Epic Education Radio: Family Travel Podcast

An English village life. Moving to the UK. Raising children abroad and traveling with four kids under seven years old. Just a few topics on this week's episode of Epic Education Radio.

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Then please subscribe, rate & review Epic Education Radio.

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An American Family, an English Village Life

Meet Christina Davies. She and her husband Scott wanted to live an English village life, so they found their way to the UK and made it happen. Fast forward a decade or so and they've found their English village life, and a family as well! All four kids were born in England, and the Davies family now have dual citizenship.

In this Epic Education Radio interview, I talk to Christina about English village life and how they achieved it. We discuss how they moved to England, where they live, education in their English village and Christina's tips for travel with young children.

Listen in! And please share!

IN THIS EPISODE

• 02:43 Intro and recent traveling experiences
• 07:40 Why & how they arranged their English village life
• 11:09 Her work: paramedic medical missions
• 13:40 A day in English Village Life
• 17:48 English Village Life: the village pub
• 20:34 Challenges & adjustments to English Village Life
• 24:57 Education and socialization
• 29:30 Travel gear
• 41:17 Travel tips
• 47:12 Resources

ABOUT

• Names: Christina Davies, her husband, Scott and their 4 kids (6, 4, 2, and 1 year old)
• Hold passports from: USA (now also having UK citizenship)
• Type of travel: Living abroad in the UK (over 10 years)
• A few places they've been: Morocco, Spain, Portugal, and other European destinations

IN THEIR BAGS

• Phil and Ted's Double Buggy
• 2 Osprey Meridian Backpacks
• Victorinox Bag
• North Face Bag
• Karrimor day pack
• Components from a Pacapod baby bag
• NESO Tent
• Passport holder

LINKS & RESOURCES

• Lipa Mole 
• Splash Math
• Doodle Maths
• Soundtouch 
• Peek-a-boo Barn
• Youtube: Jonathan Bird's Blue World
• Youtube: Mighty Machines
• Zoom
• Skypeout Number

If you'd like to contact Christina, you can find her at:

Christina_athens [at] yahoo [dot] com

Full-on family travel fundamentals. Epic Education Radio is interviews, stories and advice for people who decide to make travel a priority in their family's life...and for those who want to. Tune in each week to hear stories and advice from new traveling families, and hear how they've handled various family travel-related issues like education, socialization, working, budgeting, accommodation, road-parenting, safety, technology and more. We talk gear, websites, apps and other resources for traveling & nomadic families, and answer questions from those who would like to do something similar.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means, at no extra cost to you,  we might receive a small commission if you make a purchase or book using those links. My opinions are my own and I only recommend places/services that I believe will genuinely help your travel.

EER109: How to Move to Spain with Alan Wagoner of Wagoners Abroad

How to move to Spain with kids. Finding schools, navigating paperwork and building a life. These are just a few things covered in today's episode of Epic Education Radio.

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Like what you're hearing?

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We would be extremely grateful!

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How to Move to Spain with Kids

Alan and Heidi Wagoner wanted to move to Spain with their kids. Many people want to move abroad, but Alan and Heidi did something about it, and they made it happen.

I first interviewed the Wagoners on one of the earliest episodes of Epic Education Radio. Since then, they have become good friends, and we met each other in three countries so far. After their initial move to Spain three years ago, they wrote prolifically about the process of finding housing, putting their kids in local schools, and much of the paperwork and bureaucratic hoops they experienced. They just wanted a "simpler, more fulfilling life," 

They just wanted a "simpler, more fulfilling life," and they found it.

Join Alan and I as we discuss what it was like putting the kids into school, a day in the life of their small Spanish town, and other interesting aspects of their move to Spain. 

