As we wind down our 12 day trip in Los Angeles, I have to admit wanting to stay longer or to at least explore other cities. Sure I would miss my pets, and my own bed, and my family and my friends, but I finally understand why some homeschoolers take off for a year or two of learning adventures.
Looking at all of the work I had to do to leave home for less than 2 weeks, I know that to leave home for months or even a year would be alot more difficult. I not only have a home that must be tended to, but all of the costs associated with owning a home and familial and business responsibilities.
I imagine that traveling while homeschooling would be very expensive. I know that traveling for just 12 days cost an amount that easily equaled a house payment, car payment, and also doubled my food bill. We would have to eliminate our home expenses or put away enough money to live for two years in order to travel for one.
Then there’s the question: Can I talk my teenage kids into traveling for a year? Teenagers don’t like you messing with their routine. They like their drama club, their get togethers, their lessons, their church friends. The idea of taking a whole year off could be very stressful to them.
For those who can find the money, arrange the time, and get the family to buy into the idea, a year on the road can be very fulfilling. Students learn geography and history in a way that is relevant and interesting. The family gets a change to bond together more closely. As homeschoolers, learning can easily be arranged around adventures.
A great many homeschoolers have ventured forth for a year or more on the road, and many more do it each year. Biking from Alaska to Argentina: A Homeschooling Road Trip tells of one such trip.
One famous homeschooler who made travel a part of their homeschool experience is Lisa Welchel, a former child star who went on to raise and homeschool her own childrne. Read about her adventures here.
If you want to know what homeschooling on the road is like, read 20 questions for RV families. RV trips are probably the easiest for homeschoolers to handle. You can rent out your home or get a house sitter to take care of your pets. You can buy or rent an RV, and not have to worry about airline tickets and hotel rooms for the most part.
As much as I love being on the road away from home, I would have to do a trial period first before as could commit to such a thing.
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