Wonderstruck
A NEWSLETTER FROM THE TEAM AT WONDER YEAR
Volume 1 • June 2023
Welcome to our inaugural newsletter.
We’re happy you’re here!
Book News
The first run of our book is being printed! We signed off on every dot and dash in the text, okayed every design detail, and refrained from taking just one more pass at that pesky paragraph. It feels a bit like our baby has gone off to its first day of school. We look forward to its return in late summer.
Pre-order tabs are up and running for Amazon, Bookshop.org, and Barnes and Noble. We are hoping for reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, Kirkus, and others.
Now we’re turning our attention to refining our website and social media, sharing helpful content with prospective traveling families and those already on the road, and beginning the marketing process. We’re embracing this new chapter of authorship with open hearts and minds.
Blog Roundup for May
This past month we shared blog posts that answer two of the most often asked worldschooling questions. The first post, How Do Families Afford Long-Term Travel?, is so important that it also earns a dedicated chapter in our book. The second, Where Will You Go? Choosing Destinations, is a bit more fun, offering starter ideas for designing your journey. We also shared inspiration for a specific destination, the secret gem of south Brazil: The Pantanal.
In April we introduced an interview series highlighting worldschooling families, to help inspire current and future travelers and foster a sense of community. We call the series “Fernweh Families.” Fernweh is a German word coming from fern (“far”) and weh (“pain”) – literally, “far pain,” most often translated to English as “a desire to travel,” or, more simply, “wanderlust.” You can also think of it as the opposite of “homesick.”
We’ve highlighted three of these inspiring families so far. We began with the Page Family, who have been traveling for over two years with three kids and have now semi-settled in Sattva Land, Belize. Next we met the Zelenka/Tolks, currently in Mexico, who inspire us with their thoughtful approach to learning. In May we introduced the Diops, a large family who split their time between Iceland, Africa and mainland Europe. These posts are fun for us because we get to reconnect with and learn new things from some of the families we initially interviewed for the book. We hope you like meeting them, too!
Finally, we shared a post highlighting the efforts of Rachel Carlson, founder and director of Worldschool Pop-Up Hub. Rachel is doing amazing work in support of the worldschooling community, so be sure to check out that post to learn more.
June Happenings Around the Globe
- Children’s Day at the Louvre: The Louvre Museum in Paris, France, organizes special events on Children’s Day (June 1st) to engage young visitors. Interactive tours, workshops, and creative activities are designed to introduce children to art and history.
- June is LGBTQ Pride month in many countries, with festivities held in cities throughout the United States, Australia, Canada, Cuba, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, and the United Kingdom. We like this article as a starting point for how families can participate in Pride events.
- Kite Festival: Gujarat, India, is famous for its vibrant kite festival called Uttarayan, held in mid-June. Families gather to fly kites of various shapes and colors, creating a colorful spectacle in the sky.
- Midsummer is celebrated each year in Finland on the Saturday falling between June 20th-26th. Commemorating the summer solstice, it officially marks the start of warm weather and historically was a popular time for weddings. Today it is celebrated with festivities, bonfires, open-air dances, nighttime swims, and barbecuing at lake cottages with family and friends.
- Dragon Boat Festival: Celebrated in various cities across China and many places with a significant Chinese population, the Dragon Boat Festival features dragon boat races, cultural performances, and traditional food. Families can enjoy the vibrant atmosphere and learn about Chinese culture.
Nature’s Offerings
June is a fantastic time to get out and explore the natural world!
- June 3 is the full moon named by several Native American tribes as the Strawberry Moon, reflective of the fruits that come into season and ripen in June. In other traditions, it is said that celebrating the Strawberry Moon can invite prosperity, luck, and love. Maybe your family can enjoy a moonlight hike on June 3!
- In Southern Africa, June marks the beginning of the dry season (and it can get quite chilly in the evenings, so be prepared). Animals frequently gather at watering holes and rivers, so it can be a great time for spotting wildlife.
- This month marks the beginning of the blue whale migration, from their feeding grounds in the Arctic south along the California coast to warmer waters, where they mate and give birth. Blue whales are the largest animal that has ever lived on Earth, and spotting them in the wild is a truly extraordinary event. Check out the Great Whale Conservancy to learn more.
- Baby animals! Fawns, calves, and kids are born in June. Fledglings are learning to fly. You might see young animals left alone, but mommas are invariably nearby and will soon return, so you can teach your kids to watch from a distance.
- June is a great time to plant and identify native species in the Northern Hemisphere. Nectar-producing plants attract bees, birds, butterflies, and other natural pollinators. In honor of the incredible feat of pollination, June 19-25 is celebrated as International Pollinator Week. Here is a tool kit with many great ideas to turn this natural phenomenon into a worldschooling activity!
Links We’re Loving…
- @4almondsabroad. This traveling family began their Instagram account one year ago and now have almost 22K followers. Andi said it took her six months to learn that she could post more than one photo at a time. That’s what we enjoy most about reading their posts–they’re real, honest, and inspiring, with helpful content and great visuals.
- Less Junk More Journey are a family of four traveling by RV in the US and Mexico. They share travel tips and boondocking advice for those looking to live on the road with less stuff.
- @house_of_bey_family. This UK family sold everything to move to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania and create the life of their dreams. We love following them because their exploration of East Africa is not something we’ve seen much of, their themes around power and privilege are thought-provoking, and their sense of fun is infectious.
- NPR’s tiny desk concerts are a concert when you need it. The artist mix, intimacy of the performances, and high-quality picks make this a great fix for a traveling music lover. Most concerts are 15-25 minutes long and might lead you to your new favorite artist. (Look for Lizzo’s in the archive. It’s Anni’s fave.)
- Stephanie Tolk’s Udemy Course. Stephanie is a smart, thoughtful mom who’s been on the road with her husband and kids for two years. Since we interviewed her for our upcoming book, she developed a course on Udemy to get you started with worldschooling. We wish we’d had this resource before our trips!
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
