What is Digital Nomadism?

A sign of the times perhaps, Merriam-Webster added the word “digital nomad” to the dictionary in 2023. Digital nomad is defined as “someone who performs their occupation entirely over the internet while traveling.” Typically, digital nomads use wireless networking to work without a fixed address. Some people choose to work this way indefinitely, setting up shop in one place until another calls to them. Others head out for a few months or a year in a Starlink-enabled RV (or van, boat, bike, bus, or buggy), fueled by entrepreneurship, opportunity, or wanderlust. There are many ways to do it, and working while traveling is tugging at the heartstrings of more and more individuals and families!

The digital nomad lifestyle is growing in popularity, big time. Today there are roughly 35 million digital nomads, 17 million of whom are US citizens. There are nomads of all ages, all backgrounds, all professions. They are gay, straight, married, single, with and without kids. Some live in communities or hubs, others roam independently or as a family. This recent Forbes article describes several popular paths to becoming a digital nomad: negotiating with a current or new employer to be full-time remote, turning a lifestyle of travel into a business, using one’s skills to support or collaborate with other digital nomads, and turning what you love into an income-generating job. Industry analysts predict that the epic growth will continue and by 2030 there will be over one billion digital nomads worldwide.

Many factors explain the rise in digital nomadism. For one, moving through COVID equipped many more people with skills and tools for virtual school and remote work. And many liked it! Some families liked it so much they are choosing to not go back to school and instead learn in a manner where the world is their classroom, an educational approach called worldschooling. Some companies liked it so much they adopted flexible “work anywhere” policies for their employees, further contributing to the growth in digital nomadism.

Secondly, working while traveling is exciting and attractive. There are opportunities to meet interesting people, stay in beautiful and different places, lower one’s cost of living, cut commuting time, cultivate curiosity, and grow in new ways.

Third, according to a recent article in the Harvard Business Review, there’s a culture shift taking place marked by generational disillusionment. The so-called “good life” that older generations experienced feels unattainable or undesirable for many people today. With super competitive workplaces, rising housing costs, political and environmental volatility, and the empty feeling of accumulating stuff, many folks today are driven to look at alternative lifestyles like digital nomadism.

There’s one more factor that can help explain the “work anywhere” trend, and that’s digital nomad visas – a shiny new ticket to location-independent work. Digital nomad visas help overcome two limitations of tourist visas: 1) the limited time allowed in a country; and 2) not being allowed to work legally.

Visaguide.world is a helpful site for travelers.

What is a Digital Nomad Visa?

A digital nomad visa is a specialized visa that authorizes foreign individuals (and sometimes a spouse, partner, and dependents) to live and work within the issuing country’s borders. It’s like having temporary residency. The visas may be renewable and typically require the individual applying to show proof of income, health insurance, university degree, or a certain number of years of professional experience, vaccination record, clean criminal record, etc. Many countries seek to attract digital nomads and create relatively favorable terms to do that. They see the long-term presence of foreigners with a steady paycheck as a way to drive economic activity and generate a sustainable flow of income as opposed to tourism dollars, which only flow seasonally. At the same time, the digital nomad is often able to stretch their income by enjoying a relatively lower cost of living. So there is a sort of symbiosis in the arrangement. That’s not to say that digital nomadism is universally appreciated. There’s great concern that the presence of foreigners with money is causing gentrification and that locals are getting priced out of their own towns. This recent article from the Georgetown Public Policy Review takes a close look at the effect of digital nomadism in Latin America.

A day in the life of a digital nomad.

How Do I Get a Digital Nomad Visa?

In order to start the process of obtaining a digital nomad visa, you have to know where you want to reside and work, then you can look at the visa requirements for that country. Whenever possible, go to the consulate website or an official source to get the most up-to-date information. The space is very dynamic so double-check that what you are reading is current.

If you are unsure of the exact country you want to travel to and just know you want to be somewhere good for digital nomads, you can check sites like Nomad List or Digital Nomad Visa Index, both of which provide useful data to help narrow your selection. They publish information like internet speeds, income requirements, safety, and cost of living, and they provide descriptions and rankings of best places for digital nomads. Lonely Planet also has a Digital Nomad Handbook which provides a good general overview as well as specific information on several hot digital nomad locations. You might also check with one of many digital nomad Facebook groups to get the skinny on different places. Two popular communities are Digital Nomads (167K+ members) and Digital Nomads Hub (60K+ members).

Once you have narrowed down the countries, then dial in your research, gather the required documents, submit your paperwork, brush up on a new language, wait, and cross your fingers. If rejected, there is typically an appeals process.

Here’s some basic information to help you learn more about digital nomad visas:

How Much Does a Digital Nomad Visa Cost?

Application fees run the gamut from $10 to $3000, but typically they are in the $100 to $200 range. And, you may have to pay the same application fee for each family member and when/if you renew the visa.

Do I Have to Pay Taxes if I am a Digital Nomad?

Many countries offer an initial tax-free period that comes with the digital nomad visa. Others make it tax-free the entire period of the visa. Some, however, require digital nomads to pay taxes the whole time you reside in the country. For some people, paying taxes feels like an unfair burden, but it’s important to keep in mind that digital nomads use physical and social infrastructure – like roads, schools, emergency response. In this regard, paying taxes in host countries helps keep them liveable, walkable, and safe.

As for paying taxes back home, even when working abroad, you still have to file federal and state taxes because US tax law is based on citizenship, not residence. Here’s a helpful article on other tax matters and digital nomadism.

Where would you go?

How Long Can I Stay in a Country on a Digital Nomad Visa?

It depends. Every country is different. In Iceland, it’s 180 days. In Portugal, it’s one year with an optional renewal every year up to the maximum of 5 years. In the UAE it’s up to one year. In Dominica it’s 1.5 years, and in Thailand a digital nomad can be authorized to stay for up to 10 years, though this Long Term Resident Visa is rather restrictive.  So the answer is it depends.

What’s It Like To Be a Digital Nomad?

It’s amazing to be a digital nomad! It’s hard to be a digital nomad! It’s a dream come true! It’s not what I thought! To be sure, digital nomadism is a mixed bag and it’s not for everyone. What is true across the board is this – Successful digital nomads are self-starters, have good time management and budgeting skills, are motivated and self-driven, exercise patience, thrive in the unknown and have a gallon litre  liter of good luck. Digital nomads build supportive communities and tend to find each other. Here’s a quick look at the digital nomad lifestyle in three different locations to provide a little taste of what it’s like:

• A day in the life of a German software engineer, a digital nomad living in New Zealand. Thomas works part-time. His days are full of healthy meals, quiet walks, reading, and relaxing. His work day starts at 7:00 pm New Zealand time when it is 7:00 am in Germany. He typically works until 11:00 pm.

• A day in the life of a digital nomad content creator in Bangkok. This video is an example of the work of a digital nomad, Sergio, an architect gone webdesigner, now a full-time YouTuber.

• A day in the life of a business coach in Croatia. Amanda talks about her time in Split, Croatia. She is a full-time traveler and loves to share her experience and helpful information with others.

Do People Need a Digital Nomad Visa to Come to the United States?

Currently, there is no Digital Nomad Visa for the US. But even without that visa, vibrant digital nomad communities are growing across the country in places such as Portland, OR, Kansas City, MO, and Denver, CO. Keep in mind that the digital nomad lifestyle does not require overseas travel. More and more people are moving about within their own country too in pursuit of time freedom and location independence.

Ah, old school telephonic communications.

What are the Downsides of Being a Digital Nomad?

Digital Nomadism may sound incredibly glamorous, but it may not be good for everyone and it may not be good for every place. Here’s a dose of reality to help keep you grounded and realistic about living that dream.

• Uncertainty – If you set off to work remotely in a traditional job (i.e., you have an employer), your employer could call you back at any time. That uncertainty may be unsettling. (Pro tip: One way to manage feelings of uncertainty is to have an off ramp or a contingency plan. It might look like a pot of savings, a prearranged place to stay if you return home unexpectedly, or a quarterly check-in with your supervisor to keep the lines of communication open.)

• Language barrier – Living in a new country presents a wonderful opportunity to learn a new language, but making yourself understood and taking care of important business like finalizing paperwork such as leases and utility agreements while you are still learning the language can be incredibly frustrating.

• Culture shock and loneliness – It can be exhausting and discomfiting to be the new person on the block over and over again, even where there’s a seemingly welcoming digital nomad community.

• Not having a professional, cultural or social network – While some digital nomads stay digitally connected to their workgroups and teams back home, the lack of an in-person professional network can add to a feeling of loneliness. The time zone difference can also make it difficult to connect virtually with your professional peers back home. That said, there are digital nomads of every age and ethnicity, and you might find your peeps in forums like Digital Nomads Over 50, Black Digital Nomads, Female Digital Nomads, or by simply doing the things you love to do and saying “ciao” to the person next to you.

• Time zone management and digital stress – It is common knowledge that travelers need to be prepared to deal with the unexpected. The demands of work double the need to adapt and be flexible. Digital nomads have to be ready to problem-solve and pivot. While some digital nomads plan strategically to be in the same time zone as clients, the onus is typically on them to accommodate employers, colleagues, customers, schedules, holidays, and technology glitches. If traveling with kids and they are doing online school work, bandwidth may be another limiting factor. The privilege of working remotely, and I mean really remotely, comes with some tradeoffs.

