Logan Horsford’s blog does come with accept or reject buttons (seriously). Click accept because it’s well worth the effort. Once there, you will find an unabashed, in-your-face, these are my experiences tale of his travels. As Logan responded to me at a certain point, “it’s unconventional but I think that could be part of the reason people read it”. I agree completely.

© Gretchen for TravelBlogs, 2011. | Logan’s Voyage | One comment |
Post categories: Blogs
Post tags: cultural experiences, Europe, Perpetual Travel, solo travel

This particular ‘candy trail’ is the invention of Michael Robert Powell. He may not hand out sweets as we know them, but between his travel tales and electric artwork, his site fits the title he has chosen. Michael cuts through the proverbial bullshit of travel and the nomadic lifestyle. Please realize you have been warned – but you will also enjoy.

© Gretchen for TravelBlogs, 2011. | the candy trail… | No comment |
Post categories: Blogs
Post tags: adventure travel, cultural experiences, expat life, long-term travel, Perpetual Travel, photography, Round the world, solo travel, Travel artisan

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

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

Jack and the City Lights is a unique combination of personal explorations, learning experiences and story-telling. Armed only with his wits and his trusty bicycle, Jack is pedaling his way through uncharted territory, both personally and globally. To quote The Grateful Dead: “…what a long, strange trip it’s been.” A trip in which Jack can take great pride.

© Gretchen for TravelBlogs, 2010. | jackandthecitylights | One comment |
Post categories: Blogs
Post tags: activism, Alternative travel, cultural experiences, living on the road, Perpetual Travel, solo travel

Charco Verde Lagoon, Photo by Marlis Seelos

EDITOR’S NOTE: On February 1, 2011, “Nomadic Matt’s Secrets to Successful World Travel” e-book was discontinued and no longer available for purchase. It has been replaced with a new release: How to Travel the World on $50 a Day” and can be purchased here.

Every second of every day, one of us makes a decision to spread our proverbial wings and travel. Usually a fair number of questions accompany that decision. Whether one is a seasoned traveler or a first-timer, sorting out the many details can be a daunting task.

Whether one is a seasoned traveler or a first-timer, sorting out the many details can be a daunting task.

Venturing out into unknown territory can throw up several roadblocks when we aren’t sure where to find the information we want and/or need. Enter Nomadic Matt and his latest e-book: Nomadic Matt’s World Travel Tips. Weighing in at 140 pages, it may appear to be a hefty read. In reality, it is well worth the time and the $19.99USD purchase price.

About The Author:

Matt has been on the road for over three years while blogging about his travels for two (and counting). His blog earns enough to keep him in perpetual motion. His first e-book, How to Monetize Your Blog, has also aided in keeping Matt on the move. Now he’s back with his newest release.

The Review:

Nomadic Matt’s World Travel Tips is divided into four chapters: Pre-Trip Planning, On the Road, Coming Home and Frequently Asked Questions. Each section is packed full of useful information and links to important websites. Matt has included commentary on his own travel experiences, which makes this book a very cohesive piece of work. He has addressed issues from packing lists to regional daily costs to banking to airline reservations.

Throw in the unexpected things of motivation, travel behavior and the “readjustment blues” and very few questions will be left unanswered.

Throw in the unexpected things of motivation, travel behavior and the “readjustment blues” and very few questions will be left unanswered. I think I only came up with one though can’t remember it now…

This e-book is designed for everyone – not only the “newbie” stepping out of the front door for the first time. Need a recommendation for a backpack, it’s in there. Looking to volunteer, it’s covered. Regardless of your wants/needs – you’re sure to find what you’re looking for somewhere within it’s depths. Oops, almost forgot to mention – the design work is as awesome as the information.

Buy now: Nomadic Matt’s World Travel Tips
Purchase price: $19.99USD

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

© Gretchen for TravelBlogs, 2010. | Nomadic Matt’s Secrets to Successful World Travel (e-book review) | No comment |
Post categories: Book Reviews
Post tags: budget travel, coming home, Perpetual Travel, saving money, tips and tricks, trip preparation, world travel

If you have ever thought about “Abandoning the Cube” (that cubicle which has greedily eaten up most of your waking hours), then this is the blog for you. Though coming from totally different backgrounds, Mike and Lauren have abandoned said cube, come together and offer up a great insight on how to follow in their footsteps.

© Gretchen for TravelBlogs, 2010. | Abandon the Cube | No comment |
Post categories: Blogs
Post tags: Freelance writer, living on the road, Perpetual Travel, photography, volunteering

Once upon a time, Tony and Thomas lead sedentary lives. Thankfully, they “chucked” it all for travel and invite you to join their journeys at Contemporary Nomad. Self-described as a mixture of adventure, travel, culture and opinion – they cover all vividly.

