The Strange Allure Of Worldschooling

Family travel with a twist

Several years ago, a video caught my eye. It was a compilation of a family’s one year and 20+ countries trip. The brevity of the video allowed all the adventure to be compacted into one exciting adventure after another, leaving out any less desirable moments of world travel. I was instantly intrigued.

This led to more fascination with the idea. I listened to David Cohen’s “One Year Off: Leaving it all behind for a round the world journey with our children”. (Warning, that is an affiliate link. If you dare to buy it, I will use the 1 penny it nets me on something wildly reckless…) Seriously, the book was a lot of fun and it only fanned the flames of my desire to travel the world with my family.

Of course, I couldn’t daydream all day. The people in these videos and books had something in common. They had piles of money to make the dream a reality. I, sadly, did not. Nevertheless, I could not let go of the idea. Every time I tried, I would get a vision of us doing something in a far off land and my stomach would twist in excitement.

World School

I knew from the beginning that I wanted to Homeschool our daughter. Don’t get me wrong, I am extremely grateful for a public school system. I do not distrust it or hold any ill-will towards it. In fact, I sometimes substitute at local schools. Teachers need a break just as much, if not more, than the rest of us. We just prefer the flexibility and scalability of homeschool.

World School is a technique that focuses on a larger approach to education. We place a lot of emphasis on learning about other cultures as well as social studies from multiple perspectives. World languages are studied every day. We cook food and watch movies from other regions and countries. In general, we attempt to cultivate a World Citizen who is capable of communication and empathy in any environment.

Traveling is not the most important aspect of a “world school,” but it is a component I desperately strive to incorporate within our budget. We learned about famine while on a short trip to Dublin, Ireland. We discussed burial practices during a solemn stroll through a cemetery in Puerto Rico. The Grand Canyon fueled a unit on Geology. In Hawaii, we are learning about tsunamis and volcanoes as well as Polynesian History.

I have many examples of this method of teaching and learning, but I have a great deal more ideas for our future. Planning and paying for this vision can be a bit of a roller coaster. In responsible land, I have a goal to pay off our home and build a stronger savings. In the other half of my brain, is the deep desire to live in the moment and do what we can while time and health are on our side.

Finding Balance

For now, I am spacing out the big trips and taking advantage of smaller excursions. Weekend trips have become my best friend, even if it can be a bit on the exhausting side. I am also always scanning travel deals and discounts, with plans to build lessons around destinations when they arise.

One thing that has been difficult in this endeavor, is finding more like-minded people. The majority of our friends and family never go anywhere, let alone attempt to hit multiple places a year. Their reactions range from zero response, to feigned interest, to anger and insults. It would be nice to meet people who are on a similar mission to see and learn as much as possible. Preferably, other people on a small budget.

I am writing about improving myself, traveling, making money, paying off debts, figuring out how to help others, and all the thoughts and questions I have along the way. Consider following me to see what happens next!