• Homesickness and second-guessing yourself can make problems seem bigger than they would at home. Your usual coping mechanisms may feel remote, too, and finding a new mindset may take awhile.

Fulfilling your dream to become a digital nomad may be the greatest turn in your life and there are many, hundreds, thousands, millions of people out there ready to welcome and support you. With your digital nomad visa, proper planning and preparation, a willingness to deal with trade-offs, and a reasonable contingency plan, you’ve got this, friend, now let’s go!

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Many traveling families already know that the 63 US national parks are packed with educational opportunities. Today, it’s easier than ever to incorporate national parks into your worldschooling curriculum. This blog looks closely at worldschooling in Yellowstone. Much of what is shared is generally applicable to other national parks, so consider this blog a Worldschooling 101: National Parks Edition. 

Please note: this blog is not about where to camp, how to get reservations, how to avoid crowds in Yellowstone in July, or where’s the best place to see wolves. For that, please check out some of the resources and advice we offer at the end. 

Ok, now back to the topic at hand: Worldschooling in Yellowstone. Worldschooling is learning through direct interaction with the world. It is an experience-rich, hands-on approach, informed by wherever you are and colored by the stories of whomever you meet. Worldschooling is 100% guaranteed to ignite curiosity and self-discovery in kids and adults alike. 

Prepping for Your Worldschooling Adventure in Yellowstone National Park 

Introduction to Yellowstone

Set the stage for your educational adventure by reading some books and looking at maps before you arrive. Try to get familiar with the park and its history. Yellowstone is enormous and has many different ecosystems and attractions. A little advance work will pique your interest and illuminate the subjects that most interest your family. The National Park Service has a dedicated website on using the park as a classroom and includes curriculum ideas for unlocking the magic of experiential learning. Check out some of these free instructional resources like exploring tracks and footprints. 

“There is nothing so American as our national parks…” – President Franklin D. Roosevelt

Involving Your Kids

It’s great to involve your kids in planning your Yellowstone itinerary. Get them excited by watching a documentary about the park like this video from National Geographic or this Ken Burns production, The National Parks, America’s Best Idea. Or if you want to splurge, rent this gorgeous film about the National Parks Adventure, narrated by Rober Redford. It’s sure to fill your heart with wonder and majesty as you learn how it is that these special places belong to all of us, forever. 

Maybe start with some basic questions like why is the park is called Yellowstone? What’s the weather forecast for your trip? Maybe there is a question that is top of mind for you and your kids, like what’s the tallest geyser? Involving your kids early will prime the pump and get their buy-in for your family’s Yellowstone adventure. Check out this great blog for more ideas on ways to involve your kids in travel planning. 

Yay Yellowstone!

Yellowstone Visitor Centers 

Another handy way to prepare is to visit at least one of the ten visitor centers around the park. They have excellent resources to help you get oriented, deepen your knowledge, secure permits (e.g., fishing or backcountry camping), and find out about special events. You can also take care of practical matters like using the restroom, filling up water bottles, and getting the lowdown on wildlife sightings. The Albright Visitor Center is open year-round and has free WiFi. Several visitor centers have special collections and resources dedicated to education. There’s also the Museum of the National Park Ranger, housed in an old log cabin built in 1908. The museum is unique to Yellowstone and is staffed by retired rangers. Take your time, study the maps, talk to a ranger, and whatever you do, get your kids set up with Yellowstone Forever, the park’s amazing Junior Ranger Program. 

Yellowstone Worldschooling Themes

With a little background information, you’ll be ready to pick some worldschooling themes to deepen your educational exploration. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Wildlife of Yellowstone 

Home to the greatest concentration of mammals in the contiguous United States, in Yellowstone you can learn about bison, wolves, elk, moose, pronghorn, and bears, to name a few. There are 300 species of birds and 16 species of fish. Dawn and dusk are the prime viewing times but seasonal variations will determine who you might see. Patience is key, and binoculars are a must. Maybe you’ll be lucky and unlucky and find yourselves stuck in a bison jam with hundreds of bison blocking the roadway! Bison were almost extinct. Today, there are about 3000-6000 bison in the park, a remarkable success story. The animals of Yellowstone are diverse, abundant, and sublime. There are many entry points into this rich topic for littles and big kids, like these wildlife bingo cards.

As worldschooling families, you may have time to deepen your wildlife inquiry. You might study the Yellowstone Bison Conservation Transfer Program (BCTP), which helps Tribal communities restore their bison population. You could take a closer look at wolf restoration in Yellowstone, a fascinating and complicated story layered with history, agriculture, biology, ecosystem health, wildlife management, and the relationship of people and the environment. 

Geothermal Features of Yellowstone

Yellowstone is a hydrothermal wonderland and worldschooling families can easily create a whole curriculum around this topic. With over 10,000 features –  geysers, mudpots, hot springs, and fumaroles (steam vents) – you can visit a wide variety throughout the park. This resource provides a good overview of what all that steam is! Maybe your kids can make a cool video comparing the different features, or interview guests to see how much they know about what’s going on underground. Why is there a funny smell? What makes the geysers erupt? If you are lucky enough to get to the Grand Prismatic Spring, plan ahead and take paper and crayons or something to draw with. The colors are extraordinary and it may be fun to sketch. 

The iconic Grand Prismatic Spring

While it may be tempting to want to dip your toes, drop objects in, or get really close to the thermal features, it’s absolutely critical to understand and follow all safety precautions. Most importantly, visitors must stay on the boardwalks and trails and not touch thermal features or runoff. Swimming is strictly prohibited and pets are not allowed in thermal areas. 

There is one area where you can swim in a cold river, then chillax in the warm eddies – the Firehold Swim area. It is fun to dip in this river, but definitely check the status and regulations before heading there because they are subject to change. Here’s more information about it. 

Indigenous Peoples and Yellowstone 

Another topic that may inform your Yellowstone worldschooling adventure is the history and traditions of Native Americans in the area. Thousands of years before there was a national park in this location, there were Indigenous people who hunted, gathered plants, fished, and had customary, spiritual, and medicinal uses of the waters. Today, twenty-six Tribes have some claim and cultural connection with the area of Yellowstone. This Smithsonian Magazine article provides a good overview of some of the archaeology and prehistory of the park. To go even deeper, you can check out this book by University of Montana archeology professor, Douglas MacDonald and learn about the trade in obsidian, one of the strongest tool stones in the world. Your worldschooling journey may lead you to the X-ray technology that is being used in the field and helping explain why this obsidian was so important to Indigenous people.  

The bison in Yellowstone roam freely throughout the park.

Water and Yellowstone

Water water everywhere! According to the National Park Service, “Yellowstone contains some of the most significant, near-pristine aquatic ecosystems found in the United States.” It’s an understatement to say the waters of Yellowstone are a critical resource. Water is the underground pulse of all of the geyser and hot spring activity. It provides livelihood for the wildlife, farmers, ranchers, recreationists, and Indigenous people in the region. There are 150 named lakes, 258 named streams, and hundreds of waterfalls. Perhaps you could pick one water body and learn about the aquatic organism that live there. Maybe you could go fishing and use the opportunity to learn about native fish species like Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout and Artic Grayling. What mammals depend on the shallow surface water habitat found in Yellowstone?  Check out this excellent short video on the Waters of Yellowstone or this website with excellent information about fish ecology. 

Maybe you are interested in pollution and water quality. Talk with the rangers to find out if there’s an opportunity to participate in volunteer water quality monitoring work. Maybe you could spend a day in the field as citizen scientists, collecting water samples that help measure the effect of historic mining activity in the area. Or maybe you are interested in how climate change is affecting water resources in the  Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. What can you learn about changes in temperature, precipitation and snowpack? 

There’s so much to drink up about water in Yellowstone, you could create an entire worldschooling curriculum that gives you an entry way into not only into science, but also math, history, social studies, and recreation management. 

Cascading waterfalls on the mighty Yellowstone River helped carve the “Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.”

Policy and Public Land Management

Yet another theme may be policy and public land management. The National Park Service was created on August 25, 1916. Today there are more than 400 national parks, 560 national wildlife refuges, and nearly 250 million acres of other public lands. Maybe you are curious about what makes something a public land?  Or maybe your crew is interested in knowing more about how a national park is designated or named, how wildfires are managed, or who runs the concessions. Why are national parks considered the crown jewels? 

This summer is going to be especially fun to explore some of these questions, as the National Park Service is celebrating its birthday on August 25. Everyone is invited to share how they feel connected to parks at #YourParkStory or #NPSbirthday. Check out the park service social channels for information about celebrations, educational events, and other ways to engage. 

There are so many rich educational opportunities and worldschooling themes at Yellowstone National Park. As you start peeling back the layers and asking questions, you’ll uncover even more stories, more questions, and more shared educational adventures for your family. 

