Who are the 2 Idiots?

Our Stats

4

Age of Our Child

44

Countries Traveled As A Family

4

Cruises Taken As A Family

79

Flights Taken As A Family

115

Unique Destinations Traveled As A Family

The world can be your oyster—even if you have kids!  And we should know because we have firsthand knowledge of traveling it, all while keeping our toddler close at hand.  We are so happy that you have taken the time to visit our blog—so let us take a moment to introduce ourselves to you.

We are AJ Ratani and Natasha Sandhir—and our son, Aarav.  Beginning in the summer of 2017, we embarked upon a journey together—a big one that spanned 31 countries, comprised of 39 flights, 3 cruises, and almost a 100 destinations. But we are getting ahead of ourselves—let us tell you how this all got started!

AJ’s story

Burano, Italy (2017)

After spending several years climbing the corporate ladder, I made the decision to leave my high-profile position at a fast-growing company, to embark upon a new road in my career. First though, I wanted to take a sabbatical, to clear my head and spend some time with Natasha and Aarav.  A passionate traveler my entire life, I had been entertaining the thought for a few years of taking an extended trip around the world, and after consulting extensively with Natasha, the two of us decided to make this fantasy a reality.

Natasha’s Story

Cruising through Kotor, Montenegro (2017)

Of course, at first, I admit that I didn’t think AJ was serious about this venture, and I was even less sure that we could actually make it work.  Let me just say that I am a “reluctant world traveler”; I wasn’t against the idea of exploring the globe, but if I am being honest I simply appreciate and need structure and organization in my life. Quite frankly, I couldn’t picture what spending months and months globetrotting would look like—and what it would mean for my family.

The rest is history …

However, together, we figured it out. We planned, we strategized, and we worked together until we came to the realization that it is possible to engage in both long-term (as well as short-term) travel with a child in tow! We are proof that you can pursue your dreams of world travel!

And once we had a plan, well, then we told our family and friends about what we were going to do.

Their response? “What are you guys, idiots?”

Why, yes, we answered. Maybe we are just that—2 idiots. And a baby. (We even hashtagged our entire trip this way! #2idiots1baby)

What followed was an eight-and-a-half-month adventure—something we are incredibly grateful for and feel very lucky and privileged to have done.  We visited six continents, stayed at hotels and utilized Airbnb, took almost 40 flights, took 3 cruises…the list goes on.  And through it all, we learned a lot about ourselves, our relationship with each other and with our son, and we acquired some valuable knowledge and skills about not only how to travel, but how to do it with a young child—and that is what we hope to impart to you as you peruse our blog.

It is our mission to inspire you and to excite you as you consider your own trips.  We hope that as you read and learn about our travels that your own sense of wanderlust grows—and that in turn, you realize that you can journey throughout the world realizing your nomadic dreams, while also keeping your loved ones close by, truly seeing the world, together.

#travel2gether