Life & Color: Meet Collette

An interview with MH Editor, Callan

MEET COLLETTE – Collette (@roamaroo) is about to welcome her first baby with her husband, Scott. After plenty of whirlwind trips around the world, she’s excited to chat about this next big adventure.

You’re known as the “Travel Couple”, so what made you decide to call Mountain Lakes, New Jersey home for you and your growing family?
I grew up in Mountain Lakes and my family still lives here today. My husband, Scott, and I had lived in Southern California for over a decade, but we always knew that we wanted to be close to family when we decided to start our own.

Do you plan on traveling with your baby?
We absolutely plan on traveling with our baby. With travel, we’ve made friends from around the world, learned about different religions from the sources themselves, tasted incredible (and some gag-worthy) foods, and most of all – learned that there is not one way to live, to worship, or to love. Travel itself offers an unparalleled education and we can’t wait for our baby to learn from the world.

What’s the first destination you want to take them to?
We would love to take the baby back to California, where we spent over a decade building a life together.

How would you describe the “local color” of Mountain Lakes?
Mountain Lakes, NJ offers the best of both worlds. It’s a small town with an incredible sense of community, yet it’s only 25 miles outside of one of the most dynamic cities in the world: New York City. Mountain Lakes has an unrivaled school spirit, and it places a great emphasis on academic excellence.

Can you tell us about the locations you are shooting in?
I chose three locations to shoot in: Jersey City, Washington Square Park, and Little Italy.

Jersey City has an incredible view of the skyline of Manhattan, which has always represented a land of opportunity and creativity. Washington Square Park is an iconic park in Lower Manhattan by NYU, where my mother got her master’s degree in theatre. Little Italy has always been a place that is near and dear to my heart because I am an Italian American who grew up visiting Little Italy with my family.

What are you inspired by?
I’m inspired by people who choose to carve their own path in life away from the status quo; the wanderers, the dreamers, the creatives, the ones that truly define what it means to be alive.

What is your favorite color?
I love the color red because it is bold and makes no apologies.

What are your favorite colors to wear?
I love wearing bright colors like red, green, and blue. The brightness and boldness are an expression of my core self.

What styles from Motherhood Maternity are you loving right now?
I am absolutely loving the dresses that Motherhood Maternity has, which are perfect for the holidays. I can easily dress them up with a sparkly necklace, a scarf, or a cozy sweater.

What are you most grateful for in this moment?
I am grateful for a roof over my head, a husband I adore, and a healthy baby on the way.

Tell us about your family.
Scott and I are both one of three children in our families. Scott grew up in Indiana and I grew up here in Mountain Lakes. Family has always been a priority for us and we’re so grateful that we are now starting our own family.

What is the BEST thing about pregnancy right now?
The best thing about pregnancy is the intimacy and closeness it has fostered with my husband. We’ve always been best friends, lovers, and life partners, but creating life together has brought our intimacy to a whole new level.

What is the MOST CHALLENGING thing about pregnancy right now?
As we head into the third trimester, it’s challenging to not feel overwhelmed with all that is ahead of us. We’re trying our best to prepare as much as we can, but there is an endless list of things to get done. We try to think about the big picture, center ourselves, and not get too anxious about the things we can’t control, which is easier said than done.

Can you share your feeding plan?
I am planning on breastfeeding.

Tell us about Roamaroo: How’d you get started?
We listened to a podcast by Rolf Potts & Tim Ferriss about the art of vagabonding. One quote that really impacted us was, “The stoplights in life are never all green.” To us, this meant there’s never a ‘good’ time to take a risk: start a business, take that much anticipated trip, or even start a family. We asked ourselves…. what stories do we want to share with our kids and grandkids when we’re old and gray? 20 years from now, 30 years from now, what type of life do we want to look back on? We always loved travel and storytelling, so why not go out and experience life while we’re young and able?

In June 2015, we quit our corporate jobs, sold our cars, rented out our home in Los Angeles, and boarded a one-way flight to Rio de Janeiro. What was supposed to be a grown-up gap year turned into a once-in-a-lifetime adventure and dream career.

Finally, what does the future look like with your growing family?
We look forward to our greatest adventure yet: parenthood. We are excited to teach our daughter about the world, share experiences, and stay curious. We’ll continue to work, to travel, to create, and to inspire. Most of all, we’re looking forward to learning from our daughter because we have a feeling that there is so much to learn from this little girl.

Follow Collette on Instagram! @roamaroo
And keep following the Motherhood Road Trip to hear more about Collette & New York!