How Do Families Afford Long-Term Travel?
One of the essential questions about long-term travel is how…
Happy Earth Month!
Here's a recap of our themed posts in celebration of Earth Month to help traveling families find ways to shrink their carbon footprint.
Fernweh Families: The Zelenka/Tolks
Our second Fernweh family is the Zelenka/ Tolk's. This inspiring worldschooling family of four is in their second year on the road.
How to Write a Book: the First Marathon
When we three authors first came together, we had much to discuss: our respective trips, what had gone well, what hadn’t, what we wished we’d known before leaving, and what we learned while traveling.
Stories from the Road: The Page Family’s Journey to Belize
"We knew from the onset that we were looking for community, of the more intentional sort. But also adventure! With everything that it entails - the exciting as well as the challenging."
Fernweh Families: The Pages
Yasmin Page shares insights from her family's adventure of worldschooling, unschooling and living in a co-op in Sattva Land, Belize.
Ciao! Let’s go to Italy with kids!
Italy with kids makes for a fantastic worldschooling destination with layers of history and culture to peel back, piquing your family’s curiosities.
Worldschooling: Citizen Science
Citizen Science can be an excellent tool in a worldschooler’s education toolbox. It offers a way for parents and children, side by side, to do “science lessons” by engaging in a real-world scientific process.
Stories From The Road: Slow Travel New Zealand
"After being on the move for the first four months of our Wonder Year, it felt nice to hunker down. We were doing what is known as “slow travel,” setting our roots as deep as they could go with our three month visa."
What To Do With Pets While Worldschooling
When preparing to leave your home for an extended road trip or worldschooling adventure, there’s a lot to take care of. Deciding what to do with your dog (or cat or rabbit or hamster) can be one of the trickiest and most consequential decisions you’ll make
Destination Inspiration: Costa Rica
Costa Rica, as the name implies, has so much richness to offer the family traveler: volcanoes, sloths, river rafting, a vibrant capital, Pacific waves, Caribbean calm, delicious food and worldschooling opportunities raining down from the awe-inspiring cloud forests. This post shares our reasons to visit Costa Rica.
Involving the Kids in Travel Planning
Involving kids during the early stages of a Wonder Year, even as the notion takes hold and you begin to plan, has many benefits. It helps them ease into the idea of leaving for an extended time. It gives them ownership and buy-in to the shared family project. And it allows your family to integrate the interests and desires of everyone involved.
Stories from the Road: Glen Canyon Dam
Then we met Hance, another 9-year-old worldschooler traveling with his mom through the US for an entire year, just like us.
Coauthorship
The paybacks to collaboration are many. First, I got to spend time with two inspirational women who share my passion, urge me on when I doubt myself, and keep me on task. Collaboration is joyful when it’s a shared passion project.
Destination Inspiration: Alaska
Go to Alaska! Take ferries, kayaks, catamarans, canoes or bush planes. And when you get there, go where the locals go. Follow their trails, listen to their stories, learn their traditions.
Learning Geography From License Plates
Unsuspecting kids will learn US geography, cardinal directions, capitals and state characteristics.
Making The Decision
Here is a simple three-question framework that might help you sort through this existential joyride so you can set off on your Wonder Year.
Family Travel Tips for Thailand
Thailand is an exotic, culturally rich and family-friendly destination. The distance and heat can be daunting but with some forward planning, these family travel hacks can create an unforgettable trip to Siam and the “Land of Smiles”.
Journal Writing: The Heart and Hub of Your Worldschooling
Journal writing for worldschooling can be an important and grounding activity, a time to pause and reflect without screens or other distractions.
What is a Wonder Year?
We call the experience of long-term family travel a Wonder Year. A Wonder Year is a season of discovery; it’s being in motion as a family and adopting a mindset of growth and curiosity.
The Birth of a Book
I looked online for the guidebook that would help me plan, and I couldn’t find one. I wanted the equivalent of a Lonely Planet guide for a Wonder Year, the nuts and bolts for how to actually pull this thing off.
Welcome to Wonder Year!
This blog is a space to share inspiration, questions and actionable tips for extended family travel. It is also an accompaniment to our forthcoming book, Wonder Year: A Guide to Extended Family Travel and Educational Adventures.
