We are a family of 8, and this site began as we were about to embark on an overseas trip.  

The blog name was chosen because, while common perception is that there are usually two or three peas in a pod, there are actually usually eight. (When I pictured us all travelling around the US for eight weeks, often in a motorhome, together for 24/7, that image seemed appropriate!)

We did a “once-in-a-lifetime” trip to the USA in 2013 – 32 states in 52 days – and enjoyed ourselves so much we took off on a second “once-in-a-lifetime” trip to Europe and the United Kingdom in 2015.

In 2017 we decided we should keep up this new tradition… so we went to New Zealand, ‘bro!! Just the South Island though, so in 2019 we flew back to NZ to trip around the North Island.

Where will we go in 2021? Do we have to wait that long for a major (ie. expensive!) Jones holiday again? Can we break the biannual tradition and venture somewhere in 2020?

2022 update: Well who could have predicted that a worldwide pandemic would stop our travel plans in their tracks! In 2020 AND 2021! Right now we are just thankful for good health, and the chance to plan future journeys.

2023 update: We are finally travelling again post-pandemic! (Not that it is over, but it is no longer classified as a pandemic as of May 2023…..). Abi and I dreamed for years after our first family US trip of going back to New York to spend more time on Broadway and exploring Manhattan  – it was to be a combined 18th present/post-HSC trip in 2020, and we are finally ticking it off the bucket list in June/July.

This is our space to journal and share what we learn along the way…