Why more families are hitting the road full time

It all started, for me, when I read One Year Off a few years ago. A family sells their home, quits their jobs, and takes off for a trip around the world! It was a captivating concept.

Over the years, I have met many people doing similar things with different variations. There are the RV families, the digital nomads, the “sold it all” crowd, the travel business owners, and so on.

You see them all over social media.

There are various levels of criticism and critique as well. 

Everyone wants to know how they can afford to do such a thing. They must have inherited it from their parents or something, right? 

Then there is the constant judgment about taking the kids out on the road. We can all agree that kids benefit from stability and routine, but can it be all that bad for them to travel with their family?

Money

Yes. Money. I met a family that sold their business and their home for a little over half a million and moved to South America. Another family bought an RV and continued to work from their flexible online job. Many others are trying to carve out a living with YouTube Channels and Instagram product placement.

We are all desperate to find our dreams coming to a reality. The money is out there. You just have to be creative and find it. Whether you think it cannot be done or it can, you are right.

Stability

Kids need a lot of things. They are humans in the midst of intense and rapid development. 

You can screw up as a parent, even if you never travel more than five miles from your forever home. You can screw up even if you place them in the same school with the same friends for their entire education.

In other words, avoiding travel is not a guarantee for doing right by your children.

Nor is a world of travel, possibilities, endless experiences, and countless family time. I totally vote for that option, but it won’t ensure child rearing success on its own.

You need lots of love and you need lots of balance.

For our family, travel comes in chunks. We have a home base. Our daughter has her own room and her own space. She has local friends. She has a family doctor. She joins clubs and activities and attends spring and summer camps. 

But. When we are studying something in school, like castles, we pack up and go see castles. When we want to know more about volcanoes, we fly and visit them. Heck, when we want to take a break, we head to the theme parks for a week. Balance. Adventure. Exploration.

Slow Travel

Slow travel is another option that we are playing with to make family travel affordable. With this concept, you take your time in places. Say, 2 weeks to 3 months. 

It allows you to save a little money by getting longer term rental arrangements. It also encourages you to shop and eat local food, which is much better than eating out the whole time anyway.

What I like about slow travel is the fact you can really get to know an area. Rushing to see all the “top spots” on a trip can be stressful and a disappointment. You never know when a poor weather day or unusually high crowds will mess with your plans. Have several days or weeks to take it all in makes a huge difference.

Here is a little introduction to our plans, we don’t go into the home base aspect. Now you know.