Would you want to travel around the world with your family for a year?

[BeachBum]

I just finished reading the article in Wondertime magazine about a family who did just that. They saved and scrimped for years, (saving $120K which wasn't enough), quit their jobs and spent a year traveling with their two kids (11 and 14, I think).
I thought it sounded totally fantastic, but my DH wasn't so sure. I was surprised because we both like to travel .

Practically speaking, we own our own business so we can't really "quit" we'd have to let someone else run things for a year (talk about scary!) Plus my husband felt like we'd want a "home". He said he would enjoy renting a place for a couple of months each year in a different country but not doing a whole year trip all at once.
It just so happens that a family in our town did a similar year long trip, but they got kind of bored being tourists. They ultimately found some volunteer groups through their church and ended up planning a lot of their destinations around that. The family in the Wondertime article did a lot of roughing it--camping, biking, hostels, not much eating out.

Anyway, any thoughts on this? Would it work for your family? Would you even want to do it?

[Twoboos]

I read this article too, and was thinking about if we could do it (in many years!). I don't think I would be a fan of roughing it so much, and not knowing where you were sleeping that night until a day before (if that long). I would need more planning than that. And I just didn't feel like some of the places they picked would be safe for kids - but really, their kids were much older than mine.

It does sound very cool in theory, but I would be too much of a spaz to handle it. :) I really think DH would LOVE it though, he would be all for the unknown and adventure. I'm a bit more of a "OMG what if..." person, if that makes sense!

[pb&j]

LOL, DH and I were just talking about this last night (neither of us had read the article).

I'm not sure about a whole year - we're both kind of homebodies. However, if we had the opportunity to live overseas for a year (job opportunity), we'd definitely do it, especially with young kids who don't mind leaving school and friends.

I do want us to travel as a family, but I'm thinking a month or so at a time, rather than a year at a time.

[egoldber]

LOL! I read that article and was talking to DH about it. I would personally *love* that in about 5/6 years when Amy is 7 or 8. I mean what an amazing experience and gift to your children.

[fivi2]

I think I would prefer what your dh suggested - having a home base in a different place for a few months and traveling from there. I wouldn't want to spend a whole year moving around. I did the hostel in Europe thing for a few weeks in college and can't imagine trying that with a family!

However, I would consider spending longer driving around the US, just spending a week here and there, but I still think I'd miss having a "home".

Fun to dream about though!

[hellokitty]

A yr would be too long for us, I could imagine maybe a month tops. I like the luxuries that our home provides us with (I don't like staying at other places, b/c I always get icked out), and if my DH quit his job, he probably wouldn't be able to find an equivalent job again when he was ready to go back to work, so it would be a financial disaster for us. I'm thinking that it must be nice to be in a line of work, where jobs are so readily available that you can just quit and then get another job again when you come back. I do envy their sense of adventure though. While I love to see new places, I hate the logistics of the, "traveling" part of it.

[elektra]

In reality I would probably never actually do it but it sound SO cool. Some friends of our family (both parents were teachers) took a year sabbatical and took their kids out of school and traveled, with a sort of home base in Spain. They all agreed it was the best year ever.
And then a woman I work with grew up in Hawaii and both her parents were teachers too. I guess there is some teacher exchange program where you basically switch houses with another teacher for a summer. Hawaii was of course top on everyone's list to switch for so my co-worker's family literally got to stay in a city of their choice each summer growing up. Now that I could definitely do. Sounds so cool.

[Globetrotter]

I'd prefer to do a one month vacation to a different area every year. We've done that a couple of times and there is nothing like seeing a place in depth! One year involves a lot of logistical difficulties, but if it didn't, heck yes I would! (though dh and I would be ready to KILL each other by the end of it, so I would have to have lots of time away from him!! :ROTFLMAO: )

[SnuggleBuggles]

I would love to and have brought up the idea to dh. He is not on board. I have about 7 more years to work on him though. My goal would be a 6 month stint somewhere, rather than traveling the world, like your dh suggested. Though that would be nice too. Oooh, we could do the family version of "The Amazing Race. " :)

Beth

[pb&j]

I would love to and have brought up the idea to dh. He is not on board. I have about 7 more years to work on him though. My goal would be a 6 month stint somewhere, rather than traveling the world, like your dh suggested. Though that would be nice too. Oooh, we could do the family version of "The Amazing Race. " :)

Beth

LOL! DH and I already have our whole Amazing Race strategy worked out. Anything requiring scaling heights, puzzles, or general nerves of steel is me, eating and strength/speed is DS. DH will do all the driving, and I'll navigate - I'm very good with maps. We both used to work for the airlines and have traveled A LOT via airlines, so we think we'd really have a leg up on airport/airline dynamics.

I think it will be a few more years before we figure out what DS's and the new baby's strengths are - I'm guessing that DS will be up for eating challenges, and challenges requiring stamina.:ROTFLMAO:

[maestramommy]

I would LOVE to, when my kids are in middle school or higher. I like the idea of a work vacation. Dh did something like that when we went to South Africa for 2 weeks. First week was a blitz build with Habitat, second week was kicking back and sightseeing. If we hadn't done the Habitat, we wouldn't have met any of the people I think of when I think of South Africa, seen the things we saw. THAT was the eye-opening part of the trip. I think when my kids are 13 or so they would be ready and get much more out of that type of trip.

[CAM7]

Yep I could see doing that. The main problem is my Dh.. very much the homebody. I'm planning on spending the summers in England with the kids...before I got back to work fulltime...if I go back at all.

I suppose a year with the whole family abroad could only happen when Dh jumps from one job to the next.... so... maybe on the "6 - 8 year plan"?

