Epic Education Radio: Family Travel Podcast

Valencia for teens. Spain for tweens. On this week's episode (number 100!!!) I ask the kids about what they would recommend to kids their age. Some of their answers surprised me. 

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Valencia for Teens and Tweens 

This week's episode is bittersweet because today the kids talk about their favorite things to do in Valencia. Recommendations for kids, by kids. 

By the time you read this, we will have left Valencia, our home from August 2015 to April 2017. And it really did start to feel like a home here, too. The kids had friends and we had routines and knew the city well We may return one day. Life is good here!

I hand the mic over to them for most of this episode, just to hear what they would recommend of Valencia for teens and tweens like themselves.  

Listen in, and let us know what you think! And if you're planning to visit Valencia with teens or tweens, let us know what you enjoy!

IN THIS EPISODE

• 05:25 Valencia Stadium
• 08:17 Wild swimming spot near Valencia
• 10:07 Playa Malvarosa 
• 12:56 Bioparc
• 15:17 Turia Park
• 18:11 Oceanographic
• 19:22 Gulliver Park
• 21:18 Spain in general
• 22:02 Surfing in Santander & Surfing in Lanzarote (Canary Islands)
• 24:13 Scuba lessons in Lanzarote
• 24:45 Wild Swimming
• 25:50 Barcelona Invention Museum (MIBA)
• 29:00 La Boqueria
• 30:35 The Picasso Museum (loved by parents, not loved by our kids)

 

LINKS & RESOURCES

• Valencia: Our complete city guide
• My top 23 things to do in Valencia
• Our favorite places for wild swimming in Spain
• A full list of our posts on Spain with kids
• Our posts on Northern Spain with Kids
• Our guide to Lanzarote with kids
• Barcelona posts

 

 

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.

Self-led learning. Family travel blogging. Exploring Romania with kids. These are just a few topics from my second conversation with Alyson Long from the World Travel Family blog.

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Meet the World Travel Family

It's been four years since Alyson and family bought one-way tickets top Malaysia. Since then, they've been making it up as they went along. learning to make money online through blogging on the way. Alyson's husband is a chef by profession, and he's occasionally picked up work in London along the way. He is also fan of Ironman — the race, not the superhero. He competes in them, and now his blog on the topic is starting to earn the family money as well.

The main blogging breadwinner, however, is World Travel Family, which has been giving tips and insight into traveling with kids since 2012. They've fused work and travel into a lifestyle spending lots of time in Romania with kids while they plan their next steps.

Self-led Learning in Romania with Kids

Alyson's two boys have been homeschooling for around five years so far. She's written about it and how it has evolved. "Yes, 'evolved' is the right word," she says, "What worked when they were six doesn't work when they're twelve..."

In the interview, she talks about the many ways they learn from the web and from the world around them. For example, their favorite part of Romania often feels like you've stepped back in time. The kids watch their neighbors grow their own food, make their own cheese, and barter for goods.

It is a life that is very different from their old homes in the UK and Australia. In Romania with kids, they cook over wood fires, and the winters get down to -20ºC. People still use horse-drawn carts, and sometimes, those horses help the cars over the ice, as well.

Specialized Travel Gear for World Travel Family?

Some of my guests recommend very specialized travel gear on the show. For Alyson? Not so much. Marketers do a great job of convincing people they need expensive and highly specialized tools to travel with kids, but she doesn't need them.

 

IN THIS EPISODE

• 02:35 Intro
• 05:10 Education
• 11:42 How they make money
• 14:41 Managing money in Romania and online
• 16:31 Travel Gear
• 19:56 Exploring Romania with kids
• 27:49 What to do and see in Romania
• 31:11 Resources for kids and adults

ABOUT

• Names: Alyson Long, her husband, James and sons D and Boo
• Hold passports from: UK, Australia
• Type of travel: Long-term travel & Living abroad
• A few places they've been: Exploring Romania with kids, traveled in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Nepal and many many other countries

IN THEIR BAGS

• Laptops ("nothing special: an Acer x 3 and a Lenovo")
• Kindles
• Microfiber towels

LINKS & RESOURCES

• GameDAcademy
• Payoneer Card
• Khan Academy
• Crash Course World History
• How to use Skyscanner
• Tailwind
• Picmonkey
• Homeschool Group Hug on Facebook
• Photography course through Open2Study

FIND THEM ON

World Travel Family | World Travel Chef | Homeschool Group Hug

 

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.

