It’s amazing how fast time flies.
Today is a very special day over here at Michael W Travels. My not-so-little man, Lucas turns 5 years old! We started off the festivities with a party in Lucas’s school and we’ll follow up with a dinner or two out before we have his real party over the weekend!
Lucas changed our world in so many amazing ways. He is a proud big brother, fun, loving, friendly & happy kid and a true world traveler. He’s also one of the most calm and smooth flyers I know. He definitely has me beat. I hated flying when I was a kid.
When Kim was pregnant, people would frequently tell us how we wouldn’t be traveling anymore once Lucas was born. I probably rolled my eyes or ignored the comments.
Our foray into family travel started when Lucas was a week shy of 3 months old. We headed off to Barbados for a week and we haven’t looked back.
Lucas visited his 30th country before turning 4 but this year we slowed down, just a little bit. I had to cancel a flight to Fiji and Vanuatu for a great reason.
While our travel style remains the same, (we fly primarily in coach, stay in budget accommodations- hostels, guesthouses, Airbnb, and a sprinkling of stays at nicer hotels thanks to points) Lucas and I got to experience a whole new kind of family travel.
With Kim grounded from flying, Lucas and I went on our first Father- Son Trip. This would be the first of many for us in 2016!
We also experienced travel as a family of 4 a few times to finish off the year!
Lucas really impressed me on tough hikes in Costa Rica, found a new love for Polish food while also exploring a salt mine deep underground. We did have a travel fail in Mexico but it happens at times and what better way to learn than from small mistakes…
Lucas’s flight stats for 2016: In a down year for travel (for a good reason) Lucas still managed to fly close to 30,000 miles. Not too shabby!
Lucas flew 22 segments for 29,918 miles which took 2 days 22:41.
Segments broken down:
By Class:
- Economy: 17 flights- 77.3%
- Premium Economy: 1 flight- 4.5%
- Business: 4 flights- 18.2%
Class By Distance:
- Economy: 19,867- 66.4%
- Premium Economy: 1,556- 5.2%
- Business: 8,495- 28.4%
Where did Lucas go in 2016? Lucas visited 3 new countries and 4 new U.S. states. (Check below for photos from each of the new countries Lucas visited last year.)
Countries Visited: (listed in order of age visited)
- Poland- 4.3
- Mexico- 4.6
- Costa Rica- 4.11
At the close of 2016 Lucas has visited 33 countries! (UN Member States)
Find out where else Lucas has been:
States Visited:
- Idaho (Boise)
- Indiana (Indianapolis
- Oregon (Portland)
Lucas loves visiting different parts of the US, too. He has now been to 23 states. We also visited some states that Lucas has previously been to. One of Lucas’s favorite cities in the country is Philadelphia. (I’m a big fan, too.)
Happy 5th Birthday to my amazing boy Lucas. I am so proud of you and admire all that you have done so far. I can’t wait to see what else is in store for us in the new year!
Check out a photo from each of the new countries Lucas visited in 2016.
2017 is bound to be an amazing year of family travel for Michael W Travels.
First of all, we’re now 25% bigger and second, we have a couple of international trips planned for early in the year. We have to finish off planning these trips and then I’ll be on the hunt for more!
Stay tuned!
