coast, a quick dip into Mexico City and the rest in Oaxaca. Basically, we couldn’t choose just one area to visit, so we chose three! A perfect beach town, the buzzing capital and the heart of Mexico Profundo.
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We have beautiful moments planned, and a learning program that’s designed to plant us deeply into this colorful culture, guided by passionate and wise artists, makers and producers. We are so excited for this month and invite you to join us. Follow the link in our bio to learn more and send us a DM or an email ([email protected]) to reserve your spot.

21/07/2022

We’re celebrating! This wild adventure of ours began exactly FOUR YEARS ago with a one-way flight to Paris. It was a bit crazy… but we know the biggest risk isn’t what may happen if you take that leap. The biggest risk is feeling the pull, and choosing not to jump.
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Since then we have not been bored for even five minutes. We’ve had our share of gut punches, and we’ve had moments that vaulted us right over the moon, holding tight to each other. We’ve seen our kids grow up out here on the road, making lifelong friends from all over the globe and figuring out how to be friends with each other. As we write this they’re outside the window here in Ireland, playing a game together on the trampoline, three bouncing balls of blonde hair (how did that happen?).
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If you’re reading this you’ve been part of the story. You’ve watched ours grow up, and we’ve watched yours do the same. We’ve met for coffee, we’ve been in your home, or hosted you at a Gathering. We’ve worked together on a project, or simply swapped tips. You’ve helped prove that community doesn’t require shared fences. We’re connected to you, even when we’re far apart.
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It took a lot to get here. We’re grateful for the lessons, and so so happy to see where QC is heading. These longer events are a way to go deeper together, to explore what might lie beyond the closed doors of pattern, outside the safety of what’s known. We’ll be joining many of you over the next year in Portugal, Mexico, Bali, Japan…
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If you’re thinking of joining us we hope you will get in touch. Pop-Up Life Portugal begins mid September. This is a chance to come together like family, to prioritize what’s most important and to imagine the future as it actually is, free from fear and truly limitless. It can be hard to articulate that need for disruption, but if it’s there it can’t be ignored. Perhaps this moment in Portugal was made for you!

10/07/2022

Dream trip sneak peek… MEXICO, San Pancho, Mexico City and Oaxaca -This November-December. We’ll spend two weeks on the Nayarit coast in what may be the most perfect Mexican beach village, working alongside local artists, immersing in nature and collaborating on a community-led project We’ll take a quick stopover in wondrous Mexico City (lucha libre!!!) and two more weeks exploring the culinary and craft heartland of Oaxaca.
*This is a trip we’ve been dreaming of for six years. A Pop-Up Life with integrated learning, built-in community and experiences that are deep and connected.
*Send us a DM with your email so we can include you in the announcement letter. We’re offering 250€ off all bookings until July 15. We would love to have you join us in Mexico!

05/07/2022

We’ve been around the block, tried other programs, travelled nonstop for four years. We’re not always the best at selling ourselves, but we can proudly say, we KNOW there are some things we do better than anyone else. Deep connection, that buzzing high of curiosity in action, only the best things to eat and drink, the wonder of new places understood in old ways. And the whole time we are right there experiencing it all with you. This is what happens at our Gatherings and Pop-Ups. If destiny brings us together we will be so excited to share this with you in our upcoming experiences. 💫
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Pop Ups in:
*Portugal Sept-Oct 2022
*Mexico Nov-Dec 2022
*Bali Feb 2022
*Japan March-April 2022
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DM for info (and ask about 1 and 2 week ‘pop-in’ options)!

03/07/2022

“Maybe” and “someday” are easy to say, and we’ve heard a fair number of those over the years. We’ve also heard “YES!” and “why not”! And from what we’ve seen there’s no perfect time, no ideal scenario that compels people towards one or the other. What we have seen is that “yes” can change your life, and “someday” never actually gets here. Feels like we left seattle yesterday with three small children. Then we blinked and it’s four years later and the kids are BIG.
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Our month-long Portugal pop-up starts September 19th and we have room for just a few families. If you’ve been waiting to join one of our gatherings, how about now?!

