Kristin Spencer and her husband are on a mission, one dictated by a ‘higher power’. Wherever they go – so go the ‘sprouts’ (aka their 2 young children). In fact, they are missionaries who’s serves having them traveling the world and it’s a family endeavor. Enjoy the entries of their adventures and the tips on how to make to make it all work.

© Gretchen for TravelBlogs, 2011. | Sprouts en Route | One comment |
Post categories: Blogs
Post tags: cultural experiences, Europe, family travel, living abroad, Missionary work, parenting, tips and tricks, travel with kids

Geri and her husband consider themselves vagabonds who are traveling around the world on a shoestring budget. Oh, let’s not forget – with their three young children right there with them. The website is a mix of home life and travel experiences rolled into one big package with little peanut butter fingerprints all over the outside.

© Gretchen for TravelBlogs, 2011. | Snaps & Blabs | One comment |
Post categories: Blogs
Post tags: Asia, budget travel, cultural experiences, family travel, photography, Round the world, saving money, travel with kids

‘Turning kids into travelers, one experience at a time.’ is a great lead-in for Anne Patrone’s site. Finding Frommer’s 500 Places to Take Your Kids Before They Grow Up (first edition) on a bookstore shelf set the wheels in motion and the explorations began in earnest. She and her husband, destination lists in hand, are now checking them off as they expand their children’s travel horizons.

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Post categories: Blogs
Post tags: Canada, family travel, Hawaii, Mexico, road trip, travel with kids, United States

Big snowball 3 by Karen Huang-Windhager

The Road of Life: Interviews with Lainie & Miro – Part One ended with a discussion about their favorite places (so far) and how they go about choosing their next destination.

Part Two delves into their expectations of each other, their commitment to activism, creative endeavors and snowballs – the white frozen rain kind. Again, there are Miro’s remaining “Bonus Questions”. He even comments to something about his Mother’s quirky remarks… Enjoy the read!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Miro: Thus far your travels have been to relatively warm countries. Are you looking forward to seeing cold and snow? (More than that found in the mountains of California, that is.)

Yeah. Can’t wait to hit my mom with a snowball!

Yeah. Can’t wait to hit my mom with a snowball!

Lainie: Same question – cold and snow?

I’m not so much a cold weather kind of person, but Miro wants to hit me with a snowball, so…. gotta do it!

Miro: All parents can be a little difficult at times – have there been occasions when you really had to motivate your mom to do something you thought was important?

Everything I think she needs to do is not important. So ,to answer that question, “no”. Things I’d like for her to do are: 1.) Play monopoly with me, because she always refuses. 2.) Play video games (RPG’s) with me. 3.) Stop cheating at fooseball.

Lainie: All children can be a little difficult at times – have there been occasions when you really had to motivate Miro to do something you thought was important?

I know that’s a revolutionary thing for parent to say, but I have so much respect for this human being called my “son”.

We have had our moments, but my greatest teacher has always been Miro since the moment he came into my life. He is an extraordinary human being, and all those that have met him, will tell you so. I do not know of other children so much, I know of this child, and even though I have been blessed with the honor of being his guardian and protector during his childhood, he is my equal. I know that’s a revolutionary thing for parent to say, but I have so much respect for this human being called my “son”.

Those that have known us before our travels often commented on the extraordinary bond we seem to have and it’s true. We have spent almost every single day of the last year and a half together and the strategy we use is complete transparency on every level. We talk about our feelings, frustrations, fears and joys. We also make sure we laugh a lot and have a lot of fun. This is the biggest gift a parent could have, cherishing the moments we have together, because I know sometime soon, he’ll be out in the world on his own, as an adult. For now, the greatest joy in all of this, is the knowing that Miro experiences the world as a safe place and that is my gift to him.

Human Rights Courtesy of Miro & Lainie

Miro: As the two of you have traveled, you’ve been activists on both the environmental and human rights levels. What have you gained from these involvements?

I see the world for what it is. I don’t like to see people or animals suffering and I know I can do things to help out and when I can, I do. I don’t like watching the news because I recognize all they show is negative stuff which is usually highlighting people suffering and that doesn’t make me feel good.

