Single Mom Travel with Kids: Best Lessons from 8 Years On the Road

Wondering what single mom travel with kids really like? 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!

If you’re a single parent considering long-term travel with your kids, Zee McAdams provides advice and inspiration so you can discover the life-changing adventure that awaits your family on the open road.

For travel inspiration and guidance from families living this lifestyle, have a listen to Season 1, episode [#7 ] of Our Offbeat Life! Listen on iTunes and Spotify, or watch on YouTube.

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Introduction

Traveling full-time with kids as a single mom can seem daunting. But Zee McAdams has made it work for 8 years and counting!

In this blog post, we’ll recap Zee’s travel journey and top lessons for single moms considering long-term travel with their kids.

From navigating co-parenting to worldschooling tips, Zee shares practical advice on keeping travel fun and fulfilling for the whole family.

Dreaming of short-term adventures or multi-year odysseys? Zee’s story proves that full-time family travel is possible, even for solo parents. Read on for inspiration to leap into your own family’s travel lifestyle!

Zee’s Travel Origin Story

Zee started traveling with her two kids in 2015 when they were 7 and 8 years old. The first couple years of her single mom travel with kids journey were “extended holidays” from November through January.

Her husband at the time would join them for two weeks in December when he had time off work. This allowed them to escape the holiday rat race and travel as a family.

So we started just trying to get out of the rat race with Christmas, just trying to sidestep.

Zee Mcadams

After a few years of seasonal travel, they extended their adventures to three months at a time. They’d explore a region then return to their home base in Seattle for a few months before jetting off again.

Eventually Zee’s daughter spent a year in Seattle for 6th grade public school. After that, the kids opted for slower travel focused on getting to know destinations more in depth.

Top Travel Destinations

I think Egypt was probably our best, like, vacation kind of packed experience. (00:07:21)

Zee Mcadams

Some of Zee’s favorite family-friendly destinations include:

– **Egypt** – Zee says their time here “blew all of our minds”. The Egyptian Museum was like “someone’s attic” with artifacts everywhere you could touch.

– **Malaysia** – Their home base for nearly 3 years. Affordable, family-oriented, and a hub for cheap flights around Southeast Asia.

– **Mexico** – Lived here twice for extended periods when daughter was in 6th grade and after leaving Malaysia. Zee loves Mexico City and finds Playa del Carmen overrated now.

– **Morocco** – People were very welcoming of her kids in the medinas and public squares. A highlight was watching them play with cats in Essaouira.

Benefits of Traveling as a Family

Zee has found traveling to be an enriching experience for both her and her mixed-race children. Here are some of the biggest benefits she’s observed:

Also, I think we don’t realize the rest of the world really likes kids. (00:04:19)

Zee Mcadams

– **Quality family time** – No schedules or school classrooms interrupting their time together

– **Educational** – Kids get immersed in new cultures and exposed to unique experiences

– **Appreciation of differences** – People embrace kids and let them be kids in most countries

– **Racial perspectives** – Her black children have developed new outlooks by being raised outside the US

– **Personal growth** – Travel has changed who Zee is as a person and what she values

Top Tips for Single Mom Travel with Kids Adventures

Keep it fun, and keep assessing, like what your family needs.

Zee mcadams

Keep it fun

Don’t cram so much into your itinerary that travel feels like a chore. Be ready to slow down or take a break if you and the kids are getting burned out.

Get buy-in from the kids

Give them a voice in travel plans and style, especially as they get older. Zee’s daughter wanted to travel slower which led them to stay put more.

Find social connections

Search Facebook groups, homeschool communities, and local classes for opportunities to meet other traveling families.

Keep communication open with co-parent

Be flexible as kids’ needs and custody agreements evolve over time.

Maintain a US address

Makes re-entry after years abroad much smoother. Even just a P.O. box that forwards mail.

Grieve the losses

Let yourself work through feelings when transitioning back to your home country after meaningful travel.

Single Parent Travel Logistics

Out of expenses, schooling and stuff for the kids is my second largest expense after housing. (00:10:29)

Zee mcadams

Shooling

The kids were homeschooled for the most part through online programs like Florida Virtual School. Zee also enrolled them in local classes and activities abroad to supplement their education.

She pieced curriculums together and is confident her teens are at grade level now back in the US school system.

Shared Custody

They negotiated custody in various ways over the years:

– Summers and school year with dad in Seattle

– Alternating living in their house in Malaysia every 3 months

– Traveling separately during split times

Zee recommends having clear legal agreements but being flexible as kids’ needs change. She traveled with a notarized letter from her ex and copy of his ID, but no one ever asked for custody proof.

Finances

Zee and her ex had location-independent online jobs, retirement funds, and passive income that allowed them to sustain the travel lifestyle and expenses like worldschooling.

Socialization

Between extracurriculars, local friendships, and homeschool groups, Zee found no shortage of social opportunities in destinations abroad.

US Re-Entry

After being gone for years, Zee advises keeping your US license and address current. Also be ready to grieve the losses of your old life abroad. But enjoy the convenience of your home country too – like Amazon Prime delivery!

Key Takeaways from Zee’s Family Travel Journey

– Extended travel with kids is rewarding for both parent and children when done right

– Being flexible and giving kids a voice will keep travel fun as family needs evolve

– Single parents can absolutely travel long-term with the right financial resources and co-parenting strategy

“I’m happy to have been able to raise my black children outside the U S for a period of time. (00:26:56)

zee mcadams

– The world is mostly very welcoming of children compared to the US

– Raising her black children abroad gave them new cultural perspectives 

– Zee’s travel priorities changed over time, favoring slower immersion over tourist exploration

Conclusion

Zee McAdams shows first-hand that full-time travel with kids as a single mom is an amazing experience, not a limiting factor. With thoughtful planning and staying open to changing dynamics, solo parents can craft an enriching travel lifestyle for their family.

What inspired you most from Zee’s story? Let us know if it’s motivated you to start planning your own family travel adventure! We’d love to help with tips, so don’t hesitate to reach out.

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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.
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✔️ Leave an honest review.
✔️ You’re awesome!

Key Takeaways and Timestamps

**[00:02:37]** Zee started traveling with her kids when they were 7 and 8 years old. They would bring art supplies, tablets, and minimal clothing for 3 month trips.

