Take the Trip

This summer, my husband, our five kids (ages 14, 12, 10, 7, and 4), and I hit the road to travel out West in our camper for an epic, ten-week adventure.

We had been dreaming of this for years and, after an unexpected situation came up with our house, we felt that God was making a way for us where there had been no way before. It was truly an incredible summer. We made memories as a family that will last a lifetime, and I have realized a few things that I feel are worth sharing with other families.

• Kids really do learn best when they actually experience things. Our family enjoys a good map, and my son was already a bit of a geography nerd. When it came to planning our trip, our whole family would spend hours planning travels in an atlas. When we finally were able to see the places we had pointed at on the map in real life, it helped all our kids (even the four-year-old) have a better understanding of U.S. geography. Things we had only read about in school were right in front of us (or sometimes under our feet). Mesas, mountains, plains, deserts, oceans, and rivers gain a whole new meaning when reading about them once you have actually seen them.

• Kids are excited to learn when they can participate in making decisions. This was a family-planned trip in every sense of the word. We had all dreamed of this for more than two years, and the kids were just as invested in our plans as my husband and I. They dreamed right alongside us as we listed the places we would visit and the things we hoped to see. Once we were finally able to hit the road, we made most of those dreams a reality. Every person in our family had at least one day where they got to enjoy an activity or place they had personally suggested. We spent most of the summer hiking on trails and visiting places we had learned about in our history lessons. We weren’t even visiting the typical “kid vacation” spots, but our kids seriously loved every minute. Since arriving back home, all of our kids have been excitedly telling friends and family about the things we learned at each new stop and location.

• Kids are more capable than adults give them credit for. Our kids are not highly-trained athletes, but on more than one occasion they hiked miles at a time. They conquered mountains and dunes towering high into the sky. The more our kids tried, the more I could see their confidence grow. This was similar for new experiences and foods. On this trip, we encouraged the kids to try lots of new things. Instead of turning their noses up, they almost always gave the new things a shot before making a decision. This is out of the ordinary for a few of my kids because they tend to love a predictable routine and don’t like to step out of their comfort zones. Honestly, I was really surprised at my kids’ willingness to try things and push themselves without much prompting.

• There are opportunities to learn around every corner and at every age. My husband works during the day and is not home for most of our school time. Multiple times this summer, by the end of the day our kids knew more about a location or part of history than he did. The kids loved teaching dad and catching him up. I had never realized how absolutely incredible the National Parks really are. I knew a little about them, but I was blown away by the beauty and differences in each park we visited. We originally decided on this trip because I wanted to show the kids the places we had learned about during all these years of homeschooling, but after this summer, I am certain that my husband and I learned as much (if not more) than our kids.

• There are so many ways to travel and there are options for every budget. This trip was far beyond our budget if we would have been flying or staying in hotels for all 10 weeks. We did purchase a camper, but the camper we bought only cost us about $200 a month (and renting campsites in many cases is only a third of the cost of a typical hotel). For families on a tighter budget than ours, there are locations all over America for tent camping. Tent sites tend to cost less than RV campsites and in some cases are even free. Our family was able to save even more by cooking our meals  instead of eating out. Gas prices were a bit challenging, especially in California, but there are apps to help you find the best prices. Plus, if you stay in one location for an extended amount of time, you will spend much less on gas. The cost of traveling can be as expensive or as budget friendly as you choose. You just have to be willing to consider all your options and do your research.

• Connections with other people teach us as much as the experiences themselves. Another learning experience I hadn’t considered was how much we would learn from other people as we traveled. We spend a lot of our days together as a family even when we’re home, but I watched the relationships between our kids grow and strengthen as we shared all these new experiences. I was also shocked by the kindness of complete strangers on more than one occasion. Social media and this year of quarantine has made the world feel very divided. Getting back out in the world and meeting other families as we traveled was a surprise blessing that I wasn’t anticipating. So many people were incredibly kind, encouraging, and excited to share their knowledge with our family. Learning flourished as we made connections with others on our trip and listened to their personal stories and experiences. Connections with others make all the difference. As an introvert, I needed that reminder.
  

This summer was an incredible experience for our whole family, and I was blown away by all the learning that happened in the most unexpected settings. We have already started planning our trip for next summer and can’t wait to create more memories as a family. If traveling is something that you have ever considered, take the leap and take the trip. You won’t regret it!

MEET OUR AUTHOR

CRYSTAL ALLEN

Crystal Allen is the Eligibility & Accommodations Coordinator at HomeLife Academy, and is currently homeschooling her five children through HLA in Tennessee.