If you would have asked me a year ago, where I saw myself in a year, I would have had no idea. I just knew that I wanted a change. I felt stuck. I wasn’t happy, and I felt like I had no purpose.
Sure, I was a mom and a wife with a great job, but something was missing.
My high-pressure career was sucking the life out of me, and after I got off work, I didn’t have any time or energy for my family. I tried my best, but what ended up happening was that I gave all of myself to other people – job, husband, son – and didn’t give anything to myself. After years in a corporate management position, I was done.
I took a different position at work which allowed me to work remotely. I got a taste of freedom but quickly realized that my son would be starting school shortly after, and we would be tied to our school district. I couldn’t bear the thought of another cold, Ohio winter.
All of a sudden, I had an epiphany! If we homeschooled our son, we could travel wherever we wanted to, whenever we wanted to! We already had a travel camper. Why not!? And so, the vision was born. A new life.
Currently, I am writing this from a balcony in Florida overlooking the water. It is 88 degrees in March and I’m wearing a sundress. Meanwhile, in Ohio, it’s 14 degrees and gray.
So if you’re thinking of travel homeschooling (or roadschooling or worldschooling) your kids, it really can be such an amazing experience! Here’s how travelschooling changed my life.
We Have So Much Freedom
Picture being able to wake up somewhere different every day, not having to be on someone else’s schedule, and doing school work whenever you feel like it. We no longer have to ask for time off from my son’s school when we want to go out of town. We just go and teach him ourselves.
In the last few months, we have traveled 4 times! We don’t travel full-time (YET), so when we need a travel break, we just go back to our home base. It’s so refreshing to be in charge of our own lives.
We Get to Spend Time Together as a Family
We get to spend all day every day together as a family. Some days, we stay inside all day and are lazy. More often, we take educational trips, go hiking, go swimming at the beach, or ride our scooters around town.
It took some adjusting, but I’ve found it to be amazing overall. We get to instill our values in our son full-time.
I Have Stopped Being a Perfectionist
I was the neurotic woman (think Monica on Friends) who had to have a spotless, orderly house 24/7. I finally realized that you can’t have a young child, a clean house, and your sanity. One had to go. I had already lost my sanity, so I decided it had to be the house.
Traveling has removed my tendency to have things perfect. Things will get messy. I won’t be able to find the scissors needed to work on a school lesson. (Travel Storage Totes and Car Seat Organizers help a lot!) We might all be stepping over each other at times. But by changing my expectations to not expect perfection, I have been able to relax and enjoy our new journey.
We Have Learned to Live With Less
We went from a 3000 square foot home, to a 1250 sq foot home, to an 800 square foot condo, to a small travel trailer! Downsizing is something I’ve been wanting to do for years. Traveling as a family has allowed us to do that.
It’s been wonderful to see the change in our family. We don’t need things to make us happy. We have each other and lots of fun experiences!
We Value Memories Over Things
Our focus has shifted to what our next adventure will be like, instead of researching all the newest gadgets and toys. Do you remember more than 5 gifts you received as a child? Me neither, but I remember all my family vacations! I hope the same for our son.
I Have Become Much More Flexible
I used to be really rigid. Because I had so much to do, I needed things to go my way or my anxiety was through the roof. Now, I’m much more flexible. I don’t have everything planned out. And it doesn’t cause me anxiety either. I actually view it as a refreshing change to just go with the flow.
People who know me would have never thought I could change this aspect of who I am. But traveling and having this much freedom has allowed me to become the person I wanted to be.
I Have Time to Do the Things I Love
This is probably the reason I’m so much happier now. I actually have time to do things that bring me joy. I’ve read close to 100 books, which has always been a hobby of mine that I didn’t have time for.
We go hiking, exploring, or swimming almost every day. We went karaoking last week on a random Monday night, because, why not?!
I started this blog and I’m getting to write all the time about traveling and homeschooling.
Most importantly, we have so much time to play with our son!
We Find Educational Opportunities Everywhere
Before we started homeschooling, I just thought of learning as something that happens at school. I was wrong. Learning happens everywhere, not just in a textbook!
Yesterday, we went to a park that had war monuments and an ecological nature preserve. We read about the heroes who died fighting for our country. We read the signs of the wildlife in the nature preserve.
Every day is a chance to learn. Also, did you know that homeschooling only takes 30 minutes to 4 hours daily? Read this to learn more. So even, when we are doing formal lessons, it only takes 45 minutes a few days a week!
I Stopped Having to Rush Around
We used to have to rush around in the mornings to get our son to preschool. Then we had to rush off work to get back to school to pick him up. We had to rush through the evening to get baths, dinner, and anything else, so we could get our son in bed on time, so we could repeat the vicious cycle the next day!
Now, we wake up when we want to, do school when it’s convenient for us, and are much more happy and peaceful people.
I Get to Travel All the Time
I mean, this is a given, but traveling all the time is a dream. No more waiting for the next time off work to take a vacation. We are always on vacation – or at least that’s what it feels like.
