Wondering How to Worldschool? This Family Shares Their Secrets!

Wondering what it’s like to be a new full time traveling family and how to worldschool? You’re in the right place!

In this article, we highlight the best features of our podcast on this very topic as well as offer the podcast links for your listening enjoyment. So let’s jump in!

For travel inspiration and guidance from families living this lifestyle, have a listen to Season 1, episode [#3 ] of Our Offbeat Life! Listen on iTunes and Spotify, or watch on YouTube.

Leave a Review!

Apple Podcast reviews are one of THE most important factors for podcasts. If you enjoy the show please take a second to leave the show a review on Apple Podcasts!

✔️ Click this link: Leave a review on Apple Podcasts
✔️ Hit “Listen On Apple Podcast” in the middle next to the picture.
✔️ In iTunes, Click “Ratings and Reviews” under the show name.
✔️ Leave an honest review.
✔️ You’re awesome!

Introduction

In this episode of the Our Offbeat Life podcast, Anna shares her family’s journey of selling their home and traveling the world with their two young children, embracing a new way of life and learning through worldschooling.

We explore the motivations, challenges, and benefits of full-time family travel, as well as the concept of how to worldschool.

After a series of losses and difficult life events, combined with job burnout, Anna and her husband decided to pursue overseas travel and learned how to worldschool their kids.

David cole

Drawing on Anna’s insights and experiences, as well as other relevant sources, this conversation provides a comprehensive overview of this growing trend and its impact on families around the world.

Anna’s background as a former teacher and avid traveler, as well as her passion for learning and exploring new cultures, shines through in the conversation.

Her family’s decision to embark on this journey was motivated by a desire for adventure, flexibility, and quality time together, as well as a wish to provide their children with a unique and enriching education.

Motivations for full-time family travel

Anna’s journey to becoming a globetrotting family was fueled by her teaching background, insatiable thirst for travel, and burning passion for learning about diverse cultures.

She saw full-time family travel as the perfect opportunity to provide her kids with a unique and enriching education – a firsthand lesson in worldschooling. This approach would expose them to diverse lifestyles and broaden their perspectives.

Additionally, the thrill of adventure and the sheer joy of exploring the globe were too enticing for Anna and her family to resist. Coupled with the freedom and flexibility this lifestyle entailed, it was a no-brainer decision.

I wanted to model a different life for them.

anna huckabee

By bidding farewell to their home and the majority of their possessions, they embraced a more straightforward life, allowing them to concentrate on what truly mattered: cherishing quality time as a family.

But Anna’s motivations are hardly unique. Countless families find themselves drawn to full-time family travel for similar reasons.

Some are adventurers at heart, seeking fresh experiences, while others are captivated by the autonomy and flexibility this lifestyle brings.

For some, it’s an escape route from the hustle and bustle of modern life, providing a way to reconnect with loved ones.

Regardless of the driving force, it’s clear that full-time family travel is a blossoming trend offering families a rewarding and unique way of life.

Challenges of full-time family travel

While the upsides of full-time family travel are plentiful, it doesn’t come without its fair share of hurdles. Anna and her family have had to negotiate several obstacles on their globetrotting journey.

These include acclimating to unfamiliar cultures, handling financial matters, and coping with the constant flux that comes with continuous travel.

Anna also pointed out the challenges of securing suitable accommodations and maintaining a sense of routine and stability for her children in a conversation about how to worldschool.

These trials aren’t exclusive to Anna and her family. Many families who have chosen a life on the move grapple with the logistics of managing finances and finding budget-friendly lodgings.

It was just a lot of like, this is how it is in the United States. So I expected it to be this way here.

Anna huckabee

The emotional strain of being separated from loved ones back home can also take a toll. Plus, adapting to fresh cultures and languages can be an intimidating endeavor, especially for youngsters experiencing these things for the first time.

However, despite these challenges, numerous families find the rewards of full-time family travel to eclipse the hardships.

Embracing the uncharted and learning to adapt to new circumstances allows families to bond more tightly and cultivate a deeper appreciation for the world.

With thorough planning and a readiness to be flexible, full-time family travel can morph into a life-altering adventure brimming with endless opportunities for growth and exploration.

Benefits of full-time family travel

It lights me up every time. I’m like, okay, I’m making the right decision here. this is amazing.

Anna Huckabee

1. Quality Time: Full-time travel allows families to spend more quality time with each other than in a typical domestic lifestyle.
2. Shared Experiences: Traveling together allows for shared experiences and memories that can strengthen the bond among family members.
3. Cultural Exposure: Traveling to different countries exposes the whole family to diverse cultures, languages, and histories. This increased understanding can instill a sense of empathy and global citizenship.
4. Flexibility: Full-time family travel allows the freedom to adapt to different situations and be fluid with plans and life changes, promoting resilience and flexibility among family members.
5. Learning Opportunities: Incorporating world schooling or unschooling, where children learn based on their interests and real-world experiences rather than a fixed curriculum, can offer well-rounded and practical learning. This is often more interesting and impactful for the children.
6. Personal Growth: Challenging situations often encountered during travel can contribute to personal growth and independence, especially among children.
7. Discovering New Interests: The varied experiences provided by travel can help family members discover new passions and interests.
8. Lower Cost of Living: Depending on the countries they choose to live in, families may experience a lower cost of living compared to staying in their home country.
9. Minimizing Materialistic Lifestyle: Full-time travel often requires for downsizing possessions, which helps reduce materialism and increase appreciation for experiences over things.
10. New Perspectives: Experiencing different lifestyles worldwide can offer new perspectives and make family members more adaptable and understanding.

How to Worldschool

When starting your worldschooling journey, downsizing is often the first step. Anna offers sage advice for families on this path, cautioning about the emotional rollercoaster that comes with it.

While feelings of liberation and freedom will wash over you, there’s also a sense of grief as you part with cherished memories.

However, as Anna wisely points out, the most precious items you’ll take with you are your family and the experiences you’ll share. The rest, she suggests, ends up owning you rather than you owning it.

They learn what they’re interested in. They guide us on what they want to learn.

anna huckabee

Anna chose full-time travel and worldschooling due to her passion for immersive learning. Rather than reading about Mexico, she prefers to experience the culture firsthand by being there, seeing, and touching.

She believes these enriching experiences, the sounds of foreign languages, the flavors of different cuisines, and the bonds formed with people from all walks of life, are invaluable lessons that never leave you.

Above all, Anna wanted to normalize these experiences for her children, making meeting someone from another country or trying new food just part of their everyday lives.

To her, worldschooling is not just about education. Worldschooling is all about sharing these unique experiences as a family.

Conclusion

Wrapping up our chat with David and Anna Huckabee, a dynamic duo who took on the world as their classroom, we’ve delved deep into the heart of their full-time travel and worldschooling journey.

Their motivations for this lifestyle change are as varied as the destinations they’ve visited.

A thirst for new experiences, the freedom to learn in a way that suits them best, and the liberation from being anchored to one place set them on this path. The rewards have been just as diverse.

Everybody’s road is different. There’s no wrong way to do it.

anna huckabee

Their children are gaining valuable learning experiences beyond textbooks. Family time has increased and their children have formed friendships with peers worldwide.

Having the freedom to explore various interests has been transformative. Of course, it hasn’t always been easy. They’ve experienced ups and downs while adjusting to different cultures and standards.

They’ve also navigated emergencies in foreign lands. But despite these challenges, they’ve found the journey to be more rewarding than they ever imagined.

If you’re considering embarking on a similar adventure, David and Anna’s biggest piece of advice is this: Don’t go it alone. Join a worldschooling community.

Not only will you find a wealth of support and guidance, but you’ll also join a network of families who know exactly what it’s like to swap traditional schooling for a world of learning.

Leave a Review!

Apple Podcast reviews are one of THE most important factors for podcasts. If you enjoy the show please take a second to leave the show a review on Apple Podcasts!