Lainie: Same question. (Activism, environmentalism and human rights.)

I have always been moved to act on the issues of peace, human rights, equality, and the environment. (My parents were hippies, after all.) Therefore, these passions have become a natural part of my parenting. Teaching Miro to be active and use his voice for the things he believes in, teaches accountability as well as compassion . I have seen Miro develop into a compassionate person who is ripe with empathy for other people and their “life situations”, and for that, I could not be more proud.

Miro: I hear you’re learning to play guitar – any favorite style of music so far? (Permission to be Creative article reference.)

Our friend, Julia, was visiting Guatemala, who had the guitar. She gave me a few lessons, but when she left, the guitar went with her. That’s ok, it was really a lot of work and my fingers hurt after my lesson. I do other creative things though, like draw, write stories, design virtual worlds and stories for RPGs (role playing games).

Lainie Sketches Courtesy of Miro & Lainie

Lainie: How is the artwork coming along? (Permission to be Creative article reference.)

I wish it was so romantic or mysterious or technologically smart. Our locations are determined by a few simple things – where we physically are at the point of the decision, how much money we have, and if I have work.

My artwork has been put on the back burner, once again.. for a little while at least. I work large, and with messy, messy charcoals, which is difficult while we are traveling. I am toting around a sketch book with me though, and have doodled on a few occasions since Guatemala. On a totally unrelated subject, I learned how to surf, tried for the first time at 44!

Bonus Q&As from Miro:

Bonus 5. What place are you really dying to see?

I would LOVE to see Japan. I just can’t wait to see the culture!

Bonus 6. How do you feel about not knowing where you’ll be next? Does that ever bother you?

Not really. Unless we heard about frightening things happening in that country, then I get a little nervous.

Bonus 7. What is the best part about traveling with your mom?

I would say the best part about traveling with my mom would is hearing her quirky remarks and how we interact together.

Bonus 8. How do you and your mom make decisions about where you are going and how long you will stay in a place?

We don’t, we just play it by ear.

Bonus 9. What have you learned about the world so far that you didn’t know before you left on your trip?

I have learned that the world is such a vast place. I have also learned a little Spanish and Central American geography.

© Gretchen for TravelBlogs, 2010. | The Road of Life: Interviews with Lainie & Miro – Part Two | No comment |
Post categories: Interviews
Post tags: activism, Central America, cultural experiences, family travel, Perpetual Travel, travel with kids, Un-schooling, United States, volunteering, working on the road

DIMES Courtesy of Imagery of the Imagination

I have always liked the idea of a working holiday. Especially if it’s a paid (working) holiday and I’m not the one “flitting (most if any) of the bill”. Okay, maybe not so keen on the working part, but it comes with the territory. If you want to visit other countries – such as the United Kingdom, Israel, Bhutan, Turkey and Kenya – then the working holiday idea just may be your ticket to exotic locations. Professor Michael Schneider has done just that for several years and has authored his most recent book, sharing his secrets, upsides and pitfalls. Yup, there have been those too.

Guitar Rainbow by Rob Wood

About the Author:

Michael Schneider, Ph.D. spent 33 years in the teaching profession. (He retired in 2007.) He has taught at both the University of Minnesota and Malcalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. He has also taught in several locations around the world on “the other guy’s dime”. He holds a Visiting Professorship at New York City’s Columbia College and continues to travel world. Michael has now taken up learning the Japanese language, playing guitar and a few other “fanciful” endeavors. (Retirement does have it’s perks!)

The Review:

I received this book prior to publication. It would be unfair to say I read it thoroughly at that time. I’m afraid “life” got in the way, as did finishing a few back-burner items. But, I have now finished Michael’s book and found it innovative, imaginative and down-to-earth.

On The Other Guy’s Dime: A Professional’s Guide To Traveling Without Paying has Michael sharing his experiences in being able secure “timed” teaching positions and still allow for family travel. Having children has not always been made things easy either, but they have almost always found solutions to those hiccups. Some assignments have worked, others have not. Regardless, Michael covers all of those issues in his writings.

