So now we are on this grand adventure...yet, I think it’s important that I share some context around what spurred our decision to pack up our stuff and start this 12 month travel adventure (in the interest of brevity, I will just list the key considerations):
Desire to combine Experiential Learning with Homeschooling – For a long time Daisy and I discussed homeschooling our kids, but we found the Chicago Waldorf School and were extremely happy. Yet, traditional schools (even Chicago Waldorf) are still limited by their physical bricks and mortar. We felt Zoey and Mira would learn so much if we allowed them to experience diverse locations and cultures and align it with a homeschool curriculum.
Allow us some flexibility to be closer to family and friends – We have family and friends in locations throughout the United States and Asia. In the past, I found it terribly challenging to plan travel (especially to Asia) when we were limited to only certain times during the school year. Homeschooling has given us the flexibility to travel on our schedule and to visit locations which complement Zoey's and Mira's curriculum.
Broaden my exposure at work – I work for Bluewolf, a global salesforce.com consulting firm, where I lead their Higher Education and Nonprofit practice. We are a global firm with employees scattered throughout the world, in and around 14 different offices. I felt this was an opportunity to spend extended periods of time in different offices, building stronger relationships with my Bluewolf colleagues and getting closer to my customer base in those regions.
Opportunity for personal and professional development – I knew this adventure was going to challenge my perspective on how I define office work, how I balanced work and life, and how I nurtured my relationships with Daisy and my kids. I was going to have to let go of some of the perceptions and stories I've told myself since I was an adolescent and redefine what my true authentic place as an accepting citizen of the world.
The decision to do this was a bit daunting at first (and to a certain extent downright scary). But now as I look back at the decision we made, I am grateful that we have the opportunity to take part in such a grand experience.
Next up...planning vs reality!
Desire to combine Experiential Learning with Homeschooling – For a long time Daisy and I discussed homeschooling our kids, but we found the Chicago Waldorf School and were extremely happy. Yet, traditional schools (even Chicago Waldorf) are still limited by their physical bricks and mortar. We felt Zoey and Mira would learn so much if we allowed them to experience diverse locations and cultures and align it with a homeschool curriculum.
Allow us some flexibility to be closer to family and friends – We have family and friends in locations throughout the United States and Asia. In the past, I found it terribly challenging to plan travel (especially to Asia) when we were limited to only certain times during the school year. Homeschooling has given us the flexibility to travel on our schedule and to visit locations which complement Zoey's and Mira's curriculum.
Broaden my exposure at work – I work for Bluewolf, a global salesforce.com consulting firm, where I lead their Higher Education and Nonprofit practice. We are a global firm with employees scattered throughout the world, in and around 14 different offices. I felt this was an opportunity to spend extended periods of time in different offices, building stronger relationships with my Bluewolf colleagues and getting closer to my customer base in those regions.
Opportunity for personal and professional development – I knew this adventure was going to challenge my perspective on how I define office work, how I balanced work and life, and how I nurtured my relationships with Daisy and my kids. I was going to have to let go of some of the perceptions and stories I've told myself since I was an adolescent and redefine what my true authentic place as an accepting citizen of the world.
The decision to do this was a bit daunting at first (and to a certain extent downright scary). But now as I look back at the decision we made, I am grateful that we have the opportunity to take part in such a grand experience.
Next up...planning vs reality!
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