FAQ:
Are you taking the kids with you? (Strangely the most common first question, which always causes me to chuckle a little) Yes, we are traveling as a family of four on what is bound to be an epic family adventure. This trip will be different from our backpacking trips of our 20’s. It is an opportunity for our children to see the world and experience how others live while reawakening Kiko and my awareness as well. We have been living continually in Hawaii for the last 12 years and I am looking forward to visiting very different areas of the world with the additional benefit of being able to glimpse it all through the childrens’ open eyes. Having the kids along will give the trip a solid purpose, which was noticeably lacking at moments along some of our previous travels. Traveling naturally opens endless educational opportunities and the inevitable highs and lows of long term travel will strengthen our family bonds.
How are you able to do this? A “big trip” of some sort has been in our minds since we thought of having kids. Traveling was what we did before kids and it was just understood between Kiko and I that we would one day continue with our children. We had met a handful of European and Australian temporarily nomadic families when we were traveling so we knew it could be done. Financially we started saving what we could as soon as we had Zuki (2004). We have always lived frugally, never purchasing new cars, or buying too many things. When we were finished with something we sold it. Every year we put aside as much money as we could into a savings account. With travel in mind, we surrounded Zuki and Yoda with world-travel inspired games, toys, and books, as they were growing up. Though out their childhood they heard countless stories from our overseas adventures and antidotes of Kiko’s childhood experiences in Venezuela. It was sometime in 2009 when we started planning the details in earnest and setting a tentative start date. There was never a specific time we told the kids “hey we are going to travel around the world”, the concept has always been present.
If you don’t mind me asking, how much does this cost? I don’t mind this question at all. I think most people are surprised how cheap long-term family travel truly can be. There are plenty of travel blogs that I have read where families are managing it significantly cheaper than our plan, which we consider "moderate budget". Checkout more about our estimated budget and actual costs, as the trip gets underway, in the “budget” tab above. We are using United miles for all of our major flights (more details on that later) and we have budgeted $75,000 for the 12 month trip. That works out to be just over $200 a day. If we were to take out the two Big Tours (Galapagos and Kenya Safari, which are crazy expensive, but something we have decided we don’t want to pass up) we would be down to $57,000, or $156/day, or $40/day per person. It is not unheard of for a family of 4 to travel on $100/day ($25/person/day), so I feel like we should be confortable on our more “cushy" budget.
You guys have “the life” on Kauai. Why would you want to leave? We love our life on Kauai. It is a beautiful island, where we all have great friends and it is a safe and healthy environment in which to raise our children. We aren’t giving that up. We plan on returning. Along with all the wonderful aspects of growing up and living on an remote island, there are some drawbacks with that isolation as well. The kids are at the perfect age to expose them to a wider picture of the world. A change in perspective can be a quite powerful experience, particularly at their young age.
What about school? As I hinted at above, we believe travel lends itself to learning. We will be “road schooling” the kids as we travel. We will keep up with their school math programs and they will journal write about their everyday experiences. Luckily keeping up their level appropriate reading is easy now with ebooks. All the rest will be hands-on learning. When we visit the Galapagos Islands we will focus on Biology and Evolution. We will study the rain forest in the Amazon. Volcanoes, ancient civilizations, cultural customs, etc. will all be topics covered with experiential learning. We will also cover Geography, Social Studies, Foreign Languages, Religion and more as the circumstances arise. We will focus on the skills need to become confident and apt world traveler. Packing a good pack, staying healthy, navigating public transport, reading maps, communicating with a language barrier, understanding the nuances of bartering, and other skills will come naturally with the territory and create strong little citizens of the world
.
How did you save 900k miles on United? We weren’t initially thinking that we could ever earn enough miles but once I started reading about other travelers quickly racking up miles I thought we could try and at least pay for some of our flights. Each of Kiko and my milage accounts already had about 50k, acquired though mainland trips over the years. The kids had 12-15k each. We signed up for credit cards with large miles bonuses for signing up, taking advantage of all the little added bonuses like signing up a second card holder, spending a certain amount in the first few months, etc. We began using those credit cards for everything we bought including business expenses We earned miles as we flew exclusively with United and its partners. Over roughly 3 years, we were able accumulate a combined 700k miles for our family. Luckily my parents, world travelers themselves, offered us an additional 200k and we were all set.
