Family Gap Year Post #3: Our Possible List of Family Gap Year Destinations
I’m obsessed with the idea of a Family Gap Year. I still can’t believe we’re actually thinking about. I’m continuing to talk with my team and our Board of Directors about whether I could effectively do my job remotely for a year.
My master Google sheet is growing. I started a Budget tab straight away. I realized that if we can figure out a way to rent out our house in order to cover our mortgage, sell our cars, work remotely, and stick to more affordable accommodations, we might actually be able to pull this off (um…I will ignore the long list of “ifs”…).
We started making a list of places we’ve always wanted to visit (or places we wanted to re-visit). I also just did a general scan of AirBnB and added random places to the list, based on inexpensive and intriguing accommodations I was able to find. That list includes:
- British Virgin Islands
- Thailand
- Bali
- Croatia
- Australia (again for our family)
- Vietnam
- Denmark
- Sweden
- Albania
- France (again for Matt and me)
- New Zealand
- United Kingdom (again for Matt and me)
- South Africa
- Costa Rica (again for me)
- Alaska
- Iceland
- Puerto Rico
- Sri Lanka
- India (again for me)
- Ireland (again for Matt)
- Brazil
- Uruguay
- Turkey
- Japan
It’s not clear whether we will try to purchase Around the World airline tickets or just buy individual tickets, but, either way, we will want to generally go in an around-the-world direction. I also love the idea of chasing summer (that’s the California + Florida girl in me).
If you are interested in reading additional post about our Family Gap Year planning, you can go here.
10 Comments
Kate
For sure, check out AfriCamps in South Africa. They might be perfect for you guys!
(I have no conneciton to them other than being a regular commenter here and having been a happy customer last year).
Sara Cotner
I will definitely look into, Kate. Thank you so much for the suggestion and for hanging out around these parts!
Mamaschlick
Have you looked into house trades? You could effectively trade with another family who wants to visit Texas, in exchange for their home wherever you’re going. Or at least one of your destinations. I forgot the name of it- maybe home exchange? You could hire a cleaning crew remotely and ask a friend to just do a check, in between visitors. Just a thought!
Sara Cotner
Thank you for chiming in! I have been looking into home exchanges for sure. You can earn credits by lending your home to some people and then use the credits to rent someone else’s house. It doesn’t have to be a direct swap. It’s really cool!
Mary B.
Do American teachers have the options of teacher-swaps? I have several colleagues that have swapped teaching positions and homes with International teachers. Scotland and Australia were two options. It was neat to follow their blogs and newsletters to learn all about the similarities and differences between school systems.
Sara Cotner
What an interesting idea! I would be keeping my job as an Executive Director of a non-profit and Matt would be homeschooling the boys.
Ruby Kinzie
I am thinking of moving my kids to Puerto Rico for a gap year currently. Outside of almost purchasing a car on the island and having the tickets purchased, I don’t have much. The initial idea was to move there abd have them attend school to learn Spanish but now I’m thinking that may just be the same level of stress in CA. I just want them to take a break, do some homeschooling, explore the island, people, food. (The budget is already done too!) I’m just trying to find anyone doing this or thinking about so I can make the best decision for my family. Would love your any information you’ve gathered.
PS. Them not attending private schools frees up $$$ for adventures.
Sara Cotner
Do it, Ruby! Our years with our children are so short. This sounds like an amazing opportunity for you and your family! It sounds like you have figured out so much already. What is holding you back from moving forward?
Olivia
I love watching this take shape! Don’t be daunted by the “ifs” — look at how much you’ve brought to fruition. You’ve got the skill set to make this happen.
And don’t underestimate the power of a good exchange rate.
Sara Cotner
Thank you for your encouragement, Olivia!