Tracy Kelleher: Travel and Family

I really like to remain at home in summer.  I truly do.  I look forward to my garden and barbeques in my backyard.  I love the feeling of heat warming my muscles and the chance to wear sundresses and sandals and have an excuse to get a pedicure.

But at the same time, summer always signals travel time for me.  When the kids were little, we’d take a family trip every summer, to national parks in the U.S. or European locales.  And since my husband is Australian and our kids are dual citizens, we always tried to slip in a trip to Australia when time and money allowed.

Well, now my children are grown up, but we still are a traveling family.  My husband and I are headed off to Portugal for a quick trip before we take our annual foray to Australia.  And because there are only two tickets to pay for, the trip Down Under is more affordable.  Besides, we get to leave the heat of North American summer for the cool weather of the Southern Hemisphere.  It doesn’t get that cold—more like autumn in the Northeast.  And there’s something cozy about sweater-and-jacket weather.

The heroine of my July Superromance, THE COMPANY YOU KEEP, is also a traveler.  For Mimi Lodge, going to the world's hotspots is just part of her job as a war correspondent.  But it’s also a symptom of her search for meaning.  Little does she know that true insights and happiness will come at a place she never considered particularly welcoming, just proving it’s the company you’re with that defines the essence of home.

I always love to hear from my readers.  Have a great summer and happy traveling!

Tracy Kelleher

www.tracykelleher.com