Did you use a RTW ticket or one-way tickets? After a fair bit of research with different scenarios on United awards online booking tool, I concluded our family would be better suited booking a series of one-way tickets. One round-the-world ticket is 180,000 miles but has a limit on the number of allowed stops, travel must be in one direction, and the trip must be completed within 12 months. By using a series of one-way tickets we will each use 225k miles, while enabling many more stops, some backtracking, and allows for the possibility of making the trip longer then 12 months.
What are you doing with all of your stuff? We always tried not to accumulate too much STUFF. Kiko was raised in Venezuela with very limited possessions. During our traveling years, Kiko and lived out of backpacks or on a sailboat, where there is not much space for things. We kept that minimalist mentality even after settling down in Hawaii. Things began to change when kids came along; we began acquiring more stuff. Even though we were good at selling things as soon as the kids outgrew them we still began to accumulate. With only 90 days left until our departure date, we had a garage sale and found new owners for the things for which we no longer had a need. The kids have been truly inspiring; selling most of their belongings, I think partly because the money earned went into their individual accounts, and selling things after we no longer want them is what we have always done. It also worked because we were respectful of the items that they decided that they could not part with, even if we adults thought they would have truly outgrown them when we return in a year. What we have decided to hold on to we will store in owner closets and storage areas made in our house.
What will you do with your house? Since we plan on returning to Kauai after 12 or 13 months we chose not to sell our house. Given the fact that our location in a very poplar vacation destination and that we have owned and managed a successful condominium unit vacation rental, www.theorchidroom.net, for the past 11 years, the decision to make our home a vacation rental rather then a long term rental was a clear choice. It hasn’t been easy getting our house ready while planning for our big trip but it is nice now that it is all spruced up and looking beautiful and we have begun to get bookings! Our website is www.kauaihale.com, in case you want to visit Kauai while we travel the world.
How do you pack for a year? I have dreams and nightmares about packing. As I write this, 66 days before departure, I am in the depths of planning what each of us is bringing and how it will be packed. Packing for a long term travel is an art form and I was good at it at one time. Packing efficiently in a small pack is a great feeling; a sign of a seasoned traveler. Currently I find myself in endless online search on the world-wide -AMAZON.com “wish listing” everything available to make travel easier. What will we need as a family that we didn’t have before? Do we all need silk sleep sacs? What charger do I get for all of our electronics? Do all of our shoes need to be waterproof? Should we use packing cubes? How much should we include in our First Aid Kit? I need to remind myself that packing for a year-long trip is practically the same as packing for a week long vacation, really. And that we have had wonderful trips with none of the fancy things. I recall a memory from a previous Circle South Pacific trip. Although we were on a tight budget, (about $66/day for both of us for everything, including airfare, for 5 months) I had decided that both Kiko and I needed the $60 silk sleeping sacs. Embarking on or journey I felt like everything I had packed was perfect and just what we needed for ideal
South Pacific carefree trip. The first night in American Samoa, we were sleeping in a open hale (no walls except lau hala mats that fold down from the ceiling) and a neighborhood dog came and peed on my backpack and chewed on my stuffed silk sac. His strategic bite created a swiss cheese appearance to my precious sleep sac and my perfectly packed backpack was sprayed with dog pee. I survived, I let go, and I slept in that hole ridden sleep sac for 5 months and didn’t loose sleep over it, literally. So I must remember that no matter what “must have” item we end up going without or leaving somewhere, we will still manage to have a great trip. It is all a matter of perspective.
Aren’t you scared of getting sick or being robbed? Sometimes I do worry, but mostly not. I know getting sick on the road is not easy but it isn’t easy anywhere. We are not going to be in a rush so when, not if, one of us gets sick we will stop, take care, rest, and make sure we have access to suitable medical assistance if needed. As far as being robbed we have already discussed how we can survive without our STUFF and STUFF can be replaced. We will always put our safety way before our belonging.
