Neither Kellie McIntyre nor her husband did much traveling in their youth, but that quickly changed once they met. Six weeks later, they took their first international trip and have been traveling ever since.

McIntyre and her husband decided early on they would incorporate travel into their family life. Two daughters did not slow down their travels. They simply figured out ways to make it all work. It worked so well, there have been more than 40 family trips. Trips with future grandchildren are already on the radar.

One rule of all trips is everyone can take only one piece of luggage — not an easy task while traveling the globe. Once again, they make it work.

While they have ultimate destination goals, their trips are usually dictated by factors such as price and timing. I always wonder how folks can do so much traveling with financial, social and educational concerns. McIntyre answers those questions through the FAQ section on her website, sharing her secrets and giving advice. McIntyre doesn’t just travel, she encourages everyone to travel. She proudly shows her passion for travel in her website name (4WornPassports) and hopes everyone has a worn passport.

McIntyre’s website is full of useful information, but her book, The Passport Project, gives a fascinating account of their travels. Mixing the experiences with thoughts from her daughters makes this engaging, humorous and multilayered. It is also educational, as proven by its placement on the California Department of Education Recommended Reading List, grades 6–8, in 2024. I could see The Passport Project turned into a movie with voiceovers from the adult children.

Talking Travel is an interview series on Global Traveler. Subscribe to the GT YouTube channel to be notified of all future interviews and other travel-related videos.

— John Wroblewski, online writer