Adventure means something different to everyone. For some, it’s a plane ticket, a packed itinerary, and a countdown to vacation. But others take a page out of Airstream Founder Wally Byam’s visionary philosophy, where adventure was never a trip on the calendar. It was a way of moving through the world. For Wally, adventure was just taking a vacation now and again. It was a mindset where curiosity infused daily adventures both big and small.
Nearly a century later, that same philosophy is alive in Airstreamers across the country. From the Atlantic to the Pacific, it inspires Airstreamers to get out and make adventure a daily occurrence. And it lives and breathes in the canyons of Southern California, where Damien “Dooma” Fahrenfort, his wife Kristin, and their two young daughters are redefining what it means to explore with your family. For them, adventure isn’t reserved for holidays or long weekends. It’s woven into school pickups, Tuesday afternoons, and the winding roads that lead from their home to the Pacific.
Adventure, Five Miles at a Time
With an Airstream Interstate 19GT, the Fahrenforts don’t need to cross continents to feel the thrill of discovery. Sometimes, all it takes is a short drive down the canyon to where Malibu’s waves meet the sand. Their daughters run into the cold surf, squealing as the water wraps around their ankles. Other days, the adventure is simply the drive home with the windows down and the ocean breeze in their hair. It’s these kinds of small, unplanned moments that become family memories and build a love for adventure into the minds of their children. And the features in the Interstate 19GT help make it all possible – from the wide sleeping space and the onboard bathroom for the numerous potty breaks that travel with kids demands, to the tall ceiling (great if you're 6'4" like Damien) and the powerful standard Advanced Power System that lets them travel with the comforts of home.
“For us, the Airstream isn’t just transportation,” Kristin says. “It’s how we help our kids see that the world is still full of things to be curious about. From faraway to everyday, that sense of discovery is what keeps us moving.”
A Life Shaped by Travel
Dooma’s love for exploration started early.
“I was 13 the first time I left South Africa,” he recalls. After winning a surf trip to Indonesia from a local shop, he spent six weeks traveling with the shop owner’s teenage son and friends. It set the course for a life built around surfing, travel, and chasing the next horizon.
“That trip for me changed everything,” he remembers. “I decided I wanted to surf and travel for the rest of my life.” 
Now, as a father, he’s determined to pass that same spirit on to his daughters.“For me, traveling with my girls is so important because I want them to know that there’s so much more beyond where we live,” he says. “My hope is that they have the same love for traveling and exploring that I do.”
Finding Wonder in the Everyday
Traveling across the world with a four- and two-year-old isn’t always realistic. There’s the jet lag, the cost, the time away from work. But the Fahrenforts have discovered something powerful: adventure doesn’t have to be far away to be meaningful. While the rigors of traveling (even a short distance) with small children still present challenges, having the Interstate 19GT along for the ride means everything runs smoothly so they can focus on the joy of family travel. Sandy feet and bathing suits are easily conquered by the outdoor shower. Hungry bellies are filled by the snacks in the fridge and meals whipped up at the spacious galley. And everyone travels in luxurious comfort and the safety afforded by the numerous safety features that come standard in the Mercedes-Benz® Sprinter van. 
“So often they’ll come back from Malibu and say that was the best day ever,” Dooma says. “We realized we don’t have to travel 24 hours to South Africa to have an adventure. We can do it in our own backyard.”
With the Airstream Interstate 19GT, that backyard feels limitless. There’s room for surfboards, sandy towels, and all the gear a young family needs, whether the plan is a quick afternoon escape or a week-long wander. There’s an on-board refrigerator and freezer for keeping healthy snacks and mealtime ingredients. And there’s an onboard wet bath for cleaning up or using the bathroom. With an Airstream, every stop can be a rest stop and you’ve got everything you need no matter the destination.
Redefining What Matters
Dooma spent years chasing massive waves around the world. Now, he finds just as much joy in the small ones.
“I never thought I would love tiny waves so much,” he laughs. “But being able to go on any given Tuesday to Malibu and surf two-foot waves with my girls and get just as much pleasure watching them as I did surfing 10- or 15-foot waves, it’s incredible.” 
The Interstate 19GT is more than a recreational vehicle. It’s a bridge between the life they’ve lived and the life they want to give their daughters. It's a way to bring the comforts of home along for the ride, whether they’re five miles or 500 miles away. And it makes it easy to inspire their girls to chase the joy they found earlier in life.
The Road Ahead
Some of the family’s favorite moments happen at the end of the day while driving home under a darkening sky with two sleepy girls tucked away in the backseat. Those quiet rides are reminders that adventure doesn’t always look like a postcard. Sometimes it looks like a Tuesday night, sandy feet, and the soft hum of the road.“The hope for anyone’s kid is that they get to do more than we did,” Dooma says.
And with every small journey, every wave, every winding drive, the Fahrenforts are giving their daughters exactly that: a life where curiosity leads, and adventure is always just around the corner.
Want to make adventure an everyday occurrence? Download an Interstate 19GT brochure and discover more of the features and amenities that make it the perfect vehicle for making your travel dreams come true.
