Sometimes you don’t see the challenge until it’s passed, and you’re sitting in the calm as the newest version of you.
With no definitive end point to our upcoming hike, we decided to go back to the UK from our home in Portugal to enjoy a month with family and friends; to share not just the Christmas frenzy, but more importantly, some quiet, quality time with our nearest and dearest.
We did just that and it was wonderful to reconnect with my Dad and Step-Mum, siblings, nephews and niece and best friends. Max and Sofia bonded with them all which was beautiful to see (as this is a much missed aspect of living abroad).
However, mixed in with the fun, laughter and festivities, was the elephant in the room!…the sizable adventure lying before us. “What the hell are you doing?!”
Not everyone understands what we are doing and most don’t understand why. The doubt, the questioning, the concern and the judgement over the course of the visit became a heavy burden to bear, despite this always coming from a place of deep love and care.
It’s hard to convey where I am on my personal journey; having grown so much in the last couple of years… I’m still getting to know this newest version of me. So understandably, trying to put this into words is far from a Shakespeare’s monologue. But one thing has become clear…you either get this kind of decision or you don’t…and I feel ready to let go of the need to defend it.
One of the primary things we are focused on is the well-being of the kids and from many conversations, this seems to be the main concern of others.
We openly admit that until we’re out there, we have no idea how this will go. We’ve done practice hikes which have been fantastic and only consolidated our faith and belief in the plans. However, we’ve always had a home to return to.
Whilst moving about from home to home over the Christmas period, fitting in with other people’s agendas and intentions, it became very clear how challenging this was for the little ones. As parents with small kids sharing a living space, (even with friends or family) we found ourselves on high alert about the children making too much noise…disturbing the peace…making a mess…breaking something…remembering their manners! It was exhausting and in hindsight, it is so clear the impact that it had on them. Our energy became their energy and when we were stressed, they were stressed which was portrayed in their behaviour.
With this experience, the question arises…will long term travel have the same heightened stress on the kids?
So far our experience has found this not to be the case. As soon as we return to our family unit, free to reset to our own vibration, sing to our own tune and dance our own dance, the children return to their true selves, whether travelling or at home. It seems that the security comes not from routine, but from the four of us as a family unit, and that the stability comes not from four walls but from the consistency of our energy, parenting and emotions (give or take the usual fluctuations of family emotions!).
Time will tell if this continues as the weeks and months pass on the hike. However, I believe that no matter how unconventional it is, challenging roads lead to beautiful destinations.
If you want to discover your truth, you have to be brave enough to live it…and so with sixty nine days left to departure, the preparation continues!
I’d love to hear your experiences of long term travel with kids and welcome your comments below.
Laura x