IN THIS EPISODE

• 02:27 Introductions
• 05:27 A day in the life in Spain
• 08:04 Schools and siesta time in Spain
• 09:12 Learning Spanish and starting school in Spain
• 13:38 Social life for kids in Spain
• 16:38 Basic steps to moving to Spain
• 19:31 Visa requirements for moving to Spain
• 29:37 Public schools & school holidays in Spain
• 37:33 Recommendations for travel in Spain
• 38:44 Off the radar Spain travel recommendations

ABOUT

• Names: Alan and Heidi Wagoner, and their kids Lars and Anya
• Hold passports from: USA
• Type of travel: Living abroad / Moving to Spain

FIND THEM ON

Wagoners Abroad |Facebook |Twitter |Instagram| Pinterest | Youtube

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means, at no extra cost to you,  we might receive a small commission if you make a purchase or book using those links. My opinions are my own and I only recommend places/services that I believe will genuinely help your travel.

Full-on family travel fundamentals. Epic Education Radio is interviews, stories and advice for people who decide to make travel a priority in their family's life...and for those who want to. Tune in each week to hear stories and advice from new traveling families, and hear how they've handled various family travel-related issues like education, socialization, working, budgeting, accommodation, road-parenting, safety, technology and more. We talk gear, websites, apps and other resources for traveling & nomadic families, and answer questions from those who would like to do something similar.

Living in Ecuador with teens. Home exchanges. Pet sitting. Year-long wold travel. These are just a few things covered on this week's episode of Epic Education Radio. 

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Like what you're hearing?

Then please subscribe, rate & review Epic Education Radio.

We would be extremely grateful!

iTunes is a search engine as well, and so when you rate and review us, you help others find us. Thank you!

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World Travel & Living in Ecuador with Teens

What's it like to live in Ecuador with teens? Katrisha Stuler knows a little about it. In this Epic Education Radio interview, I talk to her about moving to Ecuador, and why they chose Ecuador for their family. We also talk about their year-long round-the-world trip and their experiences with pet sitting and home exchange. 

Listen in! And please share!

IN THIS EPISODE

• 02:17 Intro and origins
• 03:48 Why move to Ecuador?
• 05:25 Healthcare in Ecuador with teens
• 07:48 Life in Ecuador
• 11:56 Their year-long trip
• 14:40 Coming "back home" to Ecuador with teens
• 16:32 Budgeting and funding traveling
• 19:48 Travel habits
• 25:19 Highlights & surprises
• 31:44 Education in Ecuador and on the road
• 36:18 What next?
• 41:05 Travel Gear
• 51:33 Resources

ABOUT

• Names: Katrisha Stuler, her husband, and their 16-year-old twin boys
• Hold passports from: USA
• Type of travel: RV travel, RTW Travel, Travel with Teens, Slow Travel, Home exchange, Pet sitting and Living Abroad in Cuenca, Ecuador
• A few places they've been: Live in Ecuador, travel in Spain, Morocco, Denmark, Malaysia, Scotland, Thailand, England, Mexico, and Portugal

IN THEIR BAGS

• Osprey Farpoint 40 Backpacks
• Eagle Creek Packing Cubes
• Microfiber towels

LINKS & RESOURCES

• Time4Learning
• Khan Academy
• homeexchange.com
• Xel-Ha in Tulum, Mexico
• Google Flights
• World Travel Family — My interviews with Alyson from Worldtravelfamily #1 & #2
• Wagoners Abroad — My interviews with Alyson from the Wagoners #1  (#2 is next week!)

FIND THEM ON

Their Blog | Facebook

Full-on family travel fundamentals. Epic Education Radio is interviews, stories and advice for people who decide to make travel a priority in their family's life...and for those who want to. Tune in each week to hear stories and advice from new traveling families, and hear how they've handled various family travel-related issues like education, socialization, working, budgeting, accommodation, road-parenting, safety, technology and more. We talk gear, websites, apps and other resources for traveling & nomadic families, and answer questions from those who would like to do something similar.

World travel with babies and toddlers. That's how Ricky Shetty and his wife are spending her maternity leave. Listen in as we talk travel gear, date nights, travel as people of color and the differences between world travel with babies and world travel with toddlers.

World Travel with Babies and Toddlers

Meet Ricky Shetty. Since December of 2016, they're been traveling the world with three kinds under five years old. In fact, the youngest is under one, and this is how they're spending her maternity leave!

I caught up with Ricky while they were in South Africa. There were many aspects to our conversation, but the differences between travel with babies and travel with toddlers were one of the most interesting points.

