Family travel

82 days until the project begins

I came across an article in the New York Times today describing a family's ten month adventure traveling the globe. With careful planning and a strict budget, two parents are giving their children the experience of a lifetime. They are certainly not the first; I've heard of other families who have packed it up and undertaken a collective walkabout. This is the first family of four that I've ever heard of living on budget of $150 USD a day.



Its breathtakingly beautiful and simple, really. And it makes my daily allowance of $100 USD for one person feel much more generous. Cover the basics and let the wonder of a new place and people do the rest. In lieu of sports teams, video games and mall trips, these kids--ages 15 and 12--are experiencing the world. They will have visited more places before receiving their driver's licenses than most Americans visit in their lifetimes. It makes my teen years pale in comparison and certainly gives my upcoming travels healthy competition for "coolest trip ever."

Not that its easy. The family encounters issues with gender, race and cultural stereotypes. It is a healthy reminder of the challenges I will face as a woman traveling solo in parts of the world where a woman is still considered a second class citizen. But the overwhelming positivity from this audacious and ambitious family is inspiring.

Read on for their story and be sure to check out the daughter's blog, Don't use my toothbrush.