Keegan-Michael Key is quite a lot of issues—an Emmy-winning chameleon of comedy, a theatre geek turned popular culture mainstay, and now, a self-proclaimed “Trip Maximization-er.” However in case you ask him who he actually is? He’s Uncle Keegan, the snack-stashing, ride-riding household MVP who nonetheless will get giddy about street journeys and breakfast waffles.
Considered one of his most cherished journey recollections doesn’t contain crimson carpets or ritzy premieres. It’s a theme park run together with his spouse Elle and two nephews—one 9, the opposite 16—the place laughter dominated the day and “exhausting jokes” (the type solely a pointy 9-year-old may conjure) flew sooner than the curler coasters. “I may inform how a lot they appreciated the trouble we adults put in,” Key stated. “It jogged my memory how priceless time collectively actually is.”
For Key, these shared adventures—whether or not it’s screaming down a coaster or determining lunch with a giant group—aren’t simply memory-makers. They’re life classes in disguise. “You’re not simply navigating a park,” he defined. “You’re navigating totally different personalities and snack schedules. And someplace in that chaos, actual bonding occurs.”
When he’s not being the household enjoyable captain, Key’s internal historian takes the wheel. He and Elle curate journeys like they’re constructing a museum exhibit—soaked in tradition, rooted prior to now. “The humanities district in New Orleans? That’s our vibe. Staying someplace just like the Cambria Lodge within the Warehouse District lets us stroll proper into historical past,” he stated.
However his very first brush with world tradition got here post-high faculty, when his stepmom despatched him to the U.Okay. “Theatre, meals, soccer—the whole lot opened up for me. It confirmed me how massive the world is, and the way small I used to be inside it. However not in a foul manner. In a humbling, magical manner.”
In fact, among the most sacred journey recollections didn’t require passports—only a full tank and a few good tunes. Driving cross-country from Detroit to Salt Lake Metropolis together with his dad, Key noticed the mountains of Wyoming crest over the horizon for the primary time. “That’s why the Alternative Accommodations partnership made sense to me. They’ve acquired motels proper off the freeway exits—good for making new household recollections.”
So, what’s Uncle Keegan’s tip for benefiting from your day off? “Don’t watch for good situations. Plan what you may, unplug and go. Even in case you’re simply exploring your individual metropolis, make it rely.” And in case you need assistance asking your boss for day off? Keegan’s acquired you coated with a Time Off Toolbox the place he’ll ask for you, with jokes, in fact.
As a result of whether or not he’s on set or off the grid, Keegan-Michael Secret’s reminding us all that the perfect adventures aren’t nearly the place you go. They’re about who you go together with—and what snack you packed.