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***This blog was written in the summer of 2017 just after returning from travelling for a roughly a year. This post accurately expresses our ambitions during that time. It’s fun to look back and see where we were at then. Since then, we have been working hard to launch what has become Kinship Landing, a friendly boutique hotel in downtown Colorado Springs, founded by Bobby and Brooke Mikulas and Nate Grimm. Three are long time friends, adventure buddies, and now business partners. Learn more at www.kinshiplanding.com.
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An update will be posted soon, so bear in mind dates,
We traveled to 17 countries over the course of 10 months. We observed generosity and hospitality on whole new levels. And we dreamt big for how we could contribute to our own community in Colorado Springs, Colorado, upon our return!
So, what are we up to now? We're renovating a building in downtown Colorado Springs that will be the coolest place to sleep and the easiest way to find friendship and adventure. It's where travelers and locals collide around outdoor recreation and city exploration.
When you walk into Kinship Landing, you're met with outrageous hospitality, uniquely inspiring accommodation options, food and drink that express the local culture, and generous resource sharing that helps you to sink your teeth into all that Colorado Springs has to offer.
Travel trends are shifting.
Travelers want a local experience.
Locals want a place to connect and learn.
Here's a mood board for hypothetical vibes:
When we were in Thailand, we saw a big difference in the way folks travel. For the most part, tourism was oriented around how to get the most out of your time rather than how to contribute to a new and unique culture. We saw the negative impact of tourism in so many ways -- from ruined ecosystems to forgotten cultures. The truth is, we were contributing to these atrocities as much as anyone else! At one point we had the thought: "Oh no! What if us sharing our journey actually encourages others to travel here?" It was then we committed to helping resource travelers with the knowledge and tools they needed to interact with local cultures in a way that was both wild and fun, but also respectful of the local environments, people, and culture. We learned that when we travelled a little more consciously, we could actually contribute to the thriving of communities rather than the overconsumption of what it has to offer. To see cultures thrive and not be overcome by the demands of tourism, while also catering to them, would be our dream come true. Every place has its own cultural nuances and beauty, and they must be learned, shared, and cared for.
In other parts of the world, we saw values expressed in ways that just blew our mind. Like the communal mindset of folks in Iceland who let their sheep roam the entire island fence-free. Or when we arrived to "The Common Room Project" in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and we immediately felt trusted. We were given a tour of the clean, modern, yet somehow homey hostel. We'll never forget him showing us the stocked beer fridge and liquor cabinet and hearing 'we'll just even up when you leave.' With in-depth resources, maps, lockers, kitchen, communal dinners and constant family -- were equipped and empowered in ways the thirsty and hungry traveler could only dream of. We can believe the best in people and come to grips with the few that burn us. A world of trust and love is possible!
We grew up in Monument, CO but honestly, we left as soon as we could. We found what we were looking for in Boulder, CO with a rich culture and vibrant outdoor adventure scene. After hesitantly returning to Colorado Springs (30 minutes south of our hometown) when we got married in 2010, we slowly but surely started to find the hidden gems of our town. We were surprised to find thriving art, music, culture and outdoor recreation scenes. Once we found it, we naturally tried to hoard it and adopted slogans like, "Don't tell anyone!" and "Keep Colorado Springs lame!". But we quickly realized the people are coming whether we like it or not (15 million tourists just last year, what!?). We can be generous with our community and help people to interact with our city in a way that not only enjoys it, but contributes to its future thriving.
Something happened to us as we traveled. We started to adopt a "let's just go for it" type of mentality. We began to embrace lived values of hospitality, generosity, courage, and trust. This big project of ours is bold, but it's not unrealistic. We've spent 4 months researching, planning, and building a killer team. Thank you to the many of you who have encouraged us in this journey. It's a dream we're thrilled about, but it takes a village to pull off. We are excited about its probable location (more on that coming soon!), we truly believe our city will love this and that it will be a gift to locals and travelers alike.
KINSHIP LANDING will be launching Soon!
In the meantime, we'll be learning and planning, fundraising and shmoozing, smiling and crying, networking and collaborating, researching and designing, renovating and sourcing, and being completely overwhelmed with anticipation at what's to come. It's a challenge and absolute adventure!
Note: None of the photos shown are our location. They're sources of inspiration!