I'll have to bring this up to Dh ... he'll be thrilled ...lol.

I took my DD21 to London with me for a semester ... she was about 9... it was a great experience!

[niccig]

We would do it now if we could. DH and I both traveled separately and together. We met on round the world trips. It's one of our financial goals to save enough to take 6-12 months off and take off.

[mamicka]

I mean what an amazing experience and gift to your children.

:yeahthat:
I don't know if we'll ever have the money to do this, but I'd jump at the chance, whenever I'd get it.

[Ceepa]

In a word: no. :ROTFLMAO:

[ThreeofUs]

Oh yeah! We've talked about it repeatedly, wondering whether to do it on a sailboat or just roam Europe and Asia. Either way, we'd have to work it into a year-long sabbatical for DH, which would mean he'd be a roving scientist for a year - but we have friends who did this, and they LOVED it!

[jk3]

If my kids were older it would be a great time. Not so much now!

[writermama]

I love my family. I loved travel pre-kids. But the idea of traveling non-stop for a year with my family sounds like the plot of a horror movie to me. A few weeks would be my limit.

[trales]

I would rather move abroad an live in one place for a year and travel from there, really get to know a place and culture. I would leave tomorrow with the whole fam if the opportunity arouse.

[Asianmommy]

I would love to take the kids to Taiwan for a month or two during summer break. It would be really hot there, but it would be a great opportunity for them to get to know their relatives and learn Chinese.

[Corie]

I would love to travel with my family.

BUT,

I would not want to be gone for a year. Yowza! That
is a long time to be on the move. I would be itching to
get home.

And, I would not want to rough it. I do not want to sleep in a
hostel with the "hairy guys" nor do I want to sleep on
the desert sand or wash my clothes in the sink, etc.

[bubbaray]

Um, you mean I have to take them with me? Bummer........ j/k. bad day + full moon!

[randomkid]

Hmmm...I don't know. I guess if I had tons of money and could just do it, I might consider it. But, if I scrimped and saved for years and came up with $120K, I might decide I'd have better use for that money elsewhere (like paying for college educations, upgrading the house, etc).

I'd be hesitant for some of the same reasons mentioned by others - would get tired of being a tourist, no home base, etc. DH, OTOH, would jump at the chance. However, I know he would like to go certain places and stay a week or so, then move on to somewhere else.

[MontrealMum]

I have friends that did that. Quit their jobs, sold their house and everything in it (even the bed out from under them one late evening!) and took off for a year....before they had kids. I had mixed feelings of awe and horror at the time. They had no house to come back to, and no jobs waiting. When they came back they up and moved to Alaska, and are now in the Yukon. I am envious of that type of freedom and spirit, although being without a net to that extreme degree is a little much for me.

Yet, even now, it still sounds tempting, even with a child. When I was in highschool my parents traded houses for 3 months with friends that lived in Switzerland, and we travelled around W. Europe using that as a home base. That summer sparked my love of travel, and drive to learn to speak foreign languages! I'd love to give DS a similar experience, or even better if we could go futher, or longer, though I don't know if we could truly do the around-the-world thing. With my profession there are plenty of opportunities for travel, and sabbatical leave. I'd love to be a visiting professor, or do a sabbatical replacement for a year. I don't know when, probably when he's a bit older, but sure, I'd jump at the chance. I think I'd better discuss with DH though, I'm thinking Europe, maybe Australia or New Zealand, and I just know he'd be thinking the Canadian North...waaaaay north.

[niccig]

I am envious of that type of freedom and spirit, although being without a net to that extreme degree is a little much for me.



I did something similar when single, quit job, sold up and left to back pack around the world. But I did have a safety net - a savings account with enough money for when I came home and friends that said I could sleep on their couch. And the decision to leave was more difficult than the actual traveling. I met DH on that trip, so it paid off!

[mommy111]

I wouldn't travel for a year and rough it unless I had the money to do it in luxury :) but I did quit my job, take a pay cut and take on a job overseas for a few years to experience this while the kids are still young and it doesn't affect their schooling. Its only been a month or so, but its been so very fascinating that I'm starting a blog soon!

[hillview]

I'd do it in a heart beat! Roughing it or no.
/hillary

[maestramommy]

I would love to take the kids to Taiwan for a month or two during summer break. It would be really hot there, but it would be a great opportunity for them to get to know their relatives and learn Chinese.

Ditto that! Everytime I ask DH "when are we going to Taiwan?" he gives me this mournful look:ROTFLMAO: We went once when we dating as part of a performance tour, and it was a BLAST, but I've been there enough times to know it would be pretty hard with two little ones. But I keep thinking we have to get out there while our relatives are still living.

Okay, maybe when everyone is PTed. I have this LONG list of things I want to do when all the kids are PTed:)

[dcmom2b3]

I'd rather have a home base abroad and travel from there. Living out of a suitcase for 2 weeks at grandma's makes me nuts. I can't imagine doing that for a year. Unless I could afford to employ an advance team. . .

DH and I have talked about taking a summer and cruising France's canal system, will probably do that in the next couple of years.

[stefani]

A year is too long for me, but 1 to 3 months every year... I would love that.

DH has a lot of food allergy, so I think it will make it hard for him to travel outside of the US for an extended period of time. I have taken DS to Indonesia for 3 weeks, and that was great. He is also getting easier to travel with and he loves traveling (he cried when we landed at the home airport and I told him that we are not taking another plane - this was after traveling for 37 hours).

My wish will be to go to Indonesia, and China so DS and I can polish our Indonesian and Mandarin. I am a WOHM, so it makes it hard to do that, but it also gives me the security of having a house and a job to come back to.