**[00:03:16]** Egypt was the family’s best “vacation-like” trip. The kids were blown away exploring the pyramids, temples, and artifacts.

**[00:04:51]** Zee feels safer traveling with her kids than solo as a woman. Most countries embrace children and let them be kids.

**[00:06:36]** Her son vomited on a long bus ride in Thailand. Other passengers compassionately helped clean him up.

**[00:07:21]** Malaysia became their home base for 3 years. Very family-friendly culture with classes and camps for the kids.

**[00:08:52]** Zee was surprised by how welcoming Moroccans were to her family and kids playing in the medinas.

**[00:13:08]** She reassures parents that homeschooled kids will be fine academically and socially in the long run.

**[00:14:29]** They funded travel through remote jobs and passive income from the US along with her ex’s retirement funds.

**[00:16:05]** They took turns living in their Malaysia house every 3 months during one custody phase.

**[00:17:26]** Zee got permanent residency in Mexico since her ex has a pension. The kids already qualified.

**[00:20:08]** After years of fast travel focused on activities, her daughter wanted to settle down more in destinations.

**[00:24:01]** Zee moved from wanting “easy” places like Playa del Carmen to craving culture and urban life.

**[00:26:34]** She’s happy to have raised her black children outside the US for their formative years.

**[00:29:24]** Worldschooling gave her son time to mature at his own pace compared to traditional school.

**[00:37:40]** The quietness of US culture compared to the constant noise abroad took adjustment.

**[00:39:33]** They bought toys back from their kids each move so they could purchase new ones later.

**[00:49:00]** Zee advises maintaining your critical thinking and caution with dogmatic travel influencers.

**[00:51:09]** Keep assessing your family’s needs and don’t be afraid to slow down or take a travel break.

Transcript

[00:00:00] David: Hello and welcome adventurers! Today’s guest Z is a single mother traveler who spent the last eight years traveling full time. Welcome to our podcast Z. Could you, could you start by telling our listeners a little bit about yourself and your family’s unique travel lifestyle?

[00:00:27] Zee: Okay. we started traveling in 2015 and we started just traveling. Our first two years of traveling was just an extended holiday, so we would travel from the start of November till the end of January. My husband at that time had 2 weeks off with Boeing. at the end of December and he’d add another two weeks and he’d join us for December.

[00:00:51] Zee: So we started just trying to get out of the rat race with Christmas, just trying to sidestep. I was a stay at home mom and we were just trying to sidestep Christmas altogether. so we started traveling that way and then in a couple of years we started traveling. More full time, more long term, we would come back every 3 months.

[00:01:13] Zee: We’d explore a region for 3 months, come back to Seattle and, at some point in there we started deciding to travel a little slower. I think actually my daughter went and spent a year with her dad in Seattle for sixth grade. The kids had been homeschooled. They’d never been to school. They’d never actually been to school till this year.

[00:01:35] Zee: But my daughter wants to spend a year with her dad, so she did. And she, spent sixth grade. And after that, she decided she wanted to travel slower. So we spent more time in Malaysia. And then Mexico, but for a while we were traveling and exploring regions every three months. So it’d be like Penang, we did Penang, I think Thailand, and then came home.

[00:02:02] Zee: So we were doing that for a while. We spent some time in Australia and then we came home. So we were doing that for a while. We were moving really fast.

[00:02:10] David: I miss Thailand. That was a fun adventure for us.

[00:02:16] Zee: It was. Yeah.

[00:02:17] David: it was a long time ago. We had a baby in tow at the time. So I’m looking forward to trying it again without the baby, with an actual kid who has full opinions.

[00:02:28] Zee: Yes.

[00:02:29] David: How, how was that part of the trip? Cause you know, she was older, right? At the time.

[00:02:33] Zee: I started traveling with my kids when they were seven and eight.

[00:02:36] David: Okay.

[00:02:37] Zee: So, yeah, I never really traveled with them as smaller children, but I started traveling with them at 7 and 8. So, at that point, we were traveling, I think, with our Osprey bags, 30, 40 liters for 3 months. I think my daughter would bring art supplies and her tablet, my son would bring Legos and his tablet.

[00:02:56] Zee: And that’s about all we could take. And then we would leave our clothes in the country because they’d only have like eight or nine outfits. So we’d leave them and they’d come home with like art projects and rocks and all of that kind of stuff. So it was a cute age, seven and eight was like a perfect age.

[00:03:16] Zee: They’d carry their own little bags and they were. agreeable about most things. So it was a good age.

[00:03:25] David: Well, then there’s not a lot that I have met at least of. full time traveling mom, out there. What inspired you to take on that type of lifestyle with your two kids?

[00:03:41] Zee: Well, I think there’s a couple of things. there are a number of moms that are out there single. I think we all kind of find each other and hang out a little bit. I was a traveler before I had kids. Also, I think, my quality of life was much better out on the road. I had a helper most of the time, especially in Asia, especially in Malaysia.

[00:04:06] Zee: I had a helper to be, so, that was great. but the quality of life was much better. Also, I think we don’t realize the rest of the world really likes kids.

[00:04:19] David: Yes.

[00:04:23] Zee: but it’s actually easier in some ways to be a single mom outside the U. S., just the financial part, but also the rest of the world really likes kids. I haven’t been to a country that didn’t embrace kids for being kids. You know, kids in Mexico are running around at 11 p. m. with family having dinner. I mean, they really let kids be kids.

[00:04:51] David: Yeah, that’s a reoccurring thing I keep hearing. Doing this podcast, from folks is especially in, in Southeast Asia. People like kids, be kids. yeah, you don’t see people getting scolded, kids making loud noises at a restaurant or anything. In fact, they put playgrounds in almost every restaurant I went to throughout Asia.

[00:05:12] Zee: Mexico, to a certain extent, too, there’s not a lot of, shushing kids. There’s not a lot of places that kids aren’t welcome. I

[00:05:21] David: Well, can you tell me, is there a cool story that, like when you were caught off guard the first, one of the first times. People were super into your kids or helping with kids over, overseas,

[00:05:35] Zee: think, I think Morocco, I was really surprised, that how engaged the people were with kids. I was really kind of surprised how they were just so welcoming. And, I remember the kids playing with cats in the Medina, in Esawera, and things like that. Just, they were just really welcoming to the kids.