01/07/2022

“The Fairies Taught My World-Schooled Kid to Read”
-up on the journal (link in bio)
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I remember how scary it was to walk away from the known thing, from a school system that was ready to take in Matilda and, among other things, teach her to read. It took a while before we felt comfortable with the idea that she didn’t need to meet some metric or timeline, that she could just be her, be a kid, and that she WOULD learn.
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Real talk, the timing of this story is important for me (Marty here). Today we are facing our biggest challenge of the last four years of travel. The call of the known world, a stable one with a predictable schedule and a regular paycheque, is ringing in my ears as I look at all we have planned for the next year and wonder how the hell we’re going to get there… how are we going to fund it, how are we going to find the right partners, the right guests, how much motion can we handle?
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In my 20’s I wrote a blog called Scared Thrilled and that’s still how I feel a lot of the time. Happy to be here, but scared sh*tless. Maybe I’m the only one who feels this way, but I doubt it 😉. Thankfully, Taryn is a human body wrapped around a blazing fire of passion and conviction. I know she’s tired of trying to spread that fire to my wet blanket, but she’s still here and I’m so glad for that.
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When I think how afraid I was to take Matilda away from “school”, and then see her now, a confident and gifted pr***en filled with kindness and compassion, it gives me courage. Taryn is right; we’ve seen too much and come too far to just accept the known thing, to just walk away because it’s hard. There’s a deep knowing inside of us that what we’re doing matters to a whole lot of people. If you’re reading this you’ve been part of that story. Thank you, and we will see you very soon 😉.

01/07/2022

A cold swim and a deep breath. Back in the land of leprechauns, house-sitting for guests of our Pop-Up Life who became like family, while they trade the drizzle of Irish Summer for sunny Spain. The house is filled with Lego and good books, and there’s a cold river just down the lane. We’ve set up a workstation next to the biggest window in the house and the tea pot is going constantly. Thank you .house for having us. All we’re missing is you!

24/06/2022

What could a month bring you? A rebalance. A new vision. A reconnection, with your kids, with your partner, yourself. And what could it bring your children? A new definition of learning. A new crew, running more like siblings than friends. A spark of inspiration, a destiny, and proof that chasing a dream is neither crazy nor childish. Somehow the “right” people always find their way to us. And together we build something unique and powerful.
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Is this you? Are you ready to take a step in a new direction, to shift weight and find a new balance? Are your kids ready to see a new way of life, a new way to learn?
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Portugal this Autumn. One month together on the Costa Vicentina. If you are curious, reach out. And share with someone you know who might be that right fit. This month will have a way of easing whatever shift is waiting for you. For each of us that will look different. But walking through it together is more powerful than doing it alone. And a good supply of fresh, natural wine doesn’t hurt. 😉

18/06/2022

I don’t know if they’ll remember all the pearls of wisdom we’ve so carefully laid before them (😉) but I think they’ll remember how much fun we had, how we found adventure everywhere we went, how we cared about the people we met and how we cared about each other. 🤞

14/06/2022

We warned them: this was an experiment and they, we, were the test subjects. Our Family Gatherings have been so beautiful, but would the magic last if we stretched it across a month, if it was more “life” and less “holiday”? A month is long enough for a lot of things: long enough to get bored or to be annoyed, to get sick and to get well again, long enough for the charm to wear off and the deadlines to arrive. It’s also long enough to grow.
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Six families, from all over the world, together for one month, exploring, laughing, crying, and learning alongside one another. Truly an experiment. In the end it felt just as we had hoped; like a big, dynamic, beautiful family, forever changed by this experience. And finally, it wasn’t long enough.

This first Pop-Up Life crew will always hold a special place in our hearts. We know it’s impossible to recreate this month, but we know there is an opportunity to carry the spirit of openness and curiosity with us. We are so happy to say we’ll be offering another month long Portugal Pop Up this September and October on the incredible Costa Vicentina. We’ll gather with a small group of families and open some more strange Portuguese natural wines, we’ll drop the kids together with Nuno and Vera under the pine trees then share a coffee and a workspace, we’ll claim a spot on the riverbend for after school meetups and we’ll watch the stars come out together. This is life and learning done differently, inspiring and beautiful because we do it together, like family.

Follow the link in bio and send a message with any questions. Having the right families there is the most important piece of this crazy puzzle. If you know a resonant family we would love to be introduced. Thank you for sharing.

26/04/2022

Time has always been on your side, Taryn. You were already a woman when I met you. But as the birthdays have passed you’ve simply grown into yourself, become stronger, more clear, a crystallized version of the younger woman I met in 2006. I could sense that future way back then, but it’s been something else to watch it unfold. Most of us get beaten down by time, by the hard steps into the wind, and we resolve to make firmer, louder footfall to compensate. But somehow you’ve just grown more graceful each year. It’s my honour to stand next to you, to be your partner.
I love you more than ever. Happy birthday my darling.

14/04/2022

We don’t regret the missteps, the missed flights, the wrong turns, the moments we ran out of battery or got so lost we cried, the kids asleep on suitcases on a sidewalk in Istanbul. Each moment showed us something, or someone, we might have otherwise missed. And each gave us a story. It’s how we got here.
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We’re launching some new events this year, new ways to explore and connect as families. It took a lot to get here, and these trips (and Marty’s grey hair) show it. These moments are completely unique, running slow and deep, built on old friendships, humble wandering, getting lost and then un-lost again. We hope you can join us in Greece, Portugal, Mexico.

