I make good on my plans.
But not without some unexpected hiccups...
INSIDE: how I changed my life, the universe has a few surprises in store, and we went somewhere I never would’ve guessed.
Last week in Part Three (in case you missed them, here’s Part One & Part Two)…
I told you about how my husband had casually suggested my kids and I learn Spanish. Me, because it’s good to learn new things, and them, because we’d always wanted them to have a second language. I agreed, and so we all began.
Except, little did I know it was just the first phase in his cunning plan…
We were all having difficulties.
My kids struggled at school, my husband was sick of having to be away from our family all the time, and I couldn’t bear my job any longer.
His solution was… selling the farm, moving halfway across the world, and homeschooling our kids. The only question was… could we do it?
Frustrated Teacher Quits In Disgust, Sells The Farm, Moves The Family Halfway Across The World And… Starts Knitting
Part Four
So... we decided to do it. Believe me, it wasn’t easy!
One thing we did as part of making the decision was writing out the pros and cons of our plan to travel as a family and world-school our kids.
We discussed it as a family, and the kids (then 12 and 7) were honest about their worries. Leaving school, friends, relatives, and the home they’d grown up in was a big change! They weren’t at all sure about it!
We acknowledged their concerns, but the pros outweighed the cons.
My initial reluctance vanished, thoughts of adventures we’d have was exciting!
We began the process of selling the farm: one of the most stressful times of my life.
First, there was all the stuff we’d accumulated over the years to organize. Given most of it hid in cupboards, I didn’t know how much there was until we pulled it all out. We didn’t even use it all!
Out came clothing I hadn’t worn in years, toys the kids had forgotten they had, and a surprising number of golf clubs when my husband had gone through a brief phase of spending time at the local range.
Not to mention all the old magazines, books, and kitchenware!
So, the first of hundreds of trips to the thrift stores began…
Among the clutter, I rediscovered my old knitting and crocheting supplies, which I squirreled away. I had a feeling I might need them…
We’d decided early in 2015 we’d leave in September for Spain. This was so our kids could be immersed in Spanish culture and practice Spanish to build conversational skills. We’d also be avoiding the high season, and we wanted to swim in the Mediterranean. We love the beach!
But we make plans, and the universe has other ideas...
The sale of our property took longer than expected. A whole three months longer! Turns out there was much involved in selling and the settlement of a rural property.
We’d agreed to move out earlier in a show of goodwill to the buyers. We lived in a caravan with an annexed room my parents-in-law owned down by a lake, 45 minutes out from where we’d been living.
Instead of keeping the kids in school, we started homeschooling them, using an online program based on the Australian Curriculum, Babbel for Spanish, and Khan Academy.
The kids sat at the camping table, computers and books spread out in front of them, while I juggled supervising them and filling out forms. I’d never done so much paperwork in my life!
When the sale went through, I almost collapsed with relief.
By that time, December loomed, with the icy winds and chill of a European winter. I couldn’t take our kids halfway across the world to winter when I’d promised them the beach! What was I to do?
One of the best parts of our planning was being involved in online groups for traveling families. They were so generous with their knowledge and support. We made lifelong friends through those groups.
We shared our predicament about having to rethink Spain as our destination and asked where else people recommended with a thriving homeschooling community, fast internet, and Spanish as the spoken language.
So many people had high praise for the homeschooling community in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, a beach town in the Yucatán, an hour south of Cancún. A new friend I’d made online ran a homeschooling group there and she said: come visit!
Thanks to her kind invitation, I’ve learned the best things in life come from being open to new experiences.
And, not giving in to others’ fears.
Our family and friends were very hesitant of us traveling to Mexico. The media makes out that the whole of Mexico is a dangerous place, which of course isn’t true.
Australia also has a reputation for being dangerous! I can’t tell you how many conversations I’ve had with people worried about the venomous and poisonous wildlife in Australia!
I was so thankful to know we could connect with kind, generous and knowledgeable people already living the life we were only just beginning.
We were determined.
So, we packed our backpacks, and headed for Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
Find out what happened when we arrived next week…
I've been receiving so many fantastic questions from you all. To make sure I don’t miss the best ones, I’m answering them right here in Fiber Friday.
So, keep those questions coming! To send yours in, please email Zachary Kai, my personal assistant, at support@yarnbay.org.
And another question for you: if you’ve traveled overseas, what’s a favorite place you’ve visited? If you haven’t, where would you like to go?
Press reply or leave a comment!
Before you go…
My favorite sentence was this one: "I’ve learned the best things in life come from being open to new experiences." I needed to be reminded of this as I have forgotten...
My family’s move is nowhere as adventurous as yours Jodie, but I couldn’t help noticing a few similarities - we moved in Aug 2015 across the globe with two small kids. I had had enough of my corporate job. I still remember my relief after the process of going through all our stuff accumulated over the years and finding new home for them! To answer your other question, I have visited South Korea a few times and have some lovely memories from there. 💛