We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Laurence Holyoak a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Laurence, thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?

I got the travel bug as a child. I loved exploring new places and learning about new cultures. When I had my first child, life slowed down considerably. Then about three months after giving birth to my second child, the lights went out. I had no idea at the time, but I was in the throws of postpartum depression. I forgot who I was. I lost interest in things I was passionate about. I didn’t know how to get help. Just over a year and half later, I finally talked to my doctor about it and we started treatment straight away. After a few days, I started feeling better and was mad at myself for waiting so long. Nobody talks about PPD. So many women suffer in silence, which is why I make a point to talk about it. Help is out there and it will get better. As I healed, I thought about what I was passionate about. I loved travel, writing and photography. I also wanted to show my kids the world. And right then the idea was born. I would be a family travel writer with my children. We would explore new places and try to inspire other families to do the same.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Journeys and Jaunts is a family travel website filled with endless ideas and inspiration for traveling with your kids. We search for the best hotels and resorts that cater to families, write printable packing lists and review products that make traveling easier. We also love traveling with our dogs, so offer advice about that as well. Journeys and Jaunts answers the question “what should we do this weekend.” We do brand photography and drone photography of properties as well. More than anything, we want to offer honest reviews and helpful advice to take the stress out of planning a trip.

Have you ever had to pivot?

When I started the website, I was an international travel blogger and would write about trips through Asia and Europe. After Covid grounded us, we thought we were through. But we rolled with the punches and kept exploring in our own back yard. Our website niched down since we couldn’t fly anywhere and we started road tripping all over New England. We re-organized our website by state so that busy parents can easily find the information they are looking for. The biggest lesson we learned was that you don’t have to go far or spend a lot of money to have an adventure.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Everything feels so overwhelming when you have little kids. A trip to the grocery store is too much, never mind leaving the state. But it is so worth it and the more you do it, the easier it becomes. I also find that I am the most present when I am traveling with my kids. There are no piles of laundry or sink full of dishes. We are perfectly in the moment together. Our mission is to inspire other families to get out and explore. Always take the trip.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.journeysandjaunts.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/journeys_and_jaunts
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/journeysandjauntstravel
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JourneysandJaunts
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@journeys_and_jaunts
  https://www.pinterest.com/journeysandjaunts

Image Credits

Our family picture is Pure Style Photography
The photo of me with the mountains in background is Driftwood Photography