Are you ever going to come back? Yes, this trip is not an open ended journey. Our plan and our budget is for 12-13 months and then we will re-evaluate after we settle in a few months back in Hawaii. I remember suffering from reverse culture shock each time I return from a long trip so we won’t be making any big decisions right away upon homecoming. I love longterm travel but do I love continuous travel as a parent? Do the kids love the traveling lifestyle? We won’t know the answers until we have traveled as a family, for many months. In the back of my mind, my hope is that we can combine life in Kauai with yearly 2 month International trips. With our house vacation rental equipped and our handle on the whole Miles game I think with a little work we could manage to travel every June-July to an exotic destination if the travel bugs bites.
How are you able to do this? A “big trip” of some sort has been in our minds since we thought of having kids. Traveling was what we did before kids and it was just understood between Kiko and I that we would one day continue with our children. We had met a handful of European and Australian temporarily nomadic families when we were traveling so we knew it could be done. Financially we started saving what we could as soon as we had Zuki (2004). We have always lived frugally, never purchasing new cars, or buying too many things. When we were finished with something we sold it. Every year we put aside as much money as we could into a savings account. With travel in mind, we surrounded Zuki and Yoda with world-travel inspired games, toys, and books, as they were growing up. Though out their childhood they heard countless stories from our overseas adventures and antidotes of Kiko’s childhood experiences in Venezuela. It was sometime in 2009 when we started planning the details in earnest and setting a tentative start date. There was never a specific time we told the kids “hey we are going to travel around the world”, the concept has always been present.
If you don’t mind me asking, how much does this cost? I don’t mind this question at all. I think most people are surprised how cheap long-term family travel truly can be. There are plenty of travel blogs that I have read where families are managing it significantly cheaper than our plan, which we consider "moderate budget". Checkout more about our estimated budget and actual costs, as the trip gets underway, in the “budget” tab above. We are using United miles for all of our major flights (more details on that later) and we have budgeted $75,000 for the 12 month trip. That works out to be just over $200 a day. If we were to take out the two Big Tours (Galapagos and Kenya Safari, which are crazy expensive, but something we have decided we don’t want to pass up) we would be down to $57,000, or $156/day, or $40/day per person. It is not unheard of for a family of 4 to travel on $100/day ($25/person/day), so I feel like we should be confortable on our more “cushy" budget.
You guys have “the life” on Kauai. Why would you want to leave? We love our life on Kauai. It is a beautiful island, where we all have great friends and it is a safe and healthy environment in which to raise our children. We aren’t giving that up. We plan on returning. Along with all the wonderful aspects of growing up and living on an remote island, there are some drawbacks with that isolation as well. The kids are at the perfect age to expose them to a wider picture of the world. A change in perspective can be a quite powerful experience, particularly at their young age.
What about school? As I hinted at above, we believe travel lends itself to learning. We will be “road schooling” the kids as we travel. We will keep up with their school math programs and they will journal write about their everyday experiences. Luckily keeping up their level appropriate reading is easy now with ebooks. All the rest will be hands-on learning. When we visit the Galapagos Islands we will focus on Biology and Evolution. We will study the rain forest in the Amazon. Volcanoes, ancient civilizations, cultural customs, etc. will all be topics covered with experiential learning. We will also cover Geography, Social Studies, Foreign Languages, Religion and more as the circumstances arise. We will focus on the skills need to become confident and apt world traveler. Packing a good pack, staying healthy, navigating public transport, reading maps, communicating with a language barrier, understanding the nuances of bartering, and other skills will come naturally with the territory and create strong little citizens of the world
.
How did you save 900k miles on United? We weren’t initially thinking that we could ever earn enough miles but once I started reading about other travelers quickly racking up miles I thought we could try and at least pay for some of our flights. Each of Kiko and my milage accounts already had about 50k, acquired though mainland trips over the years. The kids had 12-15k each. We signed up for credit cards with large miles bonuses for signing up, taking advantage of all the little added bonuses like signing up a second card holder, spending a certain amount in the first few months, etc. We began using those credit cards for everything we bought including business expenses We earned miles as we flew exclusively with United and its partners. Over roughly 3 years, we were able accumulate a combined 700k miles for our family. Luckily my parents, world travelers themselves, offered us an additional 200k and we were all set.
Did you use a RTW ticket or one-way tickets? After a fair bit of research with different scenarios on United awards online booking tool, I concluded our family would be better suited booking a series of one-way tickets. One round-the-world ticket is 180,000 miles but has a limit on the number of allowed stops, travel must be in one direction, and the trip must be completed within 12 months. By using a series of one-way tickets we will each use 225k miles, while enabling many more stops, some backtracking, and allows for the possibility of making the trip longer then 12 months.
