Influence: It Runs in the Family
Have you ever sat at your desk and thought “wow, i’d really love to travel for 200 days out of the year…”? Then you stop, laugh for dreaming of something so ridiculous and go back to answering emails. Trust me, I do this at least 3-4 times a week. (jk I do it everyday)
What if I told you that 200 days of travel really isn’t that ridiculous? In fact, a family from Jacksonville has not only done it, but made a whole life around it! The Jones Family has dedicated their life to traveling and sharing their experiences with their followers. They share videos, freebies, travel guides and even pointers on how to live such an AWESOME life! We did a quick Q&A with Allison, the Jones Family Matriarch. Check out what she had to say about following dreams and living a life of travel!
Do you consider Jacksonville home?
We do. Both our kids were born in Jacksonville Beach, we’ve been here over 20 years, and this is the only place we’ve ever owned a home.
What is Jones Family Travels?
Jones Family Travels is our “brand” for lack of a better term. We travel, as a family, over 200 days per year, on average. We share those experiences, review travel related products, and share our travel trips with our audience through YouTube videos, blog posts, and social posts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
How do you explain what you do to someone that you just met?
We’re social influencers in the travel space, primarily using travel videos.
What is your ultimate day at Disney?
We’ve grown up at Disney. Our kids have been, over a thousand times. So, for us, the ultimate day at Disney would include opportunities for relaxation and most importantly, experiencing some of the more out of the way, less known adventures, such as the Wild Africa Trek at Animal Kingdom or the Keys to the Kingdom tour at Magic Kingdom.
Do you have a favorite family travel destination that was a surprise to you?
Germany. Mommy and Hunter (daughter) went on a European river cruise, last year and Hunter REALLY liked Germany. So much so, she is now learning the language for her next trip to Deutschland. We never would have expected her to enjoy Germany so much after all the places she’s been.
Is there one item besides your phone that you won't travel without?
Kindle or a book to read.
Plane, train, ship or automobile?
Yes : ) We’d probably say ship. Our family has done over 30 cruises, together and even the kids still want to go on more.
Do you have a unique activity to do with friends or family when they visit you here in Florida?
We tend to visit St. Augustine when friends and family visit. Between the food, the history, and the beaches, St. Augustine offers so much to our visiting family/friends that it’s a great “one stop shop” to share “Florida” with them.
You're having a dinner party this weekend and can invite a famous guest, who would that be?
Depends on the family member that gets to make the invite. Could be Casey Neistat, Shawn Mendez, Tom Holland, or Gary Vaynurchuk.
What is your go-to morning drink to get you ready for each day?
Coffee, black.
What is one piece of advice that you have for someone that is just starting out as a traveling family?
Relax and enjoy the experience. Don’t focus on “seeing it all.” Go with the flow. We do very little planning and let the trip take shape as we experience it. Too much planning ruins the serendipitous nature of travel.
Can you share something that is on your personal bucket list for 2019?
Japan -- Kelly takes Japanese in school and he loves the Japanese culture, so it’s part of our 2019 plans to cross that one off the bucket list.
Tell us something that most people don't know about you and your family?
Most people assume that we’re really wealthy in order to travel the way we do. Truth is that we’ve not only intentionally designed our lives to give us the time to travel, but we’re also very frugal and pride ourselves on finding ways to travel for less and sometimes sacrifice other “comforts” for travel experiences.
Keep up with the Jones Family:
YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/user/ufbuilder
Blog - https://jonesfamilytravels.com
FB - https://www.facebook.com/jonesfamilytravels
Insta - https://www.instagram.com/jonesfamilytravels/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/JonesTravels