✔️ Click this link: Leave a review on Apple Podcasts
✔️ Hit “Listen On Apple Podcast” in the middle next to the picture.
✔️ In iTunes, Click “Ratings and Reviews” under the show name.
✔️ Leave an honest review.
✔️ You’re awesome!

Key Takeaways and Timestamps

[00:02:20] After losing close family members, combined with job burnout, Anna and her husband decided to pursue overseas travel and worldschooling their kids.

[00:08:00] Before becoming full-time travelers, Anna’s family had already begun simplifying and downsizing their lifestyle.

[00:13:40] Seeing other traveling families with kids when she was younger planted the seed for Anna’s current journey.

[00:19:15] Attending a worldschooling event in Mexico sold Anna on the community and opportunities for her kids.

[00:25:00] To prepare the kids, Anna involved them in decision-making and helped them anticipate exciting aspects of new destinations.

[00:41:30] Anna initially found slower travel better suited to her family than rapidly changing locations.

[00:44:40] Despite some ongoing challenges, Anna finds joy in experiencing life’s adventures together.

[00:47:00] One of Anna’s best travel moments was watching her normally shy daughter confidently navigate Paris.

[00:54:45] Anna advises families to focus less on the path and more on simply achieving happiness together.

Transcript

[00:00:00] David: Hello, adventurers, and welcome back to the Our Offbeat Life podcast. Today we’re thrilled to introduce you to Anna Huckabee, a brave mom with her husband and two young explorers, they made this extraordinary decision to sell their home, and set off on a worldwide journey of discovery. So, hello. Hello, Anna.

[00:00:23] David: How are you?

[00:00:24] Anna: I’m doing great. I hope you are. Oh,

[00:00:27] David: yes. Things are good. Where are you at today?

[00:00:30] Anna: I am in Playa del Carmen today. So, we’re in for another month. We were, in Cozumel. We’ve been here for a couple of months. And now we’re gonna be headed off to, like, Mexico City, Puebla. Some place a little bit cooler.;

[00:00:45] David: Yes, definitely. I always like to get that feel, like, where are we at, like, we’re down in Argentina and I’m talking to you all the way up in Mexico. It’s so cool. Yeah,

[00:00:57] Anna: yeah. That’s why I want to make sure our time is correct, because I’m like, am I supposed to be on this now or an hour? So, yeah. So,

[00:01:08] David: there’s a lot of people out there, they might not know who you are yet but they’re about to.

[00:01:13] Anna: Can you tell us, can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Give people a little background. Sure. And I am a mother of actually three but my two, younger ones are going to be kind of, rolling with us doing the world school thing. My 19 year old, she my oldest is 19. She’s kind of floating with us and kind of.

[00:01:31] Anna: Going where she wants to go. If she feels like, you know, world schooling at that moment, she’s fine to join us and, you know, she’s going to be kind of figuring out her life now. So she’s going on that adventure. But yeah, I’ve got a 14 year old daughter and also a seven year old son.

[00:01:46] Anna: And we’re from the United States, so we’re from North Carolina.

[00:01:50] Anna: And back in June is when we officially, like, had everything sold, everything but a suitcase and our dog and started full time world schooling. We were doing part time before, but now we’re officially full time. Nomad.

[00:02:08] David: Full time nomads now, there you go. Yeah. So, then what was the pivotal moment when you and your family decided to, you know, sell everything and travel the world?

[00:02:19] David: Mm hmm.

[00:02:20] Anna: Yeah, well, I mean, I know for a lot of people that it’s unfortunately always some tragic story and I’m not, I’m not one of the other ones that, you know, did it a different way, but I lost my father in 2016 and then my brother who was like my best friend, he passed away in 2019. So, they were like the closest .

[00:02:39] Anna: People in my life. And very close to my kids as well. So, we just had kind of a, as the book says, series of unfortunate events that happened along with that, you know, just several deaths and illnesses and just, it was just all the stuff that piled on, you know, we’ve had a great life outside of that, but then all of a sudden just, it started pouring instead of just raining.

[00:02:57] Anna: And my husband and I were both in jobs that we weren’t Really happy with getting burned out. my middle daughter who was I want to say nine at the time, you know, she was getting stressed out at school, not really focusing. And we decided at that time, we need to go ahead and homeschool her.

[00:03:13] Anna: So we pulled her out of school and started homeschooling her, which led to us unschooling her. And then, of course, the pandemic happened and just, we just decided, you know what, this isn’t the life we want. You know, we need to get out of the matrix. You know, my father passed, you know, his, his goal was to get all of his kids out of the house.

[00:03:31] Anna: And then he was going to start world traveling and doing all the things that he talked about all my childhood. You know, he’s always telling me, you know, you need to travel the world and do this and do that. And so I did right before I started having kids did a little bit of traveling. And so I had it in my mind, well, when my kids leave.

[00:03:46] Anna: I will go ahead and start traveling again. so when my youngest brother left the house my dad was diagnosed with cancer and it wasn’t too long after that he had a few more years, but then after that he passed away. And so I started realizing like this life is short and if there’s anything.

[00:04:02] Anna: We need to live in the now and do it now. And my kids weren’t really happy with how things were going and I wanted to model a different life for them. So we decided that was the time around 2020, we started making plans. Then 2021 is when we actually we’re gonna trial Mexico. You know, it’s a two hour, three hour flight.

[00:04:22] Anna: So worst case scenario, we can just come on back, and it went from one month to two months to three months. And by that time we’re like, okay, we actually have to go back home and adult, but and take care of, adulting there. But let’s go ahead and we love this. We know we wanna do this now and we’re gonna go back home and just.

[00:04:38] Anna: prepare to make this our full time life and yeah, now here we are.

[00:04:44] David: There’s a ton to unpack there. You have a lot of things that led up to this. So sorry to hear about your family. it sounds like, it leads you to this whole thing. Travel, experience the world like your father wanted you to do in the first place.

[00:05:01] David: I love that. I love that. So what brought you to Mexico first? I mean, you said it’s only a two hour flight. What brought you

[00:05:11] Anna: down there? Well, for one, it was close to us. I guess we could have gone to Canada or somewhere else, but My mother is Mexican. I’m Mexican American. So it was kind of like, I’ve never been to Mexico, actually.

[00:05:25] Anna: So after my dad passed away and I did my whole ancestry DNA thing, just going through all those emotions and changes. that was one of the things I wanted to do was get closer to my roots.

[00:05:35] Anna: So it’s like every place of my ancestry DNA. Yeah, I wanted to, touch that land and see where any of my ancestors came from. And I’m like, this was the closest spot. Everything else is Africa or Europe. So it’s just like, okay, we’re going to Mexico and just get that experience.

[00:05:53] Anna: And then we also wanted to see this area as a potential. Place in the future, maybe to plant roots, maybe a place for us to retire when we get a retiring age and all that kind of stuff. So it was just kind of natural for us to check out Mexico.

[00:06:05] David: Yeah, I mean the area you’re in, Playa del Carmen, is awesome.

[00:06:08] David: I don’t love the summers there. I was there for an entire summer and it was miserable, hot,

[00:06:13] Anna: humid. Yes, it’s Oh, yeah, we I hate rain. I hate cloudiness. But I’ve welcomed it. We haven’t had anything but sunny days. And you normally that would be lovely. But when it started raining yesterday, I was just like, Oh, thank you.

[00:06:28] Anna: Yeah. Clouds and just really cool stuff down. So, so I’m enjoying it right now.

[00:06:35] David: Well, what did you end up doing with your home before you ended up leaving? Did you sell it? Did you rent it?

[00:06:42] Anna: Yeah, we decided to sell, and that was just our personal choice. You know, everybody has their own choices to make and it’s based on their comfort level.

