Making Normal

Making Normal Follow our 1-year trip around the globe as we try to grow closer as a family through travel and experiences šŸ‘‰ Sharing authentic moments.

25/08/2026

Give me a simple Airbnb over a fancy one. Give me groceries over eating out every meal. Heck, give me a night sleeping in our van (like we did this night) if it means we can stay longer, have one more adventure, or make one more memory with the kids.

To me, value isnā€™t about being cheap. Itā€™s about getting the most out of every dollar.

We spend less on the things we donā€™t care much about so we can spend more on the things we do.

10/08/2026

šŸ’° Cost: $733.24 for 7 nights (family of 7) + Ā£30 for access to all the amenities

ā­ Worth it? Yes.

šŸ‘Øā€šŸ‘©ā€šŸ‘§ā€šŸ‘¦ Family Verdict: ā­ā­ā­āœØ (3.5/5)

šŸ” Would we go back? Absolutely. For the price, it was a great base to explore Cornwall.

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Never in a million years did I think Iā€™d have a family that would stop a squash match just to have a dance party, they definitely donā€™t get their dance moves from my side of the familyā€¦

But honestly, I wouldnā€™t change a thing.

This ā€œholiday homeā€ (found in Airbnb) almost fit perfectly into our goal of spending around $100 a night on accommodations ($733.24 for a week). It had 4 bedrooms and, for an extra Ā£30, we had unlimited access to the indoor pool, squash courts, tennis courts, miniature golf, and playgrounds.

It was in a beautiful part of Cornwall near Hayle, and we used it as our base to explore some of our favorite places in England, including St. Michaelā€™s Mount, Landā€™s End, and St. Agnes Head.

The funny thing isā€¦ when I think back on this stay, I donā€™t immediately remember the pool or the location.

I remember this spontaneous dance party in the middle of a squash match.

04/08/2026

šŸ’° Cost (Family of 7 -4yrs and under are free): $475 (tickets only, transportation not included)

Family Verdict: ā­ā­ā­ā­ā­

šŸ” Would we do it again? Absolutely. Both the kids and parents approved.

ā€”ā€”ā€”ā€”ā€”ā€”ā€”ā€”ā€”ā€”ā€”ā€”ā€”ā€”ā€”ā€”ā€”ā€”
Honestly, I couldnā€™t understand why people would spend a day in London walking around a movie studio.

Then we went.

The website recommends about 3 hours to explore everything.

We stayed 8 hours.

We stopped for Butterbeer, Butterbeer ice cream, lunchā€¦ and had an incredible time exploring all the sets and props.

I thought seeing the movie sets would be cool, but what surprised me most were all the behind-the-scenes details. You donā€™t just see Hogwartsā€”you learn how they actually brought the movies to life.

It ended up being one of our kidsā€™ favorite days in Londonā€”and honestly, one of ours too. Funny because this is rhetorical exact way I felt about Hobbiton and that ended up being incredible too!

If youā€™re a Harry Potter fan, this absolutely lived up to the hype.

Tickets for our family of seven were $475. Thatā€™s without transportation, you can also book packages from London that include both admission and transportation.

Now Iā€™m curiousā€¦ if you could visit this Harry Potter Studio or Hobbiton in New Zealand which would it be?

31/07/2026

Even though my DNA says Iā€™m 97% English, England was never at the top of my list. I always pick in Italy, where Angieā€™s family is from.

But Angie really wanted this part of our world tripā€¦ and she was right.

Cornwall completely lived up to the hype.

After Angieā€™s medical scare in London, we became a lot more flexible with our itinerary. Instead of trying to see everything, we slowed down and spent more time together.

No screens. No rushing. Just our little family enjoying Godā€™s creation one walk at a time.

Looking back, those slow moments ended up meaning the most.

Two months ago today, Angie and I walked out of Phantom of the Opera in London when she suddenly developed severe chest ...
30/06/2026

Two months ago today, Angie and I walked out of Phantom of the Opera in London when she suddenly developed severe chest pain, back pain, and shortness of breath.

What we thought might be a pulled muscle turned into four days of trips back and forth to A&E (the UKā€™s emergency department) before doctors finally diagnosed a provoked pulmonary embolismā€”blood clots in her lungsā€”and started her on blood thinners.

The doctors believe it was provoked, meaning it was likely caused by an unusual amount of recent travel šŸ«£ In the two weeks leading up to it, weā€™d taken nine flights.

Looking back, itā€™s surreal how quickly everything changed.

Thankfully, this happened two months ago today, and Angie is doing great. Weā€™re incredibly grateful for everyone who helped take care of her and for how well sheā€™s recovered.

We were blessed that we didnā€™t have to end our trip early. Once she was cleared to travel, we were able to finish our year around the world together as a family. Looking back now, weā€™re especially grateful for every memory we made after that hospital stay because we know how differently the story could have ended.

The next six weeks exploring the UK and Ireland ended up being some of our favorite memories of the entire trip, and weā€™re excited to finally start sharing those with you.

Life has a way of reminding you what really matters.

Thank you for following along with our familyā€™s adventures. Weā€™re excited to keep sharing them with you. And if you happen to see us around home, come say hi!

31/05/2026

Egypt is Magical. Go visit.

31/05/2026

Church was really great in Cairo- but Alora really liked the singing coming from this church right next door to where we were staying. Thatā€™s just crazy šŸ¤£

30/05/2026

Weā€™re cheapskates everywhere else so we can say yes to experiences with the kids.

Worth it?

29/05/2026

We are coming up on a the end of a year we will never forget ā¤ļø ā€”- donā€™t worry, we still have more to share.

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