Ricky and company have been on the road for about sic months now, and here he talks about the importance of date nights and mixing up their schedule. Listen in! And please share!

• 04:20 Intro & origins
• 07:44 traveling with babies and toddlers
• 10:54 habits routines
• 14:41 education
• 16:44 Ethnic identity and being a person of color traveler
• 19:41 money
• 26:24 education & resources
• 28:07 Gear

• Names: Ricky Shetty, his wife, traveling with three kids under five years old
• Hold passports from: Canada
• Type of travel: World travel with babies and toddlers
• A few places they've been: South Africa, South America and many, many more

• Powerbank
• iPhone 6
• iPhone 5
• Sarong
• GoPro
• 2 MacBook Air

• Ricky interviewed me on Youtube in 2015
• I wrote about the best age to travel with kids

DaddyBlogger | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube

Full-on family travel fundamentals. Epic Education Radio is interviews, stories and advice for people who decide to make travel a priority in their family's life...and for those who want to. Tune in each week to hear stories and advice from new traveling families, and hear how they've handled various family travel-related issues like education, socialization, working, budgeting, accommodation, road-parenting, safety, technology and more. We talk gear, websites, apps and other resources for traveling & nomadic families, and answer questions from those who would like to do something similar.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means, at no extra cost to you,  we might receive a small commission if you make a purchase or book using those links. My opinions are my own and I only recommend places/services that I believe will genuinely help your travel.

Life in Spain. Giving birth in Spain. Just a few of the topics we cover in this week's episode of Epic Education Radio.

Living in Andalucia, Spain with Three Kids

Meet Ryan and Emily Rauch. Once upon a time, they works 90-hour weeks in finance. Ryan was an alcoholic. They were both unhappy. They wanted a change, and travel became that change. After traveling for years, they finally settled into living in Andalucia, Spain's southernmost province.

Now a family of five, they live near Cadiz. Emily gave birth to their third child in a hospital not far away. They describe birth in Spain and living in Andalucia in this episode, including many of their costs and details about schools and more.

Living and Giving Birth in Spain

One of the many ways that living in Andalucia has been good for the Rauch family is cost. For example, the birth of their daughter in the US went well over 25 thousand dollars. Birth in Spain? About three thousand.

They also describe school in the southern Spanish province and how much the kids enjoy it.

Listen in! And please share!

IN THIS EPISODE

• 02:37 Intro and origins
• 04:12 Moving to Spain and why they chose Cadiz
• 07:29 The many different flavors of Spanish
• 12:45 A day in the life in Andalucia and the quality of life in Spain
• 19:36 How they got their residency visa
• 27:08 Money
• 33:05 Birth in Spain
• 39:17 Siesta Culture and the late-night culture of Spain
• 46:19 Recommended places to go in Spain for families

ABOUT

• Names:Ryan and Emily Rauch and their 3 kids (9, 5 and 2 years old)
• Hold passports from: USA
• Type of travel: Overland travel, long-term travel transitioning into living in Spain
• A few places they've been: Argentina, all over Europe Southeast Asia and now living in Spain

FIND THEM ON

Their blog: Oliver the World

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. This means, at no extra cost to you,  we might receive a small commission if you make a purchase or book using those links. My opinions are my own and I only recommend places/services that I believe will genuinely help your travel.

Full-on family travel fundamentals. Epic Education Radio is interviews, stories and advice for people who decide to make travel a priority in their family's life...and for those who want to. Tune in each week to hear stories and advice from new traveling families, and hear how they've handled various family travel-related issues like education, socialization, working, budgeting, accommodation, road-parenting, safety, technology and more. We talk gear, websites, apps and other resources for traveling & nomadic families, and answer questions from those who would like to do something similar.

EER105: Day Trading and Travel & the Cost of Living in Mexico with Kids

Day trading and travel. The cost of living in Mexico with kids. Childbirth overseas and a day in the life of a digital nomad family in Guanajuato, Mexico. These are just a few things covered in this week's episode of Epic Education Radio.

