My sister, My sidekick: Triplets Kylie, Lisa, and Megan

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I’ve always been facinated by the relationship of sisters, that’s why I started this series. But sisters who are also identical triplets?! Hello!! I’m so excited to feature Kylie, Lisa, and Megan of the Traveling Triplets. These sisters grew up in Caldwell, Idaho and have been traveling and having adventures since they were little. Now that they are all grown up and live in different places they stay connected through the bond they share, their common love for the outdoors and their travel blog. On their blog they share great tips for traveling, camping, road trips and more (like how to go to the bathroom in the woods. ha!). These girls have so much personality and the best sisterhood bond that I can’t wait to share with you today!
Produced by Ashley Aikele. Photography by Kylie’s husband Spencer Turley.
Keep reading for the rest of the interview…

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Meet Kylie. She’s a photographer and videographer and an all around adventurer. Kylie has repelled waterfalls in the jungles of Ecuador, explored Machu Picchu’s ruins, and backpacked through the rice patty fields of Vietnam and biked dusty roads of Cambodia. She’s ridden elephants in Thailand, lived in China and Hawaii, surfed the warm waves of Costa Rica, swam with sting rays in Nicaragua, and volunteered as a humanitarian filmmaker in Haiti and Guatemala. Kylie graduated BYU-Hawaii in International Cultures and Communications with a certification in Intercultural Peacebuilding. Kylie now lives in Los Angeles with her husband Spencer and their pet chameleon, Gary. She loves to travel and consume large amounts of Dominos pizza and ice-cream.
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Here’s Lisa. She’s a full time nanny and jewelry designer living in Encinitas, CA with her husband Chase. She graduated from BYU-Hawaii in Exercise Sports Science and loves living a active and healthy lifestyle. To Lisa, the beach life is the best life and she spends most of her time playing in the sun and going on weekend adventures. She is obsessed with collecting shells and sea glass and making pretty things. You can catch her eating chocolate chip banana bread like it’s going out of style.
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And last but not least, Megan, the youngest triplet by two minutes! Megan and her husband, Drew, live in Boise, Idaho where they adventure in their life long dream chaser, their VW van. Megan stays at home with her little boy, Van, who just turned two this week and is also expecting a baby girl this spring! They have a cocker spaniel named Jimmy who is a loyal friend. Megan loves to travel, create fun things, crochet, fish, camp, mountain bike, ski, be outdoors, and spend time with my family. Megan graduated from BYU-Idaho with a psychology degree but ended up starting an online business called Feral Watches, where she designs women’s wrap watches that double as bracelets.
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Megan, what kinds of things did you like to do together growing up? Did you always play together?
When we were really little we loved to color and play dress up. When we were in elementary school we had separate friends and did different things. It wasn’t until we were in middle school and on that we joined forces again, but we always enjoyed playing sports together, camping, and skiing.
Lisa, what kinds of things do you like to do together now?
We love to go on outdoor adventures together whether its skiing, hiking, camping, the beach or exploring our city. It is tricky to actually travel abroad together and we have yet to enjoy that opportunity since we all live in different cities/states with crazy schedules. Although we are always able to squeeze in time for short visits. When we are all three together there is always some kind of argument and tears, quickly followed by making up in the form of baking a dessert at midnight and painting nails while watching a chick flick. We really like to eat and not sleep when we are together, it’s just how we roll.

What is one way you are completely different than your sisters and one way you are the same?

Kylie: I really love to write. They always seem so surprised at my ability to put thoughts into words in an artistic way. It’s not something I really have to try hard to do, and that’s nice for me because a lot of things don’t exactly come naturally! We are the same in the way we talk – always a million miles a minute, always want to be heard, always want to share every detail of our lives. We are crazy connected and never want it to change!
Lisa: I love shells. Especially Hawaiian shells. I know this sounds crazy nerdy but I do and I am not ashamed of it. And that not only applies to shells but to sea glass, coral, crystals and rocks (hah). As a jewelry designer it just makes sense to me and I look at things from the earth in a new and fresh light full of beauty that I just wanna wear around my neck. My sisters make fun of me for it but then again Ky is obsessed with pinecones so I guess I’m not as weird as they say ;). When we are together we actually have this discussion a lot, how we are different and how we are the same. We grew up trying so hard to be unique and different because naturally we are. We are entirely different. Conversely, we are entirely the same in our desires hopes and dreams as far as the big picture goes. And lets face it, if one of us buys a new swimsuit and the words get out, you better believe we all go and buy it. We can be good copy cats.
Megan: I think what makes me the most different is I am the least extreme personality wise. My temperament sort of floats in the middle so I feel like I relate to them in their ups and downs, and in the end even though we handle situations totally differently we all feel similarly deep down.
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Kylie, what is one of your favorite childhood memories together?

We spent every Saturday cleaning our room and hamster cage to be spotless. It was very serious business, with country music blaring and the door shut. But it didn’t stop there – we made sure to create a “land” that changed on a weekly basis, from “farm land” to “ocean land” and even the infamous “Ty beanie baby land,” decorating our room with colored paper and drawings taped to the wall and floors. We even went so far as to once hang our collection of Happy Meal mini-Ty beanie babies all over the ceiling. My mom has a picture of us with our hands under our chins and ankles crossed on the top bunk beaming with pride. There was always a sign on the door that fit whatever theme it was that week, “Welcome to Farm Land!” … we were pretty intensely creative together.

