Hi, I’m Amanda, a neurodivergent homeschooling mom of two, obsessive researcher, and the person in my family who somehow ends up planning every trip.

I help overwhelmed families travel with more clarity and less stress by doing the deep research most people don’t have the time (or energy) for.

How This Started

My love for travel started in high school when I visited Spain, and later studied abroad there in college while living in the Basque Country.

After getting married, my husband and I were fortunate to travel to Europe multiple times through the junior high school where I worked, visiting England, France, Italy, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

After that, most of our travel was closer to home in Baja Mexico.

When Everything Changed

It wasn’t until COVID that our travel opportunities really expanded.

I had already started homeschooling in late 2019, and when my husband’s job shifted to remote work, it suddenly opened up possibilities we hadn’t had before.

Once travel reopened, I decided to stop waiting and start building the trips I had been dreaming about.

What Travel Looks Like Now

Since 2021, we’ve:

• Spent 3 weeks in Hawaii

• Traveled 9 weeks through the Southwest visiting national parks

• Spent 6 weeks in the Pacific Northwest and Canada

• Traveled 5 weeks through the Baja Peninsula

• Taken multiple national park trips throughout the western U.S.

• Gone on cruises to Alaska and the eastern Caribbean

• And squeezed in a whirlwind 9 days in Orlando

We’re based out of Boise, Idaho, and most of our travel is road trips throughout the western U.S., especially national parks,  but when we can, we’ll jump on a plane to explore farther.

Why I Created This

Here’s the thing: I genuinely enjoy the research part.

The mapping routes. Comparing options. Building spreadsheets. Figuring out the most logical way to make a trip work.

But I’ve realized that for a lot of people, that part feels overwhelming, or even paralyzing.

There are too many choices. Too many logistics. Too many things to get wrong.

That’s where I come in.

What You’ll Find Here

I created The Obsessive Researcher’s Travel Guide to share the work I’m already doing, so you don’t have to start from scratch.

Here, you’ll find:

• Real trip breakdowns

• Structured travel routes

• Research-backed itineraries

• Spreadsheets and planning tools

• Honest notes on what worked (and what didn’t)

If you love the idea of travel but get stuck in the planning phase, you’re in the right place.