At Aracari, we are big believers in the transformative power of travel, especially the kind that spans several months. So, when our friend Mirjam Peternek-McCartney – owner and founder of Lemongrass Marketing – consulted us for advice and guidance as she began planning a family sabbatical to South America, we were eager to help. Imparting our knowledge, contacts, and expertise, along with that of our trusted in-country partners – we have helped Mirjam in building the trip of a lifetime, as she spends from September to March ‘24 in our fascinating region with her family.     A year in the making, this extraordinary journey has just begun as Mirjam, her husband, and her two sons touched down in Cartagena, Colombia. Found on the crystal-clear shores of the Caribbean, Cartagena has long been one of our favorite cities on the continent, and it proved the perfect first chapter in this South American adventure. Now, two weeks in, the Peternek-McCartneys are headed to Peru, where they’ll begin in Lima, connecting with many of our friends in the coastal capital, before continuing to the Sacred Valley, spending six weeks staying at a traditional villa – the ideal base from which to explore wonders like Machu Picchu, Cusco, and the Amazon. After that and into November, the family sabbatical will cross to Bolivia, onto Chile, and into Argentina in the new year. With Aracari’s knowledge helping Mirjam to plot the route of her journey, we’ve very generously been granted access to follow their story, sharing their personal insights and experiences with our readers. Because alongside the inevitable spark of wanderlust, we believe documenting Mirjam’s trip will also reveal the secrets of a sabbatical – becoming a testament to how to transform the dream of a family long family travel  into a reality. From their