When we travel, we are not vacationing. We are not tourists, but we aren’t expatriates either. John and I are able to work online, and Lydian is homeschooled so we are able to live and work anywhere in the world where there is an Internet connection. We have different reasons for traveling. The challenge of living in a foreign country keeps us entertained. Sometimes traveling to a foreign country allows us to avoid the extreme cold of winter or the extreme heat of summer in Nebraska. Mostly though, we travel for long periods of time just because we love it.
Our lives continue in foreign places. We go to the grocery store. We clean the bathroom, cook, and do laundry just as we do at home, but in the culturally sanctioned manner of the country where we’re living. Our work continues on. We take seven changes of clothing and only the very basic necessities for our daily lives. We learn as much of the language as we can in order to communicate with locals. The experience is fun and exciting as well as exhausting and challenging. One of our biggest goals is to stay healthy abroad by eating well and continuing to get plenty of exercise. Sounds simple enough, but the basic necessities of survival and good health can pose a big challenge in some countries!
As more people obtain work online, their ability to travel and live for long or short periods of time abroad is enhanced. As a family, we are unique in that we have all worked together to structure our lifestyle to accommodate our desire to travel. Our blog reflects our day to day experiences and observations about the places we visit usually for 30 days or more. Our hope is that our blog will offer insight into the experience of working or living abroad as a family for longer periods of time while maintaining connections to home in the United States.