[00:05:58] Zee: Everywhere we’ve been, they’ve been really welcoming. I will say this as a woman traveler, and then as a mom traveler, I actually feel safer traveling with my kids sometimes than I do alone. Because I feel like as a woman of a certain age, I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing with kids. so yeah, I just feel like, people just really welcome kids.

[00:06:22] Zee: I know, Silas, we were on the bus to Chiang Mai in, Thailand and even the travelers and he threw up. And, he was sitting next to somebody else, and the person just kind of took care of him.

[00:06:35] David: Awww.

[00:06:36] Zee: I was like, ooh, yeah.

[00:06:42] Zee: But the

[00:06:46] Zee: person kind of him Chiang Mai from Bangkok.

[00:06:51] David: That’s a very long drive,

[00:06:52] Zee: Yeah, but everybody kind of like sent napkins and all of that kind of stuff. So, yeah, people just like kids and they expect kids to do what kids do.

[00:07:02] David: Yeah, that’s awesome. Oh, that’s an interesting experience for sure on the bus. what about your, what’s your favorite, favorite experience or your destination that you and your children discovered together?

[00:07:21] Zee: I think Egypt was probably our best, like, vacation kind of packed experience. they were moving the museum. They hadn’t moved it. I think now it’s next to the pyramids, but it used to be in the city. And the museum during moving was like someone’s attic, like things were just everywhere and you could touch them and there were like all kinds of things you could touch.

[00:07:53] Zee: You could go up to there were students everywhere, eager to talk. It was absolutely amazing. It was an absolutely amazing time to be in the museum. and I think Egypt was just, I think it just blew all of our minds at that point. Yeah, it just really blew our minds. We didn’t spend a long time there. but it was more of like a quick trip and we really enjoyed it.

[00:08:21] David: Egypt sounds like it’s one giant museum. I haven’t yet been. I really would like to go. Sounds like there’s so much to see.

[00:08:28] Zee: It is. It’s just one thing after another. yeah, I’m not so great with always having to get a guide. And that was kind of the issue because some things are kind of far away. the guide stuff is kind of tricky, but Egypt is definitely a must see. And I think they’re going to come up with more and more restrictions as they should, if they want to keep it forever.

[00:08:52] Zee: But when we went, it was like kind of a free for all you climb on things. You could go on things, you could touch things. it was pretty amazing.

[00:09:02] David: Yeah, like Central and South America started making more of those restrictions. I’m surprised Egypt wasn’t first in all of that, so.

[00:09:09] Zee: They have so much stuff though. They have like, it’s really like an attic. They have so many relics and so many things that it was pretty amazing.

[00:09:19] David: Ah, okay. Well, sometimes you mention, full time travel, and sometimes you mention vacation. What’s your definition between the two, or your differentiation?

[00:09:31] Zee: Sometimes, like, when we’re moving, we don’t really get into the culture as much when we’re moving quickly. And, like, Egypt definitely felt like a vacation because it was like every day we were doing something. We had these things we wanted to see. It was like that. More often we live in a place. We get an Airbnb for at least a month, maybe six weeks, and we kind of live there.

[00:09:56] Zee: We grocery shop, we go to markets, we get in routines. this was like more of just a quick trip. I think we were, we would actually say we were living in Mexico at the time. So that also makes it sort of more of a vacation when we actually have a base somewhere.

[00:10:14] David: Okay. Now, I’m sure our listeners are curious about the logistics of full time travel, though.

[00:10:22] Zee: Yes.

[00:10:23] David: So, with kids, how do you manage schooling for your teenagers while you’re on the go?

[00:10:29] Zee: Well, Schooling, I would say, out of expenses, schooling and stuff for the kids is my second largest expense after housing. So, if you want to talk about expenses, it’s probably my second largest expense. we’ve been homeschooling during, COVID, my daughter is studying for the IGSEs in Malaysia, and we did some out school and we kind of pieced it together in the last year or so they were doing Florida virtual homeschool, out of the US, but as they were younger, we just kind of pieced it together.

[00:11:05] Zee: and I’d like to reassure all the parents, they’re in 10th and 11th grade now and on grade level and doing fine. And you can homeschool all the way up, I guess, until the end, until they go to college, or you can homeschool at 9th grade like we did, and they’ll be fine. They’ll be fine. They’ll be the people that they would be if they were in school anyway.

[00:11:29] Zee: My daughter was going to make it no matter what. my son was going to do like what he wanted to do until the end. He would have done it in school. He would have done it at home school.

[00:11:45] David: Yeah, because that is, I, I hear that often, people worried about, well, your, well, your kids, not full potential is not going to be there if they don’t go through standardized schooling and stuff like that. How do you, how do you usually react to those types of, inquiries?

[00:12:00] Zee: You know, I think like sometimes the essence of parenting is worrying. It’s just like one worry after another. they are fine. They are fine. they are not used to people being mean for the sake of being mean, nor do I feel like you have to get used to that. like there’s no reason for you to get used to it.

[00:12:23] Zee: You should recognize it as odd. I know, especially when my kids were like your son’s age, parents are always around. You know, parents are always around kind of, so my kids, I think socially are shocked that people are rude. Sometimes they’re shocked that people are mean for the sake of being mean. But should you really get used to that?

[00:12:44] Zee: I mean, would they have been better off if they’d had nine years of that?

[00:12:48] David: No. Yeah.

[00:12:49] Zee: I’m not sure they would have been better off. They find it to be odd, and they should.

[00:12:54] David: Yeah, they should. That’s what we kind of, we’ve talked to a little man about as well as. People do get rude and some, and I don’t want you to get used to it cause that’s like, getting a little desensitized and that’s not good either. Yeah.

[00:13:08] Zee: Right. Right, so sometimes they come back and they say, Well, the kids are so bad in class. And that kind of stuff. And I mean, it’s part of public school, it’s part of life. But should they get used to people just being mean? No, I don’t think so. And they recognize it.

[00:13:25] David: Yeah. What did you end up doing for socialization while traveling?

[00:13:30] Zee: Well, Especially before COVID, there’s lots of co ops. There’s lots of groups. Playa del Carmen used to be a huge homeschool group and we used to meet every Wednesday. I also use some of the Facebook groups to say, Hey, I’m traveling with my eight year old or nine year old daughter. And we’d get together with families.