Flying with Children. Living in Perth with kids. Quokka selfies and Icelandic hot dogs! Just a few things covered in this week's episode.

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Flying with Children and Living in Perth with Kids

Meet Amanda Kendle. She's a travel blogger and podcaster. She's also a single parent traveler living in Perth, Australia. Ever been to Perth? It's got a lot going for it, and Amanda talks about what it's like to live in Perth with kids.

She also talks about many of the places that she's traveled — both with her son and before he was born. Amanda lived in Japan for a few years and still has a lot of love for the country (I can relate).

Tricks for Long-Haul Flying with Children

Flying to and from just about anywhere from Perth requires a lot of hours in the air. Even within Australia itself, Perth is fairly isolated, so parents like Amanda have to make flying with children as easy as possible. Here she gives a few of her tips for flying with children.

 

IN THIS EPISODE

• 01:50 Intro
• 06:11 Tips for traveling as a single parent
• 09:40 Gear
• 13:05 Money
• 18:00 Learning from travel
• 23:38 Resources
• 27:44 Destinations

ABOUT

• Names: Amanda Kendle and her son
• Hold passports from: Australia
• Type of travel: Long-term & short-term travel
• A few places they've been: Japan, Slovakia, Ireland, Iceland, and other locations in Europe and Southeast Asia

IN THEIR BAGS

• Packing cubes

LINKS & RESOURCES

• Where's Sharon
• Flashpacker Family
• Quokka Selfies
• Icelandic Hot Dogs

FIND THEM ON

Not a Ballerina | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest| The Thoughtful Traveler podcast on iTunes / on Stitcher

 

 

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.

Looking for the best things to do in London with kids? Looking for luxury family hotels in the UK and family-friendly resorts in the Caribbean and the USA? Then listen to my conversation with Shobha George. We discuss living in London with kids and many of the best resorts for kids in the Caribbean and elsewhere.

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Living in London with Kids

Meet Shobha George, and American expat living in London. She moved to London from New York to work in a law firm, where she met her husband. Fast-forward to present day, and they're married, living in London with kids and running the great family travel blog Just Go Places.

"The more you pay, the less you get."

No, she's not talking about the luxury family hotels she sometimes visits. Instead, she's describing her kids' school holiday schedule. With 17 weeks of vacation a year, Shobha and family get a lot of time to explore more of the world. That includes back in NYC  as well as discovering the best things to do in London with kids.

Luxury Family Hotels in the UK and Elsewhere

Shobha and her husband enjoy traveling comfortably, and they've found some great places to visit over the years. Out of the places she's been to, she mentions Cornwall's Luxury Family Hotels as some of the best family resorts in the UK. 

She also talks about luxury family hotels in the Caribbean and the USA. What makes them her favorite? Pools and waterslides make a difference, for sure.

Cultural Travel and Accommodating the Interests of All

Shobha and her husband want their kids to enjoy their family travel, but that doesn't mean only doing kids activities. Architecture, food, and culture travel all factor into their plans, as well.

"We're not that child-centric," she says, "...I will not spend the rest of my life going to Disney."

I couldn't have said it better myself.

They visit lots of waterslides and roller coasters along the way, she explains, but the kids do lots of things that the parents enjoy, as well.  For example, food tours have played and important role in their travels, and you know what? The kids enjoy them, too.

Best Things to Do in London with Kids

What exactly are the best things to do in London with kids? Shobha has a large list, and she tells us about some of them in the interview. The south bank of the Thames, she says, is a great place to visit in London with kids, as there is space to let the kids run and much to see.