[00:06:50] Anna: And, there’s no wrong way to do it. I don’t think, you know, we, we thought about, renting it either short term or long term. I’ve been a landlord before and I didn’t love it. So, I probably could have hired a property manager and had them manage it.

[00:07:05] Anna: So there, that was 1 way I could have done it, but we just didn’t want to be tied down to anything. We were at the point in our lives where we just didn’t want to be tethered to anything or any place. We just wanted to be free. And so, with the market being kind of hot at the time, we’re like, well, this is the best time to make this decision.

[00:07:21] Anna: And, we can always buy another house. We can always do other things, but, we can’t get this time back. So, you know, it’s a risk that we were willing to take the, the risk outweighed, what we knew would happen if we just stayed in that existence. We went with this way and we don’t, we have no regrets.

[00:07:38] Anna: That’s,

[00:07:39] David: yeah, there are so many different routes to go and I understand you’re hesitant having been a landlord before. It’s not especially a distance landlord. That would be really difficult.

[00:07:54] David: Well, I know that we have listeners out there that think this life is very bizarre. Getting rid of all the stuff that we’ve collected over a lifetime. Did you end up did you like fully purge your possessions? Did you get a storage unit? Something in between? Can you talk to us about your process of downsizing?

[00:08:13] Anna: Yeah I think the downsizing actually started prior to deciding to pursue this lifestyle. I just, once we realized we were getting burnout, we just started looking around, like, we have stuff, what can we, Do in our lives to simplify it,

[00:08:27] Anna: so we just wanted to simplify our lives in general, you know, just with everything that was going on. We just wanted a simpler life. And so we looked at, what we could get rid of physically. And then, we trimmed it down quite a bit. But that being said, when it came time to be more intentional because we were going to sell the house and everything, you just don’t realize how much stuff you have, you know, it’s just like, wow, this is a lot, even though

[00:08:54] Anna: I thought we went to do some more minimalism. It wasn’t minimal enough because we had so So much stuff. I mean, the house that we had lived in before. We brought boxes over that we never unpacked, you know, we’ve been living here for seven, eight years now and we never unpacked in there just in the attic and everything.

[00:09:13] Anna: So we had to step on top of stuff. And so we did it in phases. Like we did a huge phase where we just had a huge yard sale. I mean, our whole front yard was just like covered in stuff and we decided whatever does not get sold, we’re going to just box it back up and not even take it in the house.

[00:09:28] Anna: It’s going to Goodwill and whatever third stores nearby. And we did that. It was so much stuff truckloads and truckloads, and we just high fived each other and like, yeah, we’re done. This is good. And we realized. No, we’re not. We still have so much more stuff in the attic and, just random things.

[00:09:42] Anna: And so it ended up being more in like phases. So phase one was easy. It was like stuff that we knew we didn’t use, stuff that was junk or whatever. And and then, before long, we had to go through. to additional phases. And the last phase was the hardest because it’s now getting to the, memorabilia, the stuff that might have some sentimental value, but you haven’t even seen in years ago.

[00:10:03] Anna: I forgot this one random baby shoe that I haven’t seen forever. I just want to keep it. So we really had to like decide what things we really, really wanted to keep. And then get rid of everything. So, yeah, we got a small storage space. It was like, the size of a small closet not even anything you could walk in, but just like, you know, maybe 3 feet deep by 3 feet or 4 feet wide.

[00:10:24] Anna: And basically it was to put just a few memorabilia as my husband had some. Like Pyrex glass cookware that he inherited from his his great aunt who had passed away during the same time my father and brother passed away. So there were just some, stuff that was special to him.

[00:10:40] Anna: And he’s like, well, it’s good cookware. That was his rationalization. But then we also have like some camping gear so that when we come back to do our road schooling stuff in the United States, we’ll have that available to us. And then some pictures. I mean, that was, that was the one thing that I think we both were like, we don’t want to let go of our photo albums and things like that.

[00:10:59] Anna: So, we kept those, but I mean, it’s really like 2 or 3 boxes and then the rest is like our tents and camping stuff. Or when we come back to do some camping around the United States. Yeah, that’s okay.

[00:11:10] David: So you plan on going camping around the U. S. after, after all this is said and done?

[00:11:15] Anna: Yeah, somewhere in between there we’re going to do some camping. My, my 14 year old, she’s not really into the outdoors at all.

[00:11:23] Anna: She’s into climate controlled places, so when she’s kind of out of the house or on her own or doing her own thing. We’ll take my son camping. ’cause that’s something the three of us love me, my husband and last son, so Okay. Able to do that. Yeah.

[00:11:44] David: Okay. Well, I got that. But going back to the downsizing process, what tips do you have for families that are like getting started? They’re trying to do this at the beginning.

[00:11:56] David: They’re preparing for the world schooling adventures and that they’re looking at getting into the downsizing process since you just went through this process yourself. Do you have any thoughts on the matter?

[00:12:09] Anna: Yeah, I would say just expect an emotional. rollercoaster when you’re doing the process because there’s going to be the filling feelings of liberation that you’re freeing yourself and you’re, releasing this burden, but then also it’ll be kind of a grieving process.

[00:12:25] Anna: You’re getting rid of a lot of memories. Even stuff that at the time, I mean, in reality, in the grand scheme of things, you’ll forget it as soon as you’re on the road. But in the moment, it’s like, Oh, this sock. I remember we, you know, went to the movies with the sock on? I don’t know where the match is, but you know, so you’re gonna come across things like that and there’s going to be all kinds of emotions, but, you know, just, just let it go.

[00:12:46] Anna: Anything, that you have to be, found anywhere else in the world and the most precious items you’re taking with you. And that’s your family. That’s, these experiences. That’s the stuff that you carry and the other stuff just ends up owning you instead of you owning it.

[00:12:59] Anna: So, you know, Yeah,

[00:13:02] David: that’s a very good statement. I like that.

[00:13:06] David: Well, earlier you mentioned that you traveled a bit. A bit before this as well. So what about those past travel experiences shaped or influenced your decision to become a full time traveler?

[00:13:23] Anna: I like learning on my own terms, you know, just the natural process of learning, not when you’re sitting down with a book and saying, I’m going to learn about Mexico today, or I’m going to learn how to.

[00:13:33] Anna: Speak this language, you know, Spanish. I want to be immersed in it, so if I want to learn about Mexico, I’d like to be there, and touch and see, and, experience all those things. 1st,

[00:13:43] Anna: talk to various people and hear the languages and, you know, those are. Those are experiences that don’t ever leave you, you know, and once you get into it, it’s like, I just want more, you know, I want to meet other people and experience these cultures and, you know, firsthand.

[00:13:58] Anna: And I just wanted to give that experience to my kids. So that. It’s normal, you know, it’s, it’s, this is just part of their lives. It’s not a big deal to, to meet someone from another country or hear another language or, you know, eat food from a different, region than, than their than they’re from.

[00:14:13] Anna: it’s just really fun to have them here and experience that with me.

[00:14:17] David: Yeah, that’s cool. All right. That is very cool. Was there anything that you, you wish you didn’t get rid of during that whole downsizing process?

[00:14:27] Anna: Oh

[00:14:27] Anna: Yeah, well, I I, I told myself, I vowed to myself, I was never going to step foot anywhere cold again. I’m like, that is my one rule, wherever we go, it cannot be cold. And Playa Del Carmen has definitely like made me choose a door decide, you know what, I should have kept a couple of sweatshirts or something because I’m looking forward to being in at least like 40s, the 30s Fahrenheit, you know, just to get a break.

[00:14:54] Anna: So now I’m like, Oh man, we’re going to a couple of cooler places somewhere down the line. So yeah, maybe I should have kept a little backup, just a few things, but I’ve got all tropical dresses, I mean, this is the normal thing I have, but everything else Freeze and leaves all over it.

