Why are we taking our 5 kids out of school and traveling the world for a year?
Every incredible journey begins with discovering our “why”. In fact, if we don’t understand our reasons for pursuing a quest, then we will crumble when we reach the first obstacle. Struggle must always have purpose, or it doesn’t help us develop. Difficult tasks in life are made easier when we embrace the purpose and benefit behind them. Having this understanding will help us to keep moving forward even when the journey gets difficult. Here are some reasons we are traveling around the world with kids:
When we started discussing our plans for a trip around the world, we began by writing our goals. By traveling the world over an extended period, we hoped to:
- Experience new cultures (including food, language, people, places, art, history, and architecture)
We believe that taking our kids out of their comfort zone will be one of the greatest learning experiences. By learning about new cultures we hope that our kids will gain an appreciation and compassion for other people in the world. Growing up in the USA, it’s easy to take for granted the things we enjoy that are not readily available elsewhere in the world. My kids don’t think about access to clean water and electricity in our home being a blessing. When they travel to areas that don’t enjoy these things, they will begin to appreciate them in new ways.
Food is definitely a source of worry for us. Our kids are notoriously picky eaters, and one has some pretty serious food allergies. There could be some struggles to find the right foods and to make meals our kids will enjoy.
I did purchase a subscription to Universal Yums for Christmas last year. We got to enjoy a new box of snacks from a different country each month for a year. It was a fun way for my kids to try snacks from other countries and they looked forward to it each month.
- Have great learning experiences for our kids and to advance academically.
IMHO, the best kind of learning is experiential learning. We hope that our kids can step back into history by visiting historic sites, castles, monasteries, museums and natural wonders. These experiences can light a fire of curiosity that they can continue to develop throughout their lives. We will be doing some homeschool to supplement our experiential learning, so the kids still get some practice with math, reading and writing.
- Develop emotional and social intelligence (spirituality, self control, passions, grit, adapting, life skills, kindness)
There are going to be some really hard moments on this trip. There may be travel delays and hours spent waiting in cars, train stations and airports. We will get lost and will have to find our way back even if we are tired, hungry, or don’t speak the language. We will get sick, experience travelers’ illnesses and maybe even some good ole’ food poisoning. There will be times when we arrive at the hotel, vacation rental, or homestay and will realize that it’s not what we anticipated or will not meet our needs.
We are going to have to be flexible and adapt to difficult circumstances we find ourselves in. Interacting with people who look and act different than us and speak a different language may be commonplace. Through all of this, we hope that our children develop the grit and determination to keep going through any difficult situation they encounter in life.
4)Cause a disruption in our lives by getting outside of our routine life and comfort zone.
This means getting kids out of their school environment and exposing them to more of the world. The life of a middle or high schooler can feel stifling with the expectations required of them socially and academically. Removing them from school allows them to see that the world is bigger than social cliques and teenage drama. We hope that they can see that some of the most important education takes place outside the walls of a classroom.
I’m sure there will be many more lessons and benefits than what I have listed here. Make sure to follow along as we plan for our incredible year traveling around the world with kids.
Check out some more of our adventures:
I love your blog! Wishing you and your family a wonderful experience as you travel around the world.