If you own a home or even rent, the information in this book explains what it takes to find the right caretakers during your “working vacation”. It also covers this other little things such as expenses, paying bills, child education and what to do when a family member is bored. First up – throw an American-style Fourth of July BBQ!!

Whether you are a teacher or engaged in any other profession, the information in this book will help you decide if you can qualify for a paid working vacation. It takes a bit of work, but it is not an impossible task. Follow your dream.

Buy now: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders or Itasca Books

Editor’s notes: This article contains affiliate links. The book was also received compliments of the author for review.

© Gretchen for TravelBlogs, 2010. | On the Other Guy’s Dime: A Professional’s Guide to Travel Without Paying – Book Review | One comment |
Post categories: Book Reviews
Post tags: Africa, Asia, cultural experiences, Europe, family travel, living abroad, saving money, Teaching Abroad, United States

Burning Man 2008 – night times by Rachel Smith

Being on the ‘Road of Life’ does keep people in a somewhat constant state of flux. There is bad (or non-existent) internet, dead computers, travel time and a host of other issues. I must confess, it also took me a bit of time to compose questions that weren’t in the “So, whatcha up to?” style too. But, between the revolving “I’m sorry.” “No, I’m sorry” e-mails we finally came together on this interview. Actually, it will be posted in two parts as ‘bonus’ Q&As were offered up by Miro and worthy of inclusion. (They will be split into two parts also.)

So, without further ado, let’s see what Miro and Lainie have to say about their adventures in part one!!

Miro: How do you see the difference, if there is one, between a classroom setting with other students taught by many teachers versus the non-classroom setting taught by a few, or just one?

I think regular school sucks, frankly.

I think regular school sucks, frankly. It’s boring and most of the time, too easy. Now, I learn by researching online, watching videos, reading books and talking to others. Learning this way is more fun. I really don’t have a classroom setting now, learning on the road of life is what it’s about.

Lainie: How has the basic education process for Miro, i.e. reading, writing, arithmetic, changed or not changed your thoughts on a formal “classroom setting” for children?

Panama City by Shea Stone

I have always known that every child has their own learning style, and Miro is no exception. He’s brilliant, has a quick mind and stays engaged when he’s interested. He absorbs quickly and in regular classroom settings, the challenge is to keep him engaged. When he was in traditional school in the states, he would finish his school work in class then read a book, or write a story or draw, because he had time to kill. The teachers got wise to this and put him in charge of tutoring the other children in his class. However, he’d often return from school with complaining that he wasn’t learning anything in school and it was a waste of time. As we’ve been traveling, we’ve adapted the approach of “un-schooling”. Rather, I let Miro choose what interests him, from reading, to video games, research, writing and drawing. It’s self-guided, so he’s engaged in whatever he does. The only topic he does not naturally gravitate to is arithmetic, even though he was great at it school. So be it. If at some point he chooses to go to college, he will have to prep himself in the topics required in order to test into whatever system he’s applying for. He’s smart enough to catch up in any topic, since the American school system is about taking and passing tests and necessarily learning, I have no doubts he’ll be able to do just fine.

How has this process changed my thoughts about traditional classroom settings? It’s not for everyone, nor is our lifestyle for that matter.

Miro: Tell me about the Burning Man Festival! What was your favorite part of the experience?

Burning Man was awesome! Everyone referred to me as “Provolone” or “Cheddar”. Why? For I am “Lord of the Cheese”.

Burning Man was awesome! Even though we didn’t go this year, my mom promised me we’ll go next. My favorite part was the giant slide on the playa and the people at kidsville. Everyone came up with a playa name. Everyone referred to me as “Provolone” or “Cheddar”. Why? For I am “Lord of the Cheese”.

Lainie: The experience of many peoples in many cultures is a valuable teaching tool for a growing mind. How has this helped you in raising Miro?

