You did WHAT?!? Why? How? Where? When?

Why did you take this trip?

It was our parents’ dream to take us with them and show us the world. They didn’t want to wait until we kids were out of the house to begin to travel. It’s something we felt called to do. We weren’t nervous about it, we knew we were doing the right thing for our family. God created a big, beautiful world, and we want to experience it!

Did you sail around the world?

No, we didn’t, but hats off to those who have! Wow. We used planes and public transportation (buses and trains) the most. We were lucky enough to sneak in one military free flight, as Dad is prior military. Being a six-person family, it was very difficult finding taxis or rental cars that can fit us.

What did you do for the kids’ school?

First of all, the trip itself was an education like no other. And whatever traditional school they would fall behind in during that year, we were confident they’d make up over time and be just fine–which they did. But we did “home school” H, C and K with workbooks and online programs, like the math site, Aleks. Greta finished high school at home took a gap year.

Were the kids excited to go?

Yes and no. They were especially sad to leave all their friends, but excited to see the places they’ve only heard about–especially New Zealand!

Did you map out the whole thing or go with the flow?

We had a general planned route, based around weather/rainy seasons, etc and attempting to follow warmer temperatures. We did not have our places to stay or flights pre-arranged, minus the first leg. We did the rest of the bookings on the road. We were flexible to change our route when we heard of a “must go see” or super cheap airfare, etc. and it was doable for our family. We found the website earthtrekkers.com to be a great resource too (they are a family who traveled the world for a year and provide packing lists, routes, etc).

How did you afford it?

We had to decide to afford it first. Once we decided, working out a budget was the fun part. Now, because we had this dream for so long, we saved for 20 years. But, when we pulled up stakes from the suburbs, we sold our house and cars, so we no longer had a monthly mortgage, light bill, cable bill, etc. We didn’t stay in fancy hotels or resorts, ate as cheaply as we could and cooked most of our meals, staying in Airbnbs and with friends along the way. After the trip, being around our “stuff” and more clothes than one pair of pants and five shirts was overwhelming. It definitely has helped us purge even more and live with less. For more information, here’s Dad’s How can you afford it? with more information about finances. There are also books (like Nomadic Matt’s, Traveling the World on $50 a Day) and websites (bootsnall.com) that are very helpful in working out a budget.

What did you pack?

Each person brought a main backpack that was at least 40L. This backpack held the bulk of our belongings – about a week’s worth of clothes (all of which will pretty much go together and can be layered for the cold weather). Mom and Dad will carried all the medication we needed for the trip as well–including malaria pills for Thailand and Africa. In addition to that backpack, each person carried a daypack. In the daypack, we carried a water bottle, toilet-paper, some technology, sunglasses etc. Check out our list of packing list here. When we realized we didn’t use or need certain items, and the small souvenirs we collected began to weigh us down, we shipped a box home to relatives.

What about all your stuff at home?

We had a yard sale, used Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace and the thrift stores to sell or donate a lot of items to reduce what we needed to pay to store our household goods. We were blessed with generous relatives who took care of our cats and one car for the year. As mentioned before, we sold our house and two cars.

How long had you planned this?

The dream was planted when Mom and Dad were first married, over 24 years ago. However, we didn’t really believe it could happen until the fall of 2016. Slowly over that next year and a half, we researched, worked out a budget, read books, found websites from other families who have done this. In the spring of 2018 we purchased gear, etc. You can find more information at Dad’s Big Picture Travel Plans. We are so thankful, and lucky, that we concluded our trip prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

What was your favorite place?

A newly added-question to our FAQ section. Probably the most-asked question, right after, “what, did you rob a bank or win the lottery?”. And the hardest to answer! We loved the places we got to spend a whole month in and really get into the culture, like Thailand, Australia and Germany. But we also loved every place we got to see an old friend or make new ones, from Oman to Italy. We never thought we’d go to Cartagena or Luang Prabang, but they were both amazing! Each place was special and there are really only a couple we would pass up if we did the trip again.