Steph and I have always loved to travel. Before kids we travelled when we could between work. We run a busy dental practice in Victoria BC. Now we’re a busy professional family with 3 young boys. We still travel but nothing as adventurous as BK (before kids) until now!
People have asked where was the inspiration to do something like this – and the inspiration came from many sources. The primary instigator for me was watching my mom die within 30 days of a lung cancer diagnosis, after being within months of realizing her dream of being a full time western horse riding coach at the ripe age of 54. If one positive thing can come from such a negative life experience, mom’s premature death was a wake up call to me to not put things off for “someday.” Why wait? Why are we all waiting? The following year Steph and I flew to Australia to dive the Great Barrier Reef, and the next year we travelled to New Zealand to tour the north and south islands. Mom’s death was the reason I decided to buy a boat and spend summers creating life memories with my family and its the impetus for getting my pilot’s license among many other things.
Our family is growing up fast. Everyone says the same thing. “Life passes so fast.” “Your boys will be grown up before you know it.” “If you think the first 10 years goes fast, wait til the next 10 years.” We all say it, people just don’t react with impact. I think it’s human nature to stay inside one’s bubble or one’s comfort zone, and not do something new to create stress. But life begins outside the bubble. I’m a strong believer in trying new things, learning new skills, to be curious, ask questions, and to be open.
I’ve had many smaller pushes from patient experiences or stories over the years, and also from various strangers I’ve encountered over the years. Families who went abroad for sabbatical years, or who hiked through Tibet or Nepal, or sailed across the Pacific for 2-3 years. One fella lost his best friend at the age of 52 and decided to sell everything and go sailing around the world because who really knows when your time is up? He wasn’t waiting around to be disappointed to find out.
Our boys are 13, 11, and 8. Its important to to fill our kids lives with adventure and curiosity. But when can you do something like this without messing up their social lives or their schooling? We’ve thought long and hard about it for several years and people who had travelled for extended periods advised us to wait until at least age 7 to go to an African Safari for example. The kids should be able to carry their own backpack, and be able to sit still for awhile (well that never happens unless the magic box is on). Then there’s the ability to remember adventures and memories later in life. 7 should cover the bottom end. What about the top end?
Would it be hard on the kids to remove a child in the middle of high school years? Probably easier before high school starts so a stable foundation of social life, sports, and academics can take place in the formative years. What about wanting to be with friends instead of parents. Our 13 year old is just getting to the point where he wants to go hang with friends, and parents are just “cringy,”. This year will be the ideal time for our family to take time away from our busy professional urban life so kids can remember, carry their own stuff, begin to appreciate, and still not be affected by missing high school level academics.
Steph and I believe our kids lives will be enriched beyond measure for doing this adventurous travel. We believe our kids could learn more in this year than 3+ years in school, and we are grateful to be able to spend quality time directly with them before it’s too late. Life as a busy professional can certainly limit personal time with family.
We look forward to one on one time with the kids this year, uninterrupted by life’s day to day tasks and stresses.
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the one she you did do. So throw off the bow lines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails.” – Mark Twain