Chatting with Sara Brown, I find out some of the reasons why This Way Out isn’t just a tagline. It’s a philosophy that can mean packing up for a two-month road trip through the Pacific Northwest, or simply biking down to the beach near their home for the afternoon. Big or small, these moments outdoors are how her family connects, grows, and discovers what really matters.
Mornings in the Wild
For families that didn’t grow up with extended periods of time spent outdoors, the morning routine will probably look very different. But the Amaros’ have things dialed in.
“Morning is my most favourite time of the day. Fonzie my husband, our two young girls Maya and Ellie, plus the dog are all tucked in bed together. It’s when the girls are at their calmest and all cuddly."
Soon after, a small door is pinned back and light fills their small space. It’s intimate. It’s a nest. Their old dog Piper waits patiently by the door as the girls pull on little boots, excited for another day of exploring and excited chatter breaks the ambient sounds of nature. For Sara and Fonzi, this scene has become the rhythm of family life: waking up somewhere new and the outdoors waiting just beyond the camper door.
From Ships to Shore
Living outdoors is a lifestyle that fits Sara perfectly. By day, she’s part of Dometic’s U.S. marketing team, but beyond the office she lives the brand she helps share with the world. Camping, road trips, and nights under the stars aren’t just campaigns to her, it’s her reality. Together with her family, Sara has built a life that blurs the line between home and the open road, where nature is the living room and adventure is something sought after by everyone.
Sara and Fonzie met while working in the cruise ship industry. Their travelling relationship saw the Portuguese and American need to make a decision once their time at sea came to an end.
“I felt I hit my exhaustion on ships and the thrill kind of went away… I wasn’t ready to go to Europe, just because the economy wasn’t that great at that point (2013). And I had already been away from my family for so long. Growing up as a kid in the Midwest with surfer magazines and pictures on my wall, the beach was where I wanted to be. I knew Fonzi wouldn’t survive Chicago winter, so I mentioned San Diego and his only question for moving there was, ‘can I surf?’.”
Life back on land didn’t see any adventure stop, it just reshaped them. Sara and Fonzie bought their first van, a simple rig bought from a couple moving back to Australia. There was little more than a mattress and manual operated sink, but it enabled them to continue living that stripped back lifestyle.
Living This Way Out
Fast forward to 2025 and the couple have two little girls, 2 and 5. They are happily home based just minutes from the ocean in San Diego, but the ability to hit the road at a moment's notice is what keeps those roots from going rotten. They sold the van some years ago and bought a truck camper, that gives them just enough space to continue the journey with the whole family included.
“The tagline This Way Out keeps things broad. It allows you to define what your ‘out’ is. Although we’d love to be full time on the road, we aren’t. For us, we’re biking distance to the beach. For me, little moments like this are as great as taking a month and a half road trip through Washington… they are our way out.”
Sara Brown
For Sara, that mindset is key and one many young families could benefit from. Not every vacation needs to look like a trip to Disney Land, nor does every day require a meticulously planned itinerary. The spirit of adventure can be found in much smaller delights like the colours of fall leaves falling in the garden, or drawing shapes in morning dew that’s clinging to the camper window.
And, as Sara confidently admits, parenting realities don’t differ whether you are spending your day around the house or around camp. Which is exactly what makes their truck camper such a necessary thing to own. It’s a way to embrace adventure without losing the comforts (and chaos) of family life.
Life on the Road
Sara does share some easy to implement packing tips for anyone thinking of travelling with their children.
A simple but effective strategy was allocating a Dometic hard storage bin for the children’s toys. No restrictions on what could be packed, but anything that was to be taken on the road had to fit inside. Both Maya and Ellie filled one of the large bins with crayons, Bluey figures and princess crowns. Some people might call this limiting, but the foresight here is on having something from home, to then go looking for the rest in nature.
“One night we were camping and we made a princess night dinner for the kids. Sometimes those extra efforts where, yes, it feels very Instagram-y, but actually it’s just about keeping that thrill and excitement alive for the kids. Sometimes we’ll do a movie night with a projector outside. Is it over the top? Yes. But does it keep them happy and keep us happy at the same time? Yeah.”
Life on the road can mean something very different depending on who you ask. For some, the luxury of a fully kitted out RV or towable is the answer to getting out there. While people like Sara would argue the need for satellite TV when parked in the woods.
“It’s tight, which is what led us to the slide-out camper top and that made a huge difference. But we don’t want to tow anything. When you go into some of the big RVs you think, wow, that’s so nice, so much space. But we still want to be rugged and mobile.”
Space is one thing, but there are some essentials to equip a camper with that Sara does agree with. Just this summer, the family have had a new Dometic solar power array installed, and upgraded their battery to lithium. This upgrade greatly extends the amount of time essential things like the fridge and lights can be run. Considering Sara and Fonzi prefer to get lost in forests of redwood far off the beaten path, there is no grid connectivity and that’s welcomed.
Raising Kids Outdoors
Some families gorge on digital content, no matter if they are at home or on vacation. Sara embraces it where it feels appropriate. Long hours on the road get the children a free pass to enjoy some of their favourite shows and learning apps, as they appreciate that once they arrive at the destination, the power is turned off.
Nature becomes their living room and both Maya and Ellie know how to embrace it. Fonzi is fast to pump up the Dometic Hub, while Sara looks for things to construct an outdoor kitchen. They bike, hike and cook together. Although the new space is strewn together in minutes, it becomes a home from home immediately.
The common goal of any parent is to empower their children with things that will be carried onto later in life. Sara sees that already having her girls out in nature is boosting their confidence as well as their imagination.
“On a hike in Oregon, we were on the lookout for bighorn sheep. Maya was so cute, asking anyone that passed if they had seen the sheep. “Did you see a big one?” We got her a patch at the souvenir shop of a bighorn, and now it sparks that memory for her every time she looks at it.”
The Amaro family measure life not by miles travelled, but moments made outdoors. Sara’s This Way Out is about morning cuddles and biking to the beach to dip toes in the ocean close to home. Every adventure feels big when you are young, like Maya and Ellie. But perhaps it is those smaller moments, combined, that make it feel like the adventure never stops.
Follow The Amaro Family: @theamaroadventure
