Jami Kirkbride lives on the quiet prairie in Wyoming.

She is knee-deep in parenting adventures, as a wife and mother of seven children. When she finds a few free moments, she enjoys her roles as a speaker, author, and professional counselor. Just this year she has launched a parent education and support business, Parenting With Personality, and embarked on a radio adventure with ChannelMom in the Call the Counselor segment. Cappuccino, cat naps, and lots of laughter keep her energized and ready for the next vacation!

Travel Style: In my dreams, I would be on the sandy beaches, tanning, with hot sun on my face. But the realities of having a large family keep that but a dream! So my real travel style is relaxed family travels to affordable and fun locations.

Favorite Destination: You can’t beat a honeymoon trip to Hawaii. Memories of that vacation will be unforgettable. From the tropical atmosphere to the unique experiences, it was like heaven on Earth.

Your best travel tip: As a personality trainer and professional counselor, I can attest to the importance of talking about expectations prior a vacation. My husband and I have opposite personalities. While I dream of sitting on a beach doing absolutely nothing, he imagines visiting places and crossing things off a to-see or do list by the hour. If we didn’t understand our differences, our vacations could become a nightmare. So we communicate ways that we can each get a little of what we need on vacation time away and then work to accommodate those desires within our schedule.

Your best travel tip for families: Don’t let the worry or stress of traveling with kids keep you from going and experiencing new things. Figure out what is realistic for you and then go for it. In order for us to travel and be realistic with what we can afford with a large family, we drive one-way and fly the other. In this way our travel plans can continue without draining the budget. As for the stress of traveling with the whole family. There may be some moments of chaos, but the special memories far outlast the remembrance of the chaotic moments.

Necessary luxury when traveling: 

Simply a few strategically placed cat naps or hot drinks make all the difference when traveling with seven kids!

3 Travel Things You Can’t Live Without: 

My cell phone

My diffuser and essential oils (yes, those that aid in good sleep, pleasant attitudes, and boost immunities!)

Quiet activities for the kids at restaurants

What does travel mean to you? 

Travel is a way to escape the busyness of everyday life, its demands, and its stresses to steal away time together as a family, enjoying unique and new experiences that are meaningful, memorable, and fun.

One of your guilty pleasures?

With a large family and a budget that knows its limits, we don’t do much traveling aside from our yearly family vacation. But I recently took a trip to New York to attend a publicity summit that I have had my eye on for ten years. It was a guilty pleasure, as I experienced the Big Apple in all its splendor. But I still found myself doing Facetime from the boat ride to the Statue of Liberty so my kids and husband could all experience it with me! Guess that’s how we roll!

Your favorite travel story: 

One can only imagine the foibles and mishaps of traveling with kids over the course of 20 years and the wide age span (currently 4-22). So we have some pretty good travel stories. But one of our favorites was when our son tried to cook macaroni and cheese in the hotel microwave, except he forgot to add the water. Flames erupted in the microwave. Despite our quick call to the front desk, assuring them that all was well, the alarm continued to sound and they evacuated the whole hotel. So in the late hours of the night, we all headed to the parking lot where the whole hotel stood in wonder and pajamas! Fire trucks sounded their horns, and their lights flashed wildly. My son was totally mortified. I told him to hold his head high and act like he had no idea what was going on and no one would even suspect him! The smell of that macaroni was still burning our noses the next morning. The memory is a family favorite and shared every time we mention vacation or embarrassing moments! Priceless!