Resources

Here’s a list of some additional educational resources to help ignite your curiosity and wonder and to help instill in your children a deep sense of responsibility for our beloved national parks:

• Junior Ranger – Self-guided educational journey for kids four and older. Booklet + ranger badge upon completion.
• Young Scientist – Self-guided science exploration in visitor centers and in the field. Booklet + badge upon completion.
• Yellowstone Sound Library – Collection of sounds for visitors to experience the aural landscape of the park.
• Yellowstone Video Library – An extraordinary collection of video clips second only to being out in it. 
• Citizen Science – A publicly-funded program that uses crowdsourcing to engage ordinary citizens (you don’t have to be a scientist) in participatory and collaborative science. It’s a great worldschooling approach for the whole family to learn side by side. 
• Yellowstone Forever – A partnership with the National Park Service that provides educational opportunities and programs about wildlife, geology, and cultural history of the park. 
• Guided Painting and Photography Trips – A list of contacts and organizations that offer hands-on painting and photography excursions in the park. 
• Jobs, Internships and Volunteering in the Park – Information about paid experiences for youth and young adults. 
• Ranger Program – Yellowstone’s in-park ranger programs are available from Memorial Day through September. The park also has an archive of past live Ranger talks.

Here are some additional resources to help plan your Yellowstone adventure: 

• National Park Service planning Page.
• First Timers Guide to Yellowstone.
• Explore Yellowstone Like a Local Guidebook.
• Xanterra Parks and Recreation Website. 

And, finally, here are three tips for dealing with crowds in Yellowstone: 

• Visit in the off-season – And, if you love winter and are ready to be cold, consider venturing into the park in the winter months. The grizzlies are hibernating but everyone else is awake. Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and Cabins and Old Faithful Snow Lodge are open to guests! You can ski, snowshoe, and enjoy the bison and wolves, practically all to yourselves!
• If it works best for your situation to go in the summer, just embrace it. There’s a reason so many people go to Yellowstone. It’s AMAZING! So, share the wonder with the person to your left, to your right, in front of you, and behind you. The national parks are for all of us, forever. Accept and enjoy. 
• Get off the beaten path – There are over 1000 miles of hiking trails and 293 designated backcountry campsites at Yellowstone.

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If you have been on a commercial flight in the past few years, chances are you have come face to face with a carbon offset offer from the airline. It may have been a click enabling you to “fly green” or a calculator to help determine the carbon footprint of your trip.  

 What are Carbon Offsets?

A carbon offset is a mechanism to “cancel out” the amount of carbon associated with one activity by reducing emissions in another activity or a different location. The basis for the offsetting model is that greenhouse gases mix globally in the atmosphere, therefore it does not matter where we reduce carbon emissions. It’s just important that we reduce them. 

We should also recognize that the most vulnerable communities bear the worst of climate change impacts while contributing the least to the problem. Carbon offsets offer one way to help these communities by supporting sustainable development and alleviating poverty. 

For worldschooling families, understanding carbon offsets can help us travel sustainably and responsibly. The topic also provides a timely and fascinating worldschooling lesson in science, economics, geography, chemistry, entrepreneurship, and sustainability. Let’s look at how the carbon offset market began. 

 History of Carbon Offsets

In 1997, the United Nations hosted a meeting of countries where they adopted the first international climate agreement, the Kyoto Protocol. It mandated that some countries reduce their carbon emissions. Those countries in turn argued they could do a better job of reducing carbon emissions (it would cost less and they could do more) if they could “offset” their carbon emissions from anywhere on the planet. So, for example, a European signatory to the Kyoto Protocol could invest in planting forests in South America. The “carbon credits” that accrue from that reforestation project could be used to meet the carbon reduction obligations of that European country.

 Today, it’s not just countries undertaking offset activities. Companies, nonprofit organizations, investment houses, and travelers can make voluntary commitments to offset their carbon impact, helping to achieve broader sustainability goals. The popularity of voluntary carbon offsets has created an enormous market, which some industry analysts predict will reach $250 billion by 2050. 

Carbon Offsets in the Tourism Industry

The travel and tourism industry is responsible for about 10% of global carbon emissions. Every time we head out on a trip, drive to the airport, take a flight, sleep in a lodge, or use single use plastics, we generate carbon emissions. The airline industry is “on board,” so to speak, and is looking for ways to lessen its aviation carbon footprint through things like sustainable aviation fuels, route optimization, and more efficient aircraft. As travelers, we can get “on board” by flying less, walking or biking instead of driving, staying in hotels with solar panels, taking an overnight train instead of a regional flight, skipping the plastic straw, and recycling more. But, no matter how good of a job we do, no matter how good of a job the aviation industry does, there will always be more carbon to cut. That’s why carbon offsets are so important.  

Sometimes air travel is necessary.

Types of Carbon Offsets

There is a wide variety of carbon offset projects and platforms around the world. These projects enable individuals and organizations to balance their carbon impacts in a variety of ways. Some are nature-based projects that aim to enhance biodiversity, improve forest management, restore coastal ecosystems, and promote renewable fuels (such as solar and wind). Others are technology-based solutions that focus on improving manufacturing processes and cutting pollution at the source.

Below is a sample of carbon offset projects that illustrate the breadth of options available today:

Cool Effect is a nonprofit that supports a range of carbon-reducing projects. On the Cool Effect platform, organizations and individuals can calculate the impact of a planned event, activity, or business function, then purchase offsets through one of the vetted projects to achieve net zero emissions.  

One Tribe helps businesses fund rainforest projects by working directly with Indigenous landowners and forest conservation partners. The Great Bear Forest Project, Canada’s first Indigenous-led forest management project, is a fine example of One Tribe’s work. One Tribe also has an e-commerce plugin that helps businesses and consumers generate forest protection microdonations with every purchase. 

8 Billion Trees offers a selection of carbon offset projects that support the Amazon Rainforest and wildlife conservation. Concerned about ecosystem health and not just planting trees, 8 Billion Trees makes sure that the trees planted are endemic to the area.

Climate Vault – Climate Vault buys up permits that would allow carbon pollution, effectively “locking” those permits away and keeping tons of CO2 out of the atmosphere. 

United Nations Carbon Offset Platform – The United Nations Carbon Offset Platform is a one-stop shop to support those interested in offsetting their carbon impact. On the UN Platform you can first estimate household emissions and then select a project that balances out that impact. Some of the current projects are:

Solar Power in Korea that is replacing coal-fired power plants

Wind Power in Jamaica that is reducing fossil fuel use and preserving natural resources

Biogas Project in Cambodia that is recovering and utilizing methane, a greenhouse gas that is 28 times more potent than Carbon dioxide

All of the projects available through the UN Platform are Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)  projects. That means they are authorized by designated authorities and have a high level of  accountability.

The above examples represent a small fraction of the offset projects currently available. There is tremendous growth in the number and variety of programs on the market and we expect the continued proliferation as more companies and countries commit to climate action. 

Wind-powered travel!

 The Problems with Carbon Offsets 

While offsets can do good in the world by sequestering carbon, funding reforestation, enhancing conservation, and supporting local community sustainability, there are some serious problems to be aware of: 

1. Flight Carbon Calculators generate only an estimation – There are several tools to estimate the carbon impact of your flight and it’s super cool to plug in your data and see how much carbon will be emitted. But it’s not that straightforward. Nothing about carbon offsets is simple! Many factors can affect the emissions of a flight including type of aircraft, class of seating (first class is the worst since it takes up more space per person), how full the flight is, how the plane was fueled up, the weather conditions on the day of travel, etc.  
2. True cost– It’s often the case that for longer flights, the cost of an offset is insufficient to cancel out the true carbon impact. This New York Times Wirecutter article takes a deep dive into the question about whether buying that $20 offset actually cancels out the true environmental impact of a 5000 or 10,000-mile flight.  
3. Fraud and “Phantom Offsets” – In January 2023, the Guardian published a scathing report that exposed the failure of many rainforest offset projects, arguing that 90% of the offsets by the biggest certifier at the time were not actually leading to carbon reduction. It was a shocking and important revelation, as many large and reputable corporations were involved. The problem is basically a methodological one – it’s very difficult to know with confidence how much carbon one hectare of forest can sequester and how much impact can be credibly claimed. 
4. Quality assurance – There is no single standardizing or verifying body to check the veracity of all offset claims. However, there are many independent third-party organizations conducting rigorous analysis today. It’s critical that before purchasing an offset you look for proper accreditation and verification through such entities as American Carbon Registry, Gold Standard Impact Registry, and Verra. 
5. Greenwashing – Offsets alone will not solve the climate crisis. They must work in tandem with absolute emissions reductions. Some companies try to win over customers by saying they are green. They tout their offset programs while making no actual changes to their practices or business operations. According to United Airlines CEO, Scott Kirby, “The problem with offsets is that it’s basically saying you are going to plant trees, or saying you are not going to cut down trees. Nothing wrong with saving trees. But the reality is the vast majority of those projects are fraud. They are forests that were never going to be cut down or were forests that were going to be planted anyway. Even for legitimate projects, it’s not scalable. The problem is, everyone is using carbon offsets as the easy way to check the box. It’s too easy to say, ‘I’ve done my part for net zero.’” Scott Kriby is basically saying, “We can’t buy our way out of this problem.” 