Megan, what did you fight about growing up? Did you ever have a period where you didn’t get along?
Clothes! Car! Boys! We shared a lot of things growing up so you’d think we’d be better at it, but we’re not. Especially when it comes to food, haha. I didn’t get my license until I was 18 because my sisters didn’t trust me to drive. When we were in high school I felt like I didn’t get along with Lisa as well because I was really into typical teenager things and she wasn’t. When we were in college I grew a lot closer to her while Kylie was away traveling and living in Hawaii. At different points I have felt somewhat closer to different sisters, but over time as we have all changed and developed into individuals away from each other. We have learned and are still learning to adapt and understand the things about us and our new lives that make us different than we were growing up.

Lisa, you all share a passion for travel and exploring. Has it always been that way? What got you interested in travel?

We have always loved the outdoors and had a hunger for adventure our whole lives. We used to dream of what it would be like to go to the beach and play in the ocean and what crepes in France actually tasted like. We have each been so blessed to marry boys who view life the same way and make traveling a reality. The possibilities are ever-growing and we look forward to making it a positive part of our lives forever. Sometimes you can’t overthink it, just book the dang trip!
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Describe Kylie in three words:
industrious, thoughtful, energetic (Lisa)
creative, passionate, inspiring (Megan)
 
Describe Lisa in three words:
loyal, blunt, and sarcastic (Kylie)
loyal, logical, loving (Megan)
 Describe Megan in three words:
sweet, adorably indecisive, chill (Kylie)
sweet and sour depending on the day ;), selfless, creative (Lisa)
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 What’s a quality or skill you admire in Kylie?
Megan: Kylie has a way of bringing light into a room and also a way of capturing those moments in life that we don’t want to forget. She’s loves with her whole heart and doesn’t do anything halfway. Kylie has many talents I admire and also has a knack for being super tidy, which as annoying as it seemed at times growing up I could really use more of in my life now 😉
Lisa: She loves everyone around her and takes the time to really get to know people and show them that she cares about them.  Her love is genuine and she is happy to give heaps of it, whether through a sweet note, delicious baked goods, a much needed chat or a text or phone call. She loves deeply and gives fantastic advice.
 
What’s a quality or skill you admire in Lisa?
Kylie: Lisa is the world’s most loyal friend. You could punch her in the face and stomp all over her heart, and she’d still want to love you. And she would still love you, because that’s just who she is.
Megan: When I think of Lisa I simply think of how loyal she is. When she makes a decision she sticks to it and never looks back. She will stand by your side no matter what! I feel like I’ve always leaned on her for clarity on big life decisions, since I tend to be indecisive and think more with my emotions. She is smart, creative, and especially hard working. Anything Lisa does she excels at and always pushes herself to be better.
 
What’s a quality or skill you admire in Megan?
Kylie: I love that Megan is always looking for the silver lining. When I think of Megan I just think of her smiling face. She’s always so positive and even when things get her down, she finds a way to turn it around and make it a better experience.
Lisa: Megan always looks for the positive before the negative and has a loving and relaxed approach to everything in life. She may not be the first person to step up to a challenge, but she is the one in the background sending her love through service, kind words, a listening ear and lots of compliments with no expectations in return.
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 Who is the ring leader of this trio? Is there a ring leader? Who is the most serious? 
Most goofy?

Kylie: If there is a ring leader I’d have to say it depends on what we’re leading. I think it’d be pretty heavy on either me or Lisa! As far as most serious, it also depends on what we’re dealing with – none of us take life too seriously and I wouldn’t describe any of us in that way… we can all turn it on and off. Goofy is definitely me. Definitely. They like to think I’m pretty nerdy sometimes, haha.

Lisa: Well it’s a battle between Kylie and I. We are incredibly competitive and like to look at ourselves as boss but some things Kylie is better at being bossy and others I am a fantastic boss so I would say we share the reigns and Meg happily obliges. But don’t get me wrong, when Meg wants to be boss the whole world knows it and she busts a Khaleesi and all will submit! She can throw down when she wants to and I adore that about her.

Megan: Kylie is the most goofy. Lisa is the most serious. When we are all three together Lisa and Kylie definitely fight to be the ring leader. Kylie has the best way of getting everyone on the same page and Lisa takes action. You can usually count on me for moral support 😉 If I ever want to stand up as “ring leader” it’s usually not taken very seriously, haha.
 

Kylie, have you ever switched your identities to play a trick on someone?
In high school I met with Lisa in the bathroom and we switched spots – I went to Spanish class and she went to French class. It was one of those things we swore everyone would always know the difference and so we mostly just chickened out because classmates would give us away, and we were incredibly goody-goody-too-shoos when it came to teachers! As we grew older we definitely found opportunities to confuse people, and often times it would happen with a boyfriend when they’d rub the wrong sister’s lower back or the best yet – my brother in law kissed me on the forehead. It was so sweet I could hardly admit I was the wrong person, haha – he was mortified.