[00:13:50] Zee: There was no shortage of socialization in, Especially before COVID. Also, I put my kids in classes, local classes with local kids and that kind of stuff. So, yeah, there’s no shortage of socialization. There’s lots of people out there.

[00:14:09] David: Yeah. None. I mean, that’s how, that’s how our families met in the first place was through one of those groups.

[00:14:14] Zee: right. Yeah, so no, socialization was never a, was never an issue.

[00:14:21] David: Okay. Okay. Now, if you’re comfortable, how do you fund this lifestyle? If you’re comfortable explaining that.

[00:14:29] Zee: Well, a little bit, we had money coming in from the U. S. We had jobs and stuff from the U. S. that allowed us to fund it. So, that’s how we were able to fund it. we’ve been remote. Before remote was a thing. So yeah. Yeah. So that’s how we were mostly able to fund it.

[00:14:50] David: okay. Excellent. So were these like W 2 type remote jobs or totally freelancing?

[00:14:56] Zee: They

[00:14:56] David: people are out there kind of curious about what are the options available to them?

[00:15:02] Zee: both w 2 jobs, but one was sort of a contract position and My husband at the time was scaling down to being retired So then he had retirement funds. So yeah,

[00:15:15] David: Okay. Okay. and now I know that, your, your ex husband lives in a different country and you’re traveling with the kids pretty much full time on, on and off, but most majority of the time, I would say. So how did you navigate your shared custody arrangements during this type of context?

[00:15:37] Zee: well, a lot of the time, we would come back to the U S and I’d leave the kids for the summer. So he’d have them for the summer or he’d have time when he was had more time off. Then for a while, we did an interesting thing where the kids had the house and we switched every three months. And that was the best, that was the best thing ever.

[00:15:58] Zee: That was the best thing ever.

[00:16:01] David: that’s an interesting approach. Tell more, tell me more about that.

[00:16:05] Zee: We just had the house in Malaysia and when he retired, we switched every three months. So I would be there for three months and he would be there for three months and then COVID kind of ended that, but, that worked out great. That was really great because the kids kept their same schedule and everything went really well and I spent a lot of time traveling alone and he spent some time traveling alone.

[00:16:28] Zee: So it was good.

[00:16:29] David: So you got some of that solo travel time again?

[00:16:32] Zee: I did. I did. I did. I think, when you’re dealing with. I think when you’re dealing with, and I’m, I’m back in the U S now, I came back at probably a year ago, but I think when you’re dealing with another parent, another person, and you’re not together, I think, I think there needs to be like people’s.

[00:16:57] Zee: people, everyone’s going to change. You have to assume that from the time they’re little to the time they’re older and the agreements that you start with may not be the agreements you end with and everybody’s going to change and everyone has different desires. it would be nice to get things legally set as, as clear as possible.

[00:17:16] Zee: but yeah, but for a while it was. Going pretty well right now. He’s in Thailand and I’m in the U. S. and then he comes back and forth.

[00:17:26] David: Okay. Okay. And for those that are looking to do this lifestyle and they might be in a, a separated arrangement also with their spouse, was there any special documentation that you needed while traveling, to make sure that your kids could travel with you?

[00:17:44] Zee: Yes, I usually traveled with a letter, notarized letter and a copy of his driver’s license or passport. no one’s ever asked for it. I think it may be different for dads, but no one has ever asked. Me for any documentation. I know South Africa sometimes will ask or require it, but no one’s ever asked me, no country’s ever asked me for any documentation.

[00:18:09] David: Okay. Okay,

[00:18:10] Zee: That’s probably good for your own protection to have a sign off.

[00:18:16] David: Yeah. You would imagine it would be because there are, there are those one off situations out there where it might be important to challenge or verify.

[00:18:26] Zee: It would be. You would think..

[00:18:30] David: Any, any, anything else that comes up or that you think that is worth mentioning to somebody else who might, have be in a similar situation to you that they might want to know about?

[00:18:41] Zee: I guess just, keeping in mind that things change, and as your kids get older, they will have strong opinions on what is happening and all of that. They will have really strong opinions. school and what’s happening and all of that kind of stuff and the U. S. Life can be really glamorized, especially if they haven’t had it in a long time.

[00:19:03] Zee: Like my kids hadn’t been in the U. S. For eight or nine years. So, you know, it’s a little bit glamorized. I think that they’re happy that we’re back. for family reasons and we have a dog and all of that stuff. So, yeah, but just keep in mind that things will change.

[00:19:24] David: Okay. Okay. Let’s change gears a little bit. let’s talk about slow travel. So what does that concept mean to you and your family, and why did you choose to adopt that approach for a lot of your travels? Yeah.

[00:19:40] Zee: My daughter wanted it and for the core family travel, everybody has to have the buy in. she didn’t want to keep moving. She wanted a house and her decorations and all of that stuff. And, So we, we would travel around Asia. We would travel around Australia and we kept coming back to Malaysia. We’d be in Bali and I mean, everybody loves Bali and I need to try Bali without kids.

[00:20:08] Zee: we kept coming back to Malaysia. Malaysia had so many classes. They’ve taken classes at Petronas. They’ve done camps at Petronas. They, have robotics. They have every mall seems to have robotics. Every mall has things for kids. It’s really, really family oriented. It’s really affordable. And, it’s also AirAsia base. and it’s English speaking. and it didn’t have some of the complications that Thailand can have with visas and other things. so I picked Malaysia and, it, it really became our home. And I think that that’s what slow travel is about, really getting to understand the food and the people and making local friends and getting into a routine and all of that.

[00:20:59] David: So then, was Malaysia really your, your home base, as they would say?

[00:21:04] Zee: yeah, it was our home base for almost three years.

[00:21:07] David: Three years, wow.

[00:21:08] Zee: Yeah, a lot of it was COVID though.

[00:21:11] David: Oh, a lot of, okay, yeah. COVID did keep a lot of people in Malaysia, that’s why we were there for so long. now, is, so you chose your home base basically because your daughter, your kids had, had opinions, they wanted some stability type situation. Did, did you have any other home bases at any other time during these, these years of traveling?

[00:21:31] Zee: Mexico has been a home base, twice. So when my daughter was in sixth grade, my son and I stayed in Mexico. And then when we left Malaysia, we went back to Mexico.

[00:21:45] David: Okay. And so how did you end up deciding to stay in Mexico for extended periods of time?

