Intro: why should we give our kids passports???

About a year ago, Jodee read an interesting blog about a family who was traveling the world with their kids.  He mentioned it to me and the seed was planted.  We both thought it would be amazing but weren't sure if we could actually do it.  We started researching and planning and the idea turned from a hopeful dream into reality!  It's a mixed bag of emotions - lots of excitement and lots of anxiety, too!  Are we really up for this crazy adventure?! Let's hope so!

We've had mixed reactions when we've told people that we're leaving our comfortable, suburban life to travel around the world with our kids for a year.  Especially when we tell them our first stop is Mexico (more on that later).  A few raised eyebrows and "that's crazy" comments, but most of the feedback is positive.  Apparently lots of you want to do the same thing, but just aren't sure how!  So you can follow along on our journey here, and see if it's something you might want to do someday - or just live vicariously through us!  :)  Either way, I hope you enjoy the ride!

On to the first part of this journey - our reasons for doing it.  Why should we give our kids passports and take them all around the world?  Here are the reasons behind our "why":

1. To spend more time as a family, away from distractions and everyday stress

2. To expose our kids to new cultures and new experiences and get them out of the "bubble" of American life

3.  To give our kids a better learning environment, beyond traditional school

4. To connect with each other and bond as a family

5. To create spectacular family memories that we can look back on and cherish


And a smaller reason why is that Jodee and I both love to travel and we don't want to wait until we're older to go to all the places we want to see!  So the kids get to come along for the ride.  :)  But seriously, we don't know what the future holds and we want to enjoy life with our kids now, while we're still healthy and sort of young.  Carpe diem!