I have always raised Miro with cultural, political, and spiritual sensitivity…. or at least I like to think I have. I have taught him compassion for people and animals. Our travels has allowed him to exercise that compassion, and those opportunities have helped me give to my son, the one thing I dreamt of giving him when he was born, a kinder and gentler world.

Miro: Your mom and you have been podcasting and blogging a lot in the last year. How do the two of you distribute the “work load” for both of these projects? (And, do you have a title like “Grand Podcaster” or “Miro the Magnificent Good At Card Tricks Too”?)

Um, (laughs a little)… my mom really does most of the work. Now, she threatens to make me start writing my own blog column, so I guess that is coming up soon. I do help her by proofing her articles and of course do the podcasts. Don’t forget though, I’m a vital part of this story!

*Editors Note: Miro has begun writing his own blog at Miro Unedited.

Lainie: Silly question, but… You’ve been traveling for over a year now – how have the REI hiking boots held up? (Inquiring hiking minds want to know!)

Both of our hiking boots have held up fine! Our backpacks have too for that matter. Some of the other valuable REI purchases we’ve not been able to live without include our travel towels, our sleeping bags and our Steripen water purifier.

Miro: Do you have a favorite place you’ve visited? If so, where and why?

Guatemala. Everything was so chill-ax. We had a great community of friends. The only bad part is, my mom made me go to school there and I had to wake up at 6:00 to catch the shuttle.

Lainie: It’s a great big world out there, how do you decide where to go next – throw a dart, GPS, use old pirate maps?

Pirate Map Courtesy of Enchanted Images Art

I wish it was so romantic or mysterious or technologically smart. Our locations are determined by a few simple things – where we physically are at the point of decision, how much money we have, and if I have work.

To the first point, we are slow traveling and traveling over land, as much as possible. We are trying to travel as light as possible, with both our carbon footprint, our ownership of stuff and our overall consumption. Our “next” location is usually determined by our last location and so on. However after we complete our travels in South America, we will either need to take a boat to Africa or fly somewhere, but we never know until we know…

…we know our podcasts have been inspiring people to live their own inspiration and let go of the fear preventing many women and single mothers living their life to the fullest.

To the second point, money determines our travels as well. We have exhausted our savings after one year of traveling and to continue to live, not just travel, work is required. I work where I can, sometimes remotely for freelance clients in the United States (my former career as a marketer, brander and designer). Other times I take on small jobs locally. We have been totally penniless on the road twice, but alas, the universe always takes care of us. In both cases, I had either received payment from client who had not paid for months or signed on a new project in just the nick of time. I know it sounds risky and a lot of people are not comfortable living without security, (especially in a foreign country) but frankly, if we were back in the states, the stakes would be a lot higher with today’s economy and we would not be having the adventure we are having. Today, Miro and I try to live on a combined budget of $1,000 a month and without receiving child support of any kind, I simply need to make it work and always seem to be able to. Without fail, we always end up having exactly what we need and have no doubts we will continue to.

Along the same lines, we are actively trying to attract the right sponsors to RaisingMiro.com as a way to support our continued journey. From the feedback we receive on a daily basis, we know our podcasts have been inspiring people to live their own inspiration and let go of the fear preventing many women and single mothers living their life to the fullest. That is one of the greatest achievements thus far.

Thank You Monsters by Miro

Bonus Q&As from Miro:

Bonus 1. When you are not traveling, what do you do most of your time?

I am usually playing video games, researching on the internet, or sleeping…

Bonus 2. Which do you prefer? Traveling or staying in one place for a period of time?

I like both actually, although I would prefer traveling.

Bonus 3. What is the hardest thing about your lifestyle?

Probably getting up from bed!

Bonus 4. On your web site, it says you and your mom will be traveling until you are 18. That seems like an awfully long time. Do you ever get tired of traveling?

I haven’t gotten tired of it yet, but I think it may happen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You can follow Lainie and Miro at Raising Miro on the Road of Life. Also, don’t forget there will be a part two of this interview to be published soon.

