Solutions October 2017 | Page 54

It’s also more affordable to keep traveling once you’re “out there” than to go back and forth between home and new places. The expenses mostly lie in moving around, not in staying put—longer trips allow for slower travel, where you can explore places more deeply. cultural mores like they were pros. I think we adults don’t give kids enough credit for their durability. • We humans are hardwired for community, and we need it on the regular. It was life- changing to explore the world, but at the end of the day, we craved getting off the Q: What are some things you learned from the experience? A: I could write a second book just on the things I learned from our nine months of travel, but here are a few that stand out: • We really don’t need that much stuff. I lived out of a backpack, and loved every second of it. I loved not having to choose from more than the few clothes I had, I loved having only my laptop, Kindle, and phone as my gadgets, and I loved not having to keep up with much. Laundry was a breeze. plane and having a home to hang up our backpacks and live among people we know. We need to interact with the same familiar neighbors and immerse ourselves in the ordinary—not only is that good for our souls, but it makes travel • Kids are adaptable and all the more special. When resilient. Everyone asks how the you’re constantly traveling kids fared, but honestly, I think and seeing amazing things, it they did better than us adults. stops being so phenomenal. They learned to deal with And that shouldn’t be. The crowded public transportation, extraordinary is what it is waiting in long lines, unfamiliar because of the ordinary. food, confusing language Q: What were some unex- barriers, and different subtle pected obstacles on your trip? 54 Solutions