Why travel?
I have to say that at times I've struggled with this question. I've just never been sure of the answer.
For us, traveling just works. It makes us happier. It makes us feel right.
But why? Why travel?
Well, I think I might have finally found my answer.
So let me ask you something.
Why is it important for kids to travel? Why does it matter? Does it matter?
Why is knowing about the world and becoming a global citizen a big deal? Is it a big deal?
Obviously, we have decided as a family that teaching our kids to become global citizens is as important as math, science, and physical education. Global citizenship is a school subject for us. It permeates our education. It is part of our lives on every level.
I believe in helping my children become global citizens via education, but why? Why is it important? What makes global learning good for kids?
I've got a little project for you worldly folk. I could use your help and ideas. I want to get a discussion rolling. Your contributions and comments are greatly appreciated.
"We had to leave. The President was doing bad things and killing people." ~ 7-year old girl from Syria while swinging on the playgrounds of Boston
"Security is the chief enemy of mortals." ~ William Shakespeare
"The only security that a man can have is a reserve of knowledge, experience, and ability." ~ Henry Ford
Years ago if you had asked me about the term security, I would have given you what I was taught.
Security is money. Possibly in the form of savings and a good retirement fund, but it certainly includes a steady salary. A nice secure home doesn't hurt. A good neighborhood. Insurance. A good school system. And a Volvo, with lots of airbags.
I believed this. For me, my security was based on obtaining a whole lot of stuff. I was naive.
My brain has been on overload a bit lately. Too many things to discuss and think about. So many questions.
Why don't Americans travel more?
Why do some people live longer than others?
What is the coolest hotel on the planet?
What if we could all just start over?
Interesting thoughts.
I'd love to hear what you think.
8 months.
This is all that separates us from a lifetime of travel.
We just have to stick to what we've learned, sell our condo, and then it's off to Mexico - and everywhere else.
Recently I was putting together a list of blog archives from the past year and I realized just how much has changed for us since we started planning this adventure.
A year ago there wasn't one person following this blog. We knew nobody in the travel community. We had about $50,000 in debt. We thought we were going to go live in Sweden and Australia. We had no idea how to make money online or even travel the world. We were scrambling in every direction. We had a condo with a basement that was full of crap. We had too many bills. We were overworked. And - in general - we were exhausted.
The process of planning for travel has changed us completely. Everything is different. The way we think. The way we act. The way we plan on traveling. And we never saw it coming.
A friend of mine asked an interesting question the other day.
What would you do with $10 million dollars?
It's a tough question to answer. We all have different wants and needs, and our wants and needs often change over time. Some days we believe we need more money than we did the day before. It's tough to decide what we want and need.
It's no different when it comes to a travel lifestyle. The toughest thing about setting out to travel the world is deciding what you want and need, and how much money it's going to take to make it happen.
How do you want to travel? How will you pay the bills? What bills will you have to pay?
We all have a different idea of how much it costs to travel the world, because traveling the world represents something different for all of us. We're all starting in different places, and our goals are rarely ever the same.
But, at some point - if we're going to do this travel thing - we have to make a decision.
How much do I need to travel the world forever?
The Question is always the same.
We find ourselves with an idea, a dream, a wish - but we don't know how to make it happen. We know what we want, but sometimes the forest is so thick we just can't seem to find a way through it. We run around in circles looking for a way out. We get lost and tired. We settle down somewhere, build a house, and we take on a job pulling weeds for our lost neighbor.
But what if someone were there to guide us through the forest? What if we had some help along the way?
The Question is:
How do I do it?
The Answer:
Find someone who can get you through the forest.
On school days, the kids and I set off for the long march to school. It's about a 2 mile walk throughout the busy streets of Boston, and it's something we have really started to enjoy - except for the times when mother nature gets the best of us.
You know those stories your grandpa told you of the "old days"?
When I was a kid we used to trudge 5 miles through a blizzard each day on the way to school. Winter sometimes lasted until June. And sometimes we had no socks. You had to keep your eye pinned for bears and wolves at all times. It was a savage trek to school, but we did it, and we never complained!
Well, yesterday I thought we were going to have a march much like those your grandpa used to ramble on about. It was a typical New England storm - cold, wet, and nasty - and I was stressing about how we were going to get through it. I bundled up the kids, gave them a pep talk, and we opened the front door.
A few hours later I was home, the kids were safe at school, and once again I realized,
That wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it was going to be.
