Traveler Tuesday – Ed & Jennifer of Coleman Concierge
I'm so excited to introduce you to today's travel blogger! Although I met Jennifer in Indianapolis this past June at BlogHouse, Coleman Concierge is actually a dynamic, adventure-loving duo!
Ed and Jennifer make adventure look easy, after reading Jennifer's post about doing an aerial ropes course in Hamilton County outside of Indianapolis (which she did with our recent Traveler Tuesday spotlight, Katie) and her recent hike at Angel's Landing in Zion, I'm convinced I could be a little more adventurous than I currently am, I am not talking about the misadventures that I get dragged into by Mr. Misadventures when he wants to photograph something, although his shots always turn out amazing, I'm sometimes scarred for life.
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But I digress. Back to the amazing Colemans! Jennifer has a long history of working in the service industry so travel blogging is a no-brainer for her, she is an ex-ski instructor and is super friendly with an infectious laugh. Ed is a rocket scientist…okay, a physicist in aerospace who loves adventure. With their two cats, they make quite the family.
Lucky me, Mr. Misadventures and I are meeting up with these two crazy kids in Tucson this weekend, it should be a blast, but in the meantime, let's get to know them a little better!
Let’s meet travel bloggers Ed & Jennifer!
[1] When and how did you become a traveler?
Ed – I was born a traveler but I didn’t know it at the time. My family was on some kind of a post-doctorate vagabond program. Both of my parents were finishing up their master’s degrees at Virginia Tech when I was born but we didn’t live on campus like normal people. We were sort of homesteading in a primitive farmhouse that may or may not has had running water. Mom says my baby bottles were used to nurse the spring lambs. Hopefully, I was done with them but I don’t know. I have no cognitive connection to this time.
My first memories were of Auburn Alabama, where we went for mom’s Ph.D. program. Our first big family trip came in the summer of 1976. I was just five but I still have crystal clear memories from it. Dad put a camper shell on his green pickup truck and built a bed frame over the wheel wells with plywood that had extra storage underneath. We went up to Washington DC for the bicentennial 4th of July, Mammoth Cave, and all the way to Toronto Canada. We also passed through our future home at The Ohio State University, where mom would go on to teach Poultry Science. She later traveled around the world as a poultry consultant, and would often take me with her, but it was on that first epic road trip that I realized that I was a traveler.
Jenn – No stories of livestock and pumping water from me. Dad was a stockbroker and we were living the dream in suburban Denver. We took lavish vacations to Club Med in Eleuthera Bahamas, Penthouse suites at the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego, and living large in Montego Bay Jamaica. The Black Monday crash in the ’80s hit our family hard. Pretty soon, it was time to leave Denver, but mom managed to wait until I finished high school.
The family left. I stayed behind taking a gap year working at Keystone Resort on Copper Mountain. That gap year turned into twenty years of ski bumming through the Western US. I was a solo traveler before it was even a thing. I would work a season or two and then off to a new mountain. When I decided to make my gap year permanent, I knew for sure I was a traveler.
[2] What kind of traveler do you define yourself as?
We define ourselves as activity-driven travelers. It is “what we do” that is most important for us on our trips. Sometimes we are sleeping in tents, other times we are recovering in 5-star hotels, but, either way, it is all about the experience.
[3] What do you love most about traveling?
We love the newness. Waking up every day to new and exciting places and discovering new things.
[4] What do you dislike about traveling?
We miss the cats. We also miss our routines like working out and staying on the diet. Coming back from a kick-ass vacation five pounds overweight is always a bummer.
[5] Why should people travel?
Traveling rewires your neural pathways and keeps them healthy. Gary Small, director of the UCLA Longevity Center at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, says “Navigating unfamiliar places, tasting new foods, or learning even just a few words of another language delivers the brain-building effect.” We have found this to be very true in our lives.
[6] What famous person would you like to travel with?
Phil Keoghan. We are huge fans of the Amazing Race, but it was hearing him speak that elevated him to number one. He has a passion for life and people that showed through in everything he did and said. He has the sort of positive energy that you want to surround yourself with in life.
[7] What won’t you travel without?
Our cell phones. Pound for pound, they are the most powerful travel tool ever invented. They have a camera, do conversions, GPS mapping, translations and so much more.
[8] Travel essentials – 3 things you always travel with.
Our travel bamboo pillows, Mio water flavoring, ibuprofen.
[9] If you’re a foodie, what's your favorite food city? Do you have a restaurant recommendation?
There isn’t one city or food. We have found that every town has a “must try” dish. The hard part is finding it. We make sure that when we travel, we are always trying new foods and new restaurants.
[10] What's one location on your bucket list?
Maldives. We are getting into scuba diving and this seems like a must-see location. Who wouldn’t want to stay in an overwater bungalow?