Megan, have you ever felt like you didn’t have your own identity as a triplet?
Yesssss! It wasn’t until Kylie got married that I realized this. Then Lisa moved back home while I was still in school and I suddenly felt like I didn’t know who I was without my sisters constantly by my side. Making any sort of decision on my own seemed daunting after 20 years of doing everything in a small group of 3. It was a real awakening for me and gave me the opportunity to look inside myself and figure out how to be confident on my own. 

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Lisa, you have different hair colors now, but how did people tell you apart when you were younger?

We were color coded as babies. Kylie would always wear blue or green, Megan would wear purple or yellow and I would wear pink or red. As we grew up we never liked to dress alike and still don’t unless it’s for some special event or gag joke. Although in grade school I wore piggy tails on the daily and Kylie would slick her hair back into a perfect pony with no side ripples haha. Meg liked to wear a single french braid and before we all discovered the beloved straightener that is how people would tell. That or the color of our braces, tough call ;).

Kylie, I’ve heard that often multiples can sense when something is wrong with their sibling, do you think that is true?
Absolutely. We have promptings all the time to check in on each other. It’s just a feeling you get, like intuition. Sometimes it could just be a perfectly timed text message at a time of need, others it has been a phone call just asking if the sissy is OK. There was a time when Lisa could have potentially saved Megan from getting kidnapped. It sounds like a joke, but it wasn’t – and that’s because she called Megan and kept her on the line until Megan was in a safe place.
 

Megan, any advice for mom’s raising multiples?

Love them. Accept that you can never understand the bond they share, but cherish it and nurture it. Know when it is a good time to treat them as individuals, and when to let them do their triplet thing. Always encourage them to reach outside their comfort zone and make other friends so they can explore their differences as well as their similarities.

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How did getting married change your relationship with your sisters?
Kylie: I was the first sister to get married, and as you can imagine it was a HUGE shock. On the day of my wedding at the end of the reception, I sat on my bed in my room holding my sisters in a sissy hug sandwich, and refused to let go. Spencer honestly had to pry me away from them. I felt so torn leaving them behind, it was a surreal feeling going from spending every moment together to having to actually pull away. It was difficult for those first few months, and with some time and adventure I was able to adjust. Once I got married I basically left the country for a while, and that was two double whammies in a row. We kept in touch with very detailed letters, postcards and emails and got together as much as possible and still do today. I think the hardest part after getting married(first) was trying to adjust to being on my own and finding out who I was without them. It was a process!
Megan: When we all got married at different times obviously it was an adjustment. Not only of “letting go” but also of the change that might bring. Whether that means where we live, what we do, or even likes and dislikes. Like since when has Lisa liked artichokes on her pizza and since when has Kylie become such a movie critic? It’s funny how you adapt to the person you spend the most time with. Even though we’re all married now we still remain super close and our husbands understand and respect that relationship.
Lisa: Well my sisters were already married so for me it didn’t change anything, it just was awesome to not have to be the fifth wheel anymore! It definitely makes hanging out as a group more fun when we each have our boys by our side. Luckily they are all friends as well so we have tons of fun together. The girls chit chat all night and the boys watch dumb youtube videos. I guess it’s meant to be.

You recently received *makeovers that gave you each your own look, what was that like? Did it change you or your relationship?

Kylie: Shocking! I was super sad to see how different we looked because now nobody seems to know we’re triplets, and that makes me so sad. We’ve always looked the same and it’s been really easy to identify us as triplet sisters so when our hair changed so much that we could walk down the street without gawking stares and people pointing it seemed weird to just “blend in.” As far as our relationship goes, nothing could ever ever ever change that. We’re still best friends and in as love as ever 🙂 I think Lisa has really embraced her blondness and never seems to want to go back, it really suits her lifestyle. Megan and I are always changing our minds anyway so we just rock with it.
Lisa: Amazing and crazy. We got a kick out of each others transformations that at times we forgot to look in the mirror at ourselves! It was a whirlwind of emotions, fears and insecurities being thrown on the table all at once and broadcast on TV for all to see. Although our stylists were the best ever and we were all obsessed with our looks and how well they matched our personalities. It didn’t change our relationship, it just made us all realize we want to be blonde (hah), well at least once.
Megan: It was super fun! It was weird at first to see them with such different hair colors and styles, but it was fun because it brought out the differences in our personalities and style. The weirdest part of the makeover experience was going out into public and people didn’t notice we were triplets. They actually thought we were just friends! That made me kinda sad, haha.
*Here is a link to their episode on ‘The Doctors’ featuring their transformation, as well as a before and after post on their blog.

Comments

Oh, I love these girls! They are always on the raddest adventures. It was so cool to read about their quirks and similarities. Makes me wonder what it’d be like if any of my sisters were my twin/triplet!

I literally love these girls, they are so rad! It must be awesome being triplets and all being so individual and adventurous. Great post! xx

Eärendil

Always wished I had a sister (or two)! Great interview and I love their outerwear, particularly Megan’s jacket. Any idea where she might have gotten it?

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