[00:15:13] Anna: Yeah, I’m dressed for the beach. So now I’m like, switch that up, you know, but outside of that, honestly, like, I, I kept really, what was important to me and that was just pictures of memories, of my family and stuff like that. And everything else that I got rid of, I can’t think of anything that I might talk, I should have kept that.

[00:15:33] David: So, all right, let’s try, let’s try this though. I’m curious, I am curious to know who in your family had the hardest time downsizing and who had the, who had the easiest

[00:15:45] Anna: time?

[00:15:46] Anna: my husband is very sentimental. Yeah, he’s a sentimental kind of guy. Like he’s the kind of guy that hold on to things for years and it’s really special to him for me. I’m like, oh, whatever, get rid of it. So, yeah, he had the hardest time. But, I think honestly, most of the stuff in the storage spaces is his.,

[00:16:04] David: yeah, yeah.

[00:16:06] Anna: Yeah, so he’s a sentimental guy and, I have to respect his, feelings just like, he has to respect mine. So, you know, I took that into consideration. It’s like, okay, we’ll meet halfway and we’ll get a tiny storage space, and then whatever is new.

[00:16:19] Anna: Doesn’t go there, then, we let it go. So it, it enabled him to downsize it to the stuff that was really, really important to him. And I don’t know, I don’t know if he remembers even what’s in there now, you know, we’ve only been gone for a few months, but I don’t, I’m not even sure if he remembers what’s in there and maybe a year from now we’ll go through it again and be like, Oh, you know, this wasn’t as serious as I thought we’ll let it go.

[00:16:38] Anna: So, but yeah, he was the hardest.

[00:16:43] David: People hear that and they’re like, a few months, they’ve been gone a few months. You’re so brand new to this lifestyle.

[00:16:49] Anna: We’re full time. Yeah. Yeah. We’re used to doing it.

[00:16:53] David: Which, which is awesome. Did, did you have any prior experience with world schooling or Anybody, anybody in the world schooling community before you guys set off and made this transition?

[00:17:09] Anna: No well, the closest thing would be maybe, maybe myself only because my father when we were little. Just always told us you need to travel, you know, you have to travel you know, he didn’t have really the money to take us at the time, but he just like, as you grow up, I want you to travel and be, you know, a world citizen, a global citizen.

[00:17:30] Anna: And so he encouraged me as soon as I was old enough and able to that, that I start, you know, traveling and I met people along the way that that were traveling with their kids. There was a, a couple that I met in London. And And they were both bartenders and they bartended all around the world.

[00:17:46] Anna: That was their job. You know, whenever they, you know, went to a new city or country, they would just get a bartending job. And he had like three kids at the time. Yeah. And there was another American lady I met and she said, you know, she’s gone through, you know, the Alps, you know, and with her baby strapped on her back and just hiking.

[00:18:05] Anna: And, so it was really cool to see people living that life, even though at the time I was only like 18, 19, it was just so far removed from anything I knew. And then of course, when I became an adult, I remembered those experiences and I’m like, wow, I can do this too. I mean, yeah, I’ve got way more technology now than they did, you know, so.

[00:18:24] Anna: But yeah, it just like was something that it just like you realize that it is you, you change your mindset, you know, before it was seemed like an impossible thing that like that was something for other people to do, you know, but then when you realize, okay, why not us? Why not me? And so, yeah, yeah. When we went to Mexico that first time, I had no intention of, Going to Merida.

[00:18:42] Anna: Well, I mean, we were going to go to Merida just to visit Merida. But I didn’t know at the time there was a world school event going on there. So, like, we just coincidentally, we’re going to Merida at the same time that the world school event was. And so I’m like, oh, okay. I saw it in something on a Facebook group.

[00:18:56] Anna: And so we ended up there and I didn’t realize there was this huge community that was doing this and that they were interconnected. And after that, it was like, Oh yeah, yeah, we’re, this is definitely what we’re doing. Yeah. Cause that was my only concern was, you know, socialization for my kids as they’re bouncing, you know, all over the world, you know, Understands what we’re dealing with here.

[00:19:16] Anna: So

[00:19:18] David: definitely, definitely, yeah. Those world school pop up pubs can be very helpful. Yeah, you saw there are so many different people from so many different backgrounds and everything all over. So it was cool. There were full timers, there were people who just,

[00:19:31] Anna: yeah. Yeah, she attended it and, and she still has friends from that pop up.

[00:19:36] Anna: They see, you know, they talk to each other all the time. They, they she attended another pop up in France and some of those same kids were there. And of course, she met other kids there. So they’re all friends. It’s just amazing how she just picks up friends along the way and they stay connected. So it’s, it’s great.

[00:19:52] David: Same. My son found some, some new friends from there and they thought, they talk all the time. Yeah, it’s great. you’ll see your, kids will pick up friends all around the world.

[00:20:02] Anna: Yeah! It’s insane,

[00:20:05] David: yeah. What’ll, what’ll really get you is when they start speaking and having colloquialisms from their friends that they pick up that are not American.

[00:20:14] David: Sometimes I can’t tell if my kid’s British or not.

[00:20:18] Anna: It’s already happening. I’m like, where did that accent come from? Or she’s saying some colloquialisms from another country. And I’m like, what? Okay. I got to keep up now. I got the, you know, slang from, you know, United States and now I got to keep up with the other stuff. So I know what you’re saying. Oh yeah.

[00:20:34] Anna: Yeah. It’s really cool. So, well,

[00:20:37] David: speaking about kids What was their lifestyle like prior to this journey and how has it kind

[00:20:44] Anna: of evolved? Oh, okay. So before the journey when we were in the thinking process and the process of, making this all, a reality. They were still kind of like socially isolated because of, you know, the pandemic.

[00:21:00] Anna: So, so at that time it seemed like the perfect time for us to make those moves so that they can, you know, have that experience. We weren’t down to anything. My family had kind of moved away. my brother went to California and my sister went to Virginia and my mother actually moved to Mexico. So she lives in Mexico.

[00:21:20] Anna: Full time now after she retired. so for us, my husband, you know, his family still lives in North Carolina. But outside of that, we don’t really have any connections. So, like, it was pretty easy for us to, to make that make that move of course, towards the end of, like, us finalizing, you know, our house and putting it on the market was when some of the coops that we were in the homeschool coops around town started to reopen and start, bringing kids in again and socializing.

[00:21:46] Anna: So, of course, like, right then is when they start socializing again and making these connections and friends and I’m like, Oh, man, I’m so happy, but we’re going to be leaving soon. So, yeah, so that was kind of hard to, finally, they get to socialize in their hometown and it was like, time to.

[00:22:02] Anna: Go now, you know, but that was an adjustment. But she, like I said, she already had connections from all over the world. And some of the people that she had met while world schooling, they were here already in Playa Del Carmen. So she’s going to the movies tomorrow with a couple of friends and, you know, doing a sleepover this weekend.

[00:22:19] Anna: So it’s just like, she’s, she’s back on the saddle. Oh, teenagers. Yeah. Yeah, she’s a social butterfly, so making sure she, has that social interaction is imperative for her.

[00:22:32] David: Has it been, has it been challenging maintaining that social interaction, or has it come pretty naturally for, for you and for her to do

[00:22:39] Anna: that?

[00:22:40] Anna: Yeah, I’m definitely a social butterfly and she is too. And she thrives off of that. So it’s, it’s been, it’s been challenging just because, you know, just like last week she was a little girl, and it’s just like, she was just happy to hang out with mom and dad and then all of a sudden we’re not cool anymore.

[00:22:54] Anna: And I’m like, whoa, what happened? so like, she only wants to hang out with her friends now which is a normal teenage thing. So, I just try to keep abreast of that and just keep ahead of that by, of Like any city that we’re going to, any country that we’re going to, I just jump into the world school groups like, hey, are there any pop ups happening?

