“The Big Trip” is what we’ve come to call it. The non-specific thing we’re going to do, if all goes well, beginning in fall 2012. The girls will be 12. They will miss 7th grade. Don’t you wish you could have missed 7th grade? I have no positive memories of 7th grade, myself. So we figured that it might be as good a time as any to head out on a year-long adventure.
I say “we” with a little hesitation, because my husband (shall we call him Mr. T?) is not entirely on board. Though I know he will enjoy every bit of the Big Trip as much as I will, it’s in this planning stage that our personalities really diverge. I am definitely in the camp of the dreamers, the land of infinite possibilities, if-you-build-it-they-will-come, let’s put on a show, choose the destination and the path will reveal itself, just do it. Mr. T is not. He needs a roadmap, a budget, a plan before he can even entertain the possibility. Now, I am no stranger to planning. I enjoy it, in fact. But it appears I will be doing that part alone, because my partner wants to make sure the horse is bought, paid for, and set in place before the cart for this journey, but he doesn’t want to be the one to shop for it. Or something like that. I’ve spent a while trying to drag him along to this planning party, but I’ve finally accepted that it is not his bag, man, and I think I’m ok with that. Might be fun, in fact.
So we’ll say the odds that we’ll actually do this thing are about 50/50 right now. I think once I can get a plan on paper we’ll increase the odds significantly.
The bones of the plan so far: we’ll rent out our house for a year, home school the kids, and head somewhere. The biggest unknowns: how will we support ourselves on the road? What will we do for work when we get back? Will we wander around the world or will we pick one or two (or six) places to stay for a while? I’ll address each of these issues in upcoming posts, and I invite your comments, suggestions, rants, even scorn.
-Paige
Paige,
I love it! And, I can’t believe it. We also called it “The Big Trip” AND I am the build it and they will come one, I sort of float around from place to place; while the darling responsible adult in our family (someone has to do it) plans out everything and does all the real work. I love it! I love it! It’s coming soon Paige. Fall 2012 is around the corner. Are you freaking out yet?
You know, I’m not freaking out yet. Not totally. I have little pangs of omgwhatmakesusthinkweshoulddothis but overall I just know it’s going to be great for us. We’re a little stuck right now about whether we should rent out the house while we’re gone or sell it. If we decide to sell, that’s really it. We’re really doing it. Making a real, permanent change in our lives. Which we’re pretty sure will be for the better and will be the right thing to do, but we’re hesitating. Stay tuned….
If I didn’t know better I’d say you were married to my husband. I’m trying to work a full-time travel scenario too, hopefully by next year if I can relieve his misgivings. Good luck! We’ll be keeping tabs on your progress.
“I pity the fool” who needs to0 plan for . . . .
I miss Mr. T.
Anyways, this is always pre-travel dilemma. The time of doubt and indecision. And It won’t change until you leave.
We are going through the same thing. But the truth is you can have all the plans in the world and something will come along that changes those plans. This is why so many people hate travel and just pay a resort to take care of them for the week. It’s just easier! Travel is hard, it’s not a vacation. But a vacation will not educate or enlighten you, yet travel will.
My suggestion is to square up everything at home as well as you can so it doesn’t bother you on the road. Study the places you want to travel to, have an idea of what you want to do, but be flexible, you can never know what travel will bring.
I went to China to teach English and was told I would be in the South so I had packed everything for tropical weather. I arrived, was placed on a 2 day train trip to the Mongolian border and ended up wearing hand knitted sweaters all winter. No sense in getting mad about it, it turned out to be great. But all my planning got me was a backpack full of useless shorts and t-shirts.
Schedules are really tough to follow abroad. Got to be somewhat flexible to really enjoy and stumble upon the good stuff.
All the Best Guys,
Keep us up to Date.
Too exciting! I dream about doing this someday as well and have a skeptical spouse. It’s very interesting to find another family that is planning this and admitting that not everyone may be fully on board, so to speak, and that it might not even happen. I’ll be rooting for you to figure it all out so I can live vicariously until the day my own plan crystallizes enough to blog about it.
I think we (you and me!) can do it. So many other people have done it/are doing it. Part of my putting the goal in writing here is to make myself accountable for getting that planning done so we can really make it happen. Let’s keep that forward momentum going!