Today is my all favorite day of the week. Not because it’s the start of the week, the start of night shift work for David, the start of the week of me trying to keep everyone quiet in the Motorhome, but because we get to share another travelling family journey!
Featured Travel Blogger :: 1 Dad, 1 Kid
Today we are so fortunate because we get to share Windwalker Duo :: 1 Dad, 1 Kid amazing travelling story. After reading his “About” page I was super excited to be asking him questions and was looking forward to reading his answers!
Q:- Can you tell us a bit of “Why” you wanted to travel with your son, and when/where did you first head to?
I have always loved travel. As I’ve traveled I’ve seen parents with their kids, and it looked like such a cool experience to share with my child. Two years ago I was in Peru and gave a lot of thought to traveling with my son since he was 9 years old which seemed like a perfect age: Not too young to remember or enjoy things and not too old to not be interested in exploring.
I had also had dreams of raising my children in foreign countries where they would be exposed to other cultures and be more of a global citizen rather than having a narrow view of the world and other cultures. While planning our first trip it just kept getting bigger and longer until we finally ended up selling all our stuff, I quit my job, and we left everything for an indefinite life as nomads. We began our journey on 4 May 2011 in Cozumel, Mexico. As of May 2012 we’ve been on 2 continents and have visited 7 countries. We’re currently living in Ecuador.
Shark diving with Tigger
Q:- As a “World Schooling” Dad, what is the best part of travelling that you share with your Son?
The amount of time I have with him is irreplaceable. Our bond has grown so much stronger, and we have so many wonderful shared memories like visiting Cuba, shark diving in Honduras, touring Bogota by bicycle. On his 10th birthday he began classes to become a certified diver, and since I was a divemaster at that time I got to assist during his open water sessions. He was with me when I did my 100th dive (a big deal for scuba). I also enjoy seeing the world through his eyes. It’s a perspective that is so fresh.
Q:- You have achieved some massive weight loss goals, and some huge runs (marathons) – what inspired you to start running?
Ever since I began having knee troubles at age 12, I’ve wanted to run. My knees had never allowed it. Finally in 2004 I lost a lot of weight and wondered if maybe I could start running since I noticed my knees didn’t hurt when going upstairs anymore. So I ran a mile and had no pain for two days. So then I ran a little more. No pain. I decided to make a 5K my goal. Then a 10K and then decided on a marathon. After finishing a few marathons, I heard about ultra marathons (anything longer than 26.2 miles) and just couldn’t resist, and so 6 months after starting running I finished my first 50K (31 miles) and was instantly addicted. From there I branched out to endurance cycling and snowshoe racing, including a snowshoe ultra. I’m a big fan of trail running. I feel so free, and it’s the only time I feel a bit graceful.
Cathedral in Valladolid, Mexico ~
Stunning!!
Q:- Do you have a set travel plan, or do you travel to places whenever you want?
Our basic plan is to not plan. We arrive at a destination and stay until it’s time to leave. We ended up staying on a small island in Honduras for 8 months. We got to Cuenca, Ecuador, and liked it so much we decided to stay longer. We will have been here 6 weeks by the time we leave, and we were in other parts of Ecuador for almost a month before arriving here. We know we want to head to the coast next (Tigger wants to learn how to surf), and from there we’ll head to Peru because our visa will expire soon after that, and the process for renewing the visa in Ecuador is too cumbersome and expensive. Other than that we get some ideas of what we’d like to do and then take it from there, allowing maximal spontaneity. When we decided to go to Cuba it was the day after I found out we could fly there from Mexico, and we were in Cuba a week later. We rarely ever know where or when our next destination is.
Tigger snorkeling in Cozume ~
How Cool 🙂
Q:- You have made your Year 2011 as a year of Adventure, what was the best hi-lights of that year?
After the rather hellacious 2010, anything positive would’ve been outstanding. The biggest highlights, though, were visiting Cuba and becoming a scuba instructor, getting my son certified to dive and then diving together.
Q:- If you had one thing to say to another travelling family to give them inspiration to follow their dreams, what would it be?
You simply can’t imagine how much better your life will be and how much stronger your family relationship will be. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made. And you don’t have to have a lot of money to do it. When we left the States we had $900 in my bank account. Anyone can do this if they want to.
Tigger at the Basilica del Voto Nacional in Quito, Ecuador ~
Love his Smile 🙂
About The Author
I’m a single parent, former hospice chaplain, Zen monk, ultra runner, snowshoer, endurance cyclist, certified endurance running coach, scuba instructor, photographer, and lover of travelling, languages, and cultures.
Years ago when I was a young adult, I had a dream of raising my children in foreign countries and having them experience this amazing, large world. After years of working in intensive care, trauma, and with the dying, my family & life motto became Vivez sans regrets! (Live without regrets!) In that tradition, I decided now was the time to take my dream and make it a reality. To that end, on 4 May 2011 I left my traditional work life and embarked on life as a full-time nomad, traveling around the world slowly with my young son (aka Tigger), who was 9 years old when we began our new life. I “world school” Tigger, teach languages, write, do photography, teach scuba, and do other online work along the way.
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A huge Thanking you to Windwalker Duo :: 1 Dad, 1 Kid. Have more questions for 1 Dad (or even 1 kid!)? You can read about there travel journeys, connect with their facebook page, and/or twitter page.
Do You Think YOU Could Pack It All Up And Travel?
Cheers
Lisa
PS:- Here are the Previous “Monday Featured Travel Bloggers”
Featured Travel Blogger Travel Experta – Marina from Travel Experta
Featured Travel Blogger – Rachel from Our Wee Trip
Monday Featured Travelling Blogger Revealed – Natalie from Family in a Van
Monday Travelling Blogger Featured – Tracey from Life Changing Year
Travel Blogger – Jess from With 2 kids in Tow
Featured Travel Blogger – Jan from Budget Travel Talk
Featured Travel Blogger At New Life on the Road – Lisa From Gone With The Family
This Week Featured Travel Blogger – Keryn from Walking On Travels
Monday Featured Travelling Blogger Journey – Jeremy from Living The Dream
Featured Travel Blogger Monday – Suzi from Two and A Half Travellers
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