Holland, Michigan is a destination place. Most tourists come when the famous Tulip Time Festival is going on - browsing through the shops, seeing the parade, eating junk food. It’s what Holland is known for.
    

But what is there to see when Tulip Time isn’t happening? Lots.

It’s fun how everyone collects something. Postcards, old coins, sea-glass, postage stamps - there are so many different things that can be saved. I myself have a collection, but it isn’t a common gathering of shiny pennies.

I recently collaborated with the extremely talented Joel Keiter, owner of That’s Fine Studios, to create a short stop-motion animation film around traveling. Personally, I run Traveler's Films, another stop-motion channel on YouTube. Both of us are Brickfilmers - using Legos for our animations.

Ever wonder what it is like to just pick up and go? To travel full-time, WITH your kids? We've shared many family travelers here on Wandering Educators, and there's always room for more - for each family travels in its own way, choosing what is best for THEM. We recently had a chance to catch up with Ruth Johnston, who travels full-time with her son.

THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY: what it takes to live and work in the north

Welcome to Zeeland, Michigan, home of one of the most loved playgrounds in West Michigan. Any kid under 12 enjoys it – and over, though they might not admit it so readily. When I was that age, I couldn't wait to go back. The feeling of getting safely lost was awesome.

I have so many travelling friends, and I have been wondering if it is just a coincidence or if travellers are bonded together through wanderlust. Recently, my friend Molly was telling me about an adventure she was about to embark on with her family, a four-day trek around Lake Waikaremoana, which is one of New Zealand's Great Walks.

Why did I decide to walk nearly 500 miles in a foreign country where I knew no one and could not speak the language? I am still discovering the reasons, but this is what I know so far.

Traveling abroad can have many benefits, and educationally can be a million times more effective than opening a textbook. The perks of traveling abroad are not purely educational, of course. Martin Hodel, my father, is a professional musician and has had multiple international experiences because of concerts and tours with various programs.

So I realized there is one place that I have not written about yet, one of my most favorite cities in the world, Rome.  Rome is where my love of travel first started and where I first studied abroad. Fast forward many years later, it still remains one of the biggest loves of my life.