Wonderstruck
A NEWSLETTER FROM THE TEAM AT WONDER YEAR
Volume 16 • Winter 2024-2025
Wonder Year News
This time of year, everyone’s talking about New Year’s resolutions and goal setting (like traveling more and trying new things!) We think family travel and worldschooling are beautiful intentions for 2025. One of our greatest joys as indie authors is to help others find their groove and move toward their travel goals.
This winter we’ve participated in a number of book talks, local festivals, and in-store events where we love connecting with current and future travelers about the creative and educational power of travel.
On 2/22 we’ll be at Trident Bookstore as part of their author series. We’ll also be featured speakers at the Denver Travel and Adventure Show on 3/9. We hope to see you at one of these, or another event soon!
Blog Roundup
This quarter we shared three blogs, each to inspire your trip planning and give you some real-world examples of worldschooling. First, we focused on a unique family travel choice, in Destination Inspiration Finland. In this post, co-author Angela shares her itinerary for an epic trip to the land of reindeer and Northern Lights. Next we created a roundup post which highlights many of our destination inspiration blogs. After more than two years writing Wonder Year blogs, we’ve amassed a portfolio of destinations that make for excellent worldschooling locations. And finally, we highlighted another family out there on the road in our Fernweh Family series, The Gonzalez Cotas. This friendly family of six is so fun to follow! They keep an online presence in Spanish full of family inspiration. We hope you enjoy these blogs!
Happenings Around the Globe
- Winter in Paris – Yes, winter in Paris, France is cold, days are short and skies are likely to be overcast. But travelers who can embrace these conditions will find Paris at its most local. After the holidays, Parisians settle into a slower pace, and it’s a great time for visitors to take in magnificent art, shopping, coffee, and food. You might also find great deals on flights and lodging, lower train fares, and little or no line at some popular sites.
- Carnaval de Québec – Celebrated in Québec City, Canada, this event is believed to be the oldest winter carnival in the world. With 10 days of festivities, the Carnaval celebrates daytime and nightime winter fun with ice sculptures, parades, ice canoe races, ziplines, and so much more. This year Carnaval takes place from February 7-16.
- Chinese New Year – The Year of the Snake – The Chinese, or Lunar New Year begins on the second new moon after the winter solstice, which in 2025 falls on January 29. This mid-winter celebration is marked by lights and lanterns, candles and fireworks. This year the theme is “Ushering Fortune and Unity for a Prosperous New Year.”
- Polar Bear Plunge Day – Brrrrr! Many intrepid dunkers kick off the new year with a plunge in open water. Some do it to raise money for a charity. Others plunge “just because” and tout the health benefits of cold water bathing like improved circulation, boosted immunity, and stress reduction. Whatever the motivation, let cold water wake up your senses this winter!
Nature’s Offerings
- Diamond Dust – In really frigid climates, an amazing weather phenomenon called diamond dust can occur. This precipitation event is like fog, but diamond dust is made up of tiny ice crystals instead of liquid. It’s usually a thin veil that doesn’t affect visibility but does wow the imagination of those who witness it.
- Height of Summer in the South Pole – In the South Pole, January brings relatively warmer temperatures (-15 degrees F versus June temps of -75 degrees F) and continuous daylight with a woozy 24-hour twilight quality. The seasonal melting of sea ice opens up the region to tourism and research activity, so January ushers in an Antarctic hustle-bustle. Visitors arrive by ship or plane to take in the extraordinary landscape and marine life, including whales, seals and penguins and their fluffy chicks.
- Snow Moon – The February full moon is called the Snow Moon, occurring on February 12 this year. The Snow Moon is a time for inquiry and transformation for many. Perhaps this glorious winter moon can be a time for you to prepare for a new season of discovery? You can enter your location at this link to know what time the full moon rises and sets.
- Eagle Breeding Season – With more than 170 bald eagle nests and over 80 golden eagle nests in Colorado, February is a great time to get out and experience this majestic species. Eagles are at the peak of their breeding season and many state parks have programs to help visitors learn about, and appreciate, Colorado’s rebounding eagle population.
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