Pregnancy, Travel & the Cost of Living in Mexico

Meet the Luxpats. Once living as expats in Luxembourg, David Keys and Sarah Beaudette have lived in South Africa, Thailand, Croatia and elsewhere, while traveling to many neighboring countries. Now they are based in Guanajuato, Mexico — partly because of the proximity to family in the United States, and partly because of the cost of living in Mexico.

In this episode, we talk about the cost of living in Mexico and what it's like to living in Mexico with kids. At the time of recording, David and Sarah had only one child: three-year-old Spencer. Soon, however, Spencer will be joined by a sibling and his sibling will be born in Mexico.

Because of the heat other concerns such as the Zika virus, they chose to live at a higher elevation. So far, their choice of Guanajuato has worked very well for them.

Living in Mexico with Kids

David and Sarah's very different upbringings meant that they approached long-term travel with kids differently. David was a military brat who moved around a lot. Sarah lived in one place with a lot of relatives around. As they continued their digital nomad family life, they discovered that they reacted very differently to travel day as it approached. David looked forward to it, while it made Sarah anxious.

The solution they came up with was to find a home base to travel from. For the time being, that home base is Guanajuato, Mexico. They chose Guanajuato for several reasons, which they explain in our conversation.

Healthcare, Childbirth and the Cost of Living in Mexico

So far, they have great things to say about healthcare in Mexico. The cost of living in Mexico has also been a big advantage, they say, and they give real numbers in our conversation on their expenses: daycare costs, house rental, etc.

Day Trading and Travel

David and Sarah have experimented with a number of income streams during their digital nomad family life. Presently, however, David has discovered day trading and travel to work best for him. Specifically trading gold.

In our conversation, he explains what day trading and travel mean to him: what he does and how he manages his time.

Tune in as we discuss travel gear, the cost of living in Mexico, day trading and travel, childbirth in Guanajuato and much more. Listen in, and please share!

IN THIS EPISODE

• 02:42 Intro
• 04:33 Finding a home
• 09:00 Why Guanajuato, Mexico
• 11:50 Medical and doc considerations (baby & Zika)
• 15:32 A day in Guanajuato
• 21:00 Budgeting and real numbers
• 23:50 David explains day trading and travel
• 35:00 Gear
• 49:28 Resources

ABOUT

• Names: David Keys, Sarah Beaudette, and their 3y/o son, Spencer, with a baby on the way
• Hold passports from: USA
• Type of travel: slow travel, digital nomad family travel
• A few places they've been: Thailand, Croatia, Japan, Hungary, and elsewhere. Now living in Guanajuato, Mexico.

IN THEIR BAGS

• DJi Osmo
• Aeropress
• Trendwoo Bluetooth Speaker
• eBags Motherlode Weekender
• eBags TLS Professional Weekender
• 32 Degrees Cool T-Shirts
• Ex-Officio Travel Underwear
• iPhone Battery Case
• Roost Laptop Stand
• Florious Packing Cubes
• Kids Camera 

LINKS & RESOURCES

• Their interview from 2016
• Jus Soli
• Trail Wallet app
• Nomadica
• Travel Resolutions and How to Keep Them
• US Tax
• Trading View
• Xero for accounting and expenses
• Duotrope
• Scannable app

FIND THEM ON

The Luxpats |Facebook |Twitter |Instagram|Pinterest 

Full-on family travel fundamentals. Epic Education Radio is interviews, stories and advice for people who decide to make travel a priority in their family's life...and for those who want to. Tune in each week to hear stories and advice from new traveling families, and hear how they've handled various family travel-related issues like education, socialization, working, budgeting, accommodation, road-parenting, safety, technology and more. We talk gear, websites, apps and other resources for traveling & nomadic families, and answer questions from those who would like to do something similar.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means, at no extra cost to you,  we might receive a small commission if you make a purchase or book using those links. My opinions are my own and I only recommend places/services that I believe will genuinely help your travel.

EER104: Family RV Travel & Running a Business from Mexico

Family RV travel in Mexico. Running a Business from Mexico. Freedom, flexibility, education, screen time and location independence. These are just a few of the topics covered in this week's episode of Epic Education Radio.

