New Friends & The Next Big Thing(s)!!
May 24, 2011 in North America, Travelogue, United States
Marshmallows- by our friend, Bryan Powers
There are nothing like cool nights, sticky marshmallow fingers and music around a camp fire.
The rain let up just long enough for us to have a quiet weekend. We did plenty of laughing, played a few games, bounced a basket ball and hiked the celery green spring forest.
The best part was making new friends.
That’s the best part of our whole lives, really, the people we love and who love us back. Because we move around so much we’re always finding new friends and we’re always missing the old ones.
This particular family is just our kind of crazy. They’re in the middle stages of planning a major life change that will move them around the planet as a family of nomads. We like that.
There was a lot of gypsy “geek speak” going on:
- Where we’ve been
- Where we’re going
- How to juggle education and work on chicken buses or Chinese trains
- What to do about toddlers and adjustments
- Gear comparison
- Simplicity struggles
- Healthcare abroad
It’s not often we find families that live in the same world that we do and actually get to MEET them in the real world.
The Mussler Family is nothing if not inspiring. Listening to their dreams and their plans, the action they’re taking now and how far they’ve already come just got our creative juices flowing again.
We’ve spent the last mont on re-entry, which is always a tough process. Now we’re ready to think about the next big thing.
It’s not just one big thing, actually, but two, and they’ve been in the works for a while now.
1. The Mama Bus Adventure
My friend Lois has had a long term dream of taking a cross country road trip with her kids. She has seven of them, aged 2-15. Last fall she and I started talking about the feasibility of doing that trip together, which would bring the kid count to ELEVEN aged 15 and younger. I’m about to remember what traveling with toddlers is like, again!
My backpacking friend pointed out, with an incredulous stare, that we were Bat $#*! crazy. Perhaps he’s right, but we’re going anyway.
June 1st we’ll launch the website for that adventure and there will be lots of exciting ways to get involved. Needless to say, it’s a road trip of epic proportions and you’re not going to want to miss a moment of this adventure.
If you’re in the USA, then perhaps you can meet us somewhere!
2. Asia!!!
There’s been a lot of talk this winter about “what’s next.” Our overarching goal has always been to get the kids’ feet on all of the continents before we launch them into the world on their own paths.
Asia is definitely next and we’re ALL wildly excited!
The big question: How to get there?
- The Trans-Siberian Railway is our first choice. We’d like to fly into St. Petersburg, Russia, doodle around the west coast a while then take the train Moscow to Beijing through Ulan Bator, Mongolia. Talk about the trip of a lifetime, but we’re not sure we can swing it financially… it’s not cheap!!
- Fly into India. This seems the most likely secondary scenario. Air travel is not our favourite and it’s always our biggest budget item. We just need to get on the ground somewhere for as cheap as possible and from there we can walk, bus, train, ferry, or whatever. If you have experience or thoughts on this that would save us some foot work, SHARE THEM PLEASE!!
The next big question: When?!
As soon as possible!
- If we get our wish: this fall.
- If not, then perhaps January.
It all depends on how much work Tony has over the summer and how quickly we get our financial ducks clucking happily on our nest egg again. Either way, it won’t be long and there is MUCH to arrange before then, not the least of which is sorting the visa situation, country by country. That will be a new rodeo for us!
So those are our big announcements! Let the flood of questions begin!!
If you have any thoughts, ideas, contacts, or input on either of the aforementioned projects, PLEASE contact me and enlighten me!! We’re in full on planning mode over here!
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What a great trip ahead you guys have! Being originally from Russia I can’t wait to take my kids there so they can fully immerse in that country and speak Russian Fluently, since I’m the only one that speaks it to them and they think I’m a freak 🙂
I think Nadine Hudson has good experience travelling in Asia and could share many practical tips with you.
It will be really curious you who travelled such time on west, finally get to east. It´s almost a reborn for a travel soul!!
Blessed family you are.
Light on your paths!
Yanna
Hey Jenn! Your trip sounds like fun! The only friend I have that would even entertain that idea is a boat dwelling gal and I’m not one for the seas. :o)
I’m sure you’ve heard of Jeanne with Soul Travelers 3…they just spent the winter in Malaysia. They ended up skipping India because of the red tape, but I think that was because they tried to make visa arrangements from outside of the US. She’s very helpful.
Susan :o)
Another reason to make sure Thailand is on your list: the food. I’ve been all over, and nothing compares to the food there. And did I mention the food? 🙂
One thing that shocked me in Thailand and Laos when we were there last year is that people will literally snatch your baby right out of your arms and walk away with him to show him to everyone. I thought my 9mo was going to be abducted more than once, and I panicked, but it’s just a cultural thing. Those countries are very child-friendly, and you will see people smiling at you everywhere you go. Laos is nice for an off-the-beaten-path place that has some tourism but not too much.
Just watch out for the ANTS!!!
Yep. Jeanne and I have followed each other for years. She’s a sweetie! We took note of their visa drama and will definitely be sorting that from the USA later this summer. No question.
Oh yes, the food in Thailand! My favorite cuisine, if I had to pick one.
Indian Visa Drama sounds all too familiar! My favorite was the time I went to the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu for about the 73rd time, only to find they were closed for Good Friday. Hmmmm…..
I second the suggestion about flying to Bangkok first rather than Delhi. India is awesome, but incredibly intense. There are a lot of negatives mixed in with all the positives. It’s so crowded, so poor, so much hardship, so dirty, so smelly, so much disease and suffering… In all my travels, I can’t compare anything to India. I cried daily when I was there, and I don’t cry very easily. There is overcrowding and poverty in SE Asia, but it is much less overwhelming.
Thanks Lisa! That seems to be the consensus! Tony is not too excited about some of the very aspects of India that you cited. We’ll definitely be thinking carefully about where we drop in to start the journey!
Sounds wonderfu,l bring those 15 kids (mama buss trip) to my housethis summer with my six it will be 21. Madras Oregon. I would love to meet you. We have thought about hitting the road in 2 years after we sell everything. Just toying with the Idea for now. We may just want to hit the mountains instead. Blessings.
Raelyn, Thanks for the invite!! We’d love to see you when we’re in Oregon. I know we’re going to have a meet up party, we’ll make sure you get invited! Let me know if there is any way I can help you forward with your dream of travel… it took us 2 years to get everything ready to launch too, I know how that goes!