The problems above may seem daunting but we mustn’t let them deter action. Instead, we can ask the hard questions, examine our choices, take the chance to learn together as a family, and be intentional. And as we weigh the tradeoffs that come with family travel, we can skip the guilt and instead welcome the opportunity for discovery, wonder, learning and making a positive impact. Carbon offsets are an important tool in our toolbox and they give us an opportunity to lighten our footprint on our one, our only, our beautiful home, Planet Earth.

To learn more about about carbon offsets and sustainable long-term travel, check out this carbon offset guide and our Wonder Year 2023 Earth Month post which dives a little deeper into the topic of sustainable travel.

Travel reminds us of all we have to lose.

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Travel shows are immersive experiences and being around thousands of other travel lovers energizes and builds camaraderie. Simply put, travel shows are exciting! 

Here are four reasons we are super excited for you to attend the Denver Travel and Adventure Show this January.

Destinations to Discover

The exhibit hall is packed with representatives of domestic and international destinations, tourism boards, and travel associations. Wandering the aisles, you can strike up conversations with exhibitors while generating new ideas for your wish list of places to go and experiences to have. If Africa is on your mind, you can meet with the Africa Tourism Association, Visit Tanzania, or Gorilla Trekking Safaris in Uganda. If you are curious about scuba diving, you can visit with folks from the Cayman Islands, Fiji, Belize, and Jamaica. If you know what you are looking for and are ready to book, or if you are in search of inspiration and new ideas, a travel show is a worthwhile excursion. The destination buzz is palpable and the diversity of exhibitors in one place makes for a very worthwhile and inspirational day trip!  

People to Meet 

In addition to travel professionals to schmooze, you’re likely to meet travel enthusiasts who love to talk about their personal adventures. Not all travelers are extroverted or gabby, but for sure, at a large travel show, you are likely to meet all kinds of people with all kinds of stories. Today, there is a growing population of multi-generational traveling families hitting the road. There are travelers with one kid, two kids, or no kids. Travelers who want to travel by boat, bike, or van, and others who purchase round-the-world airfares. You’ll meet travelers who are retired and living full time on the road, and solo travelers working remotely as digital nomads. At a travel show, you can meet LGBTQ+ travelers, experienced vagabonders, or people setting out for the first time. 

One of the best travel experiences of my life came about through a random conversation that started in line for coffee. I overheard the woman in front of me talking about her recent travels in Sicily, Italy where she did a work exchange. She harvested olives on a small farm and got free room and board in a gorgeous, 15th-century villa. She told me all about her hosts, the 100-year-old olive trees, the long lunches, and ample chianti! It sounded perfect. She shared the name and contact info of the hosts and I reached out to them. It was successful! One year later, my husband, our 9-year-old son, and I spent two weeks in Sicily, harvesting olives and living in a beautiful Italian villa. 

This year, some big names in the travel space are speaking at the Denver Travel Show including Peter Greenberg, Pauline Frommer, and Andrew McCarthy. With so many interesting (and famous!) people in attendance, you just never know who might be standing in front of you in the coffee line!  

Travel Trends to Track 

A third reason to attend the Denver Travel and Adventure Show is to hear about trends, tips, and tricks that may save you time, dollars, and hassles! Travel planning and logistics are always changing, and all weekend long the featured speakers will be sharing helpful travel information. You’ll gain practical insights about seamless domestic and international air travel; tips for finding the best deals, how to stay safe and informed, new ideas for packing light and smart and what to do when things go wrong. To be sure, you’ll hear useful nuggets so bring a pen and notebook. We are certain you will leave more informed than when you arrived. 

Giveaways

A final bonus of attending travel shows in person is the swag, special deals, and chance to win giveaways. Wonder Year is doing a Kindle Giveaway valued at $99. We’ll take entries all day on Saturday and do the giveaway at 1 pm on Sunday. Five runners-up will receive a signed travel book by local Colorado authors including Jon Krakauer, Brook Eddy, Joshua Berman, and more.  Other vendors offer discounts on excursions and tours, lodging, and gear rentals and often there’s a grand prize that someone’s got to win!  

Last year we attended the Denver Travel Show as observers, taking in all that the Show had to offer. This year we are thrilled to be on the other side. I am a featured speaker, presenting Wanderlust Masterclass: A Roadmap for Epic Adventures (Even with Kids!) on the Savvy Traveler Theater stage on January 20th at 3:15. Wonder Year also has Booth 910 the entire show where we look forward to meeting new friends and sharing our book, Wonder Year: A Guide to Long-Term Family Travel and Worldschooling. I’m happy to sign your book. Use promo code: WONDERYEAR24 to receive $6 off regularly priced tickets ($20) today! #DenverTravelShow and drop by to see us!

Related posts: Wonder Year to Present at the Denver Travel & Adventure Show

The post Four Reasons to Attend The Denver Travel and Adventure Show, January 20-21 appeared first on Wonder Year Travel.

A Note on Preparing for Winter Travel

As parents, we know kids are happier when they are comfortable, and staying comfortable in cold weather takes a little extra care. Being warm is not just a matter of comfort, it is also often a matter of safety. We encourage you to think ahead and plan for your winter wardrobe, gear, transportation, accommodations, and experiences. You may encounter delays at airports or on trains or have to winterize your campervan sooner than expected. Especially if you are traveling at higher elevations, be ready for wind, snow, and a sudden drop in temperature.

As you get ready for the change of seasons, we encourage you to involve your kids in the planning and preparation. Who knew that just getting dressed on a snowy day could be a lesson in fabric technology and thermoregulation? Or that readying your rig can be a STEM lesson in fluid dynamics and systems design? Simply figuring things out as a family, with intention and time, helps transform a basic task into a rich educational adventure.

Winter Worldschooling Ideas

There are hundreds of winter activities that are inherently educational and fun. Depending on the age of your children, your manner of travel, and how much you like being exposed to the elements, you can find the right mix. Below is a starter list of wintertime experiential learning ideas categorized as 1) Outdoor Learning, 2) Indoor Adventure, 3) Worldschooling Communities, and 4) Theme-based Discovery.

New ways to go fast, with the friendliest, most enthusiastic horsepower

Winter Outdoor Learning

A Wonder Year is a great time to improve your winter skills and sports. It’s also a great time to pursue new hobbies and ventures. So, bundle up and:

• Enjoy an afternoon of sledding and building jumps. Take some time to dig into the snow, look at the layers, and see what types of snow crystals you can find.

• Spend the day ice skating on a lake or pond. Learn to measure the depth of ice and check for safety or figure out what animals or organisms live in the chilly waters below. While you’re out there, try some ice fishing.

• Check the weather forecast and learn about different types of winter storms. Here’s a great resource on winter weather from NOAA’s National Severe Storms Lab.

• Check out a dog sledding adventure and learn commands like Hike! Gee! Haw!

• Go on a winter horseback ride or a hot cocoa sleigh ride. What a special way to learn about a region!

• Build an igloo and explore other forms of winter shelters – snow caves, quinzhees, snow trenches, and drift caves. How does an igloo stay warm? How does convection transfer heat? Do people actually live in snow shelters?

• Take a winter first aid class. Learn about unique winter medical problems such as frostbite, hypothermia, and sprains from falling. Double-check your first aid kit to make sure you are prepared for all-season injuries.

• Try winter tent camping. Check out this great advice from REI.

• Learn how to build a fire in the snow. Snowshoe Magazine has this informative article on building a winter campfire.

• Track animal prints in the snow. What can you deduce about animal behavior by looking at their tracks? This US Fish and Wildlife site helps piece together the clues.

• Go birding. Often, without leaves on the trees, spotting birds is easier in the winter. Who doesn’t love hiking with binoculars? Maybe you can make bird feeders as the birds begin to return.

• Take a tour of ice and snow sculptures. While we think of ice sculptures as contemporary decorative forms, there’s a great history lesson in learning about the earliest functional uses of ice and snow sculpture.

• Visit local hot springs. Can you explain what makes hot springs hot? What is geothermal heat?

• Tap a maple tree and make syrup. What are the laws around tapping maple trees on public land? What is foraging and who is allowed to forage wild foods on public lands? Here is some information from USDA on foraging and harvesting indigenous and wild plants.

• Take a snowshoeing adventure. For the super industrious, you can try to make snowshoes and then go for a hike! Here are 10 tips from Snowshoe Magazine for making snowshoeing great fun with kids.

• Hike in the daytime or nighttime. Maybe add some spikes!

• Try Nordic Skiing! A great way to begin is on waxless cross-country skis. If you are new to the sport, a family lesson is well worth the cost. In just an hour or so, you’ll be kicking and gliding down a snowy trail together.

Cozy in the snow, lots to do in the cabin

Winter Indoor Learning

With shorter days and inclement weather, winter is also an excellent time for indoor field trips and seasonal discoveries. And because traditional school is in session, many museums and indoor venues will be less crowded and may offer discounted entrance fees. Be sure to check the hours of operation and then go wild with these indoor adventures:

• Visit a children’s museum, natural history museum, discovery center, planetarium, or science center. Look for hands-on activities to deepen the learning.

• Check the event schedule at local bookstores and libraries and take a morning to browse, read, slow down, and maybe catch a special event.