[00:23:12] Anna: Are there any hubs? is anybody in town, around the same time we’re going to be there so we can meet up? also the expat groups too, because there’s a lot of people that, live full time in these places, and they either have kids the same age as mine or, you know, know of, like, some mom groups or family groups that meet up.

[00:23:30] Anna: And so that’s basically what I’ve been doing to try to keep her constantly socialize wherever we go. When we got here, I had already had, some programs lined up for her to go into and she’s met friends through that. my son, he had a playdate a group that was meeting up.

[00:23:42] Anna: So he’s been to water parks and met friends. And that’s how I just keep it flowing wherever we go to. And then, of course, she picks up those friends along the way. And if we ever circle back around, or, you know, find ourselves at a hub or pop up in another country, usually those friends will be there and.

[00:23:58] Anna: So, yeah, yeah,

[00:24:01] David: that is awesome. That is very cool. So how did you end up preparing the kids? I’m sure there’s parents out there thinking, okay, if I did do this lifestyle, how do I prepare my kids for this transition, leaving what friends they do have, if they’re in school, which yours were homeschooled anyway that type of thing.

[00:24:20] David: So how did you prepare the children?

[00:24:23] Anna: I think for all of us no matter how prepared you are until you’re in it, just like, you just don’t really know until you’re actually in it. And so, they were prepared. We’ve been talking about it for the last year or 2, you know, we came down here to Mexico the 1st time to try it out.

[00:24:37] Anna: So they were all on board with that. They loved it. It was great. You know, we got back and then we started, preparing the house for sell. And so they were all in it when it came to that process as far as getting rid of stuff and what they wanted to keep and everything. And then it was the process of, staying connected with your friends here, so we’ve talked to my daughter about maybe she coming back, for, like, Thanksgiving or another holiday or.

[00:25:00] Anna: On her birthday to hang out with some of our friends. And and then my son, he was, he just was like, whatever, as long as you guys feed me. I’m good. So, he was totally fine with the whole process. And just then just asking them, like, Hey, what things are you interested

[00:25:13] Anna: seeing when we go down there, it’s like learning about. Mexico or, or any, any other country or any other city or town that we’re going to, like, what things do you want to see? What are you interested in when you get there to kind of build that anticipation and excitement? You know, so my son, he was just all about chocolate.

[00:25:28] Anna: He loves chocolate and Mayan chocolate, a big deal here. So, we went to the chocolate museum and learned about chocolate. He got a chance to taste some Mayan chocolate out afterwards and he was disappointed that the museum itself wasn’t made of chocolate. But, you know, that’s how we kind of got them prepared. Like, what would you be excited to see when we get there?

[00:25:50] Anna: And it gives them a chance to have, like, a feeling of, you know, I have a voice in this. and still we got down here and then there was still some adjustment, you know, we’re out of our house and never coming back. So that was just, I think for all of us, it’s like, whoa, did we really just do this, you know, just that, that wow moment.

[00:26:07] Anna: So I think we all kind of went through that and including the kids but I think we’re getting adjusted now and we’ll see as we move along to other places, you know, how they feel. But I think as long as I keep them, part of the decision making, or being the decision makers because we were unschooled.

[00:26:22] Anna: So they get to decide a lot of things for themselves which helps. Yeah. Well, so let’s talk

[00:26:28] David: about that, unschooling, because that’s an unfamiliar concept to some people out there. Now, some of our listeners, obviously, they probably know a little bit about unschooling or world schooling, as we like to call it since we’re traveling full time.

[00:26:42] David: But can you explain how you go about educating your children?

[00:26:47] Anna: Yes, yes. So, my Children are unschooled. My 14 year old and my 7 year older unschooled. My 19 year old, she went through regular traditional public school. And she’s already done her 1st, 2 years of college. But my 14 year old and 7 year old we chose to unschool them.

[00:27:04] Anna: My, my 14 year old, we started unschooling her at 9, 9 years old. So we pulled her out of public school and started unschooling at that time. So it’s basically child led interest based learning. You know, they learn what they’re interested in. They guide us on what they want to learn. And we’re just here to provide the tools and the resources and, the support that they need to to learn whatever they’re into at the time, and that changes and, flows and, it’s a very natural organic.

[00:27:34] Anna: Thing, you know, there’s no sitting down. You’re gonna have to learn this now and then, just Memorize it and then do a test or any of those things. They they get tested basically by just life, you know We go somewhere and then my son who I didn’t even know was reading Says hey mom this sign says this this is where we need to go and i’m like, how did you?

[00:27:54] Anna: How did you even know that? I’m okay, you know My middle daughter went through, through third grade or fourth grade. I can’t remember. And so she knew basic reading, math, all that kind of stuff. So he’s been the one that’s been completely world unschooled. So like no reading, no, no math.

[00:28:10] Anna: I mean, you know, we, we do whatever he wants to do. We read books to him, if he has questions about math, which he has lots of questions about math, that’s what he’s really into questions about plants and things. It just ends up going into this rabbit hole, you know, like just, they ask one.

[00:28:23] Anna: rolls into another and another. And so they learn so much, just by these, these thinking processes that, that they have. And I want to learn now about this and that. So, that’s, that’s basically how we, we teach them or they teach us, they teach themselves.

[00:28:40] David: Well, what’s the, like, the biggest question that people always ask you about your kid’s education?

[00:28:46] Anna: Oh, always the milestones. Is he reading it? You know, is he, you know, does he know his math, his ABCs? You know, just like, like, these milestones. Like, this is what a first grader is supposed to know in public school. So… He should, you know, he’s expected to know these things right at this time, you know, and it’s like, that’s not how it goes.

[00:29:04] Anna: they they learn what they want to learn at their own pace at their own development and their own interests, you know, so there’s, there might be, things that he might be technically. Not behind behind by the standards of the public school but he’s far advanced in other things.

[00:29:19] Anna: And those other things that he’s supposedly behind on, he will catch up when he becomes interested in it. we questioned ourselves sometimes they were like, maybe we should like start. You know, teaching him how to read.

[00:29:29] Anna: So we sat him down and try to teach him how to read. He’s like, I’m not, I’m not interested in this. I don’t want to do this. And it’s like, okay, all right, we got to, you know, what was our principle? You know, we wanted to unschool this child. He says, you’re not interested. He’s not interested. He’ll be interested when he’s ready.

[00:29:44] Anna: And like, all of a sudden it’s like, he’s reading now, like, I don’t know, just like, he does the pre reading skills. We go. And he sees signs, he sees you know, when he’s playing Minecraft with people talking, and so now he’s interested in what his friends are saying. And so he’s like, mom, how do you type this?

[00:30:00] Anna: What does this word, mean? so when it becomes a functional, practical thing for him in his life and relevant in his life or her life, you know, then that’s when they just dive right in and learn it in a way shorter amount of time. You would expect, a public school child to do simply because they’re interested in this right now.

[00:30:18] David: And they’re just devouring that information and absorbing it, so it’s a really natural way of learning and they retain so much more doing it this way. yeah, yeah, it’s a very interesting way for, for learning to occur. And like you said, very natural. We do it as adults when we want to learn something, so that’s no different.

[00:30:38] David: No different from your child except the child’s children are more susceptible to picking up things faster than us adults. So

[00:30:48] Anna: absolutely. So

[00:30:51] David: do you ever get the question from people about going to college? How’s your kid can go to college if he’s never been to a physical school?

[00:30:59] Anna: Yes. Yes. So we, we get that question.

[00:31:01] Anna: And, and like I said, back to, the second guessing, I, I went through this with my, my middle daughter. I’m like, you gotta, you gotta figure out what you want to do for the rest of your life. We just went through this a couple, like about a month ago, I’m just like, what do you want to do?

[00:31:14] Anna: what are you interested in? And it just was like, okay, you need to calm down, mom. and I talked to a couple of women in, in a, like a, Facebook group about unschooling and just told them, like, this is what’s happening. And they’re like, yeah, you need to do some self reflection because this is some insecurities and triggers.