© Gretchen for TravelBlogs, 2010. | The Road of Life: Interviews with Lainie & Miro – Part One | No comment |
Post categories: Interviews
Post tags: activism, Central America, cultural experiences, family travel, Perpetual Travel, travel with kids, Un-schooling, United States, volunteering, working on the road

Traci Suppa and her family may live in a ‘small’ town (no Starbucks coffee shop) but that does not stop them from thinking BIG. BIG as in road trips and the attractions found off those all-too-often-traveled beaten paths. Have you been to the “World’s Largest Dairy Store” or seen the “World’s Second Largest Garden Gnome”? Traci’s family has and there are more BIG things in their road-trippin’ future.

© Gretchen for TravelBlogs, 2010. | Go Big or Go Home | No comment |
Post categories: Blogs
Post tags: Canada, cultural experiences, family travel, North America, road trip, roadside Attractions, travel with kids, United States

Any website which includes a section on free toilets in Europe is worth it’s weight in gold – especially if you are traveling with children. Having been taken to Europe at age 3 by her mother, Sonja Key chose to follow suit. Though, she waited until her children were 6 and 9 years of age. Her blog is designed to help families find the fun, unusual and kid-friendly destinations, including those ever necessary free toilets.

© Gretchen for TravelBlogs, 2010. | To Europe With Kids | One comment |
Post categories: Blogs
Post tags: cultural experiences, Europe, family travel, travel with kids

It’s been a year since Lainie and her son, Miro (then age 10), began their quest to live more simply on the road of life. Career burn-out, long hours, a failing economy and dwindling mother-son time aided in the decision to embark on this journey. Their website is a combination of blogs and podcasts that are truly inspirational.

© Gretchen for TravelBlogs, 2010. | Raising Miro on the Road of Life | One comment |
Post categories: Blogs
Post tags: activism, Central America, cultural experiences, expat life, family travel, long-term travel, parenting, South America, travel with kids

Taking a junk around Halong Bay, Vietnam.

Recently, I conducted interviews with Theodora Sutcliffe (Travels with a Nine Year Old) and her 9-year old son, Zac (The 9-year-old strikes back). Though Mom calls him Z, I asked his preference – it’s Zac. (Guess Moms get to call you by whatever name they choose. Comes with being a Mom.) Each was given a similar set of questions to answer. I hope you enjoy their replies.

Zac: In the blog (Travels with a Nine Year Old), your Mom has written: “…since he was small we’ve talked about taking a year out to travel the world when he is nine. Now we’re finally doing it.” Why did the two of you choose age nine for this journey?

Well, for starters, it was a 24-karat golden opportunity since Mum had the time.

Well, for starters, it was a 24-karat golden opportunity since Mum had the time. We always talked about it. We first started debating on it when I was seven. However, I didn’t want to do it then. I felt like I wasn’t ready to spend a year travelling round the world. So Mom said, “Alright then, maybe when you’re nine.”

A brand new backpack!

Theodora: From a mother’s perspective, why was this odyssey important at this time in Z’s life?

I think as a parent considering long-term travel with a child, or children, you are caught between two stools. You want them to be old enough to remember it and participate in it, and I certainly wanted Z to be able to actively participate in activities such as diving and trekking. So that gives you a minimum age. And I think for a teenager, or a child approaching that age, intense travel as a family might be absolute hell. At that age you really want to be finding your own space, forming your own relationships, and shaping yourself as a person removed from your family. So there’s a maximum. More immediately, the time was right in my life in January 2010. And he personally felt ready to do it, which he didn’t a couple of years ago.

Zac: If I’ve paid attention correctly, you’ve been traveling since mid-January (2010). Have you felt homesick for anything or just enjoying the adventure?

Indeed I have been feeling homesick at times. Most of the time it comes up when I’m bored or something just gets me thinking about home. I haven’t been bored that many times. But when Mom took a dive course and left me out of it I was a bit bored. I feel homesick for my best friend, Fred, and for England, because I do miss being back in England for some awkward reason, which I don’t even know.

Theodora: You write very lovingly about traveling with Z and the assorted adventures, mishaps, and such. Has anything been a true test of patience yet?

