Travel can be tough if you go against the norms of society. You left the career path you had lined up to do what? You’re travelling the world with two kids under 5…are you nuts??
You could listen to others…or you could do what you knew was right for you. For Billy and Scarlett Thomas the standard well-worn path of get career, have kids just didn’t feel right.
There motto is “have kids, will travel” and indeed they do! Since leaving the United States 3 years ago their young family have journeyed through much of Europe, and Central and South America discovering what people and life has to offer along the way.
Today we talk with the Thomas’s during a break catching up with family in Utah (they are about to head to Japan for six months). During our talk they discuss the expectations that society can put on you as a graduate and as parents, and how what they have done have helped both them and their children grow. They also discuss education options for children when travelling and how you can combine travel with running a bricks and mortar business back home.
You can follow their travels on Scarlett’s blog http://dancingontheground.weebly.com and talk with Billy about running a bricks and mortar business remotely at www.highergroundlearning.com
What I learned from speaking with Billy and Scarlett:
Children are not a barrier to doing this. Their children have embraced international travel and the experience of learning in foreign schools. They are happier and healthier for the experience and have to learn to interact with others more freely than what they may have done in a conventional environment. You can’t (and shouldn’t) protect your children from the realities of life. Their kids have seen drunks in the street and know that the world is not always a perfect place. That’s life – protecting them from it may make you feel better but it doesn’t necessarily serve them in the long run You can run a bricks and mortar business from the other side of the world. The Thomas’s have not let their business hold them back and have discovered the advantages of earning $US while living in pesos elsewhere. If you’re willing to empower others then your business needn’t hold you back.