Wonderstruck
A NEWSLETTER FROM THE TEAM AT WONDER YEAR
Volume 15 • Autumn 2024
Wonder Year News
We’ve been basking in the year anniversary of our book launch, with a lens on our mission: to help families get out there in shared curiosity.
At this one-year mark, we’ve also decided to move our newsletters from monthly to quarterly. We will stay dedicated to including the most helpful and current information in our blogs and newsletters that our readers want.
Blog Roundup
Since our last newsletter, we have published three blogs to our website. The first is about Worldschooling in Yellowstone. With so many educational themes from history, to biology, geology and the inspirational beauty, you’ll find plenty of ideas to explore with your worldschoolers. Get some ideas here.
Next up with our Fernweh Family series is the Chapman family. From Angela, “I met Sabrina Chapman at TravelCon 2024, a conference for digital travel creators. She was in Portland, Oregon for the conference with her son Brighton, who travels with her for both business and leisure. We connected over our shared love of family travel and education, and I knew our Fernweh Families audience would appreciate Sabrina’s perspectives as much as I did.” She shares more of her family’s store here.
And finally we take a deep dive into the digital nomad lifestyle with Digital Nomad Visas: Location-Independent Living. While many organizations announce return-to-work mandates, another trend is luring people away from the office and into faraway places: digital nomadism. The proliferation of digital nomad visas, which allow foreign workers to stay longer and earn money abroad, is one of the key factors fueling the digital nomad craze.
Autumn Happenings Around the Globe
- Deepawali, or Diwali, is a five-day holiday considered India’s most significant festival of the year. A Hindu tradition, Diwali celebrates the inner light that overcomes darkness and goodness over evil, and is marked by the lighting of rows (avali) of clay lamps (deepa). Over centuries, many non-Hindu communities have come to love and celebrate variations of Diwali to commemorate enlightenment, liberation, and remembrance of ancestors.
- Little known but loaded with impact, October 1 is celebrated as World Vegetarian Day. To celebrate this fall, visit a local farm or market, eat local foods, or avoid meat for a day. Or, make Vegetarian Day a worldschooling opportunity and examine the benefits of a vegetarian diet, including heart health, animal welfare, water and soil protection, greenhouse gas reduction, and how the efficient use of grains helps feed more people.
- Oktoberfest. Did you know Oktoberfest is celebrated in many countries beyond Germany and the US, including the Philippines? As the rains ease up, people in the Philippines hit the streets for local and international brews, street food, music, and even people-watching for celebrities.
- November is recognized as Native American Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the rich cultural history of Native people and to recognize their contributions in the US and around the world. Check out this Teacher’s Guide from the National Endowment of the Humanities for some great resources and worldschooling ideas.
- Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving that takes place this year on December 3, 2024. Created as a special day in 2012, its message is to elevate the act of doing good. There are a million ways to give: volunteer with a shelter, donate food, give blood, create a fundraising campaign, help your neighbors, help someone you don’t know. Giving Tuesday is a great time to engage the entire family in acts of goodness.
Nature’s Offerings
- On November 15 we’ll see the fourth and final supermoon of 2024. The Beaver Moon is named for the time of year when Native American’s and beavers are most active. Check out this calendar to see what time the moon rises and sets in your location. And, if you are curious about what makes the full moon a supermoon, you can learn more in this NASA article.
- Foraging Fungi in the Fall. When woodlands and forests change from green to brown and veggies and roots are pulled from the ground, animals and humans may slow down but another kingdom makes the round. October is mushroom time! Try foraging with a local expert to learn about these remarkable and gorgeous organisms. But if you forage on your own, be sure to use a guidebook because many mushrooms are unsafe or even deadly to eat. To dive into the mystery of mushrooms and learn about the magic of the mycelial network, check out the incredible documentary, Fantastic Fungi.
- October in the Southern Hemisphere is the beginning of spring and a nice time to visit with lighter crowds. With days getting longer and temperatures warming into the 40s-60s Fahrenheit, October in Patagonia can be a rewarding time for hiking, boating, sightseeing, and windy whale-watching. For outdoor enthusiasts drawn to this rugged landscape, we have one word for you: layers!
- On the equator, October is puppy time. Sea lion pups, that is! Though sea lions are born year-round in the Galapagos Archipelago, most births happen between August and December. Sea lions are the most abundant marine mammal in the Galapagos, with approximately 50,000 individuals. The juveniles are very playful, but if you are watching them nearby, pay attention to bulls (adult males), who can be territorial and even aggressive toward humans.
- Hibernating Hedgehogs. Like all animals, hedgehogs need food for energy. When it’s cold outside in the winter, it’s harder to find caterpillars, worms, and beetles to eat, so hedgehogs hibernate. They enter a state of torpor to conserve energy as their body temperatures, metabolism, breathing, and heart rate fall precipitously. In the UK, these super cute animals are the only spinal mammal, so they are especially loved and looked after by nonprofit advocacy groups like Hedgehog Street and The British Hedgehog Preservation Society.
Links We’re Loving…
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