LOL! I’m surprised you didn’t ask him this!

In terms of travel per se there has been no unpleasantness which hasn’t been counter-balanced by the benefits, or actually quite funny at the time. Neither of us has been significantly ill. We haven’t been robbed. We haven’t been stranded anywhere hideous. So I’ve never had the “OMG what am I doing? I want to go hoooome!” moment, and nor, I think, has he.

The exchange that is seared into my memory is me saying, “Look. What exactly is your problem here?!” He took a deep breath and said, “The problem, Mom, is YOU,” and launched into a recital of everything I had done wrong EVER. Going back about five years…

We’ve also always got on very well. Since Z was a baby, he’s had a very chilled, calm temperament, a high pain threshold and low requirements for sleep. He’s always traveled well, been very articulate and found it easy to talk about his feelings. So as a travel companion, I knew it was going to work.

However…. We had a real humdinger of a row in Luang Prabang, Laos, which has been sitting in my drafts file for a while. I was trying to get him to write some postcards. When he wants to, he can be absolutely stubborn as a mule. He’ll change the subject, stonewall, ignore, ignore, ignore, ignore… He said writing postcards made him homesick. I said he was making up excuses because he didn’t like handwriting. We ended up sitting on a wall by the Mekong bickering, with passers-by looking pityingly at him and disapprovingly at me. The exchange that is seared into my memory is me saying, “Look. What exactly is your problem here?!” He took a deep breath and said, “The problem, Mom, is YOU,” and launched into a recital of everything I had done wrong EVER. Going back about five years…

Zac: I can’t help but ask – how is the “home schooling” coming along? (I read you were writing stories now. Bravo!) Is it easier or harder than sitting in a classroom?

Well… It’s harder than sitting in a classroom but it’s a hell of a lot more fun! You see, sitting in a classroom, you just have to sit down, do your learning and for me sometimes watch the clock awaiting a science lesson, an art lesson or any lesson you prefer over the one you’re currently doing. However, when you’re home schooling, you’ve got to seek cover from loud music, find a desk, a chair and a decent place where you can easily concentrate on whatever you’re doing.

Unschooling artwork: a scene from Artemis Fowl.

In normal school the lessons have a set order, a completely set order. The compass has motionless points. In home schooling you get to choose what you want to do and the order in which you do them. In unschooling you get to run your finger across pebbledash instead of being told how it feels. You get to take apart a phone and see how it works instead of being told about the mechanics of a Nokia.

You probably wouldn’t get a short lesson about gunboats and just go snorkeling to look at one when you’re at an average school! Plus, Mom downloaded some particle physics for me and I’ve hatched a new theory about the universe, that it’s just a computer programme designed by big, powerful, super-intelligent aliens.

However, when you’re doing home schooling, it’s just you, whoever’s teaching you and possibly a friend, cousin, brother or sister, and there’s no annoying classmate flicking Blu-tac at you or doing some idiotic stunt like sticking a clothes peg to their eyelash. Believe it or not our class clown Emre has done that.

Theodora: I asked Z for his opinion of the home-schooling thing. I’d like to hear your side as his teacher.

Obviously, world travel is a phenomenal context in which to discover history, RE, geography, the natural world… You learn things by exploring Angkor Wat, walking the Ho Chi Minh Trail, meeting Khmer Rouge survivors, snorkeling a World War II gunboat or diving a coral reef that would take aeons to learn in a classroom. I think the permutation of home-schooling we’re now trying works extremely well. We’re using a version of unschooling (I wrote about it here: Unschooling Rocks!), which means you allow children to learn what and when they want, rather than working with syllabuses and schedules.

No, Please, Not Maths Again.

Z was a year or two ahead of the grade point average when we left the UK, so I can afford to be relaxed and experimental. He used to hate writing. He is now creating blog posts and chapter books, writing stories, planning stories, and doing a lot of art work to go with them. He reads well and is now discovering Dickens, which is brilliant.