© Gretchen for TravelBlogs, 2010. | Contemporary Nomad | No comment |
Post categories: Blogs
Post tags: Asia, cultural experiences, living on the road, long-term travel, Perpetual Travel, United States

Mountain women transporting goods, Photo by Dave

Recently, I was asked to review 5 Top Places to Travel & Photograph by the author. I was exceptionally pleased with what I saw at first glance. But, with each additional page… Well, keeping reading to find out.

About the Author:

This e-book is the work of Dave from The Longest Way Home. It is his creation and one in which he can take great pride. For the past five years, Dave has been the “guy traveling the world in search of home”. Though he hasn’t found “home” quite yet – he has found some amazing places to visit.

For the past five years, Dave has been the “guy traveling the world in search of home”.

5 Top Places to Travel & Photograph

Special Features:

· All color photographs

· Beautiful full page pullouts

· Designed to be printed out

· Every chapter has a tips page on travel & photography related to that country

· A fully interactive menu for easy navigation

The Review:

I am someone who loves color and B&W photographs equally. I also want things to “pop” off the page at me. The images of this e-book, laid out upon the black background do just that. My eyes were drawn to the content rather than white space. Each photograph also carries a description along with it. Visually, 5 Top Places to Travel & Photograph will stimulate and captivate you with each new page.

One particular aspect I appreciated – the photos a given after the first glance – were the “tip” pages. Not only did they cover photography-related items, but also those for the particular country. As an example: “The Tibet Permit does not cover all of Tibet, so again, research the area you want to travel first!” Each section also has an introduction to the country being featured.

“The Tibet Permit does not cover all of Tibet, so again, research the area you want to travel first!”

This is definitely an e-book for everyone – amateur to professional photographer and those in between who just love traveling.

The Details:

This e-book is available as a free download through The Longest Way Home. Subscribe to the website for the e-book link. The download is ~16.4MB in size.

*Of special note: This e-book is available for A LIMITED TIME ONLY so don’t take too long to check it out.

Editor’s note: This article contains affiliate links.

© Gretchen for TravelBlogs, 2010. | 5 Top Places to Travel & Photograph (e-book review) | One comment |
Post categories: Book Reviews
Post tags: Asia, Perpetual Travel, photography, working on the road

In his 2007 interview, Wade was described as a “modern-day nomad” and “travel was his lifestyle”. Not much has changed since that discussion. He’s still the “modern-day nomad” and “travel is still his lifestyle” but these days… That lifestyle includes a family. Wade met Chaya in 2008. They married and then gave birth to their daughter, Petra, in 2009. If you think parenthood overrides seeing the world – think again!

Wade and Petra

A lot changed in your life last year. You got married. You became a dad. How has this changed your perspective on travel?

Finding myself with wife and child has just strengthened my resolve as a traveler, and that traveling is the best way that I know of to cultivate a family. If I can travel with a family and raise a child on the road it would show that this is a sustainable lifestyle, it is a way of life that can be passed down through generations.

In my experience, the traveling life offers far more to savor, to learn, to figure out, to question, to answer than just about other way of living that I have been exposed to. When traveling, challenges occur daily which force you to use all of the resources at your disposal — this builds character, intelligence, and wisdom. If I had to choose a life for my daughter to lead — if I wanted to prepare her for anything life may toss her way — then I would want to raise her while traveling around the world.

This is what we are doing.

Raising a child while traveling is no longer an ideological rant that I use to have over beers with other travelers, but is something that is now real, raw, in my face, and in my hands.

Raising a child while traveling is no longer an ideological rant that I use to have over beers with other travelers, but is something that is now real, raw, in my face, and in my hands. I am not sure how well this will work further down the road — I do not yet know where to tell you to place your bets — but we have already traveled the USA from end to end as a family and are now in the Dominican Republic. We are living day for day, but if tomorrow is anything like today was, then I am quite sure that we can keep traveling on for at least these first phases of Petra’s development.

Marriage and parenthood aren’t usually considered to be compatible with full-time travel. What are your thoughts on that?

I would have to say that it is my impression that not much in the sedentary frame of existence seems to be compatible with full time travel. Whether you are talking about a career, health insurance, a retirement fund, a home, loans, mortgages, or having a wife and child, if you have the outlook of being secure and sedentary than none of it will mesh very well with traveling. I am just as free to travel now as I ever have been, because I intentionally set my life up in a way that would allow me to live like this.

I did not become a traveler by accident, I chose to live this way and made sure that my parameters were set up to allow for continuous travel. If I was burdened with many of the above stated responsibilities or values, then having a wife and baby would further nail down my tether. But I don’t. I set up a frame of living for myself a long time ago that took traveling to be at its center. Where many people prepare for a career or buying a home, I worked on cultivating skills that would allow me to live a full life moving from one part of the world to another.

Chaya and Petra

Travel is not an escape from my life, but it is my life. Having a wife and child has so far blended itself in well with this frame of living. If any of you read the Vagabond Journey Travelogue you will see that I do not go hungry, I am seldom cold or without shelter, I think I live like a king on $10 a day. But I am only able to do this because I had to sacrifice other ways of living — other value sets — to enable myself to live like this.