[00:31:33] Anna: In you, it’s not her, it’s you, and so, yeah, we do get pressured from society. Like, wow, maybe she should be doing this so that she can be on that path to college. But, I have to trust this process. I have to trust my daughter to that. She will figure her life out in time. the thing that you might be interested in at 14 or not the things that she’s she might be interested in at 18, you know, and she has so many talents. all of us, can see the talent in our kids, even when they can’t see them. We see the strengths and the talents and everything that they have. And we also see the weaknesses, and so, I want her to have the freedom to dive into those talents and those strengths.

[00:32:09] Anna: And I’ll be focused on the weaknesses. Let’s focus on those because in the next few years, there’s so much technology and so many different opportunities and jobs and, businesses that are going to be created. Thank you. In the next few years, being a doctor, lawyer, teacher, you know, there’s going to be so many other things that I don’t even know of that exist yet, so I want her to find her own way and flow into that naturally, instead of being like me, where I went to the first college major that everyone said, and You know, I don’t do anything in that field at all.

[00:32:41] Anna: Yeah, so I’m doing something completely different. Something I love and enjoy and came natural to me, and that’s what I want her to figure out for herself. So I don’t worry about that anymore. And that’s what I tell them. I said, she’s going to be fine. You know, I don’t have to explain anything to you guys.

[00:32:55] Anna: Yeah, there you go. Yeah.

[00:32:59] David: Well, that’s excellent. That’s excellent. I’m sure that they’re coming up with some amazing travel stories and experiences and everything. My son just started journaling, so he’s starting doing that after all of our adventures, and he writes it down. Sometimes it’s detailed, sometimes it’s not, and it’s a secret.

[00:33:17] David: Nobody’s allowed to see it but him. But that’s how he’s now that’s how he’s now, like, interacting and trying to remember some of the really big things. Do your, do your kids have any favorite travel stories yet? I mean, it’s not been a lot of time

[00:33:30] Anna: yet, but.

[00:33:33] Anna: Yeah, good question. I did ask my daughter about that. I know she loved going to France. Paris was like on her bucket list. So being able to go to France and and see the, Eiffel Tower and go to the Louvre. Oh man, she just. She loved that so much. And I asked her about it and she just said, that was a really great time.

[00:33:52] Anna: it’s like every time we go to a new place is amazing because it’s just like, you know, even within Mexico, the culture is going to be much different between here and Playa del Carmen compared to Oaxaca when we go there. And so it’s like, you know, all these places provide some new experiences and she just loves the thrill.

[00:34:09] Anna: Of being placed into a new place with new experiences, new food, new language. So it’s just always part of the thrill for her and my son said I asked him too, about that, he said, I love playing Minecraft with you, mom. So that’s. That’s a perfect

[00:34:27] David: seven year old answer.

[00:34:29] Anna: I know. Yeah. But it’s like, you know, I’m like, he likes playing minecraft.

[00:34:32] Anna: We’ll play minecraft. So we do that, but also we do it like in real life. We’ll go out and like pretend we’re playing minecraft out in whatever terrain we’re in. So he gets to do it, electronically with us and then also in real life. So he loves being able to have that time with us now, which we didn’t have before.

[00:34:49] Anna: So it’s, it’s important

[00:34:51] David: for him. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, You get a lot more time with your kids, and even if you are working while traveling, you still get a lot more time with your kids.

[00:35:00] Anna: Absolutely. No commute. I mean, like most people I would assume are, working online. So there’s no commute home, the hour home, the two hours home that I was doing before, now that’s time where it’s like, shut off your laptop.

[00:35:11] Anna: Okay, let’s play, let’s do something, let’s go for a walk or go to the beach or just jump on Minecraft. Yeah. So you get a lot more, more time with your kids and because your life is so minimal, you know, there’s not a lot of, Other things that pull you away as much now, it’s just, everything is family centered.

[00:35:29] David: That kind of brings us into the fact that many families are probably wondering, how do you finance this lifestyle? How do you really finance it? Can you shed some light on that and how your family maintains financial stability while on the road?

[00:35:46] Anna: Yeah. Yeah. Well, I guess our situation is unique because we did sell our house.

[00:35:51] Anna: but that was part of that was part of our decision making process. Because when we first came down here before I was able to finance our travels with an online job that I had, which was great. You know, it helped, pay the bills while we were here.

[00:36:05] Anna: down here in Mexico. but I wanted to I wanted to take a year off, like have like a mini retirement. And the only way to really do that was by selling our house and having some funds set back. So that enabled us to, to have this year off where we can. Kind of rediscover ourselves.

[00:36:21] Anna: So we’re kind of like de schooling and unschooling ourselves. Now it’s like, we’re learning about, new things and like, what do we actually like, not that, cause we have to pay bills or anything, but what do we like to do? What can we learn? And how can we monetize that? So we’re kind of going through that process right now.

[00:36:36] Anna: Basically, I’ve always loved writing. So I’m going into copywriting and I’m already working on my portfolio and, getting some connections with that. And so, that’s kind of the path that I’m going on. And my husband, he’s doing his stuff too.

[00:36:48] Anna: I can’t remember what he’s doing. Yeah. But yeah. Yeah, so he’s he’s doing some stuff to where he’s learning some stuff online and trying to figure that out to he’s actually sending a few scripts. he’s a writer too. So he’s like, I want to throw some my scripts out there and see about publishing some books.

[00:37:04] Anna: So this gives us an opportunity to try our hand at other things that we’re just, like, Dreams before, and we didn’t have time to pursue. So this has given us the opportunity, but you know, it was going to happen either way. If we chose a different way and say, we wanted to just read our house out, it will probably wouldn’t have been enough to.

[00:37:21] Anna: fund our lifestyle, but we would have just gotten online jobs. We were going to do this regardless. there’s more than one way to get the job done and we were going to figure out a way regardless. So yeah.

[00:37:33] David: So as you travel, do you go Airbnbs or do, how do you, how do you go from place to place? Do you do hotels?

[00:37:42] David: What is your preferred living style?

[00:37:46] Anna: Well, one of the ways that we make, cause, cause we do want to take a year off and only spend a small amount of our funds. We weren’t trying to blow the whole thing from the sell of the house. Part of the reason why is because there are some countries where you can get residency based on what you have in your savings or investment accounts versus, what your monthly income is because we have zero monthly income technically right now.

[00:38:07] Anna: So Mexico was one of those places. So we’ve got a chunk of it set aside so that in 12 months we can go ahead and apply for our residency and become residents. Therefore, if we want to, eventually become citizens or if we want to stay longer than the 180 days that’s allowed to U.S. citizens then we can do that. So what we try to do is to stay somewhere it’s slow travel, like just stay as long as we can usually, however long the visa allows and low cost of living countries. And we usually start out with Airbnb and then from there, we will go on marketplace sometimes and look what local rentals they have.

[00:38:43] Anna: Also we just talked to the Airbnb host, that’s one of the best ways, cause a lot of times they’re fine with going ahead and making a long term rental or, Hey, I want to, we plan on staying here for, you know, Three months, six months. What can you do about the rental? And can we take it off Airbnb, to save on some of those fees and stuff.

[00:38:58] Anna: So, I’ve had some Airbnbs cut down to like 50 percent of what the Airbnb cost is because I’ve negotiated this with the hosts. And then also like, I’ll tell Airbnb. I

[00:39:10] David: know.

[00:39:12] Anna: No, no. I’ll be coming after you. But yeah, so, I won’t drop any landlord’s names, but but yeah, that’s usually how we do it.

[00:39:20] Anna: Then also, like I said, Marketplace has been a phenomenal resource for us and for example, my oldest daughter, she’s kind of floating along with us. She’s like, she’s here, but she’s not with us so she wanted to have a separate space, because she’s an adult now. So we were able to get her a a little studio apartment.