30/03/2022

We’re just about to wrap up two months on the beautiful and dramatic Caribbean island of Hispaniola. And despite the warm sea and the fresh pineapple it’s been a very challenging chapter. Friendships can get complicated, parasites can steal your dance moves, you, or worse your kids, can feel unsafe, and it can feel like it’s all rushing past you in a gale and you’re trying to grab it with your hands and force it to slow down.
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Time, of course, is a rubber band, and we remember how, in our visits to the Islands of the Cyclades, it seemed to stretch out so far we stopped trying to see HOW far. We simply sat down next to each other and stared out at the sea for a while. And when we finally stood up and dusted the seats of our pants nothing had changed except us. This is what we’re looking forward to when we return to Tinos this June. We are looking forward to slowing things down and connecting with the handful of families who will join us!

27/03/2022

Family Gathering Announcement -A return to Tinos!
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Tinos, in the Greek Cyclades, should not be on your bucket list. It’s not a box you can tick or a patch to put on your backpack. Don’t “Do Tinos”. Slow yourself down. Stare at the sea for a good while from a spot on a giant slab of raw marble. Drive quiet with the windows down and the stereo off. Make “swim and eat” the plan for a whole day. Time stops here, and people change. At least we did, and we’ve carried that change since our first visit to the island nearly four years ago. We are overjoyed to invite you to return with us.
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Two, two-week-long Family Gatherings this June and July on Tinos. We’ll stay in separate lodging but come together for a slow exploration of this storied island. All of the details are on the trip page (link in bio) and registration opens today.
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Come join us on Tinos!

23/03/2022

Join us here?!
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Family Gatherings on Tinos Island, June and July.
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You should have seen the kids’ eyes light up when we told them… we’re going back to Tinos!
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This Greek island is still largely unknown; most visitors are Greeks on pilgrimage. But over the years we’ve fallen in love with this place, the stones and the quiet, the blue/green sway of the sea grasses, the considered pace, the preference for one thing well done over a thousand things poorly done. We remember just driving slowly along the winding mountain roads listening to music, all five of us staring out the window watching the clouds move over the little piles of sugar cube houses tumbling down the hillsides to the sea. It’s a transportive place, and it leaves a mark.
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This summer we are so excited to return, and to invite you to join us. We will host two, two-week long Family Gatherings on Tinos this June and July. We'll announce details publicly on Friday, but if you want an early look and chance to secure a spot, please send us your email so we can include you in the pre-announcement invitation. Limited spaces available.
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If you like simple and slow, if you prefer quality over quantity and a focused, immersive approach to travel we know you will love this trip.

16/03/2022

Craggy bluffs, sea mist, vino verde, nata, creative community, outdoor learning, transformative travel, starry nights, together like family. April 25-May 22nd. 1 discounted space left for 1 creative, curious family! DM us 🤍

15/03/2022

What did you feel when you walked through the doors of your school, when your teacher called on you, when you opened your textbook? Did you feel safe, loved, at peace?
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We had the most inspiring call yesterday with two educators from Australia where we learned how little brains pace is available for learning when our nervous system is stressed and trying to choose whether to run or stand and fight. The best place to learn is where you feel safe.
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Our Pop Up Life in Alentejo begins in a little less than six weeks. We have room for 2 more families to join us for this month of learning, exploration and deep connection. Our kids are so excited to return to the sunny warmth of the little school Vera and Nuno have formed, and we can’t wait to hear about everything they’re learning. If you’re looking for a transformative chapter for your family this spring, we’d love to hear from you!
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We also realize that as we write this so many families are facing or will be facing incredibly difficult circumstances because of the war in Ukraine. Your fees for this program already include a donation to a local organization or project. We have decided this session we will be donating directly to a Portuguese organization or effort that is helping refugees in Portugal and/or helping those who are directly impacted by food shortages in Portugal.

09/03/2022

We’ve been on the road all these years, laying the groundwork for our own unique contribution in the family travel space. We’ve been weaving together a patchwork of ideas, people, places , and experiences. We’ve held this up to the light, and looked at it from a thousand angles. It feels like pieces are starting to move, to align themselves, we don’t have to push so hard or question so much. Now we’re just going to build. We’re creating hubs in exciting places around the world, starting with month-long programs, an intentional learning component, time for working and lots of discovery. And we’re dreaming of more permanent spaces where families from all walks of life can come together and drop an anchor. Check out our stories and help us vote on locations. It’s been a long ride and we’re so grateful you’ve come with us so far. We can’t wait to see more of you out here.

Quartier Collective

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