Have you been to London with kids? Where did you go? What would you suggest doing?

IN THIS EPISODE

• 02:30 Intro
• 05:17 Time off & British schools
• 11:49 Fitting kids travel into parents interests
• 16:42 Cultural tourism in NYC & London with kids
• 20:51 How to get kids interested
• 22:26 Best things to do in London with kids
• 28:42 Travel gear
• 32:26 Favorite destinations

ABOUT

• Names: Shobha George, her husband, and their 10-year-old twins
• Hold passports from: USA/UK
• Type of travel: Lives in London with kids, school holiday travel, luxury family hotels
• A few places they've been: Portugal, Italy, Spain, Brazil and much more.

IN THEIR BAGS

• MacBook Air
• iPads
• Mophie Powerpack
• Kindle
• Puro Sound Labs Kids' Noise-canceling headphones
• Lego & Nanoblocks

LINKS & RESOURCES

• The Four Seasons
• Beaches Resorts in the Caribbean
• Luxury Family Hotels in Cornwall
• Hawk's Cay Resort
• The Pickle Guys in NYC
• Economy Candy
• National Museum of Mathematics in NYC
• I mentioned by piece on Japan's 7-11 food for Bon Appetit

FIND THEM ON

Just Go Places | Facebook | Twitter |Pinterest | Instagram| 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.

EER096: Living, Camping & Hiking in Eastern Europe with Kids

Living in Serbia. Camping in Kosovo. Hiking in Eastern Europe with kids. Hitchhiking, too. Diane Vukovic has lots of experience in all of these, and that's what we'll talk about today. 

 

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Hiking in Eastern Europe with Kids

Diane moved to Serbia when she was 22 years old. An avid hiker, camper and outdoors lover since childhood, she found many beautiful places to go hiking in Eastern Europe. Her daughter Isabella is now six years old and goes camping with her mom whenever they have the chance. 

They have been hiking and slept under stars in countries like Kosovo, Albania, Romania and other places that are great for camping in Eastern Europe. Hiking in Eastern Europe with kids isn't as common as it is in some parts of the world. And camping in Eastern Europe, she explains, often involves staying in building you reserve in advance. The area's natural beauty, however, is spectacular, and the Slovenian mountain trails are beautiful. 

 

The Different Styles of Camping in Eastern Europe

Diane explains some of the different forms of camping and hiking in Eastern europe that she comes across. Most locals join hiking and camping clubs. Others do "car camping," where you pitch a tent right next to where you park. When Diane and Isabella go camping in Eastern Europe, they prefer to hike in. By hiking in, they get away from the noise of cars and people and the cit and truly enjoy the natural world. This kind of backpacking and "wild camping" is what they enjoy best.

There are other classiifcations of hiking and camping in Europe that she's come across. Some people classify their style as through hikers and ultralight campers. This is a style of camping in which weight and mobility are key.

While Diane appreciates the passion of thethrough hikers and ultralight campers, the best camping in Eastern Europe she's found is at a slower, more relaxed pace. 

The Joy of Camping in Eastern Europe with Kids

Diane details a typical camping trip and talks about some of the best camping in Eastern Europe she's found so far. Does she come across many others camping and hiking in Eastern Europe with kids? Not often, she says, but one particular camping trip inspired her to start her family camping blog. 

As she describes in the interview, she went hiking with friends and their children. While apprehensive at first, she watched her friend open up and enjoy the experience. The worry for her child's safety in the woods soon turned to joy. They had a great time. After that, Diane knew she needed to write about it more.

What You Need for Hiking & Camping with Kids

A lot of people think you need expensive and specialized gear to go hiking in Eastern Europe or anywhere else. You don't. Diane talks about the hiking boots, clothes and other camping gear they use, but emphasizes that it doesn't have to break the bank to enjoy camping in Eastern Europe. 

There are a few pieces of equipment that are very important, however. If you're planning on hiking in remote areas, a good water filter is crucial, she says. Good boots, too. A well-prepared first aid kit is also recommended, and Diane has a great piece on the kit she pput together. Look for that in the show notes. 