Family RV Travel in Mexico

Paul and Becky Kortman like to say that they actually fell into a location independent lifestyle. However the method, the results have been life-changing for them. After a year traveling the world, they returned to the United States only for their children to ask them if "Can we please keep traveling?"

And continue traveling they did. From flights and backpacks, they switched to an RV and drove south. The original goal was to go all the way to Ecuador. Then they arrived in Mexico....and never left. Family RV travel in Mexico wasn't the plan, but one of the beautiful things about the Kortman's travel family life is the freedom and flexibility to change their plans altogether if they want.

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Like what you're hearing?

Then please subscribe, rate & review Epic Education Radio.

We would be extremely grateful!

iTunes is a search engine as well, and so when you rate and review us, you help others find us. Thank you!

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Running a Business from Mexico

Paul is a location independent entrepreneur who brings his work with him. Running a business from Mexico might seem like a dream, but for Paul, it's a reality.

He connects with his team and works as they explore Mexico in an RV, all the while searching for home along the way. They call their blog "Home Along the Way" for that reason, and this has become an important part of their families life and learning.

Why Family RV Travel in Mexico?

Paul has great things to say about family RV travel in Mexico, and about life in Mexico in general. "When we were living in the US, all we heard [about Mexico] was negative, negative, negative," he says. Fortunately for them and thousands like them, this is far from the reality.

Family RV travel in Mexico has been liberating for them, he says, adding that "we can let our kids run and play and be wild" far more than would be possible in the United States.

The quality of life is great as well, he feels. For example, he tells the story of their family and some friends — ten people in total — were able to eat a great meal together and leave a substantial tip for the grand total of...wait for it...25 US dollars.

Adoption, Residency and Running a Business from Mexico

Paul and Becky also just went through the procedures to have permanent residency in Mexico. One of the reasons it that they would like to adopt another child, and to do this, Mexican residency can make things much easier and cheaper.

We discuss education and free time as well, and how he is able to run a business from an RV with four — count them, FOUR — children in the vehicle with him.

All this and more in this episode of Epic Education Radio. Listen in! And please share!

IN THIS EPISODE

• 02:34 Intro
• 04:33 Why Mexico?
• 08:56 Falling in love with Mexico
• 17:11 Work & money
• 26:03 How they "fell into location independence"
• 30:32 Education and the transition from homeschooling to unschooling
• 42:40 Screentime
• 48:32 Communications
• 55:25 Resources

ABOUT

• Names: Paul & Becky Kortman and their kids Alia (9) Josiah (8), Mathias (5), and Zander (3)
• Hold passports from: US, with Mexican residency
• Type of travel: Slow travel & RV travel
• A few places they've been: Numerous locations in Southeast Asia and Mexico

IN THEIR BAGS

• 4 iPads

LINKS & RESOURCES

• Minecraft
• Duo Lingo
• Monster Physics App
• Tynker for coding
• Worldschooling & Unschooling on Nomad Together episodes
• T-Mobile International plans for data
• Google Fi
• iOverlander
• IFTTT
• Zapier
• Trello
• Slack

FIND THEM ON

Home Along The Way |Nomad Together Podcast | Facebook | Twitter | Connex Digital Marketing

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means, at no extra cost to you,  we might receive a small commission if you make a purchase or book using those links. My opinions are my own and I only recommend places/services that I believe will genuinely help your travel.

Full-on family travel fundamentals. Epic Education Radio is interviews, stories and advice for people who decide to make travel a priority in their family's life...and for those who want to. Tune in each week to hear stories and advice from new traveling families, and hear how they've handled various family travel-related issues like education, socialization, working, budgeting, accommodation, road-parenting, safety, technology and more. We talk gear, websites, apps and other resources for traveling & nomadic families, and answer questions from those who would like to do something similar.

Family travel with a wheelchair. Resources for travel with disabilities and mobility challenges. First-hand experiences from some of the most wheelchair accessible countries and best places for wheelchair travel. These are just a few of the topics covered in today's episode of Epic Education Radio.

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Like what you're hearing?

Then please subscribe, rate & review Epic Education Radio.

We would be extremely grateful!

iTunes is a search engine as well, and so when you rate and review us, you help others find us. Thank you!