[00:39:38] Anna: And when I talked to people on Airbnb and, you know, just expats in the area, they’re like, Oh, you can’t find a place under a thousand dollars, even if it’s a studio near the beach or whatever. I went on marketplace, found a guy that has a, has this fruit stand, but upstairs he has like these beautiful little studios and he like.

[00:39:56] Anna: surrounded the rooftop with plants and a terrace, so she has a really like beautiful area and she’s vegan. So the fruit stand is perfect for her. So she just goes down there. It’s a fruits and vegetables. But yeah, she’s a five minute walk from the beach and it’s like 400 a month for her place.

[00:40:11] Anna: And then that’s on a month to month lease because I just didn’t know like how long she. Was going to stay or how comfortable she was staying by herself. But if we had gone with like a 6 month lease, it would have been more like 350. and so, just going on marketplace and just talking to people in these groups and, talking to your Airbnb host, a lot of.

[00:40:30] Anna: opportunities will come up and also walking the neighborhoods and most in most countries, especially the lower cost of living countries. You know, like, not everything is advertised. You have to go out there and walk the neighborhoods and find the for rent signs. So that’s also another thing.

[00:40:44] Anna: And you’ll be surprised what you can find really nice places.

[00:40:47] David: Yes, definitely. So that’s, that’s really cool. That’s, that’s a very good insight. I love that. Now, I know that you’re just starting out on this adventure, but let’s talk about challenges. What have been some of the biggest hurdles that you’ve faced traveling as a family, and how have you overcome them?

[00:41:06] Anna: Yeah, so I think almost immediately we decided, like, because we were like, oh, we’re going to stay here for a few weeks, then jump over here for a few weeks, and, you know, almost instantly we knew faster travel wasn’t for us because just because of all the moving parts, all these kids, all of them with temperaments and, wants and needs, it could get kind of stressful moving around so quickly, you know, and it gets expensive, so we realized it would be better to.

[00:41:30] Anna: Slower travel, and then that also enables us to pad in some days off. Like, not every day do we have to live like a tourist and see every site, you know, now we can just live, and also it gives us an opportunity to meet people and everything. But yeah, that was that was our biggest challenge right out the gate.

[00:41:46] Anna: We knew that we couldn’t do that anymore. But then alsojust feeling like I didn’t have control, you know, you don’t have control for one. We don’t have that place. We can run back to, you know, we sold our house. There’s no place to run back to, and we’re in a different country, you know, just just a lot of things. that was out of my control. You know, if the plane, showed up late and there was a delay or, there was a, a storm that, you know, El Nino that came up that we didn’t know about you know, my husband got dinghy fever, you know.

[00:42:15] Anna: Have a dreaded dinghy. And so it was just like, we didn’t know, where to go to the hospital or, where to get medicine. So it was just a lot of like, this is how it is in the United States. So I expected to be this way here. And you don’t want to find those things out in that moment, because if you feel very vulnerable, so doing some in depth research, which I thought I did, but a lot of times you don’t really.

[00:42:36] Anna: No, until you’re in it, like what that means, because I knew like, okay, you just don’t go to the, you know, the doctor. I mean, you could pick up your medicines from like, you know, the pharmacy, you know, without a prescription or whatever. And, you know, the doctor, how you get a doctor is different and just everything was different.

[00:42:52] Anna: And I knew that. But when you’re in that moment, you’re actually having to put those things that you learn into practice. There’s there’s some vulnerability with that. And I don’t think that’s going to change, and it’s and it’s okay. It. it’s what the reality is, is we stepping out of that comfort zone and it’s out of your comfort zone.

[00:43:09] Anna: That growth is uncomfortable. That’s why out of your comfort zone. So I had to understand this discomfort is growth, I just need to go with the flow and be mindful. And so that’s when I started practicing, being more mindful and present in the moment. And, then I was able to get myself together because it was kind of scary at first.

[00:43:26] Anna: Yeah. With all those different changes going on, him getting sick and, just being here and not knowing what to do, even though I had the blueprint, it’s still, you know, when you’re in that emergency, it’s like, Oh my goodness. Yeah.

[00:43:42] David: Sounds like you had some challenges to overcome right away. So, yeah, but I bet there’s been some joys

[00:43:48] Anna: too. Right. Oh, yeah. Yeah. You know, I was at my most stressed. I talked to my sister about it. I’m like, I just want to come home, so it was just a moment of weakness and vulnerability.

[00:44:03] Anna: And she’s like, now think about like where you were a year or two years ago. And if that Anna was looking at this Anna, like how she would feel. And I bet that Anna would be like, man, I’ll trade places with you right now. if you can’t handle your husband, I’ll be there. It works. I can handle it.

[00:44:18] Anna: So yeah, I was right where I needed to be, even with that, those circumstances. And once I started looking around me and realizing, wow, this is amazing. Like we’re living our dreams, you know, with the dreams comes ups and downs, and being more, more mindful and more present, you see the beauty around you and just things like, just going for a walk, in this new city, a new town and you seem to discovering things together,

[00:44:42] Anna: just the adventure is is amazing because you never know what’s around the corner, and sometimes that’s scary, I mean, all of it’s scary. It’s always new to you. And that’s the fun part, you know, is that you’re discovering things together and it’s you’re making those memories.

[00:44:54] Anna: So to hear my, my, my son, you know, Like we just go for a walk and don’t think anything of it. But then, a week or two later, he’s like, you remember that time we were in Cozumel? And you know, this, that happened. And he’s still talking about the last trip that we took to Mexico. He was only five then, but he remembers things from that time, you know?

[00:45:10] Anna: And so those things never leave that you carry those memories with you. And it’s so special when you can just say, what are you talking about? Which country were we in? You know, remember memories based on like, where were we at? Which country were we in? Oh, okay. So, yeah, it’s really awesome, having these experiences and they’re shared.

[00:45:26] Anna: And it’s amazing. It’s really, it’s really amazing. Yeah,

[00:45:29] David: shared experiences with your family. Yeah, especially when they bring them up like that. It’s just outstanding. It’s yeah, it makes your heart warm as a parent.

[00:45:38] Anna: Yes.

[00:45:40] David: So, what would you say is your best travel moment so far, like your favorite story that you like to tell?

[00:45:49] Anna: Oh, hmm. Oh, good question.

[00:45:53] Anna: I think I really think just seeing my daughter when we went to Paris and just like Oh, she’s she’s kind of she can be kind of shy, kind of quiet. And, you know, she took the reins. We were going through the subways and she’s ahead of me saying it’s this way, mom. And, she’s reading the signs and French and like, she’s never spoken French before, but she just was so confident.

[00:46:15] Anna: And I just remember, standing behind her and just kind of let her take the lead. And I’m like, you. This girl is amazing, you know, like look at her just natural, you know, got her street smarts in the streets of Paris and, she never lets me take pictures of her. So I’m behind her, like paparazzi recording her, and so I think it’s not a moment that really stands out, but like, when I see them, when I’m walking behind them and I just see them so confident in this foreign place and able to just like navigate and just, enjoy the sites and they just seem so confident

[00:46:44] Anna: it lights me up every time. I’m like, okay, I’m making the right decision here. this is amazing. But yeah, I think, seeing her in, in, in Paris and how much she loved it. And just, you know, she’s, since she was a little girl, she’s like, I always want to go to Paris, mom. And, and here we are in Paris in the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre.

[00:47:01] Anna: And there’s a little bakery. What is that show? Cat Noir. What is that show? Miraculous. It’s a, it’s a kids show. I don’t know. Yeah, I’ve

[00:47:07] David: heard of it. I’ve

[00:47:08] Anna: heard of it. Yeah. You heard of it. Okay. So I guess it’s based on this or their, their headquarters is a French bakery. And so we were able to go to the French bakery that was inspired by this movie or cartoon.