Hitchhiking with Kids

Occasionally Diane and Isabella do some hitchhiking in Eastern Europe, as well. In the West today, hitchhiking is not even considered by many travelers, but you can still find hitchiking in Euope. Diane talks about hitchhiking in Eastern Europe with Isabella and how it has saved them long walks to the entrance to some of the best Slovenia mountain trails and other places to hike in Eastern Europe. 

IN THIS EPISODE

• 02:02 Intro & origins
• 05:21 What's great about living & traveling in Eastern Europe
• 08:16 The different definitions of camping
• 10:24 How Dianne & Isabella camp in Eastern Europe
• 14:59 Outdoor & camping culture in Eastern Europe
• 20:15 Water filters: Her most important piece of camping gear
• 23:36 Boots & when to buy them
• 28:25 Don't need fancy gear
• 31:55 Backpacking & camping in Eastern Europe with young kids
• 37:55 Education & self-directed learning while camping with kids
• 43:58 Hitchhiking with kids
• 48:20 Tips for hitchhiking
• 54:34 Working in Serbis and the cost of traveling in Eastern Europe

ABOUT

• Names: Dianne Vukovic & her daughter Isabella (now 6)
• Hold passports from: USA & Serbia 
• Type of travel: Lives in Serbia — camping, hitchhiking, & hiking in Eastern Europe
• A few places they've been: Kosovo, Albania, Romania and elsewhere in Eastern Europe. Recently in Peru.

IN THEIR BAGS

• Sawyer Mini Water Filter
• Sleeping pad
• Cook set (Mess kit)
• Camping stove (nothing special)

LINKS & RESOURCES

• Hitch Wiki
• Diane's piece about mosquitoes
• Diane's first aid checklist

FIND THEM ON

Mom Goes Camping | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Google+

 

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.

EER095: Worldschooling, Travel Budgeting & the Family Adventure Summit

Worldschooling. Travel budgeting. Family Travel planning and the upcoming Family Adventure Summit. We cover a lot in this episode of Epic Education Radio, so strap in and let's get started!

 

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Worldschooling, Travel Budgeting & the Family Adventure Summit

This week's guest is Amy Sztupovszky, a mother and worldschooling advocate from Canada with some amazing family travel experiences and insights to share.

Amy and her husband, Mike, have two boys, and a home in Canada, but they still try to travel for around half of the year. Are the independently wealthy? No. Did they win the lottery? Nope. Do they do some serious travel budgeting and make sacrifices to make travel a part of their lives? You bet. We discuss these sacrifices and their travel planning and travel budgeting strategies in this episode.

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What is Worldschooling?

What's worldschooling? There are many interpretations, but the broad and fairly-well-agreed-upon definition is using the world as your classroom. Worldschooling could be using currency conversion to teach math. Worldschooling could be using travel to new countries and cultures to teach social studies. And worldschooling happens in far-flung locales and in your own backyard. If the world is your classroom — and it should be — then you've experienced some worldschooling.

Travel Budgeting and Travel Planning

Mike and Amy knew that if they wanted to travel with their kids often and for long periods of time, long-term travel planning and some clever travel budgeting would be vital. Travel budgeting and long-term travel planning aren't as sexy and photogenic as throwing on the pack and striding out of the airport. However, for most people, travel goals will only be realized after some serious planning and travel budgeting.

For Mike and Amy, part of their travel planning and travel budgeting took the form of their house and their work. Mike is a carpenter by trade, so he was able to step into and out of work as they went along, but the work is hard on the body, and so one of their travel planning goals was for them to move into some other type of business.

Carpentry did plan another role in their family travel budgeting, however, and that was in their housing. One of the sacrifices they made was to buy a small house, strip it down and rebuild it, pay it off and be debt-free. Their house is smaller than some people may want, but it's theirs, it's paid for, and it now allows them to explore the world for months and months at a time.

