MELISSA FOX & JOSH LEHMAN. HUDSON AND BABY #2 EN ROUTE.

The walls of Melissa and Josh’s cozy craftsman, a couple of blocks from Seattle’s Green Lake, are filled with framed photographs from their travels. They were married in Italy, where Melissa was a pottery apprentice, but spent their first year back in Seattle, saving up for their big adventure: a year of travel in South America. Melissa’s career in global development has taken her all over the world, and an appreciation for travel is evident in the way they have organized their family values. Both consultants, Melissa is launching her first startup, otto, a transportation service for children.

 

QC: What does a wonderful lazy Sunday look like for you? FL: Breakfast of waffles/bacon/tea (Josh)/ coffee (Melissa), to the Ballard farmers market for provisions and lunch, then a nap in the afternoon. In cool weather, dinner with a nice bottle of wine at home or, in the summer, to Greenlake for a dip in the lake and a picnic with friends.

QC: Where would you go for dinner with Hudson? For date night? FL: Tutta Bellas with Hudson for wood fired pizza, Mkt. for date night – luckily both walkable!

QC: Tell us about your 1 in 10 travel year goal! FL: Every 10 years we plan to take a year and travel to a different part of the world. We did our first year in S America. It was a great reset of our priorities, and we still draw from the memories made. The goal to do it once every 10 years helps us feel intentional with our life and our family time. The next will be our first with kids, so that will be a whole new adventure!

QC: What are Hudson’s favorite things about Green Lake? FL: Big lawns for soccer, paths for his bike, swimming in the summer, and picnics.

QC: Who has the best coffee within walking distance? FL: Zoka for coffee and Quan Yin for wonderful teas.

QC: Where did you have the best yerba matte of your life (Josh)? FL: Buenos Aires is where I started to drink it but I learned to truly integrate it into my day in Uruguay.

QC: What’s your favorite piece of furniture in your home? FL: The art we have collected from our travels and friends. In particular, the prints above our couch have special meaning from our time in Ecuador, and we are lucky to have our dear friend Kelda Martensen’s work in our home.

QC: You throw dazzling backyard pizza oven parties. What’s the record for number of pizzas made at one party? FL: Probably 30

QC: You’ve made a tradition of attending the underground Doe Bay Music Fest each summer on beautiful and remote Orcas Island. What makes Doe Bay a success for the family? FL: Festival-loving friends and a full cooler

QC: What’s the best thing about living in your neighborhood? FL: The urban forest and trails in lower woodlawn park, the lake, restaurants, breweries, shops and the zoo.

QC: Baby boy #2 will be here soon. What’s the first long-haul flight for him? FL: We would love to visit our au pair and her family in Colombia, or return to W. Europe. We were married in Italy and would love to revisit.

QC: When traveling as a family, what’s the thing you wish you could bring but simply cannot? FL: Our mattress, Hudson’s bike, and our smoothie maker.