6 Months on the Road
It’s been 6 months since we hit the road and said goodbye to our friends and family. 6 months since I walked out the door and left my job and my work family. 6 months and 10 countries under our belts. 6 months on the road, what have we learned?
There have been countless experiences that we have missed. Kids having the last day of school, summer camp, first day of school, and more. But we have had countless new experiences in so many countries and it has been wonderful.
The things that had me worried before we left, like being 24×7 with my kids and spouse, haven’t been a problem. We have been well under our budget (by 12.5%). Travel has been for the most part routine. We have had some hiccups, Keith getting pick-pocketed in Paris is a major one. But overall, it the obstacles haven’t been big ones.
I knew we would miss our friends and family. I didn’t know how much. Frankly, for the kids and the adults, this has been the absolute hardest part. The kids miss their friends and the social aspects of being a kid. Technology helps, but it is a poor substitute. We miss everyone. We miss Friday nights eating pizza watching the kids ride bikes or play in the pool. We miss the spontaneous trips to the beach where we all play and hang out. We miss soccer games and practices. We miss book clubs, happy hours, game nights, chats in cubicles, lunches with friends, walks to school, coffee breaks, and nights where you have a beer for with some good friends just because.
I’m glad we didn’t know how much we would miss this, otherwise we might not have gone at all.
6 months in, we have spent $43476.98 on our travel. That is $59.72 per person per day. Where has our money gone?
Lodging: 36.9%
Transportation:21.9%
Food: 21.9%
Activities 13.2%
Entertainment 1.3%
Misc: 4.8%
Where we have slept each night:
36 With family / friends
22 In Hotels
115 In AirBnbs / rented apartments (14 different apartments / cottages)
2 On Trains
7 On a boat
182 nights
We have moved 27 times in 6 months!
The next 6 months we have planned for about 20 moves, so stayed tuned and see where we head next.
Your work family misses you, too!
I have to ask about those “figures”. Fourty three thousand? I don’t see any listed as being spent on actual travel, like airfare, boats, trains, etc… Is that included or is that separate?
That is included in the transportation line item. Everything is included.
Let us know when you are almost back in town, and we will schedule a game night.
We are definitely up for a game night!