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Family travel with a wheelchair

Meet Cory Lee. Diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy at the age of two, Cory has had mobility issues his entire life. However, that's not stopped him from becoming an advocate for family travel with a wheelchair and strong voice for wheelchair users and the disabled travel community.

Now 27, Cory travels with his mother or another companion, so the connection to family travel with a wheelchair is here. However, I wanted Cory on the podcast to show both parents and children with disabilities that wheelchair travel is possible, and more of the world is accessible to wheelchair users than you might realize.

Origins of a wheelchair travel addict

When Cory was a child, he and his mom traveled in the US every summer. A took a trip to Disney World planted the seed of wheelchair travel for Cory. Then at 15 his took his first international trip, and the seed began to grow.

Fast forward 12 years and Cory has now visited 20 countries on six continents. His dream is to visit every continent, but he's still working on how family travel with a wheelchair will work in Antarctica.

Tips for Travel with a Wheelchair

Planning any family travel with a wheelchair? Cory gives a lot of advice, but perhaps the most wheelchair travel advice he gives is this: plan ahead. When we talked, he told me that he was presently planning a trip that wouldn't happen for another 12 months!

There are many extra factors that wheelchair travelers need to consider, he says. Fr example, he needs a roll-in shower, and he needs to search hotels, transportation, and other factors to see just how accessible and wheelchair-friendly it will be.

Best Destinations for Wheelchair Travel

Looking for a great place for family travel with a wheelchair? Cory tells us a few of his favorites. We didn't have time to discuss everywhere, of course, but I was surprised at a few that he recommended, and a few that he thought needed work.

For US travel with a wheelchair, Cory named Washington DC as the most wheelchair accessible destination. The trains, buses and attractions were all wheelchair accessible, he said, and when considering the monuments, museums and other sites, there is certainly much to see and do.

Another wheelchair accessible travel destination? Las Vegas. Cory never had a problem getting a wheelchair accessible taxi in Las Vegas he said.

Elsewhere in the Americas, Cory just returned from a trip to Ecuador, where he enjoyed the sites in Quito and took a tour through the Amazon. You read that right. Listen in to hear about it.

In Europe, Cory had high praise for Iceland and the city of London. Both were excellent destinations for family travel with a wheelchair, he said. Surprisingly (to me at least), Paris was not. They could only locate one wheelchair accessible taxi during their stay, he said, and it didn't come cheap. Then again, Cory says that this was 2011, and a lot may have changed since then. 

What would be Cory's top pick for wheelchair travel. Where does he think sisone of the best destinations for family travel with a wheelchair?

Australia.

"They really have it going on with disability," says Cory. In places like Sydney and Melbourne, be believes that both attractions and transport were designed with travel with a wheelchair in mind

Do you know anything about family travel with a wheelchair?

Let us know? Family travel whould include everyone, and so I want to share as many tips, stories and advice as possible. Let us know!

IN THIS EPISODE

• 00:00 Intro
• 0000 Origin
• 0000 Planning & resources
• 0000 Travel gear
• 0000 Destinations
• advice to parents of wheelchair users

ABOUT

• Names: Cory Lee (27 years old)
• Hold passports from: USA
• Type of travel: Short-term travel with a wheelchair
• A few places they've been: Over 20 countries in Europe, the Americas and more

IN THEIR BAGS

• Laptop (make/model?)
• Go Pro (make/model?)
• Go Mobility Chair (make/model?)

LINKS & RESOURCES

• Spinal Muscular Atrophy (Type 2)
• Delta
• The Hilton Honors App (can search accessible rooms)
• Thorntree Forum for Travel with Disabilities
• Iceland Unlimited
• Ecuador For All
• Cory's Amazon Hike (and the video of the worm I mentioned)
• Disability Horizons
• Spin the Globe
• Other wheelchair travel blog recommendations?

FIND THEM ON

Curb Free with Cory Lee | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means, at no extra cost to you,  we might receive a small commission if you make a purchase or book using those links. My opinions are my own and I only recommend places/services that I believe will genuinely help your travel.

