As our goals to see more of Australia as a family fall into place, we’ve been getting more and more comments about how lucky we are to see so many things and get to go so many places.
People truly would like to know how we get so “lucky” and how we can afford to travel with our kids. The most common remark we get is “wow, I wish we were lucky enough to be able to afford that!”.
The goal of our blog is to inspire other families to get out and see Australia. So it’s important for me to say this:
ANYONE, ANY family can get out and explore Australia! YES that means YOUR FAMILY!!
I know right now some of you are thinking, “but we can’t afford to travel”, or “but I can’t take the time off work” or even “I can’t cope with the kids” or possibly “but the kids won’t like it if we don’t go to theme parks, they don’t really like the bush and stuff!”.
I’m here to tell you to forget everything you’ve been telling yourself right up to this point.
YOUR FAMILY CAN TRAVEL AUSTRALIA! In fact, your family can travel the world if you want to. I’m about to tell you how!
Here’s the secret at how we get so Lucky!……………………………
You just have to want it bad enough.
That’s it, that’s all there is to it, YOU have to want it enough to make it happen. If that sounds over simplistic, well it is, because generally in life we make our own lives much more complex than they truly need to be. So yes, it’s simplistic, but if you REALLY, truly with all your soul want to experience more travel with your kids, then stop fooling yourself and let’s have a look at how to make it happen!
How Much do you Want it?
The real, hard, honest truth about affording family travel is that you just have to want it. I wish I could tell you that you will magically be able to afford a travel lifestyle without any sacrifice, but that’s not the truth. The truth is, that having an ache inside you to see Australia, having an ache inside you to share this amazing country (or any other country) with your children, having an ache inside you to live a life full of joy instead of stress is the true ingredient that most people are missing.
- If you think you want it and you still aren’t doing it, then you don’t want it enough…. yet……
- If you think you want it, but you’re not getting any closer to making it happen, then you don’t want it enough…. yet….
- If you think you want it and you start to put plans in place, sacrifice things to bring your dream closer, then you’re on your way.
- If you truly want to travel, then travel becomes your priority and you MUST push other wants aside in order to make your dream come true
Going Against the Grain.
Like everything in life, there are choices to be made. Too many times we hear about people wanting to “take off and travel”, but they can’t or just won’t. You know what? That OK!! In order for us to travel, we haven’t purchased a house, we homeschool our kids, and we definitely don’t own a big flatscreen tv, or a flashy car. Is there anything WRONG with having those things? GOSH NO! Part of us would love those things, but for us, the need to explore Australia, far outweighs the need to settle down into the norms of society.
Part of living a fulfilling life is about being conscious of your goals, your dreams and your needs. You need to be conscious of your personal goals, you won’t hear me whinging about not owning a house, because I know we’ve sacrificed that in order to travel. So if you REALLY, truly want to travel, you’ll need to look at what you may need to sacrifice. The reality is, many people think they want to travel long term, but they feel much more comfortable owning a home and paying a mortgage than they do out living on the road.It takes a lot of self reflection and maybe a bit of craziness to go after your true “bliss” is this your year to just do it?
Just know this: If you want it, you CAN make it happen, you just need to let go of the things you THINK keep you secure, and dare to live your dream instead!
How Are We Achieving Our Dreams?
Probably being just a little bit crazy helps! We are not rich, I will truthfully and honestly reveal to you right now that we earn less than almost everyone we know. Our circle of friends mostly earn average middle class salaries, and for the most part we earn less than any of them. We earn less because we choose to. We choose to be a one income family, we choose to homeschool our kids, and we choose not to have debt. I do work from home part time, but I need to balance that with being a mum, teacher, wife and book keeper for Matt’s business, so my business is limited to a small, much appreciated group of clients that are great to work with. Matt owns a small business and he works HARD, but we put measures in place that still allow us to live our dreams.
In order to share this amazing experience of exploring Australia with our kids, there’s a few things we’ve chosen to do:
- We have stayed debt free.
- We don’t align material possessions with security or success.
- We accept that life is short, and we truly want the best experience, not just the one that’s “socially acceptable”
- We’re not afraid to go against the grain. (You only get one life, why waste it being the same as everyone else!)
- We SAVE our money for what we want, and make sure we know what it is we want.
What Can YOU DO?
Take some time to think about what you really want. Then read the posts from some AMAZING families below. These guys are all travelling the world with their kids, don’t take my word for it, take a sneak peek into the lives of some amazing families and you’ll soon be blown away by what you really CAN DO if you want it bad enough!
Read These Stories by Inspiring Families Travelling the World
Only the Very Special, Lucky, Rich, and Perfect (Like Me) Can Travel by Gabi ‘
Anyone can travel by Mary at Bohemian Travelers
Diet shouldn’t stop you from travelling by Amy at livin’ on the road
If Anyone Can Travel Why Don’t You? – Keryn at Walkingon Travels
Not Everyone Can Travel – by Living Outside of the Box
You Have to Be Special Like Us if You Want an Awesome Life – Discover Share Inspire
True Story: Single mother from Bushwick, Brooklyn, funds long-term trip without having to sell a kidney – Melissa at Break Out of Bushwick
Anyone Can Travel, Just Let Go by Diya at a minor diversion
Don’t Be Jealous of Our Travels! Be Happy for Us and Know That You Can Make it Happen Too ! – Susan V. and family
Anyone Can Travel…Just Find Your Way by Kate at Experiential Family
Pity, Envy, and why anyone can travel — Clark Vandeventer of FamilyTrek.org
Travel – Possible? Wandering Photographer
Even Solo Mamas on Government Handouts Can Travel (by Jody):
Anyone Can Travel Can’t They – New Life on the Road
Our Path to becoming Lucky enough to Travel A King’s Life
Well put article! I like that you point out that some people may think they want a travel lifestyle but really what makes them most happy is staying with the grain and that is OK! We don’t all need to travel but instead of envying people that do , reflect on if it is really something you want. If it is just go for it!
