Wonderstruck
A NEWSLETTER FROM THE TEAM AT WONDER YEAR
Volume 11 • April 2024
Wonder Year News
We love that Wonder Year appeals to a broad set of readers, including travel enthusiasts, homeschoolers, nature lovers, and other adventurers. Our team has been connecting with people in these communities across a series of recent events, including at Travel and Adventure Shows and REI stores. This month you can find us at The Great Homeschool Convention in Cincinnati, where we’ll host an author booth and share two workshops on worldschooling education. If you are nearby, please stop in and say hello!
We were also excited to combine efforts with Hipcamp through a shared blog post. If you don’t know Hipcamp, they strive to connect travelers to private campsites around the globe and are worth checking out.
Blog Roundup for March
Our first blog post this month was on reentry, or returning home (or to a new spot) at the end of your travels. Many readers of this newsletter are still pondering their adventure, so it might feel strange to imagine the end just yet. This blog is a bit of a teaser from our book, and in it, we share that looking ahead and making intentional decisions can help at every step of the journey.
The second post was a Fernweh Family: the Davises. We love sharing how long-term family travel looks for different families, and we were happy to include the Davis family’s story about living and working in their RV as they slow travel the US. We hope you enjoy learning about them as much as we did.
April Happenings Around the Globe
- Jazz Appreciation Month – In April Americans celebrate jazz: its history, heritage, and soulful blend of music. With roots going back to the 1890s and born of African, Latin, and European sounds, jazz is a true American art form. Check out the Smithsonian National Museum of American History to learn about concerts, resources, and ways to celebrate. You can also watch this two-minute clip on the history of jazz for a timely worldschooling lesson.
- Chinese Language Day will be celebrated on April 20. UNESCO launched Chinese Language Day in 2010 to recognize Mandarin as one of the six official languages of the United Nations. With over one billion Chinese speakers, it’s fitting to celebrate its importance. April 20 also honors Cangjie, the legendary, ancient figure credited with inventing Chinese characters about 5000 years ago.
- Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Australia – In 1962, Bells Beach hosted its inaugural surf competition, which has grown into one of the largest professional surfing events in the world. Located on the southern coast of Victoria, it is a huge draw for pro surfers and spectators alike. If you are lucky to be in the area, dude, be sure to check out this iconic event happening from March 26 to April 5.
- Songkran might be the biggest water fight ever. Celebrated in mid-April throughout Southeast Asia, Songkran is the traditional Thai New Year and marks the end of the hot season and the coming monsoon. Many countries throughout Southeast Asia have similar festivities. If you are in the region, prepare to be soaked as everyone gets scrappy with water guns, buckets, hoses, and other splashing gear! (You may just welcome the deluge, as April is the hottest month in Thailand.)
- Earth Day 2024 – April 22 is Earth Day. Organized by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson, Earth Day was first celebrated in 1970 and is recognized as the birth of the modern environmental movement. This Nature Conservancy site has excellent resources to learn more and get involved on this international day of action. Maybe you can help reach the goal of planting ONE BILLION trees this Earth Day!
Nature’s Offerings
- Robins in the Spring – While the notion that robins disappear from North America only to return in early spring has been debunked (robins are, in fact, present in every season), there is indeed an influx of these fluffy, puffy, melodious, beloved birds in early spring. Watch for their nesting behavior as females start to lay eggs in mid-April. For those who want to better understand the complexity of robin migration, here’s a great blog post from expert birder and Audobon Magazine Editor, Kenn Kaufman.
- Total Solar Eclipse – On April 8, 2024, the moon will pass between the sun and the earth, completely blocking the light of the sun and causing a spellbinding dusk-like quality in the middle of the day. Check out this map to see the path of totality that crosses through the Pacific Ocean, Mexico, United States, eastern Canada, and the Atlantic Ocean. The next time there will be a total solar eclipse in the United States is 2044. Safety is key and you absolutely shouldn’t look directly at the sun, so get your eclipse glasses ready
- Cherry Blossoms! – Oh, so fragrant and so gorgeous. April is cherry blossom season in many parts the world, from Japan to Washington DC. The fleeting blossoms remind us of our short time on earth, and their beauty and lightness make a lasting impact. The Japanese tradition of hanami calls for gathering beneath a canopy of pink and celebrating with music, food, friends, colleagues, and family.
- Seeding the Garden – Inch by inch, row by row, gonna make this garden grow! Yay for April and thank you to Arlo Gutherie for the reminder and the inspiration to start planting. If you live in zones 4-6, as we do in Colorado, April is the time to plant cold-weather crops such as lettuce, greens, and brassica (cabbage, collards, radishes, Brussels sprouts, mustard greens, turnips, onions, garlic). While we may get another frost, planting cold-tolerant seeds is usually a safe bet.
- Mount Everest – April is a popular time to visit Mount Everest Base Camp. The temperatures are warmer, days are sunny and long, and there is little rainfall. It’s important to be prepared, as the roundtrip trek is 80 miles long and typically requires 12-14 days for proper acclimatization. Also, be ready to share the trail, as hundreds of other travelers may have the same idea as you! You might consider another sublime hike that takes you off the beaten path and still delivers the stunning landscape of the Annapurna Region. Check out these options from World Expeditions.
Links We’re Loving…
- National Outdoor Leadership School – NOLS is an amazing organization and leader in outdoor education. Dedicated to the belief that some of the best learning takes place in remote wilderness, NOLS has an extensive portfolio of programs and courses, from gap years to wilderness medical training, in locations around the world. Their Wilderness First Responder training is an excellent resource for worldschooling families.
- Sherpani Travel Blog – This blog, curated by women for women, celebrates the spirit of female travel. Created by the Sherpani travel brand, it highlights destinations, travel hacks, and essential gear. Watch for a new post every Tuesday at 10am MST.
- Stark.raving.dad – Curious about homeschooling or unschooling? Need a resource to help answer your philosophical and practical questions? We love the social media, blog, and Life Without School podcast from this homeschooling dad who promises to “calm the waves of homeschooling doubt.”
- ytravelblog – The Makepeace family’s award-winning travel accounts share insights on solo, couples, family, and expat travel; digital nomadism; and RV life. Their ytravelblog even helped earn them a green card and an invitation to the White House! Check out their posts for some summer travel inspiration.
- MaximumBeth – Our friend and fellow travel lover, Beth Santos, is an entrepreneur, connector, mover-shaker, and founder of Wanderful, a global community of women travelers. Beth just launched her first book, Wander Woman, an empowering guide for solo women travelers. Congrats to Beth! We love following her journey and appreciate her impact and energy.
We hope you found these updates and tips helpful! We wish you all the best in your worldschooling adventures, whether you’re planning your trip, are currently on the road, or have already returned and want to stay connected to the family travel community.
As always, we’d love your feedback. If you have any questions or comments about this newsletter, feel free to reach out to us at any of the emails below. Thank you!
Happy Trails,
Wonder Year Team
Annika: annika@wonderyear.com
Angela: angela@wonderyear.com
Julie: julie@wonderyear.com
