Why this family took her teenager on an epic adventure RTW
yesterday in Buenos Aires, I had lunch with a family of digital nomads. They have since 08 on the road working on software and app development around the world (her son was born in Mexico). The woman, Kelli asked whether I go hit many families in the street. "Well sure! These days there are a lot," I said.
When I began to travel the world, take your kids for a year from the school was gone strange and social suicide. Well, I think there is a large support community online and hundreds of blogs to give encouragement and help families to make the jump.
It was funny, she asked that, because we now have a family do profile on the blog. I want to share the story of Staci, Mason, and their children. They are a middle class family from Iowa, listed on a round the world trip. Today they tell us how they did it and gives advice to other families sharing
Nomadic Matt :. Tell everyone about yourself
Staci: We are the Schwarz family. My name is Staci, my husband is Mason, and our children are Ian (19) and Lily (16). We live in Des Moines, Iowa, and travel the world together for about 4½ months. (It is the first time out of the country for my husband and children!) In our previous life I was a Price Analyst and Mason was a press operator.
Why have you and your family decide to make this journey?
four years ago I read the book one year from by David Cohen about how he and his wife sold their house and took their three children on a one-year trip around the world, and I could not get over it. I told my husband I wanted something similar, and without doing any hesitation he said yes. His mother died unexpectedly [when she was] not much older than we are now, and that affects really the choices we make, to not put things, assuming we have plenty of time to get to do it.
[1945007Wie] finance this trip?
We saved almost four years by doing basic things such as cutting on entertainment back and eat. We went through our house and garage and sold a ridiculous amount of things that we need, or did not use - we sell a book, where we sold 700 books. 700! We also have some of our retirement. We have found that this seriously freaks people, but we see it this way: We are young and have a lot of time to work. We firmly believe that our money is to invest in a life changing experience of a far better use.
What think your friends and family?
There were some mixed reactions. Because we talked for so long, I think it was a feeling of doubt whether we would really follow through, but when we finish our work and tickets booked, all our friends were incredibly excited and supportive. We could not ask for a better support system. Our parents were concerned about some of the places on our itinerary (ie Turkey), and we have a few family members who think that it was downright stupid and irresponsible to finish our work for us to travel. And that's fine. Not everyone will understand, or any life decision we support make.
Have anyone's mind to change now that they see on the road are and quite well?
Now, the couple of people who thought that we were stupid when we do not think we are stupid left. I think my mom has had the largest change of heart. She was really concerned about the places that we wanted and annoyed only our security, but we have to travel and posting photos and blogs about our experiences, she got really excited to travel across the world and has a list of places, she began, want to see. She was so excited about our day in the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai that she wants volunteers to go there for a week. My parents have never left the United States, and I love them so inspired and excited about traveling.
What did you do about school? Are you doing classes remotely?
Ian could take a training program at a technical school in welding and ended his certificate a few weeks before we offered left, but Lily's school let them take their online junior year. We were really about easier since we were all concerned about homeschooling on the road a little. That was a big concern for Lily - probably the only thing that they initially held by truly getting excited about the journey - so once that was in place, she could stop thinking and get excited about the trip. She could work at their own pace through the coursework, which is great, because we have a good, reliable internet connection everywhere we were not always.
What has so far been the most difficult part?
There has been some hard parts. Our first few days were really difficult. or to find out how to circumvent Just simple things like food, was a challenge. Lily and I have not fit well at all, and we both cried a lot. We are now looking back, and it's amazing how comfortable we are moving to new places become. I saw in her confidence and ability, so much growth in my children to understand new environments and situations. It's really cool to see.
India also. India was tough - so many people, so much pollution, so much poverty. Garbage everywhere, people in your room the whole time. We were ill-prepared. A friend told me: "India is not for everyone, but give it a little time." It was good advice. I'm still not sure, India was for us, but we are glad we went. It was definitely different than anything we have ever experienced. We were completely overwhelmed the whole time we were there.
What advice do you have for other families of this?
If you want to do it, you can absolutely make it possible. People make all kinds of excuses why they can not travel, but if we could make it happen, then everyone can really. It's just a matter of deciding how bad you want it and then make it a priority. The time that we spent together on this trip has us as a family so close and watching my children discover the beauty and magic of the trip has deepened my own experiences and made it so much richer.
The people will say to us: "You are so happy to be able to take this trip." I do not think that's true. We have been working really hard towards this goal. We made it possible. And if we can do it then, seriously, everyone can. That's not to say it was easy - we are not disciplined people in the world. It just means if you want it bad enough, you have to do what it takes to make it happen.
The story so far been your favorite moment?
This will vary depending on who you ask in our family. Lily says that they were in Chiang Mai loved the cooking class we took really. In Varanasi, located Mason sat down and spoke to a group of children playing cricket and had a really cool moment only agree with them. For me I would have to say the temples in Angkor, the most moving, but to be if I'm honest - and a bit tacky - my favorite moments are when we are all talking about what we did that day or where we are going to the next day and we are completely undistracted and commitments that we have back home through the crowded schedules. This time is valuable to me together.
Why do you think fewer families do this? Were there any major obstacles that stood at the beginning of the way?
I believe that many families spent together are concerned about the cost and the amount of time. Cost has always been an obstacle for us, and we move at the end of the journey for a year so we could save more and have a better budget our trip fund. The children have much astonishment of her friends along the lines of "how to spend as much time with your family without killing each other?" We have not found to be a problem. Unlike some moments where we are a little grumpy with another - what happens at home -. We have great get together
but say that if you do not enjoy each other's company at home, long-term journey may be difficult. But we had to have to learn to work together as a team, to handle things such as travel days. And when we got stuck on a mountain for 12 hours, so we had take care to take care of each other, and these things have brought us closer as a family. Although admittedly we were to start a fairly close family.
What do you think your kids about this experience?
Well, I asked her right now, and this was their response:.
"It was eye opening, it's hard to take everything in while you are doing it, and it seems like "this is my life today." we believe that people expect to tell us life is to change, but we do not feel that yet. it's too hard to tell people at home what it on to sit a temple feels like and Buddhist prayers to hear for an hour and to explain this experience in a way that people understand. "
If you were planning this big trip, what some of the fears you had had?
I'm a big fat worrywart. I fret about everything, so I would lie in bed at night and think of all the possible things that could go wrong to the point where I drive me crazy. The safety was my biggest fear. If you think the message that the world is a terrible, terrible place where everyone is trying to kill you and nowhere is safe. We have to be the truth, so fundamentally found otherwise. The people are full of kindness and hospitality, and we have you well taken care in our travels through perfect strangers.
What are learned two things about traveling, who made you go, "Wow, it's so simple, is not it?!?"
- , the large discrepancy between what we are told in the news, and what is actually happening on the ground. Everyone had to be afraid of us in Turkey, but Turkey was where we had positive experiences with people. People went to make us far out of the way, feel welcome, safe and well maintained. They have influenced our hearts and our journey in the most positive way definitely, and we look back on our time back there and be so by the people we met moved.
- How many people speak English and how well. We thought that the communication would be a major obstacle for us, but it was literally not been a topic. Everywhere we went, people spoke very good English, and we never had a problem arise because of misunderstandings.
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