When Expedition member Kelli Parker and her family pack for a trip, they make sure to leave half a suitcase empty. A graphic designer, Kelli has an eye for thoughtful, stylish objects—and she always finds something to bring home.
Kelli started traveling at age 4 thanks to her grandmother, who worked for Eastern Airlines. “The first trip I remember going on was to Hawaii,” she says. “I was super-afraid of the waves.” But she developed a taste for exploring, which she’s instilled in her husband, Andy, and their 8-year-old daughter, Parker.
The family has lived in four different U.S. states, and Parker has visited 10 countries so far. Kelli shared her travel experiences and advice with The Expedition.
The first trip we took as a family…
was to Cape Cod, when our daughter was a baby. Andy and I had traveled quite a bit before her, and we didn’t want to stop because we had a kid. I wanted her to be acclimated early.
Right now I’m dying to go to…
Italy. I would love to take Parker when we can do that again. I’d also like to take her to India. I think she would appreciate the chaos and how different it is from the U.S.—the colors, noises, lack of traffic lights. Shanghai, Mexico City and Istanbul are on my design-travel wishlist.
Everywhere we go, we seek out…
a stationery store. I buy paper, pens, notebooks. And kids love foreign art supplies. Crayons may be crayons, but they’re packaged differently, they smell different. If we can find stickers somewhere, Parker’s happy. The French do really good stickers.
When deciding where to stay…
I really examine the pictures. We tend not to stay in hotels if we can help it, but vacation rentals or Airbnbs, so we can embed ourselves in the community. I look for good design. If I know where a chair is from, that’s going to be a good place for us.
My top travel hack is…
if you’re doing a vacation rental, make sure that the second or third bedroom is designed for children. I communicate with the owners in advance and ask them to leave toys.
We like to bring home…
things that are tied to a place, but that we can also use. When I went to Sicily last year, I brought back olive oil from a press I visited, pistachios from a farm I toured, and four bottles of wine. Parker likes musical instruments, like castanets.
Don’t be afraid to ask for…
something custom made. I’ve had clothes, notebooks, and pillow covers made just for me by local craftspeople. Look into windows to see people making things in workshops.
My secret source for souvenirs is…
restaurants. Believe it or not, restaurant merch often has great design. Think apparel or mugs. One of my favorite shirts is from Amsterdam; it says “Pancakes.”
Before a trip we…
map out where the playgrounds are, especially in big cities. At some point you’re going to need to go to the playground. The kids always manage to overcome language barriers. And it’s really interesting to see how other countries’ playgrounds are different from the ones at home—mostly they’re not as concerned about safety as in America.
One of the best design destinations is…
Berlin. Everyone loves Paris, NYC, Tokyo, L.A., Milan. But Berlin has some amazing art, architecture and design. The Amazing Crocodile Design Store is my favorite boutique there. And Florence, Italy is probably the last place people think of for contemporary art, but I’ve found lots of modern museums, galleries and outdoor art there.
To keep everyone happy we…
usually split up our days. We’ll do some adult stuff and then some kids stuff and then more adults stuff. Parker likes to engage in children-focused things, not so much museums—but we found a great children’s museum in Vienna where kids can dress up and do other cool things.
I’d like to give other Expedition members…
insight into how to really experience a place as a family, without getting bogged down with itineraries.
I’d like to get…
more ideas for design-y destinations and how to make the most out of travel post-Covid.
