Sarah Boer recently embarked on her very first Expat Explore tour! Sarah, 47, hails from Dalhart, Texas where her family runs a dairy farm. While this was her first trip with Expat Explore, Sarah is no stranger to travelling and has always loved seeing new places. She loves sharing the joys of travel and will always choose to travel with someone rather than venture solo.
This time, she took her son Gerret, 25, with her on a mother-son Europe trip of a lifetime!
Pressing play on travel in 2022
When travel was put on pause in 2020, Sarah felt as though a huge part of her life went missing. “Not being able to travel really made me suffer personally”, said Sarah. This is certainly a sentiment that many explorers can sympathise with. When travel started opening up again, Sarah planned a European cruise. However, this was cancelled. Rather than get down about this, Sarah began researching coach tours and soon after, she booked her tour with Expat Explore!
Sarah and Gerret set off on the Europe Escape tour on 17 April 2022. During their two weeks on tour, they visited Italy, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Austria, Belgium and Switzerland. Returning to travel felt normal and natural. While some may be anxious about travelling post-Covid, Sarah assures other travellers that it is safe and comfortable. “I always felt safe in all we did with our travels. Not once did I feel uncomfortable,” Sarah explained. She also highly recommends booking a group tour and says, “I will absolutely go on an organised tour again. I know for a fact I wouldn’t have seen even a small fraction of what we saw if I was doing the trip alone.”
Family memories to last a lifetime
Memorable experiences were had every day on this two week Eurotrip! As Sarah said, “Being able to spend two weeks exploring with my son was a joy and a memory I will always keep”. However, excitingly, Sarah’s son wasn’t the only family member she made memories with on this trip. In Switzerland, Sarah and Gerret were also able to meet up with distant relatives and connect with their Swiss heritage.
On a group tour, the “strangers” you travel with often end up becoming like family too. “Travelling with a group of strangers is fun as you make new friends. I have been blessed to meet some really amazing people on all my trips,” explained Sarah. Meeting these new friends also opens your eyes to different cultures and experiences. Sarah learned that “we all come from different parts of the world. What is normal for us isn’t always the same for others”.
The stillness and beauty of Switzerland
Without a doubt, Sarah’s favourite destination of the trip was Switzerland. While the tour was busy and full of non-stop adventure, Switzerland breathed some much-needed fresh air and calm into the journey. “I loved the stillness of the beauty,” Sarah said. With its snow-capped mountains, expansive lakes and dreamy landscapes, it’s no wonder that Switzerland is a top travel destination that will leave a mark on any traveller.
Sarah and Gerret even got to travel to the “top of Europe” when they took the train up to Jungfraujoch – the highest train station in Europe! While they enjoyed many wonderful experiences in Switzerland, they would love to return and see even more. Sarah said, “I would really like to travel back to Switzerland. I really connected with this region and want to see more.”
Related: Book one of our tours to Switzerland and enjoy the option of reaching Jungfraujoch!
Don’t put off travelling – get back on the road!
Travelling to a range of diverse destinations allowed Sarah and Gerret to spend quality time together, reconnect with other family members and learn about new cultures and places. As Sarah said, “travelling exposes you to a whole different world and culture. Sometimes it explains where your family came from and sometimes it humbles you for what you have.” She adds, “I just love seeing different places around the world. All the experiences are so exciting to partake in and learn.”
Sarah offers advice to those who haven’t got back on the road yet, “you aren’t getting any younger. Why put off travel when you can go today?”
You heard Sarah! Get back on the road today. Have a look at Expat Explore’s upcoming tours or save on our summer sale and prepare for an adventure of a lifetime!