[00:21:51] Zee: well, Mexico was open during COVID, which was a huge issue. what places that were open and available. And interesting enough, we never thought about coming back to the U. S. so Mexico was open and, also when my daughter was in sixth grade, I wanted to be close to go back and forth to Seattle.

[00:22:12] David: Okay. Okay. Yeah. So, what were your thoughts about Mexico? Because a lot of U. S. people have varying thoughts about what Mexico life is. what did you experience, how would you define the culture or the living arrangements there?

[00:22:33] Zee: Well, I guess, did I have thoughts about Mexico? I didn’t really have a lot of, I thought Mexico was going to be basic. I didn’t think it was exotic travel. I thought it was going to be, you know, not, but then, I think initially Mexico with the home. A school community was fantastic. We were able to walk over there.

[00:22:54] Zee: We met great families. It was really terrific. and yeah, I didn’t have any sense of danger or anything around Mexico. I’ve spent most of my time in Playa del Carmen. And I think the worst thing that’s ever happened, like everyone, my bike has been stolen

[00:23:12] David: Yeah.

[00:23:14] Zee: and I’ve probably bought it back on Facebook Marketplace several times, you know, I think that’s the worst thing that’s like happened in Playa Del Carmen in Mexico to me, but my general feeling about travel is like if you avoid drugs and alcohol to excess and you avoid flashing money and you avoid, other people’s spouses and men and women and dangerous situations like that.

[00:23:43] Zee: You’re pretty much fine anywhere in the world. If you’re just minding your business and doing your thing, you’re fine anywhere in the world and families are really fine. Cause we’re really doing the same thing. Everywhere we go, we’re basically, you know, looking for fun stuff to do with kids and water parks and hanging out.

[00:24:01] Zee: And so, yeah, I’ve never had a problem in Mexico. I moved from Playa del Carmen to Mexico city, which I really prefer. you know, I think that’s probably another thing about home, about the world, schooling, lifestyle, long term you grow. You grow, you change the desires you want to change. I think when I first started.

[00:24:26] Zee: world schooling, I wanted easy and playa was definitely easy. It used to be easier, but, it was definitely easy. Now I want, 75 degree weather. I want culture, I want, to live in neighborhoods where they speak Spanish. I want to do, all of that stuff. And while I love the beach, I love to visit the beach.

[00:24:52] Zee: I don’t need to live at the beach anymore. I don’t mind struggling with Spanish. I don’t mind, you know, getting on the metros and riding my bike in Mexico City and all of that stuff. I love it. and I much prefer it now. So now I’m like a different kind of traveler. I think I want what I want.

[00:25:12] Zee: Instead of, Oh, how easy is this going to be?

[00:25:17] David: It really sounds like traveling has changed you, or you have changed with your traveling.

[00:25:23] Zee: It has. It really has. it has. and I, I’m always surprised when people say Mexico is dangerous. I’m like really, really surprised. I rode my motorcycle from Playa del Carmen to Oaxaca

[00:25:39] David: in Mexico alone. So, like, I’ve spent some time, I’ve done some things in Mexico, and I’ve always been, felt welcome. It’s also one of the larger black expat communities, especially Playa Del Carmen.

[00:25:57] David: Is it?

[00:25:58] Zee: It is, yeah. Lots of, I would say, 25 to 40 year olds. Went to Playa del Carmen during COVID and it’s got a huge black expat community, a really supportive one, too.

[00:26:14] David: As a, as a white man, I don’t have, I can’t really see or say much about the black community as I travel. But, what are your insights into that? traveling, as a black woman, has that been different? Has it been harder? Is it easier than being in the U. S.? what are your thoughts on, on that?

[00:26:34] Zee: I think it’s easier than being in the US, but I think Asia, there’s some curiosity, but the longer you live in the neighborhood, people are just used to seeing us. so Asia, there’s some curiosity, less so in Malaysia than in like China. Or places like that. Thailand sees everyone. So that’s, you know, pretty relaxed.

[00:26:56] Zee: but, I’m happy to have been able to raise my black children outside the U S for a period of time, I think it’s kind of changed their outlook and their expectations and their feeling about themselves. but yeah, Playa del Carmen has a lot of, black expats and so does, Medellin, Colombia has a lot too.

[00:27:19] Zee: Yeah.

[00:27:21] David: Okay, okay. Yeah, we were in Colombia for a long time. I loved Medellin. Medellin was amazing.

[00:27:28] Zee: It is amazing.

[00:27:29] David: I loved the, the climate was perfect. Like you said, if you’re looking for like that 70 degrees and culture, Medellin is awesome.

[00:27:39] Zee: Medellin is awesome. Medellin is awesome. And they have some, if you, I think if you are a school person, if you’re a person that feels like you don’t want your kids to get behind in school, Medellin had some Catholic schools that were affordable. we looked at some Catholic schools there and they were pretty affordable.

[00:28:02] David: Did your children pick up the language when, as you were traveling?

[00:28:06] Zee: my son speaks the best Spanish out of all of us because he played a lot. He played a lot, especially with the homeschool group. So his Spanish is probably the best. He’s also, not afraid to make mistakes. So it, yeah. but the rest of us, still struggle, but I know I got a lot better in Mexico city because I had to, but in Playa you don’t always have to.

[00:28:32] Zee: So you don’t.

[00:28:33] David: Those are really good qualities your son has then. Not afraid to make mistakes. Willing to put himself out there. He’s gonna grow up to be something special.

[00:28:42] Zee: Yeah. Yeah. You know, he is, he is something else, but he’s not the school powerhouse. My daughter is, but he had some qualities that are exceptional.

[00:28:53] David: That’s awesome!

[00:28:53] Zee: He has some really exceptional qualities. They both do, but, he really shined. I think during world schooling, I think if we had put him into school, he would have probably needed some kind of ADHD help. I think he needed time to mature and I think world schooling gave him some time to mature. and I think that that’s been a really great thing for him because he does have some talents that aren’t always recognized in school.

[00:29:24] David: Okay. When you were world schooling, how much of your personal time did you end up having to put in with the kids versus, here’s a class, go do it. I’m gonna go, I’m gonna do some work.

