The Bucket List Family: Raising Kids Without Borders

The Bucket List Family shares how they are raising curious, grounded kids while traveling the world

They say a lasting partnership means falling in love more than once—with each other, and with the life you build together. For Garrett and Jessica Gee, that love has taken shape across continents, and manifests itself in their three wonderful kids: Dorothy, Manilla, and Callahan.

The Gees have built a tremendous adventure of a life and, in 2015, eventually made the wild and brave decision that would redefine everything they knew: to leave home, travel the world, and raise their family along the journey.

From wild terrains in Africa to swimming with orcas in Mexico, their life has been a constant adventure for over a decade, bringing them to their 100th country: the Philippines. For Garrett, whose mother was born in Manila, it’s not just a milestone—it’s a meaningful homecoming.

Beneath the movement, their version of family life is strikingly familiar: routines, quiet moments, shared meals, and playtime—everyday moments that define childhood. For the Gees, the question has never been how to raise children while traveling the world, but how to raise them well—with intention, discipline, and a strong sense of who they are, no matter where they are.

Paths crossed

Garrett and Jessica’s story began just as many love stories do—a seemingly chance encounter, stitched together by timing and fate.

“We met in, of all places, Vladivostok in Russia. It was 2008. We were both serving church missions,” Garrett recalls. “You choose if you want to go, but you don’t get to choose where you’ll be sent.” 

For Garrett, who grew up in Utah, and Jessica, from Colorado, the odds of ending up in the same place felt extraordinary. “It was a really cool and unique place to meet—and when you’re there, you embrace the culture.” 

But their story didn’t unfold until they were back in the U.S., attending the same university. “That’s where we began dating. Dating for us was super quick, we only dated for six months. And then I proposed to her. Our engagement was pretty short: three months. And then, we were married for three years until we had our first, our oldest, Dorothy,” Garrett grins. 

Laying the groundwork

After that, life moved fast. Jessica worked while Garrett explored entrepreneurial ventures. 

“Jessica was basically providing for our new family, and I was tinkering with different entrepreneurial ideas and business ventures until I had an iPhone app that I had built that did well,” Garrett reveals. “That took us to Los Angeles, because I had sold that app to Snapchat, and I worked at Snapchat for a while.”

But, something didn’t quite fit.

“Garrett was unhappy and he wanted to go back to Utah. I wanted to stay [in Los Angeles], I just wanted to keep progressing. And so, we had to compromise and choose what to do next. [Garrett said,] let me go play one more season of soccer, and then you get to choose what you do next. So, I said, ‘I want to do a bit of traveling.’ Those were the famous last words… ‘A little bit of traveling,’ Jessica laughs.

They sold everything—earning about $45,000—to fund what was meant to be a short trip of four months traveling the world. “The plan wasn’t to travel indefinitely. The plan was to travel and learn from the world, then come back home and know where to start over,” shares Jessica.

But something shifted. “Much to my surprise, because I’m very much a traditional, inside-the-box kind of person, I realized how much I was loving living out of a suitcase and being with my husband and kids all the time, experiencing different cultures. So, we decided, ‘Let’s see how far this can go.’”

Blazing a digital trail

“In 2015, influencers weren’t really a thing [yet],” says Jessica.

“That was the challenge: let’s see how far we can travel by making money off of YouTube and Instagram. Our timing was right,” says Garrett.

“For three years, we were actually without a home and just traveling ‘vagabond style’—50 countries. When we got back, we asked ourselves, where do we want to settle down? And we ended up buying a house in Hawaii,” recalls Garrett. 

What began as an experiment became a way of life—one built on curiosity, intention, and a shared belief that home could be something they carried with them, rather than a place they returned to. 

Growing up as global citizens

For the Gee children, to say life has never followed a fixed itinerary or map is an absolute understatement. “One of the perks is that the kids are all very tight because when we’re traveling, it’s just our family,” Garrett explains. 

Each child, shaped by that shared world, is growing into their own. 

Dorothy thrives in learning and creativity. “She loves school and is a very good student. She loves reading and art. She loves making and editing videos. She’s active, into soccer and surfing. Then, she also does a lot in theater,” Garrett says.

Jessica adds, “She’s classic. The oldest child, really organized, takes care of her brothers.”

Manilla dives deeply into his interests. “He has a kendama,” Garrett says—a wooden toy that requires precision and patience. “Just like his dad, whatever he’s into, he obsesses over it.” Jessica nods: “Manilla’s [also] into surfing. He’s into break dancing. And most recently, he’s way more into his style.” Garrett smiles, “[That has to be] the Filipino is coming up.” 

And there’s Callahan, or Cali for short. “The classic youngest child. Just the craziest of them all,” Garrett grins. Jessica laughs: “He’s the boss baby. He runs the show.”

Of roots, culture, and belonging

Raising children without borders has taught the Gees what actually makes kids feel at home. “Definitely the feeling of safety, of us being together as a family,” Garrett says. He adds that traditions are equally vital: “It gives them a sense of repetition and routine, even when they’re not at home.”

Garrett adds, “Every parenting book would say: routine, routine, routine. We went the opposite direction and our experience was that our kids just became very low maintenance.”

Now that they’re older, the children get a say in travel plans. “We ask them where they want to go and what do you want to do?” Jessica shares.