• Arrange a tour of public places like the local post office, fire department, television or radio station. Public television and radio stations support public access and welcome visitors. Call ahead and ask for the promotions manager to arrange a visit.

• Take an art class, a cooking class, or visit a makerspace. Here’s a makerspace directory to help you find places to learn, discover, and create near you!

• Learn about governmental and nonprofit organizations in your current location. You can visit the county courthouse, city hall, board of education, or historical society. There are often great exhibits and displays that are self-guided. With some advanced planning, you can also arrange to meet with an elected official.

• Visit an animal shelter and take a pup out for a walk. The Humane Society has chapters around the world, so that might be a great place to look for a meaningful outing or a volunteer opportunity.

• Find a yarn shop, pick out some beautiful yarn, and learn to knit. Maybe teddy bear gets a scarf first.

• Visit grocery stores and local markets to talk about where winter food comes from. What is local? What travels internationally? What is canned or frozen?

• Bake together. If you have access to an oven, winter is a great time to improve your baking skills. What do the locals bake? Where can you get ingredients? How about creating a metric conversion chart? Maybe you can do a little math and double the recipe then share your yummy baked goods with a neighbor or new friends?

Exploring an old mine is a great way to understand Western history

Worldschooling Communities

Many families are excited to find community on the road, and good news: there is a growing number of worldschooling and digital nomad pop-ups and hubs around the world. These are communities where traveling families connect, learn, and explore together. You can look on worldschooling Facebook pages such as Worldschoolers,  Worldschooling Central, and many others to learn about winter worldschooling gatherings.

One worldschooling hub is in Bansko, Bulgaria. Initiated in 2016 by a German entrepreneur, this gem of a city is beautifully situated at the base of the Pirin National Park and is the largest ski resort in the Balkans. “Work anywhere families” are discovering Bansko’s magic in all four seasons. There are co-working spaces, language schools, and innovative education ideas that co-evolve with the residents. Check out the Bankso Worldschooling Facebook page. Wintertime is special in Bansko for the international vibe, reasonably priced accommodations, and easy access to fantastic skiing. The annual Bansko Nomad Fest is happening in June 2024 for anyone interested in checking out this region.

The beauty of ice and light will open up the imagination!

Theme-based Winter Discovery

Another way to enrich your family’s winter learning is to pick a theme and create a learning module around it. Here are a few examples.

Say you want to explore various aspects of the Winter Solstice. You could:

• Discover how the Winter Solstice is celebrated in different cultures in both hemispheres.

• Read The Shortest Day written by Susan Cooper, illustrated by Carson Ellis. According to the author, this book is a family celebration of the light coming back after the dark threatens to take over the world. Here’s a special Picture This segment from NPR about The Shortest Day.

• Create a solstice lesson on shadows and length. Here’s an excellent resource from NASA’s Earth Observatory for Kids: All About that Tilt, Sun and Seasons. 

• Plan a Winter Solstice activity like making a snowman or baking a solstice sun bread.

Maybe winter animals could inform your family’s winter discovery. You might:

• Check out any number of documentaries about amazing animals that live in the cold weather, such as BBC’s Snow Animals series available on Amazon or the animated series Animals in Winter available for free on PBS.

• Learn some key terms such as endemic, indigenous, hibernation, cold-blooded, warm-blooded, migration, toleration, adaptation, subnivean, snag.

• Go on a ranger-led snowshoe hike to learn about winter animal behavior and try to find some tracks.

• Take a winter photo workshop/safari.

Another possible theme is winter food and nutrition exploration. You could:

• Explore local winter food traditions wherever you are.

• Study how your winter nutritional needs are different from summer nutritional needs.

• Learn how indigenous people survive the winter months. What methods do they use to preserve food, such as canning, preserving, and smoking? Here’s one example about the Susquehannock people of New York’s Finger Lakes region.

• Visit a local farmer and find out what they do in the winter.

• Take a cooking class.

• Learn to make jam or bake scones.

You could also choose a winter literary classic and build an experiential module around the themes of the book. Here are some ideas to get you started: Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner, Red Sled by Lita Judge, and The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. For older readers, check out Tracker by Gary Paulson, The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Jack London’s Call of the Wild.

We studied ski-cology

A Personal Note from Julie:

My family chose skiing as our winter theme. As Coloradans, we look forward to winter every year. We have family traditions around the coming of winter – attending the local ski swap and going to the screening of the Warren Miller ski movie at the Boulder Theater.

As a youngster, my son was an alpine ski racer. He loved winter in the mountains so much that when he was seven he changed his middle name to “Snow.” It was only natural that when we took off for our Wonder Year a year later, we’d take a deep dive into winter worldschooling. We spent a full month in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah studying snow science, the snow sports industry, ski area sustainability, product design, and avalanche rescue. Most ski resorts in the area had a sustainability officer or Green Team who was willing to meet with us about their environmental management practices, such as recycling, composting, water and energy conservation, and wildlife protection. Mountain operations taught us about the technical side of snowmaking, and explained water supply and the strategies lift operations uses to conserve energy. The more we began to appreciate all that goes on at a ski area, the more questions we had. We learned about base area design, special use permitting, forest management, and guest relations. One area that was really exciting for us to learn about was Ski Patrol. The patrollers were so open and friendly. Johnny was particularly interested in their work with avalanche forecasting and controlling. We learned how avalanche rescue dogs are incorporated into the safety operation. (And, can I add, they are so cute!) We also toured a local ski company with zero waste operations and learned about their manufacturing processes using bamboo as an innovative material for skis.

During our winter worldschooling, we followed our passion and created a rich educational adventure at the same time. Here are a couple of tips for families who share a love of skiing:

Pro tip #1: At some resorts, kids who are good skiers can volunteer to help “sweep” the mountain at the end of the day. This includes skiing slowly down a slope,  going to the sides, and looking around to make sure there are no stranded skiers in need of assistance.

Pro tip #2: Downhill skiing can be expensive, but there are ways to make it more affordable. The industry today has mountain consortia, or groups of resorts that go in together. Skiers with these passes, such as the Epic, Ikon, or Mountain Collective, offer access to multiple resorts in the US, Europe, Japan, Chili, Argentina, Australia, and others. More locations are added each year so If you are a family that loves skiing, it might be worth taking a look at these pass options.

As long-term family travelers, we have time. So, follow your bliss. Go deeper. Unpack learning opportunities when you are doing ordinary and extraordinary things. Back home, unless it’s a “snow day,” many kids only get to spend 20 minutes outside during recess in the winter. On the road, we get a recess from that predictable routine. Traveling prompts us to notice, observe, and wonder about educational adventures buried in snow or illuminated by ice. We wish you a winter wonderland filled with fresh powder and mountains of discovery.

The post Winter Worldschooling Wonderland appeared first on Wonder Year Travel.

Our Presentation

We will be making presentations at both the Denver and the Bay Area (March 2024) events. In a session entitled, Wanderlust Masterclass: A Roadmap for Epic Adventures (Even with Kids!), we will help the audience prepare for their epic adventure of a lifetime. Our presentation on the Savvy Traveler Stage will include critical information about closing up life at home, funding extended travel, planning an itinerary, staying healthy on the road, and coming home when the time is right. The Wanderlust Masterclass will be valuable for curious and experienced travelers, industry professionals, parents, destination representatives looking to understand the family travel sector, remote workers, soon-to-be grandparents, and anyone with wanderlust in their hearts. 

Travel and Adventure Community

This year marks the 20th year of the Travel & Adventure Show series, which has inspired and connected over 2.1 million travel enthusiasts with advisors, industry experts, and media. The Denver Travel & Adventure show will take place at the Colorado Convention Center on January 20 and 21, 2024. The Bay Area Travel Show happens on March 16-17, 2024 at the Santa Clara Convention Center. Other stops in the series include Chicago, New York, Phoenix, Washington DC, Atlanta, and Dallas. According to recent market research, Travel & Adventure Show attendees are considered “power travelers.” They are eagerly looking to make domestic and international travel plans. They come to the Travel & Adventure Show prepared to make decisions, and 95% of attendees say they find the shows valuable and plan to return to the show in subsequent years.

We’re delighted to be among some leading voices in the travel space, including Andrew McCarthy (actor, director, and travel writer), Pauline Frommer (Co-President of Frommer Media), Peter Greenberg (Emmy Award-winning investigative reporter), and Patricia Schultz (author of 1000 Places to See Before You Die). And we can’t wait to meet more like-minded lovers of travel! In addition to a conference format with a full lineup of speakers, the Travel & Adventure Show also has a dynamic exhibition hall with thousands of travel experts offering inspiration and guidance. In the hall, attendees can meet with destination specialists and other professionals and find special promotional deals and travel incentives while making connections across a vast community. 

Come Say Hello

We are thrilled that copies of Wonder Year will be available at pop-up bookstores during each event—Barnes and Noble (Booth 906 in Denver) and Hicklebees (Booth 317 in the Bay Area). These bookstores will host author meet and greets + book signings after the Wonder Year speaking event.