[00:29:36] Zee: I think homeschooling is a lot of strain on mothers. Whether you’re doing it in the U. S. or you’re doing it abroad, I spend a lot of time looking for classes. I spend a lot of time, looking for friends and looking for classes and kind of assessing where they are and that kind of stuff. I think homeschooling’s a lot.

[00:30:01] Zee: I think homeschooling is a lot, no matter where you do it. but also kids are independent. They play, they do things, they go out. So yeah, but it’s a lot. The planning can be a lot. You have to love it, I think, a little bit. Yeah, I love the planning. I love the travel planning. The school planning, a little less so.

[00:30:20] Zee: But I love the travel planning. but yeah.

[00:30:25] David: Well then, conversely, now that you’re trying out high school in the U. S., how has this experience been for them, and what has it been like for you as a mom?

[00:30:36] Zee: I think it’s best for the kids right now. My daughter’s really interested in science and I think it is the easiest way to go to college and to do all of that for us at this point. I had a really hard time adjusting. I haven’t had a car for eight years. the U. S. I think I came back at a really expensive time for the U.

[00:30:58] Zee: S. so that was an issue. so I have had a hard time. I’m in North Carolina, which is really beautiful. I think I picked really well. And the kids are, like, I guess, in the best school in our school district. And I think that they’re enjoying it, but I think they have a new appreciation for our old life, too.

[00:31:19] Zee: but I think that they’re enjoying it, and we will, I will stay here until they finish school. They really wanted that stability. That was really important to them at this point. They really want to know they’re going to be here next year and the year after. So that was important to them. So I’m willing to give that to them after all the years of traveling and all of that.

[00:31:39] Zee: I’m willing to give it to them, so they will get settled in school and then I will head out.

[00:31:47] David: Hehehehe

[00:31:48] Zee: I’m already trying not to collect too much junk or get into too much debt because I plan to go back to Mexico. We have, residency there. We went ahead. And got our residency, I guess, you know, when they were doing the big push for, you’re not going to get 180 days and all of that.

[00:32:06] Zee: We went ahead and got our residency.

[00:32:09] David: okay, okay. So how did, how was that process?

[00:32:14] Zee: there was, there was a lot of confusion. my ex has a pension. So the kids have permanent residency right off. I have temporary residency, which for me was one year and then now I have a three year temporary residency. And I think in three years I get permanent residency. it’s a little confusing because all of the, Got there.

[00:32:37] Zee: I don’t think they’re embassies. Are they embassies? All of the different offices have different numbers for what’s acceptable to Obtain residency So that can be a little confusing. We did ours in Atlanta So it’s a little confusing. I hired someone to help. And I think the whole, so it was a little confusing, but we got it done and it’s totally worth it.

[00:33:04] David: That’s awesome. Is, so is it all financial based then? That, that’s all they care about is how much you’re, you’re making and contributing?

[00:33:11] Zee: Yeah. To apply. Yeah. You apply at a home embassy in the U S and it’s financially based. I think it was around 2, 300. Don’t quote me on this. But, it’s 500 times the Mexican minimum wage or something. You have to call the office and bring in a lot of paperwork. And then you come back to Mexico with a special stamp.

[00:33:35] Zee: And you start your process on the Mexico side. And then you get it. Yeah.

[00:33:43] David: That’s interesting. That’s cool. I’ve heard of a couple of folks, doing that process. So, that’s, that’s really cool. So Mexico, you enjoyed it that much that you decided to get the residency there?

[00:33:53] Zee: Yeah, and I think it’s going to be good when the kids are in college because they’ll be close by. but like I said, Mexico really has everything. It really does. I really love Mexico City. I really love Veracruz. so yeah, it has a little bit of everything.

[00:34:09] David: Yeah. I liked Mexico city as well. It’s big, but it’s easy to get around.

[00:34:14] Zee: It’s very easy.

[00:34:16] David: And yeah, and the people were very friendly, so

[00:34:19] Zee: You know, they’re not tired of tourists yet. They’re not like, like, not like Playa where you’re kind of like always being sold something. The price is what the price is in Mexico city. there’s a solid middle class, you know, solid Mexican middle class there, which just changes everything.

[00:34:38] David: Great food.

[00:34:40] Zee: The food from all over Mexico, great flights, Grab and Uber are there, not, is it Gra, is it Rappi?

[00:34:47] Zee: I think it’s Rappi.

[00:34:48] David: It might be Rappi there, yeah.

[00:34:49] David: Yeah,

[00:34:50] Zee: Rappi and Uber are there. I think Grab is Malaysia, but yeah, yeah, Rappi is there. Like I said, I haven’t had a car in eight years. I know you guys just got a car and are on a huge adventure, but it was, I haven’t had a car in eight years and it was fabulous.

[00:35:06] David: Wow, yeah. Well, we’re actually looking forward to, moving on from the car next year, and trying to, like, free up our travels, too. So that’s going to be really cool when we’re done with this, this drive, this experience. I mean, it’s a very interesting experience for sure.

[00:35:25] Zee: It is, driving is a very interesting experience. You just get a whole different experience. I didn’t realize the toll roads were so expensive in Mexico.

[00:35:38] David: All of Latin America is toll road, toll road, toll road. It’s,

[00:35:42] Zee: Is it all?

[00:35:42] David: oh yeah. And you know, it varies. but it generally averages out, I think, to like a dollar each toll. some of them are a little bit more, but, here it’s really pricey where we’re in, in Chile

[00:35:54] Zee: Okay. So it’s supposed to be really kind of pricey. But Mexico’s tolls were expensive. They were expensive.

[00:36:01] David: They were,

[00:36:02] Zee: Yeah.

[00:36:04] David: but, all right. Now that you’ve gone back to the US, not forever. We’re gonna, we’re gonna, we’re gonna knock on wood, whatever, whatever we got here. do you have any tips for families looking to re enter their country of passport after living abroad for several years?

[00:36:23] Zee: I think the best thing is to keep everything updated. You know, keep a U. S. address, keep a U. S. driver’s license, but really keep a U. S. address, not even, a, not, we had a P. O. box that forwarded mail, but having a U. S. address, a real one would have been better, even if it’s just a family member, that, that would have been a lot better,

[00:36:51] David: Yeah.

[00:36:51] Zee: and just, I guess be prepared to grieve a little bit.

