Travel round the world

[justwondering21]

Just watched a BBC breakfast report on a family that are currently travelling round the world following bereavement.
There is Mum, Dad and 3 young children.
Mum lost her Dad and Step-Mum and then also her Mum.
I think they were maybe called The Langfords.
They sold their home and all their possessions and travelling round the world.
It looks amazing.

I'm about to invest all my money into a new property and it's got me thinking 🤔

Would I be Unreasonable to pull out of a house sale and just press the "fuck it" button and go travelling round the world!

My DH doesn't want to. He thinks buy the home and then have nice holidays every year with a secure base to always come home to.

My oldest and youngest child would possibly be ok with this but I don't think my middle child would.

Watching the report it just looked amazing and they were talking live from Miami. Altho the 2 children on the clip looked shattered as currently 1am over there.

I wonder will they just keep travelling or will they come back once the adventure is over:
Or maybe settle somewhere they fall in love with?

Life is so short, sometimes I worry it is just passing by in a flurry of work, school runs, mortgage payments.

Personally think it’s irresponsible - as what qualifications will the children end up with if they’re having all that time out of school. But I guess I’m nobody to judge - and let them do them but I could never do it.

Also I’ve never really seen what there is to gain from trolling around… it just sounds like a holiday - where as if people call it travelling then it’s something worthy and important. I don’t see what the difference to me holidaying in a city is to them living their life on the road…

Yeah I saw that and wasn't sold tbh. As previous poster said, they just seem to be hotel / holiday hopping rather than actually 'travelling' and learning any kind of like skill

I didn't understand why it had made the news really. Also thought they looked a bit deranged 'look how much fun were having' .. whilst dragging the VERY tired looking kids out of bed at 1.30am. I'm sure the kids could have stayed in bed as they were not great advocates for it sat there looking knackered and over it!

Yeah it wasn't really news.

It is the sort of thing I dream of too, though it is just me and ds. We are off to Sri Lanka for most of feb though it’s partly my work. I’d love to maybe take a year out before he starts secondary.

I didn’t see the programme btw

I didn't see the programme so I can't comment on the family in question. However, I have known other families do this and the children have benefitted a great deal from exposure to different cultures; they came back with an understanding of geography, languages, politics, environmental issues....loads and loads. I wish I'd been able to do it with my own family when they were younger.

I have travelled round the world myself but much later in life, when everyone was grown up and I was divorced too. I would do it again like a shot, I learned so much even as an adult, and came back with a "world view" on life, rather than a narrow, western, British one. I had experiences which I will remember forever, and I don't regret any of it.

I would think it through carefully and plan properly if you are really keen, but if you have a partner they do need to be on board with it too, or else I can't see it working out well.

I wouldn’t do it unless it was with pre school children, that’s the ideal time to do it. Once children are settled into schools with friends then no I’d never consider it. I’d love to do it when my kids have grown up, like take an early retirement but I’d probably go on a 6 month cruise around the world. But if people want to do it then why not, but if don’t have another house then I wouldn’t spend my house money on this

It's a fantasy for me too, but I agree with your DH that you need a base to come back too. You do get tired of it and want familiarity and routine after a certain point.

I’m on the fence. I’m in my 50s. The things I look back on in life as some of my best experiences are my years travelling. Not my jobs or my houses. I did my A levels late, I went to au pair in Paris to get my french a level.. you don’t always lose out by not doing things conventionally!

Yes I watched this too but I couldn't give up the security of my house now.

Also I thought it was somewhat ironic when one of the kids said his favourite place so far was wales!

I did travel in my 20s solo and it was the best adventure - just me and a backpack. I'm not sure I fancy this with kids though.

I did 2 round the world trips in my 20’s- working & travelling. Gave up everything and it was amazing and liberating. I’d like to do it again when older but I wouldn’t take the kids out of school now to do it. Think it often depends if you did it on your younger carefree days or not!

I know an American family who took a year out and travelled around the US in an RV. Dad continued working and the kids were home schooled. They had an amazing time. It looked like a fantastic, and quite educational experience for the kids and a really great bonding experience for the family.

The issue with kids is that travelling is hard work with pre-schoolers. But then by the time they hit the age of 6-7, their friends start becoming important to them so they'd be more reluctant to go. I'd do it in a heartbeat if my kids were keen, but I don't think they'd be prepared to leave their friends behind for a year. I hope we'll do it when the kids are grown up and maybe they'll join us for bits of the trip.

Carry on what your doing. Take a month off or 6 weeks (unpaid leave if you have to) and go away on a adventure holidays - tours like Exodus or responsible travel. Lots a great long holidays that consist of more than sun loungers and all you can eat buffet (although nothing wrong with cheap sunshine getaway)

I did loads of backpacking BEFORE I had kids. Give them the kid experience of school, playdates and routine. Take them on adventure holidays or wait till they want to do it as individuals.