But there are challenges. He’s quite technically minded and scientific. I did a single science subject to sixteen, twenty years ago. So responding to his learning desires involves a lot of learning on my side. He wants to do animating, and has played around with his Dad’s Flash animation software. So we’re getting a copy of that, which means I’ll have to learn with him on it. He has been talking about the Theory of Relativity a lot, and his objections to the Big Bang theory, and we’ve been learning about particle physics because he wanted to know what a positron was and how the Large Hadron Collider worked. We’ve been lucky enough to meet a lot of scientists as we travel, so that’s really helped.

Recently, he sat through my Open Water dive course and absorbed a lot of stuff about gases and pressures and percentages and decimals and fractions. So he learnt a lot there, too. Now he’s plotting the anatomy of a dragon and has been asking about the properties of gases so he can work out how their insides operate, the relationship between inertness and toxicity, and so on. So, I guess that’s my next challenge.

He’s also been teaching himself some French off Google Translate, coming out with random phrases from time to time. I’m trying to build on that when it comes up.

He is really into art, which presents another challenge. I can’t really draw, fold or sculpt, and, while you can do amazing things with found materials, like seashells, as we’re backpacking, it’s pretty much pencil, pen, crayon and paper.

Physically, it’s amazing how fluent he is compared to when we left. He was clowning around on a diveboat and someone said, “Well, he’ll either be a sailor or a particle physicist…” And I like learning myself, which is good. The downside is the amount I’m having to learn. Because I could walk the fourth and fifth grade syllabus’, and go a lot higher in the arts… But particle physics? On a beach?!

Zac: Of the places you’ve visited so far, do you have a favorite? If so, why?

Yes, I do have a favorite. Finland! I prefer skiing down a mountain to tropical cities. It helps that I’m capable of overheating before you could wave a ten-gallon hat and shout Yeehaw! Metaphorically speaking, of course.

Of course, if you’re talking about all the places on our holiday, so far my favourite would have to be the Philippines. As well as having Manila, which is a very nice city, there is the island of Marinduque, which boasts some hot springs, which have been converted into swimming pools and it also boasts a tamarind orchard. In the tamarind orchard you can find sweet tamarind trees, sour tamarind trees and one ridiculously sour tamarind tree. There is also a very nice hotel in Puerto Princesa City, which has its own kitchen, free room wifi, a little snackshop and hugely cheap fan rooms with well-maintained shared bathrooms. And of course there is the island-hopping and last of all some very good dive resorts.

Zac: Of the places you will be visiting, is there one you want to see the most? Again, if so, why?

…my cousins Eliza and Monique have their own pet chicken, which once laid a blue egg! We have also kept an egg secret in the hope that it will be brooded for long enough to hatch. Perhaps now it has hatched!

Australia! You see, I have cousins, grandparents and the like all living happily in Australia. I even have an uncle there. What’s more, my dad is Australian, which is why he’s coming out to meet us there. Also I am looking forward to Halloween, Christmas and my birthday, which are all conveniently close together, also my cousins Eliza and Monique have their own pet chicken, which once laid a blue egg! We have also kept an egg secret in the hope that it will be brooded for long enough to hatch. Perhaps now it has hatched!

Zac: What have you learned from this trip so far (life lessons, new feelings, discovering new things, eating bugs, etc.)?

Well, for starters, I have learnt divers’ sign language and emergency diving procedures. I have also learnt that due to the recent modernization televisions have become all the rage and now even the Lao minority tribes have them. In some countries, mainly Buddhist countries, it is considered hugely rude to put your foot up at someone.

I have learned that even if it freaks you out sometimes you can eat it because, as you asked, yes, I have eaten bugs, fried crickets, to be precise, and the other night I ate a delectable dish called sisig which consists of sizzling pig cheeks, ears and – yes, I know it’s kind of disgusting but it does taste nice – pig brains! You see, Asian cuisine has a 60 km difference between European or American cuisine.

Not the Most Drinkable…

The problem is that almost everywhere you go you cannot escape from commercial foods and global stereotypes. You see, we went to an island, which had a tribal village in it. These people lived very simply. Their diet consisted mainly of coconut, papaya and clams, and – would you believe it? Packet foods. I even found a sachet of Sunsilk conditioner! True story.

