Why We Did This
Imagine packing up your life, leaving behind routine, and embarking on a year-long adventure around the globe with your family. That’s what we’ve done and it’s feeling like one of the best decisions of our lives. We did not do it on a whim. We’ve been planning for many years. But it still feels fresh and vibrant and new.
I’ve been asked several times why were are doing this. I’ve also been asked exactly how we are doing this, but that’s for another post.
Here are 7 reasons why we are travelling the world for one year as a large family:
1. It is Awesome
Traveling the world for a year with your family is self-evidently awesome. When I tell people about it, their reaction is almost always "Wow, that's awesome!" That alone should carry real weight. Something like this is intuitively known for its awesomeness.
2. To Know God and Make Him Known
We're Christians who want to know God more deeply and make Him known. Part of that calling includes traveling and sharing our faith in new places, so there will be a missionary aspect to this year.
3. Bonding as a Family
With kids from 18 down to 5, this is our one and only window to travel together as a full family of seven before the oldest launches into independent life. Shared adventures, including the highs, the lows, the pleasures, the stresses, etc., will tie us together like nothing else can.
4. We Need a Vacation
We've moved around Canada a lot but haven't truly vacationed much at all. No big trips, no resorts, no real breaks. We need this change of pace, this warm air, sunshine, and slower rhythm, at least for the first leg of the trip.
5. Culture
We want our kids to meet and know people from different backgrounds and cultures. Growing up in mostly homogeneous Canada can feel insular. Real immersion in other ways of life is incredibly valuable. We want that for our kids and for ourselves.
6. Education
Books and videos are good, but nothing beats real experience. When things become tangible, e.g. seeing Pearl Harbor up close, the lessons stick forever. I want my children to remember, "Yes, I was there, I saw this."
7. You Only Live Once
Life is short — YOLO. No one else is going to live this dream for us. We get to decide what we do with our time. Sure, it's expensive and the numbers don't always line up perfectly (although it is lined up enough!), but money gets left behind anyway. The real risk is regret. I do not want to look back and wish we'd done it.
We do not want to let life pass us by.
The Patriarch