Travel Budgeting and New Businesses

Amy and Mike also set up some small local businesses to help support their travel lifestyle. In addition to a co-op and a small import/export business, they have also incorporated virtual assistant work into their travel budgeting income.

Amy and Mike

Amy now does VA work for Brandon Pearce of the homeschooling and family travel website Pearce on Earth, and is part of the planning team for the Family Adventure Summit, a new conference happening for the first time this September in Penticton, British Columbia, Canada.

What's the Family Adventure Summit?

The Family Adventure Summit is a new kind of conference bringing together families from all over to discuss new ways to live, educate and earn a living while experiencing the world. Yes, worldschooling, travel budgeting and other elements of education and family travel economics will be part of the program, but it's much, much more. You should go. Really.

Family Travel & Worldschooling

All of this is in relation to the joy and value that comes with meaningful family travel. Listen in, and let us know what you think!

IN THIS EPISODE

• 02:28 Intro
• 04:33 Travel planning: 3 months in Europe using Airbnb
• 07:29 Origins, travel planning & travel budgeting
• 18:14 Starting businesses and new income streams
• 21:57 Working as a virtual assistant
• 24:28 Education, unschooling & worldschooling
• 27:06 Homeschooling through project-based learning
• 28:39 The Family Adventure Summit
• 3o:27 Travel Gear
• 36:23 Worldschooling Resources

ABOUT

• Names: Mike and Amy Sztupovszky and their sons Lan (11) and Kayden (9)
• Hold passports from: Canada
• Type of travel: Slow travel. Now based in Canada & usually travel during winter months
• A few places they've been: All over North America, Southeast Asia and Europe

IN THEIR BAGS

• iPhones
• Eagle Creek packing cubes
• Keen sport sandals
• Ecco Yucatan Sandals
• Eagle Creek Wallaby toiletry kit
• Macbook Air
• iPad Mini

LINKS & RESOURCES

• Family Adventure Summit
• John Holt
• Pearce on Earth
• Epic (The "Netflix of Books")
• Stories of the World
• The Family Adventure Summit

FIND THEM ON

The Family Adventure Summit | Summit Facebook | Worldschool Adventures |Facebook

 

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.

Is home ownership preventing you from traveling? Learn how to do a family home exchange. The family home swap is how today's guest travels with kids.

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The Family Home Exchange

Marta Correale is originally from Rome, but resides in Ireland with her husband and two kids. They live, work and go to school in Dublin, but travel regularly through family home exchange.

What's a family home exchange? It's exactly what it sounds like: two families in different parts of the world switch their houses for a set period of time. Everyone gets free accommodation and a new way of seeing the world. We've talked about home swaps before. A family home exchange is the same thing.

Typical Family Home Exchange Questions

As you might expect, the idea of letting strangers stay in your home while you're away is quite disconcerting to some people. When ideas like this come up, many people ask questions like "Isn't that a risk?" or "Aren't you afraid?" It's true that a family home exchange is not for everyone, says Marta, but for her family, it's been a fantastic way to explore the world with their kids.

A family home exchange is built on mutual trust, she says. After all, in most cases, you're in their house at the same time as they're in yours. This "mutual vulnerability" is something that she's accustomed to, and they've never had problems.

How to Do a Family Home Exchange

In our conversation, Marta explains many of the steps they go through to do a family home exchange: from pre-trip research to preparing their home before they leave. She also relays a few tips on where to find family home swap partners, setting up your family home exchange profile and how to interact with potential house exchange partners. 

