Carry
For many, holidays consist of traveling for a week or two each year. However, for some adventurous families, exploration is a way of life. These families often spend months or even years traversing the globe, whether by land, sea, or air.
Parenting on the Move
Libryia Jones had a passion for travel, but life often presented roadblocks.
After being offered a year-long internship in China that wouldn’t allow her to take her daughter along, and facing restrictions from a travel group, she grew weary of these setbacks. “I finally decided to take matters into my own hands,” she recounts. Jones teamed up with a friend to establish Wandering Moms, a community of 8,000 traveling women, predominantly single mothers.
“These moms truly provide their children with the world!” Jones enthusiastically states.
Through what she refers to as a “wander year,” they stay in four different locations for three months each. Recent stops have included the Czech Republic, Thailand, South Africa, and Colombia.
Jones emphasizes that a child’s stability does not necessarily hinge on a conventional North American lifestyle. “They find stability through their parents,” she asserts. “As long as they’re with us, they’re secure. The routine could be traditional: school, homework, dinner, bed—but it could also involve moving to a new country every three months.”
Traveling with a teenager presents unique hurdles, particularly when it comes to fostering friendships and independence. “I ensured she joined soccer teams wherever we went,” Jones explains. “It helped her connect with girls her age.”
“The added independence was beneficial,” she adds. Many countries are actually safer than urban North American settings, allowing her daughter to navigate on public transport in Prague or use ride-sharing services in Thailand to reach soccer practice.
Education becomes another consideration with older children. Jones advises exploring various educational options, such as homeschooling, unschooling, or virtual education. “There are numerous possibilities,” she notes.
Despite the challenges, Jones finds the advantages far outweigh them. “Experiences that most children only read about in books become tangible,” she shares. Some of her daughter’s most cherished memories include visiting Anne Frank’s hiding place and standing at the spot where Nelson Mandela delivered his first speech post-release from prison.
“You can choose your life at any stage,” asserts Jones. “Children should not be viewed as obstacles; they can motivate you. Wouldn’t you want to teach them that they can achieve anything? The best way to do that is by living it yourself.”
Journeys from Kelowna to Beyond
Charles and Micki Kosman are based in Kelowna, British Columbia, but you’ll find them traveling more often than not. Since 2003, they have journeyed through over 40 different nations.
While they’ve adapted over the years—opting for more traditional lodging and transportation over budget hostels and public buses—their quest for adventure continued even after having children.
“We anticipated that having kids would complicate our travels, but we had encountered numerous traveling families, so we knew it was possible,” Micki reflects.
When their son was merely three weeks old, they embarked on a 1,300-kilometer road trip. By age two, he’d already experienced much of North America, along with visits to Cuba, Hong Kong, and the Philippines.
“There is a misconception that traveling with children is excessively difficult,” Micki shares. “I’ve found that’s far from the truth.”
Now, their son is 12, and their daughter is nine. The family recently returned from an exhilarating fishing trip for piranhas in the Amazon and then spent ten days in the Galapagos, snorkeling with turtles, sharks, and sea lions. “Our children have accumulated unforgettable memories across various continents,” Kosman recalls. “Our daughter still longs for chocolate croissants from a bakery in Spain, while our son reminisces about his boogie boarding adventures in Costa Rica.”
A Home Among the Waves
When I spoke with Behan Gifford, she was navigating through the 32 islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. “Can I call you back?” she asked. “We might not have internet for a week.”
Behan, her husband Jamie, and their three children have been journeying across the globe via sailboat since 2008. “When we left Seattle, we thought we’d be voyaging for two to five years,” Gifford recalls. Now, entering their tenth year, they have no end goal in sight.
As land dwellers, the Giffords enjoyed successful careers by conventional measures. However, as their parenting and career responsibilities compounded, they yearned for a more simple life, aligned with nature.
“We considered other ways to scale down, but we constantly returned to the idea of a life at sea,” Gifford explains. “A boat serves as the ultimate vehicle for broad travel adventures.”
Their path is guided by the winds, often changing hemispheres to sidestep hurricanes. “Plans can shift unexpectedly,” Gifford notes. “You can control the date or the location, but not both!”
This lifestyle has instilled critical adaptability in both their travels and parenting approaches. Take their children’s education, for instance. “I never planned to homeschool, but it was a necessity,” Gifford admits. Their seafaring existence serves as a one-of-a-kind educational experience.
“Our children’s perspectives originate from real-world experiences, not just the media,” Gifford says. “They have heard firsthand accounts from islanders in Papua New Guinea about local communities being sold to foreign timber or mining corporations. They have explored reefs, appreciating what constitutes a healthy ecosystem contrasted against those affected by overfishing or climate change. They understand how fortunate they are in life, realizing their autonomy over their choices is rare, and this education is invaluable.”
