Who exactly is this cast of characters behind Rise and Explore, you ask?

Well, I'm glad you ask. We are a family of six (well, seven, if you count our beloved Golden Retriever). Loren and Walter grew up traveling and living abroad thanks to adventurous parents and the U.S. Foreign Service. Together, we have traveled to every continent except for Antarctica - but rest assured, that's on our list. We have lived in the United States, Singapore, Mozambique, Thailand, Venezuela, Australia, Sudan, Poland, and Ukraine. Our young travelers are Logan (11), Kate (9), Ivy (7), and Quinn (2). Logan grew up on Thai street food and swam nearly every day for the first four years of his life thanks to the perpetual Bangkok heat. Kate is a judo-loving, Polish-speaking world traveler who has a zeal for magic tricks, detective work, and Girl Scouts. Ivy is a Thailand-born, U.S. and Polish-raised 7-year old going on 13. She runs so fast in tag that her friends get tired and give up. Quinn, our newest sweet baby, is a fiercely independent toddler who loves to sweep, rake, and spend all day outside. I see gardening in his future.

The trip of a lifetime to Como Maalifushi in the Maldives in April 2021

Our dog, Kosmo, is a Polish Golden Retriever. At two months old, we took him on vacation to Slovakia and at eleven months old, we took him to the Czech Republic; so it's safe to say that even he is an international traveler. He’s lived in three countries: Poland, the U.S., and Ukraine. He is a therapy dog that loves visiting children’s hospitals, retirement homes, schools, and listening to children read at libraries.

In this crazy, wonderful life we've been given, we are fortunate enough to move to a new country every 2-3 years. There is nothing we love more than experiencing new places and things and spending time with family and friends. Travel allows us to do both. It expands our little corner of the world to something bigger and greater than what we ever could have imagined. So join us on our journeys. And while you're at it, plan your own. This world was made for exploring, and we're here to inspire.