IN THIS EPISODE

• 02:10 Intro
• 03:35 Origin as a traveling family
• 05:57 Rome & cultural identity
• 09:55  Family Home Exchange explained
• 13:56 Removing personal items before a home swap
• 15:52 Pros and cons of family home exchanges
• 18:57  Tips for prepping family home exchange profile
• 22:13 Marta's favorite travel gear
• 27:42 Education and travel
• 32:05 Rome with kids
• 34:11 Travel resources
• 37:01 Favorite Destinations

ABOUT

• Names: Marta, her husband Phillip, and their kids Mati and Liza (4 and 6 years old)
• Hold passports from: Ireland & Italy
• Type of travel: Short-term holidays, school holiday travel, city breaks & family home exchange
• A few places they've been: Cuba, Canada, The UAE and all over Europe and the UK

IN THEIR BAGS

• Coloring books
• iPhones 
• iPad mini 
• Camera DSLR 
• GoPro 
• Osprey Carry-on Backpack
• Lowe Alpine backpack 
• Trunki suitcases for the kids

LINKS & RESOURCES

• Book: Raising a Bilingual Child
• HomeExchange
• Lonely Planet
• Skyscanner
• Booking.com
• Family Travel Blogs
• • Wyld Family Travel
  • Our Globetrotters

FIND THEM ON

Learning Escapes | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Google+ | 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.

What's worldschooling? What's a gap year family? Read on and you'll find out...and hopefully consider both for you and your kids, as well!

 

A Gap Year Family, a Lesson in Worldschooling

Meet the Kraymoores. That's Charlie Kramer and Brenna Moore. Charlie and Brenna have two kids, they're doing what many a gap year family are doing: pulling their kids out of school for a year (or more) to travel. So far, the Kraymoores have visited multiple destinations in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, and are now in Asia.

 

What is Worldschooling?

As the name suggests, worldschooling is all about using the world as your school. You don't have to travel internationally...or travel at all to practice worldschooling. But it helps! For Charlie and Brenna's kids so far, worldschooling means learning about Anne Frank at the Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam, and learning about the Massai people in Kenya. Worldschooling can also happen in conventional schools, as well, as you'll hear about in the interview.

A Gap Year Family Plan Diverted

The Kraymoores' gap year family plans took an unexpected turn while in France. Out for the day with a local guide, they began to talk about Kerala, India. Before having children, Charlie and Brenna had spent time in the ssouthernIndia state. They were so enamored with it that they named their first child after it.

Their daughter's name is Kerala, and it so happened that this guide had friends and family in the state of Kerala. One thing led to another and the Kraymoores changed their plans and returned to Kerala. They stayed with the guide's family, and their daughter enrolled in the same school as the family's daughter. There was even room for their son Julien in the preschool!

Such cultural exchanges are at the heart of worldschooling.

Taco Tuesday: A Gap Year Family Routine

When a family takes a gap year to travel, many old routines get thrown out the window. However, one routine this family kept is Taco Tuesday. Every Tuesday, they make tacos...or something similar. "You can find the ingredients almost anywhere," says Charlie, "If not, you can find something close to a tortilla."

Worldschooling has also let this Gap Year Family have more time together for education, as well. The kids have spent some time in local schools in India, but before and after that, they are with their parents all day, every day, which allows them to get the individual attention their education — and their emotional needs — require.

Funding a Family Gap Year

Brenna and Charlie talk about how they leveraged their home in LA to save money for travel. Renting it out through various means, the family has saved a ton of money. They talk about it in more detail in the podcast.

IN THIS EPISODE

• 04:33 intro
• 07:36 Entering school in Kerala India
• 16:01 Definition of worldschool
• 26:58 The slower the travel
• 27:38 Routines
• 36: 18 Making money from Airbnb
• 40:00 Hospitality schools
• 42:00 Gear
• 48:22 Kids return from school
• 50:24 Resources

ABOUT

• Names: Charlie Kramer, Brenna Moore and their kids Julian (5) and Kerala (7)
• Hold passports from: USA
• Type of travel: Gap Year, Round-the-world travel
• A few places they've been: Kenya, Thailand, Israel, Morocco, India and much more.

