How do you meld the dreams and reality?

August 13, 2013!! our last post.

Man has life moved on since then! Let’s see, we have moved twice, to two different states, bought a car and a boat, and are about to expand the family to another +1.
I opened up the blog this morning as my mind is doing flips. Our life has become one of American monotony and I am trying to keep my head up and face the idea as that is what happens when we become parents and get all caught up.
But, part of me refuses. Our bedroom is decorated in boats from our travels. We have framed boats from 6 countries and every night as I lay in bed I realize I am dying inside to travel, or at least have a plane ticket knowing we have something coming up, some new city to explore, some new beach to lay on.
The catch, is now, in just a few weeks that is, we will be parents of 2 children, travel is different, finances are different, life is just different.
So, what do we do? How do you get time off of work? How do you buy tickets and book a hotel knowing that your littles won’t sleep well in a hotel, they may not adjust to the time change, you have to buy an extra ticket on an airplane? There are so many more variables now.
Those of you who have traveled with littles, advise please! Where do you go? How do you begin?

How do you build a life around adventure and travel?

Intentionally and incrementally. Most families who live this way did not leap from conventional to adventurous overnight. They built remote work capacity, paid down debt, tested longer trips, and had increasingly honest conversations about what they actually want from their lives. The leap feels bigger from outside than from inside.

What does an adventurous family lifestyle actually look like?

Different for every family. For some it is long-term travel. For others it is weekend adventures close to home. What connects them is intentionality about how time is spent and a preference for experiences over accumulation. The version that fits your family is the right one.

How do you balance adventure with stability for kids?

By finding stability within the adventure rather than treating them as opposites. Routines, rituals, and family rhythms travel with you. Familiar foods, bedtime routines, and predictable family dynamics provide stability even when the location changes. Kids need consistency in relationships more than consistency in geography.

What has travel taught your family?

That people are fundamentally similar across cultures in what they want for their families. That comfort zone is a smaller circle than it feels from inside. That the things worth having in life require effort and discomfort to get. And that time together doing hard interesting things is the most reliable source of family closeness.

How do you handle the pressure to live conventionally when you have chosen differently?

By getting clear on why you made the choices you made and returning to that clarity when the outside noise gets loud. Most families living unconventionally describe an initial period of explaining themselves that gradually gives way to just living the life. The explaining becomes less necessary as the results become visible.


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2 comments

  1. You were the first person I was in contact with before moving to Korea, and I’ve enjoyed reading your blogs and following your adventures since then. I understand that urge to travel, to move and see new things. I’m not a parent, and I don’t plan to be, so I’m probably the worst person to give advice, but one thing I’ve grown incredibly fond of is exploring places here at home in Oregon when that American monotony starts killing me inside. The more hiking and backpacking I do, the more I realize I get the same thrill of travel just an hour or so away from home. Even just a few hours on an easy trail refreshes me in a way that’s hard to put into words. A lot of the trails here are kid-friendly– some even stroller friendly!– so you might consider that as an alternative to long-distance travel until your kids are older! I was always so consumed with getting out of the states for adventures that I forgot there was a lot of beauty and adventure to be had right here.

    • So true! We actually plan on trading in the boat for a popup and exploring more in the Spring. I am really excited to see Wyoming and some of the other beautiful natural places around here! Plus it is way more affordable now that we have to buy 3 plane tickets 🙂

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