This Is Our Story
SHELBY CARLSON
Independent Travel Agent,
Founder, & Curator
see also: Single Mother, Advocate, Entrepreneur, and Worldschooler.
Favorite places: Cambodia & Mexico.
Favorite travel experiences: swimming with sea turtles in Africa.
Dream Destinations: Dominica, Mozambique, & Lesotho.
"Traveling in the company of those we love is home in motion".
~Leigh Hunt
How it all began...
Welcome to The Family Vacation Club--a dream that has been long in the making. I'm Shelby Carlson, and I am the face behind this whole operation. I never imagined I'd be here today, in the position to share this dream with YOU, but I'm excited for the opportunity and looking forward to helping you make all your travel dreams come true. First, let me tell you more about what we do at The Family Vacation Club, and how it all began:
In 2015 I was living in South Florida, my best friend was a whopping 4,930 miles away in Anchorage, Alaska, and everyone else I loved was scattered from coast to coast everywhere in between; some even living on different continents entirely. We were all leading busy lives-- building careers, planning weddings, raising families--and it was getting harder and harder to keep in touch with one another. Sometimes we'd go years without seeing each other. As a newly single mother, this distance was hard on me; I needed my tribe and my family. So I set out to create a way (or an excuse, rather) for us to reconnect more often. A middle meeting ground of sorts. A regularly scheduled reunion.
It started out as a simple annual holiday newsletter. Every year I designed a trip--or two, or three--and sent out brochures to all my friends and family, inviting them along on what I referred to as "family vacations". At first the idea was met with some resistance. All my friends were telling me: "we don't have the time or money for that". So I focused on building epic--yet very budget friendly-- vacations they couldn't refuse. And before long we were traveling the world together, making memories together again, and I was ecstatic.
The first was a trip to Zanzibar with my best friend. The next: a cross-country road trip to reunite my mom with her best friend (they hadn't seen each other in more than 30 years..!). And then all of a sudden, the trips never seemed to end. Within that first year of launching the (unofficial) Family Vacation Club, my friends and I had traveled on 3 different continents. It was clear to me almost immediately-- this crazy, silly idea I'd had was actually going to be life-changing.
Traveling with family and friends--and even solo (...especially solo)-- has taken me outside my comfort zone, it's grown my relationships tenfold, it's reignited my passions and inspirations, it's reminded me who I am, and what matters. It's like the famous quote says:
"We travel initially to lose ourselves; and we travel next to find ourselves. We travel to open our hearts and eyes and learn more about the world than our newspapers will accommodate. We travel to bring what little we can, in our ignorance and knowledge, to those parts of the world where riches are differently dispersed. And we travel, in essence, to become young fools again--to slow time down and get taken in, and to fall in love once more."
~Pico Iyer ("Why We Travel")
It is my sincerest hope that The Family Vacation Club be a space for you to connect with family and friends; to have new adventures and experiences; and most importantly, to fall in love with the world again. We're here whenever you're ready.
Welcome to the Family.
Our Vision and Mission
Our vision is what we hope to achieve. Our mission is the work we do to bring that vision to life.
The VISION
That families everywhere have the access to unforgettable travel opportunities and experiences.
THe Mission
Bringing people closer together through travel. Helping friends, families, and loved ones experience the world.
These core values are at the heart of everything we do. You can learn a bit about our company mission and what we stand for, by reading more about them below:
Our Company's Core Values
01
Passion
None of this would be possible without great passion. For travel and adventure. For learning. For helping others. Passion is what powers our work at the Family Vacation Club. Our dedicated staff will go the extra mile for you to create memorable, once-in-a-lifetime vacations, because we know first-hand how impactful they can be. Travel is life-changing. It inspires us. It opens us to new experience and possibility-- and here, we bring those possibilities straight to you. We want to help you make all your travel dreams come true!
02
Authenticity
Tours led by local guides; travel that supports local small businesses; tourism that takes you to the heart of the communities you visit. When you choose to book through The Family Vacation Club, we want you to know you're getting an authentic, local travel experience. Whether you want to travel with all-inclusive luxuries, or prefer roughing it in the backcountry, our aim is to provide something unique and unforgettable for every traveler, on every vacation.
03
integrity
We conduct all business with an extremely high standard of honesty and integrity. To us that means being transparent about our practices and partnerships, following through with our promises and commitments, being socially and environmentally responsible, and relating to others in a way that is authentic. We respect all individuals, and value their diverse backgrounds, experiences and opinions. We listen for understanding. We deliver on expectations. Most importantly-- we always conduct our business in accordance with the highest legal and ethical standards.
04
quality & affordability
We believe that incredible, quality travel experiences should be affordable for all families, no matter your travel budget. We believe that every family has the right to experience unforgettable family vacations, and we're here to make it happen! When you book a trip through The Family Vacation Club, whether it's a simple hotel reservation for one, or an all-inclusive Mediterranean cruise for a wedding party, you can be sure we will work meticulously to deliver you the high standards we demand of ourselves. Accurate information, prompt and clear communications, and great customer service are some of the cornerstones of our company practices. We aim to deliver the utmost quality, and only work with suppliers who are considered the very best in the travel industry.
05
CONNECTION
Connection is about our relationships--- with our customers, our partners, our suppliers, the communities we visit, and the environment. We believe that building a successful and sustainable business is only possible through establishing, nurturing, and valuing long-standing relationships. You won't have to deal with message bots and automated help lines here. We pride ourselves on our personalized, one-on-one direct support and service. We love connecting with our clients; creating opportunities for families to connect with one another; and connecting different cultures and communities across the world. Connection is at the heart of our company mission and all our business practices.
06
Family
Family owned. Family run. Created and designed with families in mind. We want you to feel like family when you travel with us. To us family means trust, loyalty, teamwork, community and love. Our love of travel and new experience is what connects us at The Family Vacation Club. Welcome!
