We have been living on wheels for 629 days as I write these words.
629 days full of selfreflecting, discoveries and adventure.
629 days full of blinders falling off, new people and wiser kids.
how we started homeschooling and preparing for travel
We decided in April 2022 that we were really going to do it; empty our house and give away and sell almost all our stuff to make the camper dream come true. Leave our lives in Belgium.
We already opted for home education in 2020 and with that choice came the increasing realization that we felt we were not doing enough with the freedom that is actually given to us in this life! When we started homeschooling, like everything in this life, it was a decision steeped in principles. Principles that were thrown away as quickly as they were established…
Living on wheels was no exception.
We left in October 2023 after jettisoning what we thought was all-important on our first longer trip. 4 months through Spain with our beautiful house on wheels, our 4 daughters, the animals and of course a lot of dreams! The kilometers slipped away, the weather improved, but of course there were principles that had to be jettisoned….
Changes that needed getting used to while traveling
The girls and I clearly had to get used to the constant presence of my husband, while traveling we experienced how well the five of us are attuned to each other and how smoothly our routine runs when Dad is at work.
It was a matter of finding a balance between our routine and my husband who is used to sitting alone in his truck…. Our relationship as husband and wife also had to endure… In Belgium, after almost 10 years of marriage, we have a nice relationship where we no longer feel the need to argue about small things and where we have learned to just take a proverbial sponge, wipe things away and realize that the other person also can have a bad day.
traveling together all time
Traveling, being together 24/24, 7/7 brought to light that some things had to be spoken out, annoyances did surface because there was no time apart…
But the end result was that we had evenings chatting next to the camper with the kids in bed, that we met new people and couples that made us feel freer again and that we found something playful that seemed lost!
While traveling I was given so much space, physical space, but more importantly mental space, space to share the educational challenge of the girls with my husband, space to think about what makes me happy and that created space to work. Working on old dreams, plans that were hidden in a drawer in my head! I wrote an annual program for home teachers who are looking for flexibility, creativity, critically thinking children and tools throughout their home education journey…
The children happily tried out new languages and in addition to the many encounters, miraculously it emerged that days full of nothing or no one are a welcome change from our busy social life in Belgium…
reunion, planning and looking forward
The journey back was one that was filled with fun excitement for my family, excitement filled with reunion, planning and looking forward to… For me it was a border crossing full of tears, so afraid to face old pains, afraid of bursting the wonderful bubble that we had formed as a family while we were away… A fear that became true in some areas, especially facing the old pains was a thing!
But the wonderful bubble remains intact in a way, we share an adventure, a journey that has made us richer and we share the pursuit of a new journey…
Of course there are things that don’t go as expected, or unfortunately they don’t!
But that’s for next time,
Love Lynn
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If you want to read the first Guest blog by Melissa, for the Nomad Guide Online, click here. Want to know more about the Nomad Guide Online?
