If You Had Told Me. . .

Today, 4 May, is a BIG day for us.  It is our 1st anniversary as world travelers/nomads!  I can’t believe it’s already been a year.  For the last few weeks I’ve been thinking how I would celebrate this on our blog.  Do I do a “things I’ve learned” post? A year in review?  I’m not sure others would enjoy reading all that.  The thing that kept to coming to mind, though, is this:

About 1½ years ago I would’ve thought you were nuts if you had told me:

  • I would be quitting my job and traveling the world with my son indefinitely.
  • I would be living on a small Caribbean island in Honduras for 8 months.
  • My life would fit comfortably into a backpack and a day pack.
  • I would be making a living as a writer and photographer.
  • I would consider a day that involved a trip to the grocery store and to buy more electricity as productive and busy.
  • My anxiety-plagued child would be off all his medicines within a few months of beginning our new life.
  • I would watch a small crab, or a large spider, walk across my living room with only mild curiosity.
  • I would meet people during our travels who would become family to us.
  • I would hear my son say “Yay!  Street food!”
  • I would travel without making plans or having reservations at the next place and have no idea where or when our next move would be and would consider that “perfectly normal.”
  • Would answer the questions “So how long are you here for?” or “Where are you going next?” with “I have no idea.”
  • I would come to a point in my life where I honestly wouldn’t trade my current life for anything. Although I wouldn’t mind more income without having to increase my “work” hours.

I could probably go on for pages and pages.  Looking back at the past year it has been absolutely amazing.  We have both grown so much.

Long-term travel has done superb things for Tigger.  When he first moved into my home just over 4 years ago he was a very dependent child with significant speech and anxiety issues.  If you met him now, you’d never believe that about him.  He’s become so independent I’ve had to rein him in a bit just to make sure he stays safe. He doesn’t let the language barrier intimidate him at all.  He also doesn’t equate “home” with a specific place.  Last night we were visiting some people, and they asked where home was.  “We’re nomads” was his response.  Home is wherever we are together.

I had worried how the lack of stability created by moving from place to place would affect him.  It has all been positive.  With home being “us,” moving from location to location isn’t a negative for him.  His sense of stability is our relationship.  I’m his constant and that’s been enough.  In fact a few times he has surprised me by announcing it’s time to move when we’ve been in a city for a couple of weeks.  We may not be biologically connected, but he is definitely my child.  I love that whenever we get to a new location and have dropped off our backpacks he looks at me and says “And now we’re going exploring” with a tone that tells me he enjoys it as much as me.  He’s a great helper on those adventures, too.  While I’m looking at the architecture, checking out the culture, gauging traveler safety, he’s great to spot the ice cream places for us to visit.  “It’s never too cold for ice cream” is one of his mantras.

Another notable thing is that I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.  Almost daily I have the thought “I just love my life!” even when it’s been a rough or LONG day.  Doing this crazy adventure is honestly one of the absolute best decisions I’ve ever made.

And if I didn’t know it beforehand, this last year has definitely taught me:  It’s definitely worth pursuing your dreams, whatever they may be.

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36 Comments

  1. What an inspirational story. Your Son will have the most amazing memories as an adult, and be so balanced, What a gift you have given him.

    Oooooh and I love the part about the small crab in your living room…

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    • That crab looked like a big spider at first. After the relief of discovering it was just a crab, I loved it as well.

      I don’t believe there is any education better than travel for children. It is so immensely multifaceted. It will be interesting to see how this all affects him when he’s older.

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  2. I just came across your blog through adoptuskids.org, and I am beyond thrilled!  Having travelled through 30 countries and lived in South America for 5 years,  it is as though you are speaking my language.  Now, in the States, I am expecting an adoptive  placement this summer.  For the sake of my future child’s stability, I thought I would have to somehow learn to subdue my own wanderlust.  But now, I have hope that I can give my family a view of the world that I cherish.  Every fibre of my being resists the rat race, and I want to be there for every single moment instead of going to work and sending them to daycare.  Thank you for reminding me that I can trust my own instincts.

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    • That is SO wonderful! Congratulations on the new addition to your family, and I’m glad you feel better about sharing your own wanderlust with your new child. That is just awesome.

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  3. Congrats and happy anniversary! I felt the same way—never expected my life to lead this way, but now that it has, I’m so so so happy!

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    • Isn’t it such a wonderful feeling? Thanks!

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    • Thank you! It’s wonderful to be able to say, too! J

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  4. BIG congratulations to both of you!  Would that so many other Western kids could say:  “And now we’re going exploring” – love it!

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    • Thanks, Ashley! I’m excited to see how the next year unfolds. So far it’s off to a GREAT start.

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  5. Congratulations. Your stories are a delight to read. Glad to know of the so many positive changes you described.

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  6. Congratulations on your traveling anniversary!

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    • Thank you! Been quite a ride.

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  7. Congratulations on your year together. I love that quote “home is whereever we are together” – sums up for me one of the gifts of extended family travel – the strengthening of those ties so easily frayed amidst the many pulls of more conventional patterns of family living. 

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    • Definitely agree. Things are much more solid when “home” is based on the people in our lives rather than the structure.

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  8. Happy anniversary, Talon and Tigger! Let “1 Dad, 1 Kid, and 1 Crazy Adventure” continue in wonderful and amazing ways! What an inspiring story!!

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    • Thank you! I’m excited to see what the next year has in store. J

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  9. The first thing I always think of is HOW FAR you have come since I “met” you in the 90s. A long way! 

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    • Talk about reinvention, eh? J

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  10. Well said!  It amazes me every single day how much we have changed since we left the US and started to travel.  This brought tears to my eyes.  I love to read how others have jumped off the cliff and haven’t stopped smiling:)

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    • Isn’t it interesting how long-term travel affects you? And how much it offers opportunities for reflection.

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  11. yay! time flew so fast… it was just like yesterday when you were sharing your plans and now it has been a year already… congratulations Talon and Tigger and wishing you more adventures on the road together…

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    • Thank you! It’s been amazing how fast it has gone by.

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  12. Beautiful! You’ve given your son a great life, but in return, it sounds like he helped you make the leap into a bigger, better life. Bravo to the both of you for being wonderful.

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    • He definitely has. Someone asked in an interview if I would’ve made this big life change if I didn’t have a child. I had to think about it but for a moment before answering that I don’t think I would’ve.

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  13. Awww this is awesome! Yay for you both, and may you continue to wander until you’re satisfied! Happy Nomadicanniversary!!!

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