I used to think about the few weeks of vacation time I got off from work, and having to plan where we wanted to go the most. We were always left feeling like we weren’t getting to see everything we wanted to see because we didn’t have enough time to go everywhere. Now we can.
I Have Time to Think
Do you ever just long to hear yourself think? Traveling and nature are probably what you’re missing from your life. By taking time to travel and prioritizing time in nature, I feel much more like myself. I know what I want. I am creating the life I love. (I’m so passionate about creating a life I love, that I even got that phrase tattooed on myself!)
My Comfort Zone Expanded
Going to unfamiliar places, meeting new people, and trying new things have always been a little nerve-wracking for me. Now, I thrive on it! I no longer live in my little safe bubble – now I live everywhere!
I Feel Like I’ve Found My Purpose
Homeschooling is where I’ve found my purpose – my calling in life. I wanted to be a teacher originally but decided to go into business instead. Isn’t it funny how God works? Now I get to use my business knowledge to work remotely while teaching my son. I get the best of both worlds!
I Lost Weight
Without trying, I’ve actually lost a little more weight. I attribute it to our much more active lifestyle. I also drink a lot more water now! If only I could kick my Mountain Dew habit…
I Started Living in the Now
I’ve always been the type to prepare for the future. So much so, that I lose out on today’s excitement. No more. We are loving every minute of what we are doing now. Every day is a new adventure.
I Stopped Doing My Hair, Makeup, and Nails
I was the girl getting my nails done every few weeks. My hair used to be fixed every day, and I love (still do) make-up! Now, we are so much more active, that it doesn’t make much sense to do my hair and makeup every day, only to sweat or jump in the ocean. So most of the time, you can find me with my non-styled hair in a messy bun! And it’s amazing.
My Style Changed
Since we are traveling all the time and living a more casual lifestyle, it’s only normal that my style would have changed as well. Now I spend a lot less money on trendy clothes and wear shorts and a t-shirt most days.
I even started getting tattoos – 3 in the last 7 months, because, why not!
My Confidence Went Up
Something about traveling and being in a new setting all the time boosts your confidence. I find myself feeling a lot more confident in my own skin. My son has even grown more confident. He used to be afraid to approach children he didn’t know. Now, he finds a new friend every time we go somewhere!
I Started Taking Care of My Skin
In the past, I didn’t have the time or energy to take care of myself. Since we are in much more sunny locations, I started taking better care of my skin. I finally ordered all the skincare products I had saved in my notes section on my phone a year ago!
For those interested, I’ll list the products below.
| Morning | Night |
| Cleanser | Makeup Melting Balm |
| Vitamin C Serum | Cleanser |
| Eye Cream | Retinol |
| Moisturizer | Hyaluronic Acid |
| Tinted Sunscreen | Eye Cream |
| Moisturizer |
My skin is looking so much better after a few months of starting my new skincare routine. It is no longer dull – it’s bright. My texture and dark under-eye circles are improving. It’s one of the reasons I feel more confident and am able to go without wearing makeup most days!
I Started Living on My Own Schedule
The school doesn’t dictate our schedule now. We do what we want to do when we want to do it. Most people that live traditional lifestyles cannot even fathom what that would be like. I’m here to tell you it’s life-changing. Some days, we do school by exploring. Other days, we work on flashcards, reading, and writing while traveling.
My Mom-Guilt Went Away
Before we started travelschooling, I felt like I was missing out on time with my son. Once he got home from preschool, it was time to start the nightly routine, but I just didn’t have time or energy to devote to him like I wanted to. I constantly felt like I could be doing better, even though I was getting compliments on being a great mom.
Our son is our only child that we went through IVF to have. I don’t want to waste his precious childhood years feeling guilty. I just want to learn and have fun together! And now we are.
I Know Where My Son Stands in Terms of His Education
Since I am our son’s primary educator, I know where he stands in terms of his education. I know which letters we need to practice. I know when he is ready to move to the next topic. When we are out and about and see something we had just been learning about, I can point it out to him.
For example, we were learning about owls recently. On the way to the library a few days later, we spotted a burrowing owl! Then we picked out a library book about owls. Had he been at school with a teacher, I would have never experienced that or known to point it out.
I Spend a Lot Less Time Waiting
When you live a traditional life, you get wrapped up in waiting. Waiting for school to start, for school to end, for the weekend, for an upcoming vacation, for spring break, for Christmas break.
I don’t wait anymore. I just live life.
I Finally Feel Happy
Something changed in me. I’m happy. It’s hard to explain the burden and weight lifted by being free. I have gone from being a non-stop workaholic to a traveling homeschool mom. I still work, but in a much less demanding role, because I know that family and my mental health are much more important than a high-pressure corporate career.
Conclusion
If you have been considering traveling full-time and aren’t sure how to do it with school-age kids, read this. It’s not always perfect. There are many things to consider when making the decision to homeschool and travel. But I will say, for our family, the benefits have far outweighed the negatives.
No matter what your journey looks like, I hope that you are able to create the life you love.
