The Alstroms - who are we?
Hi, I am so glad you’re here.
By now you probably know that we are a traveling family, but what are our names? Where are we from? What drove us to this decision? To tell you all that, I probably have to start at the beginning.
I am Nat. I am the wife of Nico and the mother of Nohr, but first I was and still am a traveler.
At just 19 years old I dropped out of high school to travel solo. With zero prior experience, I embarked on a daring solo travel adventure around the world. Without any solo camping trips or weekend getaways abroad to test my courage, I simply made the decision that I had what it took. With this belief, I boarded a plane bound for a destination halfway across the globe.
Armed with nothing but courage and curiosity, I ventured into the unknown, eager to discover the world beyond my comfort zone. With a 60L backpack slung over my shoulders and a heart full of dreams, I made my way to unfamiliar landscapes, immersing myself in new cultures and embracing the thrill of spontaneity.
On my journey I went to Egypt, South Africa, Australia, Fiji and the USA. In South Africa I volunteered at a sanctuary for animals, mostly cheetahs and lions.
When Nico and I started dating, Nico had gotten a scholarship to play soccer in America. At 21 years of age, I made the bold decision to follow the love of my life abroad, eager to support him in chasing his dreams. With a spirit of adventure, I left behind the familiar comforts of home yet again. Despite the uncertainties and challenges that laid ahead, my love for Nico fuelled my determination to carve out a new life together in the States.
In 2014, the gracious gesture of a friend’s family who lent us their car, unexpectedly altered the course of our lives. Making our way to Chattanooga, TN, we as two broke college students, found ourselves embracing car camping, sleeping in the vehicle and discovering the joys of spontaneous adventure. Not long after, our journey took a new turn as we invested in a minivan.
Learning that the seats were removable, we promptly transformed it into a cozy haven, laying down a mattress. Soon every weekend and holidays were filled with campingtrips all over the East Coast. To this day, they are still some of my favorite memories.
Our minivan Sofus, took us all over the States. When we lived in Tennessee we went to Florida, Kentucky, Alabama, New York, Virginia, Illinois, and then we moved to New Mexico, and Sofus then took us camping in Nebraska, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, California and Nevada. This minivan was such a good car.
In 2018 we moved to New Mexico, and fell in love with a white rusty old church van. We bought it with the promise of renovating it and traveling the country after Nico graduated. I spent most of my days planning our trip, and as soon as Nico had gotten his diploma we left Portales, NM.
A mere week into our ambitious year-long journey, our van’s engine unexpectedly gave out, presenting us with a decision: Do we throw in the towel? or do we fix it by spending most of our budget on this van?
We chose the latter, opting to fix the van and continue our adventure. For the next eight months, we travelled most of the United States, visiting 28 states which meant that we had explored a total of 45 states before returning to Denmark.
When we decided we were ready to move back to Denmark, we started trying for a family. I was 12 weeks pregnant when we hit Danish ground.
We quickly bought a house and then the unexpected arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic happened. Amidst the chaos, we both confessed to each other that our true happiness lay on the open road, amidst the boundless adventures and freedom of travel.
Now at this point of my life, our itinerary is planned around the interest of our son. Every adventure, every destination, every moment, is meticulously planned with his preferences at the forefront. From choosing family-friendly destinations to prioritizing activities that ignite his curiosity and joy, our journeys are a tailored after his interests and desires. Whether it’s exploring a dinosaur museum, embarking on a playgrounds, or simply spending a lazy day at the beach building sandcastles.
The essence of our travels lies in crafting unforgettable memories.
For the past two years, we have embarked on a journey throughout Europe, some of Asia and a bit of Africa too, and this blog is going to cover everything from epic park-ups to cool places to bring your kid to small stories from the road.
