From her solo days in Thailand to family trips across the globe, Tenley Peterson’s journey as a traveller and mother has come full circle. She’s still seeking moments of discovery, but now she’s passing that love of exploration to the next generation – one trip at a time.
One of Tenley’s early encounters with travel beyond Mendon, the small Massachusetts town she grew up in came in her twenties when she studied abroad in Australia’s Gold Coast for a semester. It was a defining moment for someone who hadn’t really ventured beyond the familiarity of New England.
Still, while Australia was exciting, it felt a little too familiar to the United States.
‘It wasn’t culturally different enough for me,’ Tenley recalls, explaining that she was craving something more challenging, more unknown. ‘I wanted more of a culture shock.’
While still in Australia, that desire for the unknown led her to a travel agency where she discovered Intrepid’s trips to Thailand, adventures that would take her into the heart of a country. She shares that for someone who had lived in a small, predominantly white town in Massachusetts, that trip was truly transformative.
‘I didn’t know anything about Thailand,’ she says. ‘It was such a big contrast from where I grew up. I just thought, “Wow, [these trips] are so unique and different.” I had to go.’
That adventure became her gateway to the world of solo travel, where she found herself surrounded by like-minded travellers, eager to dive into new cultures, embrace local customs and, on occasion, experience the unfamiliar. ‘We visited hill tribes in northern Thailand, and one of the local guides caught a spider and then ate it,’ she says, remembering the memory still so vividly. ‘It was a cool way to be in a different culture in a way that felt bold, but also safe.’
Tenley’s love for travel only grew from there. After marrying her college sweetheart, who was in the military, the couple moved to South East Asia, where he was stationed. Her husband’s job kept him busy, leaving Tenley with ample time to explore.
‘I had a lot of vacation time, and he was always working,’ she says. ‘So, I kept signing up for trips.’
She travelled extensively across the region, often solo, which might have been intimidating, but Intrepid’s trips made her feel safe and supported. On her travels, she met people from all over the world who added an extra layer of cultural exchange to each trip.
‘It wasn’t just about the place I was visiting,’ Tenley explains. ‘The other travellers became part of the adventure. They came from all over, and that alone was such a rich cultural experience.’
It wasn’t long before her travel bug caught on with the rest of the family. In fact, her father, who had never been much of a traveller, joined her on a couple of her later trips, even surprising her on one to India with Intrepid.
‘I invited my dad, and he initially said no,’ she laughs. ‘But then he worked with my husband to surprise me. I had no idea he was coming to India, and there he was at the hotel. It was such a special moment.’
‘It kind of started out just me, and then I started bringing people in to do these adventures with me… first Everest Basecamp with my husband and dad, then the Inca Trail with my dad, husband and father-in-law and then Patagonia with my husband and father-in-law.’
As her family grew, travelling naturally shifted. The birth of her three children didn’t diminish Tenley’s wanderlust, it reshaped it. As her eldest daughter, Darby, grew old enough to travel overseas, Tenley realized that the trips she once took alone could now be shared with her kids, offering them the same opportunities for growth and discovery.
‘I started travelling internationally with my daughter when she was around four and a half,’ she says. ‘I felt that was the magic age – they’re old enough to appreciate where they are, understand that things are different, and, more importantly, they’re more independent. They pull their own small suitcases and help with planning.’
Of course, travelling with children requires more flexibility. Tenley had to adapt. Instead of packing every minute of the day with activities like she did when she traveled solo, she learned to slow down, aiming for one major experience a day with some wiggle room for downtime. But that didn’t make the trips any less enriching.
‘When I went with my eldest daughter to Morocco [on Intrepid’s family holiday], it was about experiencing the newness through her eyes,’ Tenley says. ‘I’ll never forget the look on her face when she had her first sip of Moroccan mint tea or when she saw the desert for the first time.’
She realized that traveling with kids wasn’t about ticking off the biggest tourist attractions or following the typical itinerary. Instead, it was about creating memories that both she and her children would cherish.
When asked if it was worth taking such young kids on these big adventures, Tenley says ‘People always say they’re not going to remember it… maybe they won’t remember every detail. But I will remember the look on their faces when they saw the Eiffel Tower sparkle. That’s enough for me.’
People always say they’re not going to remember it… maybe they won’t remember every detail. But I will remember the look on their faces when they saw the Eiffel Tower sparkle. That’s enough for me.
Tenley goes on to fondly share a story about when she visited Iceland with her second daughter. ‘Wynnie was five at the time and we went to these geothermal hot springs in the middle of a snowstorm. We were with the resort’s tour company and they were monitoring all the conditions, so it was safe. Wynnie was as happy as she could be in the warm water with the snow falling and the wind blowing all around us.’
It was a memorable life experience under any circumstances but sharing it with her daughter made it even more special. ‘Even now, sometimes she’ll remember it and say “Remember when we were in the hot springs in that blizzard? Mommy, that was so cool.”‘ exclaims Tenley.
Whether it’s exploring hot springs in Iceland or going on a fairy hunt in Ireland, Tenley makes sure that each holiday with her kids is curated to their personalities and interests. It’s not about forcing them to follow her travel style but rather encouraging them to discover the joy of travel on their terms.
Travel has also become a teaching tool, one that allows Tenley to impart lessons of bravery, independence and open-mindedness. She takes pride in how travel has taught her children to problem-solve, manage stress and adapt to the unfamiliar. Even simple acts, like navigating an airport, have become learning moments.
‘I make sure they know how to find our gate by looking at the departure boards,’ she explains. ‘I want them to be independent travellers. It’s not just about the trip – it’s about giving them the confidence to navigate the world.’
Her children, now four, seven, and ten, have become travellers in their own right. Every trip they take is an opportunity for growth – not just for the kids, but for Tenley as well. She delights in watching them tackle new challenges with the same curiosity and bravery she had on her first adventures.
‘I think for me, it’s really exciting to see my kids be brave,’ she says. ‘I get to relive my own experiences through them. When we climbed a tall tree in Ireland, my daughter scurried right to the top and rang the bell, just like I would have done years ago. And I got halfway up before I had to stop. She still teases me about it.’
Find a small adventure that meets you where you are. Whether you’re a solo explorer or sharing the world with your family, Intrepid has a trip for all the different chapters of life.