IN THEIR BAGS

• 2 Osprey Meridian backpacks
• 2 Eagle Creek 28-inch backpacks
• Ikea equipment bag
• GeekPro charger
• Canon 80D Camera
• 2 DJI Osmo Cameras
• 2 Zoom audio recorders
• 1 Speedster Travel Guitar
• 1 ukulele
• Eagle Creek compression bags
• Eagle Creek belt wallet
• The Travel Bra
• Travel underwear
• Skyroam Wifi Hotspot
• Gotennasfor mobile texting
• 2 HereO Children's GPS watches
• Flashlights
• 1 swiss army knife
• Goal Zero Portable Speaker
• 2 iPod Touches
• 1 iPad
• 2 Macbook Laptops
• 14 terabytes of portable hard drives
• 2 GoPro cameras
• 4 pollution/smog masks (never used)
• First Aid Kit
• Z-packs
• Sunscreen
• 2 Pairs (each) of Columbia Convertible Travel Pants
• 1 Suitcase full of common core textbooks & workbooks (XSeed, etc)
• Deck of playing cards
• 1 Travel Frisbee
• 1 blow-up beach ball
• Animal Travel Pillows (turn from stuffed animal to travel pillow)

LINKS & RESOURCES

• The Reggio Emilia Educational Approach
• Airbnb
• VRBO / Home Away
• Homeexchange.com
• Trusted House Sitters
• Overdrive
• Letter school
• Reading Eggs
• Epic Children's eLibrary
• The Worldschoolers group on Facebook

FIND THEM ON

Worldschool 101 | Facebook | Twitter | Youtube | Instagram

 

Moving to the UK. Moving to Australia. Driving across South America with kids. For most parents, adventures like these might seem impossible...or at least daunting. Cath and Gaetan Dalle, however, aren't most parents.

Moving to Australia

The Dalle family had led an extraordinary life. Before children, Cath and Gaetan left their native France to live in the UK. They stayed for eleven years, exploring much of Europe in the process.

Then they moved to Australia, where they stayed for over six years. Through the years, the family grew. By the time they left to drive across South America with kids, they were a family of six. They've now been driving their RV in South America for nearly two years, and still thrilled with what they're seeing and doing.

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Alaska to South America with Kids

In this Epic Education Interview, I talk with Cath and Gaetan about their adventures. We discuss the advantages of traveling with children, and the role of cultural identity in their lives. Like me, they are raising third-culture kids: children who are being raised away from the home cultures of their parents. Gaetan still feels the pull of his French identity in ways that his wife does not, and they detail their positions here.

The Dalle family practices attachment parenting — something they feel is not accepted or understood in France. "In France, children are to be seen and not heard," says Cath. That is, however, not how they feel about parenting. She explains further in the interview.

The Dalle family lead a simple life, they explain. This idea of simplicity seeps into their views of education, work and money as well. How do they afford such a life? How do they educate while driving around South America with kids?

Speaking from a campground in Peru, Cath and Gaetan give us a glimpse into their life on the road. If you're interested in unschooling, funding family travel, overland travel, and traveling in South America with kids, listen in.

IN THIS EPISODE

• 01:37 Intro
• 03:25 Moving to the UK, & moving to Australia
• 06:16 Advantages of driving across South America with kids
• 09:16 Travel, Language, Living Abroad and Cultural identity
• 13:07 How they have changed
• 16:37 Work, budgeting, and Money
• 23:05 Their approach to education while traveling in South America with kids
• 29:41 Challenges to unschooling
• 32:03 Resources
• 44:21 Their view of screens
• 46:36 Their gear and travel equipment
• 52:29 Destinations to visit in South America with kids

ABOUT

• Names: Cath and Gaetan Dalle, along with their four children, now 13, 11, 8, and 5
• Hold passports from: France & Australia
• Type of travel: Living abroad &  RV travel in South America with kids
• A few places they've been: Lived in Australia and the UK. Now traveling overland in Latin America

IN THEIR BAGS

• Tents & Sleeping bags from Decathlon
• Tool Box
• Kite Surf equipment 
• 6 Bicycles

LINKS & RESOURCES

• Literacy Planet
• News-o-Matic
• Overdrive for library eBooks & audiobooks
• Wattpad
• Gramatica Española app
• Spanish Dict
• Softerino Youtube Converter
• iOverlander App
• View Ranger
• Book: L'Histoire comme vous ne l'avez jamais vue 
• Book: Guns, Germs, and Steel
• Books by Yuval Noah Harari: Sapiens & Homo Deus
• Bogota Graffitti Tour
• Duolingo
• Khan Academy
• Stack the Countries app

