Trifter

My whole life, I have been bombarded with the message that you need to travel the world and have all your adventures at an early age. Definitely before you get “settled” with a regular job, a regular wife (or husband),  in a regular house, and have regular children. Because by then, you will be trapped in a boring life and never go out and DO something again.

Get that lie out of your mind! If your college days are over, that is NOT the end of your life! And if you’re still in the “adventure age”, you might want to think about taking a few trips now, but postponing your trip around the globe for a few years: there are a number of specific benefits of doing so.

My parents’ friends took their young teenagers around the world for nine months! They visited all kinds of exotic countries, and even joined organized events like “spend two weeks with Chinese farmers and learn what their life is all about”.

Why is it a good idea to travel the world with your kids?

1. You will have much more money available because you’ve been working a number years.
2. Your children learn much more than they could ever get from the text books in school.
3. Your family will become a more closely-knit unit than you could ever imagine.
4. You are more healthy and fit for traveling than after retirement.
5. When you are old, you do not need to tell those “when I was young” stories about your travel adventures, that your children find inspiring but also difficult to relate to.

But aren’t there a lot of practical problems? I mean, what about my job?

If you’ve worked for more than 10 years, you can take a break and find a new job when you return.

Where do I get the money?

If you need to keep working just to make ends meet, you are living in luxury and / or your house is too big. (Of course, some people are not highly educated and work poorly paid jobs. In that case, it really is difficult to get out and travel the world – though hopefully not impossible).

My children can’t just quit school…

Sure they can! There are good correspondence school programmes available. Just make sure they do all their homework and send in their tests on time!

The bottom line is: There is life after marriage! The adventure is not over yet! Take your family around the world, because it will be one of the most rewarding activities of your life.