[11] Do you have a piece of advice for bloggers starting out?
It’s a marathon, not a sprint. It’s also a business so you need to always be working to perfect your craft.
Ed & Jennifer's Lightning Round of Favorites
Airport: Dallas
Mode of Transportation: Biking
City or Country: Whitefish Montana
Travel Gear: Cell Phone
Travel snack: Trail mix with M&M’s
Book: Dharma Bums
Movie: Off the Map
Song: Down With Disease- Phish close with Lose Yourself- Eminem
Thanks Ed and Jennifer!
You can keep up with these two on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and of course on their blog. Wherever you catch them, I am sure you will enjoy their global adventures!
How about you? What would you like to know about Ed & Jennifer?
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Thanks for sharing and great to learn more about Jennifer and Ed!
Great interview. I definitely agree…travel does have a brain-building effect. Hope to meet Ed one of these days too!
Something I love to see if how much traveling as a child increases the adventures as a child. My family travelled a lot when I was younger just like these two did… As a smaller child I was more in the same type of travel as he was but then as I have grown up, the vacations lined up a little more with the types she had. I try to mix it up for my own children… the camping type of trips and the lavish types!
My family did not go far but we did do traveling to the shore and amusement parks in the summer. I love to live vicariously through someone’s lens and travels. What a great interview here.
My family did not go far but we did do traveling to the shore and amusement parks in the summer. I love to live vicariously through someone’s lens and travels. What a great interview here you did!
Not gonna lie. I am jealous! I would love to have a lifestyle like this but health, and other issues delay my travel desires for now.
I would miss my pets terribly though as they do.
The cool thing is though I can live vicariously through others with posts like this!
I have to agree with enjoying the “newness” of traveling. The sense of adventure and discovery is a wonderful reason to want to travel. It is also what I like seeing in my kids’ eyes when we travel somewhere new as a family.
Another great couple to get traveling inspiration from. As our kids get older we are so feeling the traveling itch. We cannot wait to travel with them and let them explore. It is nice to meet this couple! Thank you for sharing your inspiration!
Very interesting interview. I need to travel more!
These two sound like some wonderful people, I would love to do what they are doing, traveling all over and seeing new things every day.
@tisonlyme143
They seem to have such a fun life. I would love to be a traveling family. I agree that getting out of your routine would be the most challenging part but so worth it. Maldives is on my bucket list as well.
I just love that you guys go and do things and get out there that’s so important! Love this!
Every time I read about a traveling blogger, I get envious (but in a good way!) I work a 8-5 job, but have always loved the idea, one day, to be able to travel and see the world, to experience new and exciting things, but still to scared to try it. We do travel as a family, but only on vacations, whether it be the beach or up north. I will have to try something new, one year, just to get out of the norm!
I’m so glad I stumbled on your blog because this series about travel bloggers is wonderful! I loved when they talked about coming home five pounds heavier! With all of the great food they are exposed to, I’m surprised it’s not more! xx
Thank you for the article Andi. We super appreciate it. Ed can’t wait to meet you this weekend. You have been one of our favorites for some time and our paths just seem to keep crossing. I think that is a sign.
We are kindred spirits for sure. I love the newness and experiences of travel. It’s also why I love reading travel blogs — to discover places in the world that I want to experience for myself. Like Ed and Jen, I miss my cats, though. My kids never let me live down the fact that a picture of my cats is my phone screensaver, not them. But I can’t help it! They often travel with me. The cats don’t, and I miss them like crazy,
Love this interview. It’s always so interesting learning how different people come to be travelers. Loved reading Jenn and Ed’s stories and find it interesting that they’re so different from one another. And cute cats! haha.
Aww, this is such a nice interview! I always love discovering new people online and their stories of travel or basically on just how they started. All the best to the both of them and more travels!
I follow them on instagram but didn’t know much about their background at all. I always love your interview series!
It’s fun to hear about other people’s travels.
Love this piece about Jenn & Ed! I can’t wait to meet them in person next year. For now, I really need to look into travel bamboo pillows – I’ve always had trouble sleeping well whenever I am away from home!
I’m a single mom, of 2 beautiful girls, and I wanted to take them on vacation this summer, but they are little so maybe next year. Great blog.
I love this interview! Completely agree about Jenn’s infectious laugh and while I don’t have the science to back it up, I’m a huge advocate for lifelong learning through travel! What a great pair 🙂
I remember Jen telling us the story of how she and Ed met during our time in Indy, but that’s really all I knew about Ed so far. It was great to learn more about him in addition to hearing about their travel adventures! I hope they make it to the Maldives one day. In the meantime, I hope to tackle Zion like they did! 🙂
Same thing with me, as a pet owner traveling is hard