Is Long Term Family Travel For You?
In the back of your mind you’re thinking you would love to quit your job, sell your house, and hit the road with your family. It would be wonderful to travel the world with your children, exploring the Egyptian pyramids, the Taj Majal, and maybe even make it to Timbuktu. Long term family travel may be more realistic than you think.
But then reality pulls you back – you need to be a ‘responsible’ parent and work 9 – 5 and take the kids to soccer practice in the evenings, Or do you really? Traveling as a family can be a fantastic experience for all members of the family – regardless of the age. For parents, the opportunity to spend time with your children rather than behind a desk is a gift. For children, the opportunity to see the world and spend their short childhood with their parents is the best gift any parent can give them.
You are probably thinking there is no way you could afford to quit your job and travel, but long term travel is much more accessible than you may think. We, as a family of four, are traveling the world on our bicycles for about $1500/month. That means we spend less than $20,000 per year! The rent from our house covers about half of those expenses and interest on our retirement account and our website covers most of the rest.
It is possible to ditch the normal, expected path through life to make your own path. Take some time to research options now and consider how you can turn your dream into reality. There are an unlimited number of ways to make that dream come true – all it takes is a bit of creative thinking. Jump outside the box today and make your dream come true!
Nancy Sathre-Vogel has years of personal experience with long term family travel. She’s posted ideas for planning a family vacation on her website, www.familyonbikes.org