There are sacrifices to any lifestyle. There are tons of parameters, drawbacks, and sacrifices in the typical life of a doctor, a lawyer, a truck driver, a construction worker, and the same goes for being a traveler. Petra may not have all of the amenities of life that a doctor’s child would have, or the wholesome security of that of a skilled trades man, but these people’s children will not have the experiences, the thrills, the knowledge, the education, and exposure that Petra will have. Any lifestyle is a trade off: you trade certain values and parameters for others.

Petra has her mom and dad with her almost 24 hours a day, her days are generally relaxed, we are rarely every stressed out. We wake up in the morning, I publish a travelogue entry, and then we go to the beach and swim, meet people, and check things out. How many children can claim to have this?

There is one thing that babies are, and that is curious. There is no better way to satiate and encourage curiosity than traveling. Long term travelers tend to just be big children anyway, so it would be an easy move to induct a real child amongst our ranks.

It is my impression that most people who would like to travel long term — even those without children — find reasons and excuses to stay home. They say that they can’t travel because they have children — and maybe they can’t, what do I know? — but we have a child, we are traveling, for us, traveling full time and having a family is working out well. I think the challenge was found more in initially structuring my life around traveling than with traveling with a child. I traveled for a little over 10 years before I became a father — I had my plot well set — and my daughter, Petra, and wife, Chaya, have fit in nicely with this plot.

How has having a baby changed your travel habits at a practical level?

It is true that we have had to alter our strategies for traveling with a baby. We now travel more slowly, staying in places for a month or two rather than weeks. We had to get use to having a little person telling us what to do all the time. We now need to spend less money, so we rent apartments rather than hotel rooms or hostel bunks. We now need to make more money, so I find myself sometimes working in archaeology again and staying up late into the night trying to squeeze more money out of our website, VagabondJourney.com.

My wife and baby are two more traveling companions, and their desires must be fully taken into account. I found that if I treat my baby with as much respect as I would another adult traveling companion, then everything seems to works out alright. It is difficult adding another adult companion to your group, so the extra parameters that we give to Petra are similar to what we would need to give any traveling companion. The only difference is that Petra’s needs are baby needs. If Petra wants to stop somewhere, we stop; if she is hungry, we make space for her to eat; if she gets sick of walking around, we go back to our room.

It is challenging traveling with a baby, I admit it, but adding another traveling companion — of any age — to your group is challenging no matter what. In my experience, the frustrations of traveling with a baby are nowhere near the frustrations of trying to maneuver through the streets with a group of adult travelers: “Where do you want to eat? I don’t know, where do you want to eat? I can’t eat there, they don’t have a vegetarian option. Well I can’t eat there because I don’t like how they handled the food. That creepy guy is looking at me creepy. I want to go shopping. I need to go to an ATM. How much money is that it in dollars? Where do you want to eat? I don’t know.” ARRRGGH!

At least Petra just cries when she doesn’t like doing something.

What about being married? Has that had a big impact on how you travel?

Yeah, I no longer need to move about the world chasing tail anymore. It is amazing how much energy a person can save by not searching for romance all the time. I can now sit back read a book, grow a great big beard, smoke my pipe, wear aviator sunglasses and funny hats. Marriage is pretty good.

I say this in sort of a tongue in cheek way, but I am serious: it is also good to have a solid companion when traveling. Where I falter I can depend on my wife to pick up the pieces and where she stumbles she can depend on me to clear a path.

Where I falter I can depend on my wife to pick up the pieces and where she stumbles she can depend on me to clear a path.

We now have a baby together and we run the website as a family business, so we are now on the same team in more ways than one. I have no complaints, but, then again, my wife also plays the game of travel very well.

My wife, Chaya, was traveling for five years through Africa, Central and South America, India, and Asia before we paired up, so this is nothing new for her. She had her own plot in place as well before we made Petra — and our lifestyles blended in smoothly together. She also has a university degree in international education, TEFL certificates, and has a sleek, clean, USA sitcom sort of look to her, so she is fully prepared for working on the road and finds jobs easily.

Petra in the Dominican Republic

Where are you, Chaya and Petra planning to travel to this year?

We are in the Dominican Republic right now. The plan is to stay here for the next month and then move on to El Salvador via Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala, and then at some point go to Colombia. I really want to go to East Africa. Maybe I will try to pick up some archaeology fieldwork over that way and maybe Chaya will find work teaching. But if we boot the cost for the flights to East Africa this year, we are going to have to do a lot of work at something to make up for it.

Editor’s notes: Follow Wade, Chaya and Petra on Vagabond Journey. You can also follow their journey through Travels with Petra. All photos courtesy of Wade Shepard.

© Gretchen for TravelBlogs, 2010. | And Baby Makes Three: An Interview with Wade Shepard | 6 comments |
Post categories: Interviews
Post tags: family travel, living on the road, parenting, Perpetual Travel, travel with kids, working on the road