Recalling a trip, she adds: “We had the opportunity to go to Antarctica, and we didn’t want to send them unwillingly. We asked them and they said, ‘Yeah, I’m never going to have this opportunity potentially again.’ We all understood what a beautiful blessing that was.”

Garrett’s Filipino heritage remains a strong influence. “Wherever we travel, whenever they find out we’re Filipino… they just get so excited,” Jessica says. “The warmth and welcome associated with Filipinos is probably more than any country.”

Passing on Filipino values is a priority. Garrett highlights “optimism and gratitude” while Jessica reflects, “Garrett’s mom is the most welcoming, hospitable, lovely human—you can see where that comes from.” 

Despite their global lifestyle, they are intentional about preserving heritage.

“When my mom [migrated] to the U.S., they had this mentality of, ‘We’re American now. We’re not Filipino.’ That to me was heartbreaking… so we’re trying to bring it back into the family and [honor] our Filipino heritage.”

Jessica smiles: “We all come together, Grandma Mel’s making lumpia for everybody—and the kids even get in on the lumpia rolling fun.”

Syncing to the rhythm of family life

Despite the perception of constant adventure, the Gee family clarifies: their life is not a vacation. “If you saw us at home, you’d be like, ‘oh, they don’t leave their house,’” Jessica says, laughing.

Their daily rhythm is grounded. “Kids are in school all day and then we run to soccer practice and dance practice.” And when on the road, routine holds. Garrett adds: “Vacation mode would be like… go, go, go. Whereas because this is our lifestyle, it would be like, okay, we’re going to wake up, have breakfast, go to the gym, do one activity and then come back and do schoolwork.”

That mindset extends to travel itself, not as a checklist, but as something intentional. Their content creation also reflects this philosophy. “It’s always just been like capturing our real family memories and experiences together,” Garrett says.

There are no production teams—just Garrett behind the camera, being a dad first before filming. Those moments, he says, are priceless. “If the house was burning down, I would go and get my hard drives that we have all our videos on, because we’re just going to treasure them forever.”

Still, living this way comes with boundaries, especially in a digital-first world. “A big part of it is how much we keep our kids off of technology,” Garrett shares. “Our kids won’t have phones or social media until at least 16. They don’t have iPads.” Surprisingly, there’s little resistance. In fact, their children have begun to see the difference themselves. 

But beyond parenting choices, the lifestyle has tested something deeper: their relationship as husband and wife, father and mother. “I think it definitely tested all those things in a good and bad way,” Garrett admits. “Sometimes, it was like a cage match, you have nowhere to go, and you have to deal with each other.”

Those pressures led to important realizations. “One of the early lessons was the difference in how we show gratitude,” he shares. “For me, I’m always wanting more, Jessica is the opposite, she’s very grateful for what she currently has,” and realizing both were not wrong.

Because for all its beauty, this life demands resilience—in parenting, in partnership, and in self.

On the road in 2026

Travel continues to be about discovery and connection this year.

For Garrett, this return to the Philippines is personal. “I’m excited just to meet a lot of people. Spending time with people, even just those quick brief meetings, whether it’s somebody at the grocery store or on the bus or on the jeepney or in restaurants. Wherever! Just getting my kids to meet as many people as possible.”

Looking ahead: The next country that we’ll visit after this is going to be Croatia… and while we’re there, maybe Poland and Slovenia.”

But every trip is anchored in meaning. “There are three stripes [to] our logo, the colors are red, blue, and green—which represents adventure, culture, and service. When we’re visiting a new country, we focus on those three things. We’ll try to have a unique adventure, a cultural experience and a service project.”

Finding home anywhere

For a family that has lived across continents, cultures, and constant change, what anchors them becomes clear.

Home isn’t a fixed address, a routine, or even a house to return to, though they have that now. It’s the consistency of being together, the values that travel with them, and the deliberate choice, again and again, to build a life not around where they are—but around who they are as a family.

And if the traveling ever slows? 

Garrett smiles: “We really love our community in Hawaii. And so if there comes a day that we more fully stop traveling, that’s probably where we’d be and we’d be grateful for it. It might be the number one lesson we’ve learned as a traveling family: the importance of community.”

What he would miss is relatable for any parent. “For me selfishly, I’d miss the experiences which have been really special. And number one would be, again selfishly, the time I get as a father to be with my kids. I feel like I’ve set some sort of record as far as dads getting to spend so much time with their kids. And I’m very grateful for it.”

Wherever they are, on the road or at home, the Gees have proven that home is defined by presence, values, rituals, and family. Their children are learning to cherish connections, honor culture, and embrace life with gratitude—lessons that travel with them, wherever they go.

And in a world obsessed with lists and destinations, The Bucket List Family reminds us that the journey is less about the places we go and more about the people we become along the way, together.

Words JUSTIN CONVENTO
Photography KIM MONTES
Sittings Editor MARGA TUPAZ
Make-up TWINKLE BERNARDO
Hairstyling ANGELI ALFONSO
Styling ROSHNI MIRPURI and SIYA DARYANI of THE CLOSET CULTURE
Shoot Coordination TONI MENDOZA

Special thanks to DANEL CALIXTO of THE DIGITAL CASTING

Shot on location at DISCOVERY PRIMEA

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