Full-on family travel fundamentals. Epic Education Radio is interviews, stories and advice for people who decide to make travel a priority in their family's life...and for those who want to. Tune in each week to hear stories and advice from new traveling families, and hear how they've handled various family travel-related issues like education, socialization, working, budgeting, accommodation, road-parenting, safety, technology and more. We talk gear, websites, apps and other resources for traveling & nomadic families, and answer questions from those who would like to do something similar.

Single Parent Travel. Expat Living in Australia with Kids. Cruises, strollers and the search for soy-based baby formula. There are just a few topics from this week's episode of Epic Education Radio.

:::

Like what you're hearing?

Then please subscribe, rate & review Epic Education Radio.

We would be extremely grateful!

iTunes is a search engine as well, and so when you rate and review us, you help others find us. Thank you!

:::

Single Parent Travel and Expat Living in Australia with Kids

Meet Jade. She's a Canada native who knows a few things about single parent travel and living in Australia with kids. She's visited 51 countries. Her son Jacob has been to 23 countries so far, and he's only four. He started crawling while they were in Iceland.

Like many traveling families I talk to, Jade says the easiest time to travel with him so far has been when he was a baby. As he's gotten older, she says, they have slowed their travel pace and stayed in places longer.

Tips for Single Parent Travel

As her son has grown, Jade has switched up the way she travels. She never thought she'd enjoy cruising, but has discovered it to be a great form of single parent travel. Why? For one, it's a great way to see many destinations and yet stay in the same room.

If you're living in Australia with kids, cruising can be a good option as there are many cruises to the Pacific Islands. Jade likes these destinations as well and for at least one similar (and practical) reason. They're small islands, and you usually stay in one hotel while you're there. less moving from room to room.

Travel in Australia with Kids

Jade has experienced expat living in Australia in three cities: Brisbane, Melbourne, and now Sydney. She has some great advice about travel in Australia with kids. For example, if you like road trips, then visiting Australia with kids is the way to go. Neighboring New Zealand is even better.

If you're visiting Australia with kids, however, it helps to budget your money wisely. Whether it's single parent travel or exploring with a large family, it's not cheap visiting Australia with kids.

Another thing to set low expectations for is internet and wifi availability. It may surprise yo to know that Australia's wifi networks are not that strong, and free wifi in cafes is rare. This certainly surprised me. To prepare for this, Jade recommends loading your devices with apps that work offline.

Beyond Australia with Kids

While half of our conversation deals with travel and living in Australia with kids, the other half deals with her insight into single parent travel and other aspects of travel that many parents can relate to. We discuss strollers and finding the right formula for lactose intolerant kids. We talked about great travel gear and the gear that we buy and never used.

All this and more on this week's episode. Listen in! And please share!

IN THIS EPISODE

• 00:00 Intro
• How travel has changed at he grows
• Single parent travel routines
• gear
• Money & budgeting
• Living in Australia
• Budget travel in Australia
• Resources & wifi
• Destinations

ABOUT

• Names: Jade Johnston and her son, Jacob (now 3)
• Hold passports from: Canada 
• Type of travel: Lived in 7 countries, visited 52. Son has been to 22 countries. Currently living in Australia
• A few places they've been: Many locations around Asia, Oceania, the Americas and more.

IN THEIR BAGS

• Mountain Buggy stroller 
• Kathmandu hiking carrier
• Packing cubes 
• iPad 
• iPhone 
• Mirrorless Camera )

LINKS & RESOURCES

• I mentioned another interview with Amber Myers
• Booking.com
• Maps with Me
• XE Currency
• Zomato
• I Know the Pilot
• Duplo Apps

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Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means, at no extra cost to you,  we might receive a small commission if you make a purchase or book using those links. My opinions are my own and I only recommend places/services that I believe will genuinely help your travel.

Full-on family travel fundamentals. Epic Education Radio is interviews, stories and advice for people who decide to make travel a priority in their family's life...and for those who want to. Tune in each week to hear stories and advice from new traveling families, and hear how they've handled various family travel-related issues like education, socialization, working, budgeting, accommodation, road-parenting, safety, technology and more. We talk gear, websites, apps and other resources for traveling & nomadic families, and answer questions from those who would like to do something similar.