Thanks Mary! I think that’s what’s striking me the most about making this decision in our lives. People ask “what about a house…etc etc” and we really don’t care about owning a house etc etc. It’s becoming easier to explain to people that it’s just really that our goals and dreams are different. It takes a lot of courage to go against the grain, but ultimately it is what makes us happy as a family and that’s what’s important!
You guys speak so much sense on so many levels. Your philosophy is universal in that sense. It doesn’t just apply for families but for all travellers.
Refreshing to read your blog and think about your perspective. Being a solo traveller I can’t begin to appreciate how much more complicated things might get for you guys!
Hey Will!
Thanks for dropping by. I agree that the philosophies that drive anyone with a passion for travel are similar. The main difference when you have kids is that our choices don’t just affect us, but also our kids and we have to hope our dreams, beliefs and philosophies serve them well in their lives.
Knowing what you truly want in life and understanding that, and achieving your goals is a gift for sure!
Loved reading this article. Great timing too. We have just purchased an old van and second hand 4×4. We are selling our house and block of land because we want to LIVE in this great country of ours! You should be proud of the rich life you guys are providing for your kids. 🙂
Thank you so much for dropping by. We’re finding it quite a challenge to say goodbye to our lives. We still have a short way to go before we’re full time on the road, and we do find ourselves questioning over and over again exactly what it is we’re doing. I just have to trust my heart, and my belief that the journey we will have exploring this amazing country and meeting what I’m sure will be amazing people, will be worth a thousand times more than the things that we’re leaving behind
Loved reading this, we too are preparing for a life on the road by mid 2013. Our 9 year old son is my biggest challenge with regard to our decision to leave a so called “normal life”. I worry about him losing that connection with his friends & adapting to a life spent mostly with his parents. I would like to know more about how your are preparing your kids for this life changing event. It is true that, the real measure of a person is NOT what you have but who you are, what you believe in & what you can give to others. Looking forward to reading more as you travel this wonderful country..
Hey Julianne,
So lovely to hear from you, and here’s hoping that our sons get a chance to meet, our eldest is 9 also, which is such a wonderful age to take in this awesome country we live in, but yes, I totally understand your concerns re: friends etc. At the end of soccer season this week, Jackson bravely told his buddies he wouldn’t be around for next year as we’d be travelling for a few years, so they all said “well see you in under 14’s maybe?” One thing we’ve discovered since embarking on this journey is just how many other families are out there on the road, it’s amazing the number of parents giving their children such a unique upbringing, so I truly believe there will be lots of time for meeting other children, and I”m hoping making some friends that we see at various destinations around Australia.
I think that technology is a great option, with things like “facetime” or “skype” allowing real time video connections. This will depend somewhat on your access to internet on the road, but in major regions that won’t be a hassle.
Have you travelled/camped much in the lead up to your trip? Our kids are super excited because it’s like we’re going to be going on one big camping trip. We’ve been visiting camping/caravanning shows, watching lots of documentaries or travel shows about different regions in Australia, and giving them an insight into the places they’ll get to see. They seem to appreciate how special doing something like this is, but I don’t doubt there will be moments they will long for home.
As we’re going to be doing “slow travel” I hope to be able to find towns that we can stay around for a little while to give the kids a chance to join a soccer team, do dancing, maybe little A’s…. the things they get to do at home. I hope that helps a little, and I hope you stay in touch during your preparations, and our boys can meet up some time in 2013 🙂
You guys are inspiring, my partner and I have recently decided that we would love to start traveling sooner rather then later. We have always had travel around oz on our bucket list but it was always going to be when the kids left home, then 4 weeks ago a friend got out of bed made breakfast and collapsed and died. she was 42.then my husband work colleague went to bed and never woke up!, she was 52, it was then we had the light bulb moment, we are never guaranteed to get old so if we wait till we are old who knows it may never come !!!. And the fantastic adventures and memories I can share with my kids are going to be a whole lot more rewarding then a big TV or over priced designer items. so hopefully this time next year we will be cramming our very few belongings in a bus and hitting the road!!!!
Sorry a bit heavy but this was our little push to gain the courage to go against the social norm. hope to see you on the road.
Oh Kelly, I TOTALLY understand what you’re saying. Our driving force to this day is watching Matt’s mum pass away. She was 48 we were 22 & 23. Moments like that make you realise that life is short, and what’s really important is love and those around us. I wish we could all live well into old age, but there’s no guarantees. It takes lots of courage to go against the norm and decide to live on the road instead of doing the “settle down in a home of your own with lots of nice belongings” that society seems to see as so important. But in all honesty, when I look back on my life, I think I may well regret not taking the chance to travel and explore and enjoy my kids, but I don’t think I’ll regret not being tied to a mortgage right now. One day I dream of settling down on my own little hobby farm, but for now, the dream of living a life of amazement with my kids is so much more important.!