[00:47:22] Anna: I don’t know which one it is, cartoon movie or TV show. But yeah, that was such a huge deal for her. So it was just a dream come true for her to go there. And yeah, I just, it just, it was a beautiful

[00:47:33] David: moment. Very cool. Very cool. All right. Well, finally if, if you could give one piece of advice to families, considering taking this leap into the full time travel, what would it be?

[00:47:52] Anna: I would say, everybody’s road is different. There’s no wrong way to do it. You know, the end result should just be a happy family. That’s. Sharing experiences together, whether you do it part time, whether you rent your house or sell your house whether you work 9 to 5 online or, start your own business, you know, however you decide to do it slow travel, fast travel as long as the end result are happy, healthy kids that are learning and happy, healthy, parents that are enjoying the journey.

[00:48:19] Anna: That that’s all that matters is the end result. Yeah.

[00:48:23] David: All right, cool. Lightning round time.

[00:48:32] Anna: Coffee or tea? Oh, coffee, coffee. I’m a coffee person. Decaf though. Cause I can’t do caffeine, but I love the taste of coffee.

[00:48:42] David: All right. Well then you’re in the right countries right now. Cat or

[00:48:48] Anna: dog? I’m I’m a cat person, but we have a dog. I was overruled on that one. You

[00:48:56] David: travel, you

[00:48:56] Anna: travel with the dog? Oh, yeah, we have a little Yorkie mix.

[00:49:00] Anna: He’s about this big, but yeah, yeah, he’s pretty

[00:49:04] David: dog. So cool. All right, pool or

[00:49:07] Anna: beach? I am a beach person. 1000%. I love the beach.

[00:49:15] David: Very good. How are the beaches right now down there in Playa? Are they okay? They’re still covered in

[00:49:20] Anna: Sargassum. Oh no, they’ve been so beautiful the last few times I’ve been there.

[00:49:26] Anna: Unfortunately, the rest of my family, they’re pool people. I don’t know why we’re here. None of them like the beach. Usually I’m there by myself. I’m the lonely person on the beach by themselves. But it’s been beautiful. It’s been really beautiful.

[00:49:39] David: Alright. Would you rather be able to understand and speak every language in the world or be able to teleport anywhere at any time?

[00:49:50] Anna: Oh, man, that is a tough one. Whoo! Man, to know every language would be amazing, but after the flight experiences would be… If I could teleport my entire family and not have to, like, corral them in an airport, that’s the one I’ll take. Hey, alright.

[00:50:10] David: Alright, now imagine this, you get off the plane at your next destination, you arrive to the zombie apocalypse.

[00:50:19] David: You’re able to get to your bags. What’s the first thing you would grab and why?

[00:50:25] Anna: Oh, man, I’ve been waiting for this question all my life and I’m not ready now. Oh, boy. Well, I guess, I guess my bottle of water if I have one. Yeah, that’s the first thing you’re supposed to look for in survival is water. So that’ll be the first thing.

[00:50:45] Anna: And next thing I guess will be my scissors. That’s the only weapon I probably have. You know, we’re on an

[00:50:49] David: airplane. You’re on an airplane. Yeah, yeah. Survivalist at heart. Right there. Grab the water first. I got it. Yeah, okay. Alright, travel trivia. What is the name of the world famous ancient Mayan city located in the Yucatan Peninsula?

[00:51:12] Anna: The world famous ancient… I’m right here and I’m so embarrassed! Are you talking about Chichen Itza? Yes!

[00:51:19] David: Yes! Chichen Itza! There you go. Have you

[00:51:25] Anna: been yet? No, no, we haven’t. But I’m actually trying to save that for my husband’s birthday, which is on September 4th. So, yeah, it’s a

[00:51:34] David: good experience. You’ll have fun.

[00:51:37] David: Yay. All right. The Yucatan Peninsula is home to a unique natural feature formed by underground rivers. What are these called? Oh,

[00:51:51] Anna: yeah, the

[00:51:51] David: cenotes. The cenotes. Yes. Gotta love my

[00:51:58] David: cenotes. All right, can you name the beautiful island located off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula known for its stunning beaches and sea turtles?

[00:52:09] Anna: Oh, oh the Yucatan Peninsula because there’s like three nice ones. I mean, there’s Cozumel I know they have sea turtles there, but then there’s Isla Mujeres and Holbox.

[00:52:18] Anna: So what are those? or all three

[00:52:21] David: of them? I dunno. , I don’t know if if Holbox has has them, but I know Isla Mujeres had, and Cozumel has the sea turtles .

[00:52:27] Anna: Yeah, yeah, yeah. We saw the sea turtle nests in Cozumel. So .

[00:52:33] David: But it’s, but yeah, it’s really awesome to see those and go see the sea turtles there. So yeah, we’re gonna

[00:52:39] Anna: see the.

[00:52:40] Anna: They have the bioluminescent water, you know, plankton or whatever in there. So we’re going to be seeing that at the first, the next new moon when there’s no light out so we can see it nice and vivid. So

[00:52:52] David: I’m jealous because we didn’t get a chance to make it during the moon phase.

[00:53:00] David: All right. What is the name of the famous archaeological site known for its largest seaside Mayan ruins?

[00:53:09] Anna: Oh, that’s gotta be the ones in Tulum. Is it Tulum? It’s got a special name, but the Tulum Ruins. Tulum

[00:53:16] David: Ruins, that’s the name.

[00:53:17] Anna: Yeah, it’s beautiful out there.

[00:53:19] David: Yeah, it’s definitely. Yeah, I’ve never really seen anything else on the seacoast like that before, so it’s really cool.

[00:53:28] Anna: Yeah, yeah, the temple right on the cliffs is just like, wow, it’s not a very nice place.

[00:53:36] David: All right. Now, what is a type of town recognized by the Mexican government for its cultural, historical, or natural treasures earning a special designation? Oh, the Pueblo Magico. Pueblo Magico. Very good. All right. You

[00:53:56] Anna: got 100%.

[00:54:00] David: Nice. Thank you. Excellent. Well, Anna, it’s been a pleasure speaking with you. Thank you very much for coming on today and talking to our listeners. Pleasure. I can’t wait to see you here in a few months.

[00:54:17] Anna: This

[00:54:17] David: will be in Buenos Aires. Buenos Aires for the World School Pop Up Hub. That’s gonna be so cool.

[00:54:22] Anna: Yeah, absolutely. I look forward to it.

[00:54:25] David: Do you have any partying advice for people who are thinking about this making this lifestyle change? People who are just starting out and things like that?

[00:54:35] Anna: Yeah, yeah. I would say join one of the pop up hubs. I mean, like, one of the pop ups that, that sold me because, I mean, You get a chance to be around people that are like minded, you know, in so many ways, you just don’t realize it until you’re there.

[00:54:49] Anna: Like, I felt like I was with my people, my tribe, like, you know, just in every way, you know, and seeing the kids just running around with people, with kids that are like them that are living the same lifestyle and just the connections that you make are just invaluable. Yeah. So I would say definitely try to.

[00:55:08] Anna: Experience one of those and you’ll be hooked after that.

[00:55:11] David: Excellent. Yes. And people that are looking for it, we’ve got one coming up at the end of December in Buenos Aires. So we’ll have some information on that here. But thank you again for your time today, Anna. I think people are going to find your story inspirational, especially since just getting started.

[00:55:29] David: Hopefully maybe in a year or two, as you’ve gone through this a bit more, we’ll get a, we’ll have another conversation and see how it’s all going.

[00:55:37] Anna: Awesome. Well, thank you so much for having

[00:55:39] David: me. Thank you very much. All right. And everybody remember if you, if you tune into this episode, tune into the next one we’ve got some great speakers lined up coming forward from all different walks of life. All right. Take care.

[00:55:52] Anna: Bye.