We are thankful for our partnership with the 2024 Travel & Adventure Show, as our respective organizations exist for very similar reasons. We want to support all types of travelers in pursuit of a fulfilling and enriching life through travel, discovery, and adventure. We want to help them dream up, personalize, and start planning their next big trip, and we know that amazing things can happen during in-person meetings like the Travel & Adventure Show. If you’d like to attend the show this year, you can use the promo code: WONDERYEAR24 to get tickets for $12, which is $6 off regularly priced entry tickets.

A Personal Note from Julie:

I am so excited to participate as a featured speaker at the #DenverTravelShow. When I came back from 13 months of travel with my family, I had an overwhelming desire to climb to the highest mountain and shout out to everyone, “GO! Get out on the road with your family! You can do it!” Our trip was hands-down the best year ever for me, my husband, and our son. It created a backpack full of shared memories for our family and a sense of connection with people and places around the globe. 

Having the chance to be on the Savvy Traveler Stage in Denver and the Bay Area feels like being on top of that mountain and shouting to the world, “You’ve got this, friend. Let’s go!” 

See you in Denver or the Bay Area!

Come on down and say hello!

The post Wonder Year to Present at the Denver Travel & Adventure Show appeared first on Wonder Year Travel.

Time to wonder!

I want to write this blog about sustainable family travel without sounding trite, but I have to start by saying something pretty obvious – we only get one chance to live the life we want, and we only have one magnificent planet on which to live it. Our choices matter to us and future generations. Let’s choose to activate long-term sustainability solutions through hope and inspiration rather than fear and doomsaying.

This is not a sustainability blog that lists green travel tips. That, you can read in an excellent piece by The Points Guy entitled 8 sustainable travel tips from expert green travelers. 

Neither is this a blog that features must-have eco-travel products. That, you can find in a great summary by cnn.com entitled 30 of the best eco-friendly travel products to take on your next trip. 

Nor is this a blog about how to reduce your travel carbon footprint. Important? Yes! But not what this blog is about. You can read this National Geographic article to learn about 10 ways to reduce your carbon emissions when traveling. 

This blog explores how sustainable family travel can empower the next generation of environmental stewards in our kids as they connect to nature, experience awe, and engage in grassroots solutions. Of course, if achieving sustainable development were strictly a math problem based on carbon footprint, we wouldn’t travel at all. But arriving at meaningful solutions requires creativity, changes in attitudes, and a whole lot more than simply not flying. Travel feeds diversity and diversity helps us think outside the box. In many ways, travel, when done thoughtfully, can contribute to a sustainable future. That’s a big claim. Let’s break it down.

What is Sustainable Family Travel?

We can think of sustainable family travel as a manner of travel that minimizes harm to the natural and cultural environment while maximizing economic vitality for local people. Inherent in this definition of sustainable travel is an educational intention to understand both how our travels impact communities and the environment, and how we can make a positive difference. We see sustainability as an ethic, a framework, and the end goal of our travel decisions and behavior. 

So what is our promise to future generations? How can we ensure our grandkids and their kids have forests to explore, rivers to run, wilderness to wander? One important thing we can do is take them there! Through long-term family travel and worldschooling, we can teach our children to care. We can teach our children to act. We can teach our children well. 

Spring-fed water in Lucca, Italy

Connecting Children to Nature 

Worldschooling is a perfect way to raise little sustainability lovers. We know that those who care about a place are more likely to work to protect that place, so why not expose our children to rainforests, high prairie, coastal wetlands, and more? Experiencing nature over weeks and months lays down a fertile layer of care in our children. 

Traveling the world with kids is their ticket to guardianship, to feeling invested and part of a community. This is especially true for long-term travelers, who often have more time to experience and get to know a place. On the road, there is time to saunter. As Rolf Potts, author of Vagabonding and the Vagabond’s Way, likes to say, “You can walk until your day becomes interesting.” We can savor the experiences, connect with the locals, and learn their ways, their songs, and customs. As long-term travelers, we can settle into a place, discover what everyone is up to, and get involved. The imprint of this direct experience is indelible and it switches on in our kids a personal connection.  

When my family took our Wonder Year, we designed an itinerary that led us deep into the wilderness, along rugged shorelines, into historic places and local communities. We wanted our son to meet people everywhere and have diverse first-hand experiences with unique places that hold cultural, natural, historical, and spiritual value. We believe that conservationists are born out of love for the natural world so if we could turn Johnny on to all kinds of amazing places as a youngster, we knew he would work to protect those amazing places as an adult. 

The Power of Awe 

Many teens cite climate change as a major source of the mental health crisis. Dystopian novels are not helpful; more exposure to doomsaying takes away the magic and beauty of the world outside.

The large herds of bison that roam Yellowstone are an excellent example of sustainability at work. Their grazing, among other benefits, helps cycle rich nutrients into back plants and protects soil moisture.

When we are traveling, we have time to notice the little things, and we have time to really experience the big things. Maybe we will find out about a concert happening in a few days or a festival, foot race, or community gardening event. As travelers, we can re-route to an awe-inspiring experience and in these moments, we gain openness, understanding, humility, a sense of wellbeing, and altruism. How wonderful to drop pins of hope again and again as we experience awe side by side with our kids. Often unplanned, these awesome moments make us pause and feel the profound beauty of the universe, the grandeur of things so much bigger than we are. Indeed we can experience awe at home, it’s just that as long-term travelers, we live so close to nature, and are in new places all the time. This daily dose of wonder helps our children develop compassion, concern for others, and optimism, all components of a sustainability mindset. 

Engagement in Grassroots Environmental Solutions 

Another reality of traveling as a family is the preponderance of grassroots worldschooling opportunities. These sustainability sessions can be either chance encounters or planned engagements. 

A chance encounter might look like this: When dropping into a local cafe, park, or library, you read the bulletin board, pick up the local paper, or talk to the barista to get the local scoop. Travelers looking to learn, as worldschooling families do naturally, can simply scratch below the surface to find out what’s happening around them. They can learn what the locals are concerned with. It might be the protection

Heading out for a full day with the Anacostia Riverkeeper, an amazing organization that works to protect, restore and connect people and the local community to the Anacostia River in Maryland and Washington DC. Thank you, Trey!

of wildlife habitat for endemic species like rhinos in Namibia or big horned sheep in Colorado. You might be in a surf shop in Baja and hear about coastal protection efforts like in Cabo Pulmo, Mexico where the resolve of the local community led to the creation of a Natural Protected Area. Today, the coral reef and surrounding communities are thriving. Annika and her family met, by chance, some Canadian college-aged members of Surfrider while they were in Costa Rica. They took them out for a nice casado lunch to learn more about their projects, and have stayed in touch on social media ever since to follow their careers in sustainability and mission-driven business. With knowledge of local concerns and priorities, travelers can then take the next step and find out what local solutions are in play. Find out what the young people are doing and get involved in the grassroots action.

A planned approach might involve advanced research to see if you can arrange site tours, meetings, and participation in an event. Even before we left for our Wonder Year, our family reached out to a national nonprofit that supports community-driven watershed protection, an issue we care about and were professionally involved with. We became “family ambassadors” for the group and as we traveled across the United States, we met with river heroes and sustainability champions to learn about local struggles and solutions. We wrote some articles to help share their success stories. We participated in river clean-ups, green infrastructure projects, and community service work throughout our entire Wonder Year. Through this type of solutions-focused engagement, we can turn our travel experiences into fieldwork, advocacy, and exploration. 

Bringing it Home

Doing some planting in Prescott, Arizona as part of a green infrastructure project.

Traveling as a family, and seeking to learn, connect, and engage is an excellent way to be part of a solution. It is also an excellent way to control stress and help our kids find their agency to feel hopeful about the future rather than sad and helpless. There are so many ways to engage, and here we offer just a small sample of solutions-focused resources. We are especially impressed with, and inspired by, the brilliance of young leaders and how they articulate a vision for the future and mobilize peers and adults alike. 

Patagonia Action Works – connects individuals to environmental action groups around the world

Fridays for Future – youth-led climate activist network started by Greta Thunberg

American Climate Corp – newly launched campaign to train young people in clean energy, climate resilience, and conservation

UNICEF Toolkit for Young Climate Activists – information that helps prepare young people to be fully engaged in issues that matter to them

UN Youth2030 Strategy – an overarching framework for the UN to broadly and meaningfully engage young people across three priorities areas: peace and security, human rights and sustainable development.

Brand Ambassadors – Many companies and nonprofits have “brand sustainability ambassador” programs. Reach out to see if a partnership opportunity would work for your family. 

The post Sustainable Family Travel: A Curious Path to Action appeared first on Wonder Year Travel.

A Certified B Corporation, Discover Corps is a trailblazing company that understands the power of travel to make positive changes in both travelers and the communities they visit. We at Wonder Year appreciate and admire their impact and share the desire to help traveling families deepen their understanding, empathy, and connection to people and communities around the world. 

Thank you to Lynne Corvaglia, Travel Specialist, and Alex Dubois, Executive Director, for sharing your insights and perspectives. 

Please tell us how Discover Corps started. 

Founded in 2011, Discover Corps was created to harness the power of travel – aiming to foster peace by forging ties of cultural understanding between people of different cultures. We also have a social mission to protect and preserve the geographic, ecological, and cultural environments we visit.

