Opening a world of possibilities
There is more. More to see. More to feel. More to become, together.
The Open Map is a long-term global family travel advisory that helps families transform the dream of a family journey into a lived experience.
Because some of life’s greatest lessons aren’t found in a classroom, they’re discovered together in the world.
A wider way to grow
There comes a moment in every thoughtful parent’s life when a quiet question arises: What if childhood could stretch beyond the expected? The routines are full. The schedules are constant. The years, somehow, move faster than expected. And yet, there is a sense that something greater is possible. A more meaningful way to grow.
The Open Map exists for families who feel that pull. We believe intentional family travel can become one of the most meaningful chapters in a family’s story, not because you leave life behind, but because you begin living it more fully.
The Process
Long-term global family travel, thoughtfully designed
As your trusted family travel guide, we help you prepare for every stage of the journey, from the first conversation around the kitchen table to the confidence of taking that first step into the world.
01
Your Family’s Map
Every family’s path is different. We begin by listening; understanding your hopes, your questions, your children, and what this season of life could become. Because every meaningful journey starts with a conversation.
02
The Plan
Together, we turn possibility into a clear path forward. From destinations and worldschooling to timing, budget, and preparation, you’ll gain the confidence to move from dreaming to doing.
03
The Journey
When it’s time to go, you won’t just leave prepared, you’ll leave empowered. And while the journey is yours to experience, we’ll remain a trusted guide as your family discovers the world, and one another.
“We thought we were taking our kids around the world. We didn’t realize how much the journey would change all of us.”
Evan & Michelle Gilbert
Our Story
It Started With Our Family
We weren’t trying to become travel experts.
We were simply a family with a long-held dream of seeing more of the world together.
In 2024, we finally decided to make it real. For 11 months, Evan, Michelle, Connor, Colin, and Julia traveled through 28 countries—living out of backpacks, navigating new cultures, figuring out school, making friends, getting tired, getting lost, and discovering just how much the world had to teach us.
It was messy at times. It was exhilarating at times.
And it became one of the most meaningful chapters of our lives.
Now we’d like to tell you how it happened
The Traveling Gilberts
Read Our StoryThe Process
Is a family sabbatical possible?
More often than not, the answer is yes. With the right guidance, thoughtful preparation, and a willingness to imagine something different, the dream of long-term family travel is more attainable than most people realize.
Plan Your Family Sabbatical
A family sabbatical is more than an extended vacation. It’s an opportunity to step away from routine and into a season of intentional family travel. We’ll help you prepare for every stage of your long-term global journey—so you can move forward with clarity, confidence, and a map built around your family’s vision.
Navigate Worldschooling
Help your children learn through cultures, conversations, and real-life experiences. We’ll guide you through education options, legal considerations, and worldschooling approaches that fit your family’s goals.
Prepare for the Journey
From visas and healthcare to finances and leaving school behind, We’ll help you navigate the practical decisions that transform uncertainty into confidence. Let our experience be your guide.
Learn to Travel Slowly
Discover how slowing down creates deeper connections—with places, cultures, and each other. We’ll help you embrace a pace that lets your family truly experience the world, not just pass through it.
Sometimes all a family needs is an experienced guide to help them open the map.
Book an orientation callCommon Questions
The questions we hear most
A traditional travel agent typically focuses on booking trips and individual reservations. A long-term family travel consultant provides 1:1 guidance for families considering an extended sabbatical or multi-month journey.
The Open Map is an advisory partner. Rather than booking hotel nights or managing reservations for you, I share the perspective, experience, and lessons we gained during our own family journey so you can make informed decisions about lodging, destinations, education, pacing, and the overall shape of your experience.
The goal is to give you greater clarity and confidence while keeping ownership, flexibility, and financial control in your hands.
We were asked this question all the time. Taking school-age children on a long-term family sabbatical does not necessarily mean sacrificing academic progress.
For our family, math was the subject we felt most strongly about maintaining through formal study. Beyond that, history, reading and writing, science, languages, art, geography, and other subjects became part of what we experienced in the world.
Our children each followed a different academic path, and there was no single “right” answer—even within our own family.
I can share what worked for us and help you think through conversations with school administrators, homeschooling or remote-schooling options, and a daily rhythm that allows learning and family discovery to coexist.
It’s never too early to start the conversation. For our own family sabbatical, we began dreaming and laying the groundwork about 18 months before departing, with more active logistics in the final six months.
Starting early gives you more time to think through the big decisions at home—from your primary residence and school transitions to building credit-card rewards for travel. It can also give you access to better lodging options and seasonal experiences that require advance planning.
That said, there is no single ideal starting point. Wherever you are in the process, we can begin there.
ready to open the map?
Sometimes all a family needs is an experienced guide to help them take the first step
Schedule a free 30-minute conversation. No commitment, no pressure — let’s talk about what’s possible for your family.