52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2025 – Week 28: Travel

NOTE: I accepted the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge headed by fellow genealogy blogger Amy Johnson Crow. The idea behind this challenge is that you will receive email prompts, a word or phrase, every week, and you find something about your research or family history to write about.  Click HERE to read my first 52 Ancestors blog post in 2019.

Growing up, travel wasn’t a big part of my family’s life. Vacations were rare, and most of our time was spent close to home. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to see travel not just as a getaway—but as a way to connect, celebrate, and create new memories that become part of our family’s story.

My husband and I made it a tradition to go somewhere every year for our anniversary. Whether it’s a road trip or a flight across the country, those trips have become our way of honoring our journey together. My siblings and I have also started a tradition of sibling trips—just the three of us, picking a city, laughing, reminiscing, going to a baseball game, and making new memories.

More recently we try and get the entire family together for a trip. Not just me, my husband, and our son—it’s also my sister, my brother, his wife, and their three sons. We pick a place, pack our bags, and show up ready for fun, rest, and togetherness. Watching our next generation grow closer while the adults swap stories and reconnect has been one of the greatest gifts. I call it the Mays Cummings Family vacation.

We may not have traveled much growing up, but now we’re making up for it. The Mays Cummings Family Vacation is more than a trip. It’s our new tradition. And I hope it’s one that will continue for generations to come.