Working online. Living in Alaska, Mexico, and beyond. Plus plenty of international family travel with five kids. These are just a few of the topics

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Work, Play & International Family Travel with Five Kids

Meet Alisa. She and her husband have been a traveling couple even before they started a family. Long before international travel with five kids, it was travel with one. And then with two. And then three, and then....you get the idea. A native of Kansas, Alisa met her husband in Alaska, where they lived before moving to Mexico and then traveling the world with their kids.

Now with a home base in Oregon, Alisa tells me about living in Mexico, starting a business in Alaska, and their recent three-month trip to New Zealand. Are work and international travel with five kids possible? Alisa proves that it is.

Working online while you travel with five kids

Alisa goes into detail about their work and how they found a way to make money online and travel as they go. As a sales rep, Alisa and her husband have found a variety or products to sell. From jewelry in Mexico to cards made in Vietnam, they have found a way to diversify their income streams and travel with five kids as well.

It started with wooden watches — you read that right — while in Alaska. Gradually, they have picked up a number of other clients. How? Alisa unpacks their work a bit in the show.

The Dynamics of Family Travel with Five Kids

As you can imagine, international travel with five kids is quite different than travel with only one or two. However, traveling with five kids might not be as difficult as you might think. The time and trouble don't compound itself with each new little person, she explains. The two oldest love to help and take care of their three younger brothers and those brothers adore their older sisters. The result: Alisa and her husband frequently have help, and the kids always have friends and playmates around.

That said international family travel with kids has changed for Alisa and crew over the years. "The more kids we add, " she says, "the more comforts we want."

Travel Gear for a Family of Seven

Alisa details some of the must-have items they bring with them when they travel — as well as the things they buy when they arrive. There were two that were particularly interesting to me. On was the addition of a noise maker. I was surprised I hadn't thought of this myself. Her reasoning and implementation in the podcast.

The other was small travel blankets. The story of how she ended up with them will warm your heart.

IN THIS EPISODE

• 00:00 Intro & origins
• 00:00 New Zealand family travel with five kids
• 00:00 Large family travel
• 12:41 Older helping younger
• 00:00 Work & funding family travel with five kids
• 20:43 Walk through of sales rep
• 00:00 Gear
• 00:00 Resources

ABOUT

• Names: Alisa L, her husband and 5 kids (present ages?)
• Hold passports from: USA
• Type of travel: Living abroad, long-term travel and short-term travel with a US base. International family travel with five kids
• A few places they've been: Lived in Mexico, traveled across Europe and Asia. Most recently 3 months in New Zealand

IN THEIR BAGS

• 2 MacBooks
• 1 Camera (make/model?)
• 1 pair of tennis shoes, one pair of sandals
• Church clothes for all
• 3 Eagle Creek rolling suitcases (make/model?)
• 2 Osprey 40L backpacks (make/model?)
• Packing cubes (make/model?)
• Noisemaker (make/model?)
• Baby monitor (make/model?)
• Bag clips
• An Alaskan Ulu knife (make/model?)
• Extension cord (make/model?)
• Norwex microfiber cleaning cloths
• Headlamps (make/model?)
• Travel blankets
• Klymit Static V
• Anything else?

LINKS & RESOURCES

• Noisemaker app (you remember which one?)
• I mentioned Brain FM
• Time4Learning
• Trail Guide to Learning
• anything else?

FIND THEM ON

Living Outside the Box  | Facebook |Instagram |Others?

 Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means, at no extra cost to you,  we might receive a small commission if you make a purchase or book using those links. My opinions are my own and I only recommend places/services that I believe will genuinely help your travel.

Full-on family travel fundamentals. Epic Education Radio is interviews, stories and advice for people who decide to make travel a priority in their family's life...and for those who want to. Tune in each week to hear stories and advice from new traveling families, and hear how they've handled various family travel-related issues like education, socialization, working, budgeting, accommodation, road-parenting, safety, technology and more. We talk gear, websites, apps and other resources for traveling & nomadic families, and answer questions from those who would like to do something similar.