[00:36:56] Zee: be just prepared to grieve a little bit, cause life is not easy. I know Mexico, I use Rapi, I use Uber, here I never use it. I mean, Uber’s like 20 here, it’s like 20 to get food delivered. It’s like 40 to go to the airport. It’s like, there’s just going to be like a sticker shock

[00:37:17] Zee: I really loved walking everywhere. I walked everywhere in Mexico City. I walked everywhere in Playa. I walked a lot in Malaysia. So, to have to drive everywhere is shocking. To have fruit that doesn’t taste like fruit is shocking. it’s also very quiet. I think the rest of the world is very noisy. So, when you come to the U.

[00:37:40] Zee: S., it’s very mysteriously quiet. He starts to miss the noise a little bit.

[00:37:47] David: Mexico, it’s fireworks every night. Heck, most of Central America was that way.

[00:37:52] Zee: It’s fireworks, it’s house parties, it’s everything, every night. We are really a community.

[00:38:01] David: This is true, this is true. now, alright, so now that you’ve also returned, Is there anything that you wish that you had kept in storage for your return or, anything that, that you regret from when you first departed?

[00:38:17] Zee: You know… No. I, I say get rid of it all. we held on to Legos. When we came back, my son was no longer into Legos. We had those, like, under the bed, plastic crates of Legos. He was no longer into Legos. most of the things we held on to were of no value. Even when we came back and visited, they weren’t, he had changed so much.

[00:38:43] Zee: They had changed so much. I, I always feel kind of. I feel like I’ve bought things a hundred times, like the same things a hundred times. I was in Malaysia long enough to where I got rid of a lot of things, but it’s not like I can bring small things back from Malaysia. I’m not going to bring my Nespresso machine back from Malaysia and things like that.

[00:39:06] Zee: But, No, I don’t think there’s anything I wish I had kept, not a thing, which is so interesting because I know people always struggle with, should they hold on to things, and really no, no clothes, I would say even toys and stuff, what we do now, what we did I think when we packed up our last house is we paid the kids for their toys, we bought them off of them,

[00:39:32] David: Interesting.

[00:39:33] Zee: and then we got rid of them and then they have the money to buy new toys or new things that they want at some other point, but we just paid them for the toys that we bought them.

[00:39:43] David: Oh, okay. Well, that is an interesting concept, an interesting way of doing it, so.

[00:39:48] Zee: Yeah, but, I don’t think there’s anything, but I swear there’s just a ton of things I’ve bought a million times, which is frustrating, but,

[00:39:57] David: of buying things, while you’re traveling, do you have any, like, great mementos, or are you the type that is, like, your photographs are your mementos? Mementos.

[00:40:06] Zee: we don’t have a lot from our travels because we were, traveling with those 26 litter bags.

[00:40:16] Zee: We don’t have a lot of mementos. And I don’t really regret that. I’m not a real stuff person, so I don’t really regret not having a lot of mementos. yeah, we don’t have a lot though.

[00:40:33] David: then, what’s next for you? What’s on the horizon?

[00:40:36] Zee: Well, right now I think I am trying to get myself ready. I think we’re trying to use the US for what it’s good for. Right now, it’s good for school. Right now, professionally, I’m doing some things to kind of expand and be able to maybe work contracts when I’m through with this. So, I think the U. S. is great for a couple of things.

[00:41:01] Zee: I think it’s great for therapists because therapy is sort of hard to get on the road. So, we’ve been doing some therapy. I think it’s great for, School right now for the kids. and I’m just doing some things professionally. Just trying to get myself together, you know, just trying to get myself together.

[00:41:21] Zee: So when I go out, I’m even in a better financial position.

[00:41:26] David: Excellent. Well, best of luck to you on all of that.

[00:41:30] Zee: Yeah.

[00:41:32] David: Alright, now we’re going to have a fun little lightning round.

[00:41:35] Zee: Okay.

[00:41:38] David: Coffee or tea?

[00:41:40] Zee: Coffee. Definitely.

[00:41:43] David: Cat or dog?

[00:41:44] Zee: Dog, definitely.

[00:41:47] David: Pool or beach?

[00:41:49] Zee: Beach.

[00:41:51] David: Would you rather be able to understand and speak every language in the world or be able to teleport anywhere at any time?

[00:42:02] Zee: Teleport. Traveling is horrible now. Traveling is so bad now. It’s so bad. Also, I think when you’ve been traveling this long, you remember when it was easier and cheaper. Like after COVID, the cost, really jumped.

[00:42:19] David: That’s what I’ve heard, yes. Driving is a little different. I mean, yeah, we see different gas prices everywhere, but flying travel, I’ve heard, has gotten pretty expensive.

[00:42:30] Zee: It’s expensive, but you know, like, rent and places have gotten really expensive. I think Mexico’s gotten more expensive. I hear Turkey’s gotten more expensive. I don’t know what Malaysia’s doing now, but I hear a lot of places have gotten more expensive.

[00:42:46] David: okay. Alright, now, imagine this. You get off the plane at your next destination. But you arrive into the zombie apocalypse.

[00:42:57] Zee: Okay.

[00:43:00] David: You’re able to get to your bags. What’s the first thing you would grab and why?

[00:43:06] Zee: The zombie apocalypse. Oh, the first thing I would probably grab out of my bag.

[00:43:21] Zee: Hey, I’m not sure. What’s the first thing I’d grab for a zombie apocalypse? What would be in my bag that would be good for a zombie apocalypse? I have no idea. I probably already have my cell phone on me, so I would probably Grab toiletries. That’s probably what I would grab. Like there’s nothing in my bag but clothes and toiletries, generally. I’d probably just grab toiletries.

[00:44:02] David: This is a good piece of advice for the, the producers of the zombie movies out there. Nobody ever talks about the toiletries.

[00:44:09] Zee: Right, like I, yeah, I’m not a big zombie movie person, but I think the only thing that’s in my bag that’s not on me is Probably toiletries and they can probably be used to start fires or poison somebody or do something There’s probably some chemicals in there that might be good in a zombie apocalypse

[00:44:31] David: we go. There you go. That’s the first, that’s the first for that, for that question. So that’s awesome.

[00:44:36] Zee: But you don’t have a gun in your bag you don’t have anything in your bag You just have toiletries and clothes Okay

[00:44:47] David: Alright, well let’s do a little travel trivia. Alright, what is the name of the famous temple complex in Cambodia that’s a must see for any Southeast Asia traveler?

