Into The Mystic

Into the Mystic   It was our first dance. We should have known. We have always talked about this. Taking a year abroad, living in Italy, sailing somewhere exotic. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine I would be actually taking my children out of school, attempting homeschooling, and traveling over 17 countries in ten months. What on earth are we thinking? I ask it too. More often though I am excited and thankful to have a family that supports such an adventure. This is a dream come true. I guess I have a gypsy soul.

So here are the most common questions I get asked:

Are you excited?
Yes! Amazingly excited. And scared, overwhelmed, thrilled and exhilarated.

Are the kids excited?
We have total buy in from the kids. We decided from Day 1 that we did not want to “drag them around the world.” If they didn’t want to do this they could pull the plug. They both had a few weeks that they were uncertain but in the end they both decided they wanted to do it. They knew that their decision mattered and their enthusiasm has made this even better. It was a risky strategy but what was our alternative?

How long have you been planning it?
David and I have talked about this since we met but real planning began in November. The World Map went up in December!

How did you decide on an Itinerary?
We put up a world map in our dining room. Everyone had different colored pins. The rules were you could put a pin in any place you wanted but it had to be backed up by some kind of research. Laney primarily placed hers by Four Seasons resorts and spas around the world she would review. Lee placed them by soccer teams and weird hotels. But it worked. Everyone had a long list of places and we just narrowed it from there. Soon you could start to see a route. You begin to see that you can’t go everywhere and it became obvious that we had to remove some places because we wanted more time in others.

How do you pack?
That is another blog entry!

Are you homeschooling?
Yes-Sayre has been fantastic! The teachers and staff have been so helpful providing us with curriculum help. Friends and relatives who are teachers have offered support and we have so many resources! I feel much better about this process. Lee’s class will be following his adventures so he’ll be able to keep up with his friends throughout the year!

When do you leave?
August 7th…. Driving across the USA and selling the Van in L.A. How is that for a “Griswald Family” start to the trip! Wally World here we come! For the whole itinerary see the “Itinerary section” at the top of this blog.