Hi, I’m Eva — welcome to Breeze Stories.
I started Breeze Stories as a place to share the journeys my family and I actually take — the beautiful moments, the practical lessons and the things that do not always go to plan. What began with my own travel notes has since become something even more special: my friend has joined me, and some of the stories you will read here will be hers.
Although we have never travelled together, we both love cruising and have children of similar ages. Some of our experiences are remarkably alike, while others could not be more different. I love the idea of bringing those perspectives together while letting each of us tell her own story.
A little about me
I’m not a journalist, a travel agent or someone who spends every week on the road. I’m a woman who works, looks after her family and loves to travel when holidays come around. That is the person behind the stories I write here.
For more than ten years I worked in leadership roles in business, then built businesses of my own. Part of that time was in tourism, so I know the industry well. But working in travel took some of the romance out of it: my clients were the ones going away, while my own trips were usually work trips. Today I work in business consulting, teach economics and create educational tools that help young people understand money.
Travel stayed with me. I’m glad I managed to keep the feeling that a journey can be a break, a discovery and a joy, rather than another task on my calendar. I enjoy planning our family trips almost as much as taking them. And when everyone comes home happy, it feels like a little award.
Why I started writing
We have always taken our holidays together as a family. Work sometimes sends one of us away, of course, but when it is a holiday, we go together. Our daughter is 18 now, and we are still planning the next trips together.
As the children grew, we collected more stories than I could keep in my head: places we loved, plans that worked, plans that did not and the unexpected moments we still talk about. It seemed a pity to keep them all to ourselves. That is how Breeze Stories began — partly as a place to remember our journeys, and partly in the hope that someone reading will feel brave enough to make their own.
I especially want to show that travelling with children does not mean forgetting what you want from a holiday. The children need fun, but the adults can still want to explore, rest, eat well or simply feel somewhere new. Finding a way to fit those wishes together is a big part of our story.
How we found the sea
We began with all-inclusive holidays in Turkey, Greece and Egypt. Living in Lithuania has many good sides, but the cold months are not my favourite. A flight to somewhere warm, with everything taken care of, was very tempting with young children. For a while, it was exactly what we needed.
Then the holidays began to feel familiar: a different hotel, but the same pools, entertainment and routines. The children were happy, yet I missed the feeling of discovering a place. We also started noticing more compromises, and even an attractive price no longer made the week feel worthwhile.
So we tried other ways to travel. For several years we went by campervan and camped, and I still have many good things to say about that chapter. Later we mixed flights with short city trips: a few days in Paris or London, some places we had long wanted to see and something chosen especially for the children — a theme park, a zoo or a day at the beach. Once they were a little older, they could happily walk farther with us, and those trips opened up new possibilities.
A friend from my tourism days kept telling me to try a cruise. I was sceptical. Weren’t cruises for older people? Would the ship sway? What would we do all day? And surely it would cost a fortune. Then a good offer came along, and we took a chance on our first MSC cruise. That was five years ago. We have tried to return to a ship every year since, because there is a feeling we find there that we want to experience again.
Cruises are not the only way we travel. My daughter loves K-pop, and we have taken trips around concerts by BTS, Stray Kids, NCT and ATEEZ when the men in the family preferred to stay home. My son is more drawn to themed museums and amusement parks, so we make room for those too. I love seeing how travel changes the children: fears shrink, curiosity grows and the world becomes a place they feel they belong in.
What matters to me
In my stories, you will see plenty of places, views and photographs of me, but fewer family portraits. My family prefers to keep more of their life off camera, and I respect that. My daughter has agreed to share some of her own impressions of cruising as a teenager. I am looking forward to letting her tell that part in her own voice.
I will write about cruises, but also about the other ways we travel, what delighted us, what disappointed us and what I would do differently. As an economics teacher, I also care about the choices behind a trip. Sometimes a thoughtful decision can give us two or three journeys instead of one expensive holiday. That means more time together and more memories, without pretending that comfort or a little luxury never matter.
I believe we can make room for all of it: the children’s interests and our own, new experiences and rest, a sensible budget and the comforts that feel worth paying for. I am still figuring out that balance on every trip. I hope you will enjoy coming along.
Meet the friend bringing another perspective
One of the loveliest developments since I started Breeze Stories has been inviting a friend to share her own journeys here. She has plenty of cruise stories to tell, both from holidays with her family and from trips she takes on her own. Her children are around the same age as mine, so we have a lot to compare, but her solo travels bring a perspective I cannot offer from my own family holidays.
She has explored more than MSC ships. She will bring her own photographs, impressions and practical tips to this journal. When a story is hers, you will know it. I want her voice to feel just as personal and honest as mine.
What you will find here
I will continue sharing my family’s travels, especially our cruises, along with the places we visit, the things that surprise us, the occasional disappointment and the choices that feel worth the money. Alongside my stories, you will find my friend’s experiences too. We may agree on some things and see others differently — and that is exactly what makes sharing both perspectives interesting.
My daughter will also share some of her own impressions of cruising as a teenager. I am curious to hear her perspective, because what makes a wonderful holiday for a teenager is not always what the adults would choose.
Breeze Stories may now have two storytellers, but my hope for it has not changed: to share real journeys in our own words and help you discover the kind of travel that feels right for you. I am glad you are here.