I have had some new feelings. One of the new feelings is the feeling where you feel like you’re a complete idiot. I first discovered this feeling when we were in a posh hotel in Thailand where each hotel room had a combination safe, four digit, and I cheekily locked my mom’s cigarettes in it.;-) I then attempted to write down the combination, realized I didn’t have a pen and started looking for one. While I was looking for one, however, I completely forgot the code!

The number one stereotype I hate is the stereotype that if you’re a kid your favourite sweet flavour is strawberry. Complete tripe. (Speaking of tripe, did you know tripe is Britain’s most hated food in the modern era?) Actually, I prefer sucking the juice out of lemons to eating that trash they call strawberry flavoured sweets.

Theodora: I also asked Z what he has learned from the trip so far. To date, what have you learned? Anything unexpected?

First and foremost, mooching… The joys of just wandering around, appreciating somewhere, sitting on the dock of the bay, and so on… It’s not something I’ve been good at historically, and I’ve learnt that through travel and my son. That’s a big discovery for me.

A close second? The wonders of diving. I don’t think I have a particular talent for it, but I do love it, and I’m contemplating qualifying as a scuba instructor.

Thirdly. How great are people?! I’ve never really doubted that the vast majority of people are good and kind. But our experiences on this trip, running from megalopolises to tribal villages and tiny islands, have really reinforced my belief in human nature.

Theodora: Now that you are 4+ months into this adventure, what advice do you have for parents (single or not) considering a similar travel experience?

Zac does not approve of his mother’s taste in shorts.

1: First and foremost: go for it. You will regret it if you don’t, because your kids are only children once.
2: When things go wrong, which they will, see the funny side.
3: Try not to fly too much. You get a lot more sense of a place by travelling slowly than you do by whizzing between airports. Plus it’s kinder to the environment.
4: Don’t over-schedule. If you’re planning an itinerary, leave plenty of days spare in it for just hanging out, enjoying stuff, staying a few extra days somewhere nice, going somewhere you’d never have heard of, etc. Adding a week to each month you plot off a map is a good rule of thumb.
5: Teach your kids to manage risk and strategies for dealing with environmental dangers.
6: Plan by the seasons but don’t plan exclusively for dry. Wet and cold can be interesting too.
7: Get decent backpacks for your kids. They are few and far between in the West and impossible to source in Asia.
8: Take more than one laptop to avoid turf wars. And stash movies on the children’s.
9: Sarongs are a godsend. They’re beach towels, bath towels, cover-ups, sheets, kiddie sleeping bags, and they weigh nothing and take up no space.
10: Zip-off trousers are two outfits for the weight of one.

Theodora: What is one thing you left at home (purposefully or by mistake) that you could really, really use right now?

Hmmmm… I am kicking myself for not buying, bringing and using a bona fide Drybag: they’re great as beach bags, too. I lost a camera to damp on the Mekong, plus two snorkel sets and a pair of Raybans off Koh Chang. Which means I am also missing the other pair of shades I didn’t bring!

Other than that? I would like to have family photos and old photos on my laptop now. Most of them are print, but I’m annoyed not to have transferred the digital ones. But, to be honest, in cities like Manila, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, you can buy almost everything. I’m currently looking for a really robust camera. I’ve been through two in four months and just want something impossible to kill that’s good for scuba too.

Zac & Theodora: Can I check in with you again in a few months to see how it’s going?

Yes! (Zac)
I look forward to it! (Theodora)

You can follow Theodora and Zac at Travels with a Nine Year Old.

You can also follow Zac’s own blog at The 9-year-old strikes back.

Editor’s notes: All photographs courtesy of Theodora and Zac.

© Gretchen for TravelBlogs, 2010. | Un-Schooling And Other Neat Stuff: An Interview With Theodora and Zac | One comment |
Post categories: Interviews
Post tags: cultural experiences, family travel, long-term travel, parenting, Round the world, travel with kids