Founded upon the core tenets of volunteer service, sustainable travel, and cultural sensitivity, Discover Corps creates experiences that resonate with travelers from all parts of the world. Embracing our shared humanity, we facilitate positive change in the people we guide and the places we travel.

Discover Corps is part of Terra Education’s portfolio of travel & education programs. We were founded as the second brand in the Terra family following the success of the Global Leadership Adventure’s teen service-learning programs. 

Can you tell us a little about your background and how you got involved with Discover Corps? 

I joined Discover Corps in 2012 shortly after it was established. Prior to this, I was living all over the world – from Poland to Germany to Australia – and, through these experiences, developed a passion for travel and all of the ways that it could be used to improve communities across the globe. Beyond this, I wanted to be involved in a business that worked as a force for good in the world. 

Discover Corps (and Terra Education) are B Corporations meaning that they have a social responsibility enshrined in their operations. With this, I helped develop Discover Corps from a small project of just two destinations to over 20 destinations that we offer today. It has been a fascinating experience meeting people and seeing places all around this big, wide, beautiful world of ours.

What kind of travelers do you serve? What kind of trips do you offer? 

Discover Corps serves a diverse range of travelers, from families and solo adventurers to couples and groups of friends. We also provide B2B trips for corporations, universities, and organizations.  Our mission is to provide meaningful travel experiences for those who seek a deeper connection with the world and have a desire to make a positive impact while exploring new cultures.

We offer a wide variety of trip options to cater to different interests and travel styles. Our programs include family-friendly adventures, volunteer opportunities, wildlife conservation projects, cultural immersion experiences, and more. Whether you’re looking for an educational journey, an adventure in nature, or a chance to give back to the communities you visit, we have a program that suits your preferences.

Our programs typically focus on destinations in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean, and we work closely with local communities and organizations to create unique and enriching travel experiences.

What are the educational opportunities you offer for kids and adults on your trips? 

At Discover Corps, we believe that travel is one of the most powerful educational experiences for both kids and adults. Our trips are designed to be immersive and educational, offering a wide range of opportunities for learning. For kids, our trips provide a chance to explore new cultures, learn about wildlife conservation, and engage in hands-on activities that foster a sense of curiosity and discovery. They might participate in interactive workshops, visit local schools, or even take part in community service projects. 

For adults, our trips offer opportunities to gain a deeper understanding of the world through interactions with local experts, cultural immersion experiences, and educational excursions to historical sites or natural wonders. Our trips often include guided discussions and workshops on topics like environmental conservation, sustainable tourism, and local traditions.

Both kids and adults have the chance to connect with local communities, fostering a sense of global citizenship and empathy. We believe that these educational experiences can have a lasting impact, broadening perspectives and inspiring a commitment to responsible travel.

We know that the impact of travel is very important to you. Can you tell us about how your trips and partnerships impact communities, the environment, and wildlife? 

Every Discover Corps itinerary is designed around a unique purpose that connects travelers to local communities in a meaningful way and gives a deeper understanding of a unique and extraordinary part of the world. And it is the local organizations, projects, and inspiring local leaders that bring these experiences to life. Throughout the world, Discover Corps seeks partners that are involved in a range of causes and missions that work to improve their communities, local wildlife, and the world as a whole.

These partnerships are the heart of the Discover Corps experience. Not only do they provide you with a rich, completely unique behind-the-scenes experience, but also allow you to see the world through a different lens – one that you may carry with you long after the trip. Your decision to travel with Discover Corps has ripple effects across these communities supporting these organizations and projects financially and creating advocates for change. Regardless of the destination, all of our trips will impact not only the communities we visit, but you and your family in a positive way.

Discover Corps has a different idea about family travel. How do you differentiate yourself from other travel companies?

Our trips are designed around people, communities, and projects that reflect our commitment to inspiring our travelers to explore and do good across the globe. Many of these partnerships we’ve carried for over a decade (and sometimes even longer via our sister organization Global Leadership Adventures). These unique connections allow for an experience that is completely unrivaled – taking our travelers behind the scenes and a layer deeper into the places that we visit. We’ve realized that this resonates well with families not only because it leads to a richer travel experience, but also because it forms irreplaceable bonds between parents and their children. 

Beyond this, we specifically work with small, boutique properties around the world that allow for a diverse, yet comfortable experience. We offer children’s pricing on all of our trips and design our dates so that they specifically fall over school holidays. Our guides, the heartbeat of our organization, are some of the best family-friendly hosts out there. In short, we tailor each aspect of our trip to help create a memorable experience for families looking to go beyond the norm.

Can you tell us a little bit about the pricing and logistics of your programs? 

Our trips vary in pricing and logistics depending on the destination and the duration of the trip. The best way to obtain detailed information about a specific program is to request an itinerary or check out our catalog and pricing online. In most cases (with some exceptions such as for Galapagos and Uganda), it costs only $395 to reserve a spot on one of our trips. Full payment for your trip is due 30 days after booking or 60 days prior to departure if you are on an interest-free payment plan where your balance gets stretched out but must be paid in full 60 days prior to departure.

Once you sign up for a trip, our dedicated pre-departure team, specializing in the country you are visiting, will assist you in preparing for your trip. They provide resources such as visa recommendations, packing lists, arrival and departure times, and more. Upon your arrival at your destination, we will pick you up from the airport and take care of you for the duration of your trip. All of our trips are locally guided, meaning you will have a local bilingual guide throughout the entire trip who can help you delve deeper and provide education about the area. Our guides are the heart and soul of our trips. Our packages include 3-5 star accommodations, most meals, local transportation, and activities. International airfare is not included, but we have a flight partner that can assist in booking flights. If there are local flights in the itinerary, we include a supplement fee, but we handle the coordination on your behalf. Additionally, all of our trips include medical insurance and emergency evacuation insurance.

What are some of your most popular destinations right now? Why do you think families are drawn to these places?  

Our most popular destinations right now include Costa Rica and Thailand. Families are drawn to these places for several reasons. In Costa Rica, it’s the stunning biodiversity and eco-adventures that create the perfect backdrop for family bonding and learning about conservation efforts. In Thailand, the vibrant culture, friendly locals, and diverse landscapes make it a top choice for families seeking both cultural enrichment and relaxation. Additionally, spending time at a reputable elephant sanctuary is often a highlight for many.

Overall, families are increasingly seeking vacations that offer a balanced mix of education, adventure, and cultural immersion, and these destinations align perfectly with those desires. Our programs in these locations are tailored to cater to multigenerational families, ensuring a meaningful and enjoyable experience for everyone.

What makes you most proud about Discover Corps?   

What makes us most proud at Discover Corps is the positive impact we have on both travelers and the communities we visit. Seeing our travelers return with a deeper understanding of the world, a stronger sense of empathy, and a commitment to sustainable travel is incredibly rewarding.

We take pride in our partnerships with local organizations and communities, which allow us to contribute to meaningful, long-lasting change in the places we visit. From supporting local schools to supporting wildlife conservation efforts, we believe in responsible tourism that benefits both our travelers and the destinations they explore

Additionally, our dedicated team and the testimonials from our satisfied travelers are a constant source of pride and motivation for us. We’re committed to making each Discover Corps journey a transformative and unforgettable experience. We love having a family come back with incredible stories and memories that will last a lifetime. 

Is there anything else you want to share? 

Since the age of 13, I’ve been exploring the world, immersing myself in the rich tapestry of diverse cultures and customs. From the bustling streets of India to the majestic landscapes of Kenya, Ghana, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Brazil, Guatemala, and more, my travels have gifted me with a profound appreciation for the beauty of our global community. I am originally from Ontario, Canada, but I now call Turrialba, Costa Rica, my home. By day, I serve as a travel specialist for Discover Corps, where I have the privilege of helping you fellow adventurers embark on unforgettable journeys!

In the background, I’m also a proud co-owner of Wearsos, a social enterprise dedicated to reducing waste, boosting rural economies, and creating spaces for education and empowerment. We work magic by upcycling discarded Southwest Airlines seats in rural Costa Rica, offering employment opportunities to women in remote areas while crafting unique, sustainable products such as purses, backpacks, etc.

That is also why I love working for Discover Corps so much, a company that shares my passion for making a positive impact on the world. I love the way they support sustainable tourism all around the world which helps support communities doing incredible work! So if you’re as passionate about travel, culture, and sustainable living as I am, let’s connect! Whether you’re seeking travel tips, inspiration, or just a friendly chat about our trips, I’m here to share.

We hope this proves to be a great resource for you when planning your Wonder Year. We know we’re inspired!

Check out their website to learn more or request a catalog.

www.discovercorps.com

Follow Discover Corps

@discovercorps

The post Community Connectors: Discover Corps appeared first on Wonder Year Travel.

Moving through the reality of COVID gave us all more experience with online work, new technologies, and platforms like Zoom and Google Meet. It also created new ways of making financial transactions, more robust marketing platforms, and an entirely new ecosystem for digital work. 

Industry experts predict that by 2035 there will be one billion digital nomads working remotely around the globe. Communities and hubs are popping up around the world where digital nomads are coming together to collaborate, support, and inspire each other. There are many ways to make it happen. Let’s take a look at a few models of working on the road. 

