Fernweh Families: The Hunters
I first “met” Kyla Hunter when we were both doing our big trips in 2017-2018. We didn’t meet per se, but we followed and commented on each other’s Instagram posts. We interviewed Kyla and have quotations and anecdotes from her in our book. I remember she was in her basement during our Zoom interview, moments before her daughter’s birthday party, and I thought wow this woman can juggle well. The Hunters are currently on their second extended family trip using their Land Rover Defender as their home base. You seriously want to follow them on Instagram! The following post is from Kyla Hunter of our featured Fernweh Family, written in her own words.
We’re the Hunter family; Kyla (mom), Randy (dad), Calais (2010) & Kacela (2012). We consider ourselves part-time, full-time travellers. We have a house in Canada we call home for about half of the year and spend the other half travelling together.
Please tell us a bit about your journey.
I’ve wanted to visit Machu Picchu since studying Peru in Grade 7. It’s one of the things that sparked my early wanderlust & curiosity about the world. It was so special to finally get to see it, and to be able to share the experience with my family.
Our first BIG trip was a 12.5-month gap year in 2017/2018. We backpacked through 30 countries, travelling by every mode of transportation imaginable! When we started to plan our route, we had 2 rules; no English & no Western countries. We broke this rule twice, because we had to! We travelled extensively through Asia, spent a bit of time in the Middle East, then transited through Germany to spend ~4mo in Central & South America. (We flew from Panama to Ecuador via Toronto, Canada for my cousin’s wedding!).
That trip solidified our desire to spend longer periods of time travelling. We returned home, purchased a 2003 Land Rover Defender & spent COVID converting it into an overlanding vehicle. We’re currently driving it around the world, in 3-6 month chunks of time.
What was one of the most important ingredients in getting your family on the road – what did you do that worked out well?
Involving the kids in the planning phase, even at a young age, was immensely helpful in getting everyone on board & getting us on the road. This was also hugely important to keep up while we were travelling. We always talked about our plans ahead of time. This way everyone knew what to expect and it helped eliminate the feeling of being out of control.
What’s outside your window right now? What fascinates you about where you are?
The pyramids were a special place for me, because they broke me out of my travel fatigue. We’d been on the road for 8 months, seeing and doing incredible things constantly, and I was travel-tired. Walking inside the 5000-year-old pyramids snapped me right out of that! They are truly incredible, everything I imagined they would be!
I’m currently in Norway, looking out the vehicle window at the spectacular fjords. The natural beauty of this place is breathtaking, even in the rain!
Can you describe a time when learning for your kids or family happened organically and profoundly…when you learned outside the “plan” you started with?
Learning happened constantly, even if we weren’t looking for it! We didn’t have an education plan when we left for our gap year, but we took every opportunity to incorporate organic learning into our travels. We discussed currency exchange & figured out the value of things in our home currency. Learning also happened at museums and temples, on transportation and hikes, during meals & everything in between.
What have you discovered about your family by being on the road together?
We really like each other!! And we always have each other’s backs. We got into a great rhythm when it was just the 4 of us. It surprised me how resilient we could all be when required, and how we’d step in for each other when one person’s resolve was failing. It was so incredible to watch our girls get comfortable in uncomfortable situations at such a young age.
What does community mean to you, and how have you found it during your travels?
The Taj Mahal was something the girls knew about prior to our travels, and they were very excited to see it! To make it even more memorable, we had visited the Gur-e Amir (Timer’s tomb in Samarkand) earlier in the trip, which was the inspiration for the Taj Mahal. We all felt more connected to it because of this, it made it more meaningful.
We’re all extroverts who love community. We love connecting with others and have made this a priority while travelling. During our gap year, we met up with many other families who were on similar journeys, many of whom we initially connected with on social media. Nowadays we still connect with people on social media, but we also participate in World Schooling pop-ups & meetups. It’s the best way to connect with other families living a similar life.
What do you wish a fellow worldschooling family had told you before you left home?
I wish someone would’ve told us to slow down and savour the journey. There were definitely times when we moved too quickly and everything turned into a blur! But, we’d also get restless staying in one place for too long. There’s a great balance there somewhere, and I wish we would’ve taken the time to find it early on.
Metaphorically speaking, what is something you’ve lost and something you’ve found during your journey?
Our gap year made us appreciate just how much there is to see in the world, and the realization that a lifetime is not nearly long enough to see everything we want to see! We lost our desire to stay at home for any extended length of time & the ability to be content just staying home.
We found a deep connection to the world, and an insatiable desire to explore as much of it as we possibly can.
What are you excited about seeing/doing/learning next?
We are currently (slowly) driving our Land Rover Defender Gimli through every country in Europe. And while Europe is truly incredible, we’re excited to eventually get to places that push us out of our comfort zone again. For that is where we truly feel like we’re growing, learning, and going on an adventure.
My blog is https://www.whereistheworld.ca
And social media (FB, IG) are @whereistheworld
Thanks for sharing your story with us, Kyla and the gang. Like all of our featured Fernweh Families, you inspire and help us all have a bit more wonder in our lives. Safe travels!
