about us

About Kyleen

“I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.”
Susan Sontag

Hello friends, I’m Kyleen Bontrager, the Bonnie Traveler. Each new place I visit opens my curiosity to learn more about the world around me, and I’m all about helping others learn how they can make amazing memories with their families when traveling near or far.

“They grow up too fast.” “Blink and they’ll be teenagers.” “You only have 18 summers.” These well-meaning warnings help us put into perspective the precious time we have with our children. We want to make the most of our experiences as our kids grow and develop into adults. Travel is an investment we make for the people we love. Creating empathetic, conscientious global citizens, instilling a love for life-long learning, inspiring wonder and awe for the world around us; these are all things we hope to infuse in the lives of our kids.

Our Story

Back Then

Every summer my sister and I looked forward to our family vacation. With your dad being a science teacher, trips always had a fun and learning-centered bend to them.

I studied abroad in Greece during college. This opportunity allowed me to explore places like the pyramids in Egypt, the spice markets of Istanbul, and the white-washed homes of Santorini.

I free-traveled through Europe with my would-be husband and our friends. We backpacked from the Venice canals to the Berlin Wall. Train-hopped our way through the Alps with stops in beautiful Salzburg, Austria, and Lucerne, Switzerland to Barcelona, Spain. My favorite memory from Barcelona is seeing the famous albino gorilla. We explored the Louvre in Paris before ending our adventure in bonnie England.

We got married and moved to live in Togo, West Africa. Where is Togo you ask? It is a tiny former French colony in the western part of Africa between Benin and Ghana on the coast of the Atlantic. After college, my husband felt led to work with the church in Togo. While teaching and ministering, we were able to experience tropical beaches and safaris, which included camping in the bush and seeing elephants and lions in the wild. We also opened our hearts to the vibrant people and culture of Togo.

Right Now

Fast forward, and I’m a mom and home educator who still loves exploring the world. As I was talking to my husband about the epic Washington D.C. trip I was planning, I told him that we should take a trip every three years. His reply was “well if we wait another year or two, then it could be Aidan’s (our oldest) senior trip.” That hit me hard and I realized I didn’t want to wait. I wanted to take my kids to see the world.

We didn’t sell all our worldly possessions and become nomads, but we did become intentional about prioritizing family travel. Covid threw us all for a loop, but it allowed us to explore some amazing U.S. locations like Mammoth Cave in Kentucky and Niagara Falls in New York and Canada.

And even after our kids grow up and move out, we don’t plan to stop. It hasn’t stopped for me. My parents, sister, and I still travel together each year. We love cruises, national parks, and our little cabin in North Georgia.

One of the great joys in my life is taking trips with my extended family. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings, heck, let’s bring the dogs! I want to see the world with the people I love. I want to see the wonder on their faces at the sights they’ve only seen in their books. I want to belly laugh over an authentic meal in a new place. And I want to look back and savor the time spent together.

About me, about Kyleen, countries visited on map — about me, countries visited

About The Bonnie Traveler

The Bonnie Traveler was born out of a desire to share my love of travel with you. As an educator and lifelong learner, I’m committed to teaching others how to enjoy traveling as a family and making memorable experiences together. I want to help families realize that it doesn’t have to be extravagant, but make every day a field trip. Learn something new about the world around you! Grow together with new experiences! Share exciting times together because they grow up too fast. Don’t blink.

About our Mission

The Bonnie Traveler is here to inspire your family travels, help make travel affordable, and help you plan your vacations together. Use our recommended partners to get deals and discounts on travel. Put to work our travel itineraries to organize your next trip. Take advantage of our travel agency. We can help you make that next family vacation full of wonderful memories.

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