[00:45:01] Zee: Ankor Watt, I think

[00:45:03] David: Yes, that’s what I would say. It’s the best.

[00:45:06] Zee: I haven’t been.

[00:45:08] David: You haven’t been yet? Oh,

[00:45:09] Zee: Mm-hmm.

[00:45:10] David: it was amazing.

[00:45:11] Zee: Okay.

[00:45:12] David: We went with a, we went with an, what was he, 18 month old?

[00:45:16] Zee: Okay.

[00:45:17] David: So, but it was still awesome. All right. Now, can you guess the Mexican city that’s? Internationally renowned for its Day of the Dead celebration.

[00:45:28] Zee: Ah, would it be Mexico City or Oaxaca?

[00:45:33] David: Patsukaro. It’s

[00:45:37] Zee: That’s so

[00:45:37] David: the place, Patsukaro is where you’re supposed to go. It’s in the state of Michoacan,

[00:45:43] Zee: okay.

[00:45:44] David: and it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site for this reason.

[00:45:48] Zee: Oh wow.

[00:45:49] David: the next time you’re down in Mexico, especially down Day of the Dead time, try to make your way down there.

[00:45:55] Zee: Oaxaca’s beautiful too.

[00:45:57] David: It is, it

[00:45:58] Zee: Yeah, Oaxaca’s good for Day of the Dead. I think that’s where I spent it last time.

[00:46:03] David: Yeah, I think we saw it last time from, think we were in, what is it, San Miguel de Allende. no, that was, no, that was for the crazies. That was the day of the crazies. I cannot remember what we did Day of the Dead last time. Brodi’s telling me Playa.

[00:46:17] Zee: Okay, that’s not a hot spot of Day of the Dead, but Oaxaca was beautiful. Mexico City has the James Bond parade, I think.

[00:46:26] David: Yeah. That’s pretty cool, James Bond parade.

[00:46:29] Zee: Yeah, they have the parade. I think it was in a James Bond movie. And I’ve never been there for it, but, Oaxaca was beautiful, too.

[00:46:39] David: All right. All right. In which Southeast Asian country would you find the stunning Ha Long Bay, known for its emerald waters? Vietnam. Very good. All right. Do you know the name of the Mexican dish that’s made of a folded tortilla with various mixtures, beef, chicken, seafood?

[00:47:05] Zee: This, is it like, is it a taco? Is it

[00:47:08] David: It’s a taco. Yes, it’s a taco. Tried to trick you up with that one. All right. can you name the unique method of transportation in Thailand used by locals and tourists? That’s essentially a motorbike with a sidecar.

[00:47:30] David: A

[00:47:30] Zee: tuk tuk.

[00:47:32] David: Very good. I love tuk tuks. It’s so fun. All right. Excellent. So. Any final parting tips that you have for families looking to get into this lifestyle full time family travel.

[00:47:49] Zee: I think I’ve said it a couple times, you will change, your kids will change, your circumstances will change for long time family travel. make sure to get some buy in from your family. I would also say keep the cautiousness that you had in the U. S. I think that there are people in this community that sometimes take advantage.

[00:48:10] Zee: I think that there are some cult of personalities. Keep your suspicion, you know, pay attention. I know the pop ups have been really popular and seem to work out really great. I think that’s really great. And I know some wonderful people doing pop ups. but I think some of the conferences and some of the speakers, Kind of are cultish, and are trying to make money off of families. and of course like Facebook is wonderful, but everyone’s circumstances are very different. And, just keep your common sense about you. Keep your common sense about you. and be smart about things. And take care of yourself. You know, traveling can be exhausting at times.

[00:49:00] Zee: So, slow down. Sometimes don’t have this huge itinerary. If you’re tired, slow down. and just really take care of yourselves. And take care of your families. And make sure it stays fun. this should be a fun thing. This should not be like, you know, drudgery. It should stay fun.

[00:49:19] David: I like that. It should stay fun. If it turns into some kind of drudgery then you’re doing it wrong and you should reevaluate how you’re doing it because there is a better way to do it for you.

[00:49:30] Zee: There is. There is. There’s definitely better ways and there’s been time. You’re gonna get tired. You’re gonna get sick. Your kids are gonna go through phases that are like. Nuts. and you may need to slow down. You may need to stop. You may need to fly a mom or grandma or support person in for a little bit.

[00:49:52] Zee: you may find that certain places work better. I think when my son was younger, like, being outside all day really worked better. places where he could be outside, places where there was a lot of greenery, places where there were lots of playgrounds really worked better when they were younger. And you may not have this travel experience that you started with of, I think I’ve been to like every square and playground in Merida.

[00:50:17] Zee: I mean, Merida is known for so many beautiful things, but I was at every square and every playground in Merida. My kids just like to chase pigeons in the squares and like, okay, you know, sometimes that’s what it is.

[00:50:33] David: Yes, definitely. I’m sure all of us traveling families have photos or videos of our kids chasing the pigeons.

[00:50:43] Zee: In beautiful places with great restaurants, and you’re like sitting on a little chair watching them chase pigeons, hoping they don’t catch one.

[00:50:52] David: a gorgeous statue in the background and the kid only cares about the little pigeons,

[00:50:57] Zee: Right, right, right, right, right, right, so you know, it’s it should be fun, and keep it fun, and keep it, and keep assessing, like what your family needs.

[00:51:09] David: Definitely, definitely. Well, thank you, Z, for being with us today. It was awesome talking to you.

[00:51:16] Zee: It’s nice talking to you too.

[00:51:19] David: And to everybody out there, thank you for tuning into the Our Offbeat Life podcast show, where we bring you the most inspirational, transformative stories of family life on the road. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast to be the first to hear about the new episodes. Check out the YouTube so you can see some of our amazing interviews.

[00:51:40] David: And,really check out all the social media channels to stay up to date with the latest things happening with our offbeat life tips, trends, new inspirational folks like Z here until next time, remember the world is an extraordinary place filled with fascinating cultures. Breathtaking landscapes and unforgettable adventures just waiting for you and your family to discover. Well, thank you again, Z. Any final thoughts from you?

[00:52:11] Zee: Nope, just keep it fun.

[00:52:14] David: Keep it fun. Thank you, everybody. Bye!

[00:52:18] Zee: Bye!