Location Dependent Work 

Some travelers work in roles connected to a specific place or season. For example, a hydrologist may work for six months designing and locating a well and helping with water supply planning. Our friend, Ang, took a position at a private school in Paris teaching upper-level English literature. Others may land positions as campground hosts, nurses, or painters. Jobs like these can have defined

As the owner of a record store, Will is always networking and buying and selling vinyl. Mr. Vinyl Guru in Nairobi was the best!

start and end dates, and during this period of employment, families can “live lean” and save large portions of their income to be put toward future travel periods.  

Take Your Job with You 

Increasing numbers of employees and business owners are location independent. They can go anywhere and take their job with them. Annika’s family owned a small business while they traveled, and she and Will created a way to keep running the business from afar. They scheduled meetings with the team back home on days they knew they would be in locations with reliable wifi and no background noise or distractions. These pre-arranged, consistent meetings were a key ingredient in keeping the business successful throughout their Wonder Year.

Take Your Skills With You 

You may have a skill set that is useful throughout the world, such as being a teacher, doctor, fitness instructor, or arborist. Some families build their travel itinerary around wherever the next job takes them. The income earned locally can help cover accommodations and other expenses in this “slow travel” mode. Sites such as Workaway allow hosts to recruit workers who can babysit, garden, cook, build, or provide other services in exchange for accommodations and wages, and often both parties benefit from the cultural exchange. 

Travel as Your Job

Some travelers thrive on writing about and photographing their adventures. This content might be turned into blog features, and some families are able to sell advertising on their websites, generating income. Some super-motivated travelers are able to establish themselves as social media influencers, posting about their experiences and securing sponsorships from well-known brands. While this may sound like an alluring pursuit, keep in mind that it takes time and consistent effort to be able to generate reliable income from it. 

Busy at work!

Teens Working on the Road 

Earning income on the road is not just for adults! Teens wishing to work and earn money during a Wonder Year can search for online business opportunities. For instance, they might engage in digital design, writing, podcasting, or other content creation. They can look for tutoring jobs or ways to broker goods in online or physical marketplaces. Talk with your teens and help them explore opportunities as global citizens—they might find inspiration and influence from their unique traveling vantage points.

Logistics

One important aspect of working in any kind of job on the road is to determine how it fits in with the rest of your Wonder Year experience. You’ll need to figure out how to make the time and space for work, and how this will impact the whole family as you live together 24/7. It can be especially challenging if all parents are working and children are doing online education at the same time. Desk space may be in short supply if everyone needs to spread out and maintain work or school materials. And what about time zones? Will you have to log on at 3:00 am to take part in a training back in the home office? One professional based in Brooklyn, NY worked with health partners in Africa. It was hard to work through the night at home and she found that living in Europe and the Middle East for the year eliminated the time-zone stress and created great worldschooling opportunities. A little planning can go a long way, so consider these additional working-while-traveling logistics: 

1. WiFi – If you need reliable WiFi, consider doing a speed test in advance. When booking a hotel room or Airbnb, you can ask to have a practice session where they do the test and share the results with you real-time. Some hosts may overstate the reliability of their WiFi, so don’t find out the hard way. You can also travel with a WiFi extender or booster, which can amplify the signal coming from a router or hotspot. 
2. Digital Nomad Visas – Digital nomad visas permit visitors to remain in a country while they are earning income. These visas can vary in length of stay and each country that offers them may have special requirements, limitations, and costs. Things are changing very quickly in this space, so it’s best to do your research or speak with an immigration attorney to make sure you understand your rights and responsibilities as a digital nomad. 
3. Climate – If you know you need to spend time working, consider how comfortable your environment will be. Will you have AC? Shade? Adequate light? What if it’s raining or snowing or super dry? Do you need a back-up plan to ensure you and your technology can reliably function? If you plan ahead, you won’t sweat a thing! 
4. Taxes – You may be working on a beach, but don’t have your head in the sand when it comes to taxes. If you earn over the minimum amount, you will have to pay taxes on money earned while working overseas. Taxable foreign income might include wages or salary, interest, tips, dividends, and rental income. State taxes may be more complicated than federal, so check your state laws before you leave so you are not surprised by an unforeseen tax obligation. 

It’s a very dynamic environment and options for work continue to expand. During our interviews with current and former travelers, we were surprised and amazed by the diverse and creative work that worldschoolers are doing. We share dozens of jobs that people take on the road in our upcoming book, Wonder Year: A Guide to Long-Term Family Travel and Worldschooling. Preoder is available now! 

You can even learn new job skills to bring back home!

The post How to Work From the Road appeared first on Wonder Year Travel.

How to Market A Book

A few weeks ago, we finished the first marathon and sent our manuscript to the printer. We immediately had to decide how many books to print in the first run. This felt like a really consequential decision for us and we did not have a solid basis for choosing a number – 2000, 5000, 10,000? We did not want to have stacks of unsold books that would gather dust in a California warehouse. Nor did we want to print too few books and not be able to fulfill orders if sales exceeded our expectations.

We gathered as much intel as possible from our editor, the sales team and our own research and assumptions and put our best guess on paper. That decision positioned us on the starting line of our second marathon, introducing Wonder Year to the world and activating channels to sell our book.  

Whoa, where to begin? Should we start slow with a jog or hit it hard from the beginning? According to book marketing wiz, Naren Aryal, “to be a writer today is to be a marketer.” Looks like marathon #2 would be just as important as marathon #1. He argues that authors should start building their platform yesterday. Oops. 

We’d have to establish Wonder Year as a brand and the three of us as authors. We’d have to associate Wonder Year with long-term family travel and worldschooling. And then, connect with people who are curious about family travel to the book. 5-4-3-2-1: let’s go! 

Miles 1-3:

Establish a Website. For many authors, the website is the foundation of their platform, and this was certainly the case for us. We launched a fairly basic website in March 2022 and built out many more features over the following year. Our site had a book landing page, pre-order buttons, a blog, contact page, newsletter sign-up form, photos, and branded artwork. We wanted to be sure the

website did more than promote the book. It was important that it was also a valuable resource for current and prospective traveling families.

Miles 4-10:

Consistent Quality Content. With the website launched, the next order of business was to load it with helpful information about relevant topics. We are writing about topics like making the decision to travel, funding long-term family adventure, closing up home life, working on the road, and what it feels like to be a long-term traveling family in motion. We brainstormed topics of interest, like destination inspirations, a discussion on how to choose destinations and created a schedule to publish blogs, with a goal of posting at least one per week.  

Miles 10-14:

Social Media Platforms. The matter of social media was definitely a hard nut for us to crack. Each of us maintained a blog during our respective travels, but none of us was particularly active on social media anymore. We did not have thousands of followers. We had some moments of doubt and insecurity about putting ourselves out there so publicly, seemingly self-promoting, which felt antithetical to our purpose with Wonder Year. Yet, we knew it was imperative and we understood how effective it is to share information and build community through social platforms. 

We pushed on and picked up our pace a bit. We found joy in sharing tips, tricks and wisdom, knowing that our content was designed to inform others rather than spotlight ourselves. We diversified our posts with videos, photos, motivation Mondays, Tips Tuesdays, Where in the World Wednesdays. Later, we learned how to effectively present information in a variety of formats on different platforms.Now, we have started to see steady, organic growth across several months of concerted effort. 

Miles 14-18:

Strategic Partnerships. Wonderwell, our publisher, provided us with a framework to organize our partner outreach campaign. We brainstormed a long list of organizations, nonprofits, and influencers. We looked for those who share an interest in one or more of the Wonder Year themes–travel, education, family, inclusivity, global community, outdoor adventure and sustainability–and began reaching out. The process of building partnerships is a bit improvisational, more art than science. Our goal and hope is to find shared purpose with a set of public, private, nonprofit, and individual partners and appeal to their customers, stakeholders and members together.

Miles 18-22:

Media and Publications. Many authors, including us, use a public relations professional to assist with outreach to traditional media. Publicists know the ropes and how to pitch a story. However, because we are family travel and worldschooling experts, we expanded the media/publications list by identifying specialty outlets in these sectors. We are thinking broadly about local and national outlets including magazines, podcasts, radio shows, news sources and other print or digital media sources that connect with the Wonder Year journey. 

Miles 22-26:

Pre-launch. The six weeks before book launch are going to be dizzying. Testing our endurance, we’ll have to dig deep and keep running toward our goal of bringing a book to the world that will inspire and help families to get on the road together. We’ll be calling on partners, followers, and our personal connections to help spread the word about Wonder Year. We’ll ask folks to follow, like, repost, refer a friend, tag, pre-order and otherwise put good Wonder Year juju out there.

On September 5, 2023 Wonder Year: A Guide to Long-Term Family Travel and Worldschooling will hit the shelves. We appreciate your cheering from the sidelines and your encouragement along the way. We just have one more question for you: Have you ordered your copy? If not, you can right here!

Opportunities abound! Podcasts, magazine features, social media events, as well as the traditional book tour!

The post How to Write a Book: The Second Marathon appeared first on Wonder Year Travel.