ON THE WEB

Cath's Facebook page | Cath's email: [email protected]

 

 

Money, accommodation, and online education while traveling. These are the three of the main challenges many traveling families face. In today's episode, we address two of them: AirBnB tips and online education while traveling.    Taking online classes while traveling is one way to approach education on the road. That's what Alrica Goldstein's kids to. Her insight and AirBnB tips here.   AirBnB Tips and Online Education While Traveling Education is important to Erich and Alrica Goldstein. However, they knew that travel should be a part of the kids' development as well.   So what did they do? They sold their stuff, changed their mailing address to Erich's parents' house, and set out into the world. That was over 16 months ago now. Since then, they've been to over a dozen countries.   Every traveling family approaches education in their own way. Some practice homeschooling. Others craft their own versions of unschooling or worldschooling. Some families put their kids in local schools like we did. Other families skip conventional education altogether — especially if their kids are very young or the travel is only for a specific amount of time.   Online Education While Traveling For the Goldsteins, they've chosen online education while traveling. In fact, taking online classes while overseas is more common that you may think. There are lots of sites and apps providing online classes for kids. Many previous guests have mentioned the most popular ones such as Khan Academy and Time4Learning. Language learning apps like Duolingo get a lot of recommendations, too.   Alrica's kids take full advantage of school online while traveling. They take a number of gifted online classes for subjects like chemistry and physics. In the interview, Alrica talks about some of their online learning resources. If you're interested in online education while traveling, listen in and take notes. AirBnB Tips We also discuss some of the challenges of apartment rentals and discuss AirBnB tips that you can use in a number of situations. That most important AirBnB tip? Ask your host a lot of questions before you book, and then confirm everything when you arrive.   Is fast internet a priority? It is for me, and for Alrica, too. That's why we both check the internet speed as soon as we arrive. This is possibly the most important AirBnB tip for people who work online. Don't unpack, and don't say goodbye to your host until you've checked the internet speed. Listen in, and please share! If you're interested in family travel accommodation, gap year travel, AirBnB tips, and online education while traveling, then this is your show. We also discuss travel gear and the Goldstein's favorite destinations. IN THIS EPISODE

• 01:47 Intro
• 05:07 Taking a trial trip
• 07:53 The sweet spot
• 10:20 Family Travel is a choice
• 16:41 Apps & websites
• 21:58 language per country
• 24:49 Internet & Tips for using AirBnB
• 32:49 Work & Money
• 34:32 Online Education While Traveling
• 42:55  Travel Gear & packing
• 46:26 The Macgyver method VS Boy Scout method
• 48:23 Destinations

ABOUT

• Names: Alrica Goldstein, her husband, Erich, son Carver (12) and daughter Syarra (10)
• Hold passports from: USA
• Type of travel: Long-term travel — 18 months & counting
• A few places they've been: Malaysia, South Africa, France, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Portugal, Namibia, India, Morocco, Iceland and more.

IN THEIR BAGS

• 2 Backpacks: Teton Sports Explorer 4000 and Teton Scout 3400
• Mixing bowls
• Travelwise Packing cubes
• 2 laptops: 1 MacBook Air and 1 Dell XPS9343
• One iPad Mini 2, one iPad Air 2 — both with Moko Cases
• Kindle Fire HD 6
• smart phones: Samsung Duos, Moto G (4th Generation)

LINKS & RESOURCES

• Uber & Grab for taxis
• Wifi Map Free
• Starwalk app
• AirBnB
• Trusted House Sitters
• Mango Language Learning
• Stack the Countries
• Internet speed test by Ookla
• Athena's Academy
• G3 Gifted
• Ed X
• CK 12
• Khan Academy
• Duolingo

FIND THEM ON

Extravelganza411