What are you doing with all of your stuff? We always tried not to accumulate too much STUFF. Kiko was raised in Venezuela with very limited possessions. During our traveling years, Kiko and lived out of backpacks or on a sailboat, where there is not much space for things. We kept that minimalist mentality even after settling down in Hawaii. Things began to change when kids came along; we began acquiring more stuff. Even though we were good at selling things as soon as the kids outgrew them we still began to accumulate. With only 90 days left until our departure date, we had a garage sale and found new owners for the things for which we no longer had a need. The kids have been truly inspiring; selling most of their belongings, I think partly because the money earned went into their individual accounts, and selling things after we no longer want them is what we have always done. It also worked because we were respectful of the items that they decided that they could not part with, even if we adults thought they would have truly outgrown them when we return in a year. What we have decided to hold on to we will store in owner closets and storage areas made in our house.
What will you do with your house? Since we plan on returning to Kauai after 12 or 13 months we chose not to sell our house. Given the fact that our location in a very poplar vacation destination and that we have owned and managed a successful condominium unit vacation rental, www.theorchidroom.net, for the past 11 years, the decision to make our home a vacation rental rather then a long term rental was a clear choice. It hasn’t been easy getting our house ready while planning for our big trip but it is nice now that it is all spruced up and looking beautiful and we have begun to get bookings! Our website is www.kauaihale.com, in case you want to visit Kauai while we travel the world.
How do you pack for a year? I have dreams and nightmares about packing. As I write this, 66 days before departure, I am in the depths of planning what each of us is bringing and how it will be packed. Packing for a long term travel is an art form and I was good at it at one time. Packing efficiently in a small pack is a great feeling; a sign of a seasoned traveler. Currently I find myself in endless online search on the world-wide -AMAZON.com “wish listing” everything available to make travel easier. What will we need as a family that we didn’t have before? Do we all need silk sleep sacs? What charger do I get for all of our electronics? Do all of our shoes need to be waterproof? Should we use packing cubes? How much should we include in our First Aid Kit? I need to remind myself that packing for a year-long trip is practically the same as packing for a week long vacation, really. And that we have had wonderful trips with none of the fancy things. I recall a memory from a previous Circle South Pacific trip. Although we were on a tight budget, (about $66/day for both of us for everything, including airfare, for 5 months) I had decided that both Kiko and I needed the $60 silk sleeping sacs. Embarking on or journey I felt like everything I had packed was perfect and just what we needed for ideal
South Pacific carefree trip. The first night in American Samoa, we were sleeping in a open hale (no walls except lau hala mats that fold down from the ceiling) and a neighborhood dog came and peed on my backpack and chewed on my stuffed silk sac. His strategic bite created a swiss cheese appearance to my precious sleep sac and my perfectly packed backpack was sprayed with dog pee. I survived, I let go, and I slept in that hole ridden sleep sac for 5 months and didn’t loose sleep over it, literally. So I must remember that no matter what “must have” item we end up going without or leaving somewhere, we will still manage to have a great trip. It is all a matter of perspective.
Aren’t you scared of getting sick or being robbed? Sometimes I do worry, but mostly not. I know getting sick on the road is not easy but it isn’t easy anywhere. We are not going to be in a rush so when, not if, one of us gets sick we will stop, take care, rest, and make sure we have access to suitable medical assistance if needed. As far as being robbed we have already discussed how we can survive without our STUFF and STUFF can be replaced. We will always put our safety way before our belonging.
Are you ever going to come back? Yes, this trip is not an open ended journey. Our plan and our budget is for 12-13 months and then we will re-evaluate after we settle in a few months back in Hawaii. I remember suffering from reverse culture shock each time I return from a long trip so we won’t be making any big decisions right away upon homecoming. I love longterm travel but do I love continuous travel as a parent? Do the kids love the traveling lifestyle? We won’t know the answers until we have traveled as a family, for many months. In the back of my mind, my hope is that we can combine life in Kauai with yearly 2 month International trips. With our house vacation rental equipped and our handle on the whole Miles game I think with a little work we could manage to travel every June-July to an exotic destination if the travel bugs bites.
