As an unschooling parent, I often struggle with the thoughts of what happens to all the other children that are still in the public school system. While we believe very strongly in the benefits of having our children at home and following an unschooling lifestyle, I know that it is simply not possible for everyone. What can be done to help those children?
How can we care so much about our children while knowingly walking away from the other kids that are stuck in what I feel is a completely inefficient model for gaining knowledge? We can’t completely ignore these challenges. While I am not there in the U.S. to personally advocate changes, I can offer up some tips to help bring some homeschooling philosophies of learning into the classroom. It will require an open mind and a willingness to try something new, but I believe these ideas could revolutionize the way our public education system functions.
It will seem idealistic to some, but isn’t that what we need? Our children deserve new ideas to help guide them into the quickly changing future. Our school systems are deeply rooted in an archaic mindset and it is vital that we change that sooner rather than later.
I started to think of what an ideal school setting would look like to me, as an unschooler. If we look at the ways in which home educators teach, there are many components that can be introduced on a larger scale and used in schools now! In my opinion, these things could make our children successful on a whole new level. Happiness, confidence, and seeking out their own passions can take precedence even on a large scale.
The following ideas are how I think that can be achieved.
5 Ideas from Unschooling to Help Public Education:
Change the way we view educating children
“The secret of education is respecting the pupil.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
First and foremost, we need to begin by looking at all children as individuals and make sure that they know it is okay to be exactly who they are. Acceptance by others is one of the easiest ways we can instill a positive sense of self esteem. One of our biggest problems with a mass education system is that children are judged on one path and one centrally-dictated curriculum. They are also constantly compared to peers and encouraged to do things no matter what their ideas of happiness or success are.
Throw away the list of arbitrary rules that make children feel mistrusted right out of the gate. Children need to feel like they are being guided, not controlled. Allow them the freedom to make choices individually about what they would like to do for at least part of the day, and then respect and encourage those choices. By showing children respect, we will gain it too -- as well as boosting their self esteem and allowing them to pursue subjects of their passion. This can be done by simply allowing them choice and encouragement! This concept is already proving successful by some Montessori schools.
So many children dislike school yet they spend a huge percentage of their lives within those walls. By treating children as equals rather than subordinates that need to be controlled, it's my opinion that they will enjoy their childhood and find excitement in learning.
Apprenticeships
Most people learn best by doing! As soon as kids are 12 or so, I think it would be a great idea to offer different internships in the fields that cannot be covered in the classroom. Get children out in the community learning from everyone around them. Let children follow their passion and see how far they can take it.
Very little about being confined in school resembles the "real world". Why not get children out in it as soon as possible? Mechanics, plumbers, electricians, contractors, computer programmers, and even artists are all people that have a wealth of knowledge to offer, yet it seems as though what they do or what they have to offer counts for very little.
Many high schools in Northern Europe use apprenticeships as part of their standard curriculum. Most students graduate and can go right into a career already trained. While others may only need another year or two of university to build on their specialty. The whole system is less costly and more effective to educating young people for what profession they desire.
Accept that learning takes place all the time and in many ways
“Knowledge which is acquired under compulsion has no hold on the mind. Therefore, do not use compulsion, but let early education be rather a sort of amusement, this will better enable you to find out the natural bent of the child.” Plato
Whatever a child shows interest in is important, period. Let their creativity shine through in what ever way speaks to them. Offer as many possibilities in a day as possible, but never force anyone to partake. No real passion is born out of coercion. Passion is something we should be building up in children, that is how we will end up with happy adults that follow their dreams. Show them the possibilities in the world, not just the path that most take.
The hardest part is for adults (especially teachers and parents) to let go of what we have been taught is important. Useless facts, dates memorized, etc are all wonderful if pertinent to your life, but when it is not it very rarely stays with us anyhow. We need to show our kids that what they love has value, whether that is playing video games, learning about animals, or reading Shakesphere. It all holds value and they ARE learning all the time.
Disclaimer: Even most unschoolers feel that reading and basic math are important, as they are the basic tools that help us learn on our own. However, even these can be taught in creative ways that tickle the passions of the student. For instance, math concepts can be taught playing card games or calculating outcomes of reward system, and reading can be taught using only material the student wants to learn about.
Open the system up for competition
Class size is perhaps the biggest challenge to implementing some of the other changes suggested here. Of course, homeschoolers are usually in a one-on-one situation which is obviously not achievable in public education. However, nearly everyone in education would agree that smaller class sizes are more beneficial to the students. The question becomes how best to achieve this goal?
For years the debate has been about money. Special interests on all sides say more money is needed to achieve this goal. Yet, America already spends far more per student than any other developed nation -- with rather unimpressive results I might add. The U.S. government currently spends over $10K per year to educate each student. Sure, more money might be helpful to achieve this goal if spent properly. However, trusting that will happen with all of the special interests and bureaucracies seeking their cut is highly unlikely.
In my opinion, the only way to reduce class sizes in public schools is to open them to competition. In other words, open public funding to private schools to compete with public schools. Drop the centrally-dictated curriculum or board-certified teachers requirements for these private schools to receive funds and let the free market determine who's most effective at educating our children. Naturally, parents want the best for their children and will choose a school that gains a reputation for success, however it is defined by the parent. Whether the school is geared toward apprenticeships, learning foreign languages, the arts, meditation, or sports shouldn't matter in regards to how funds are distributed. Again, it's more about choice.
We don't need to look any farther than Canada to find an example of how this could work. In Calgary, students can choose between public schools, Montessori, Catholic schools, and a host of other private schools. Each of these schools receives funding per student as if they're a public school. However, each is still strictly regulated by curriculum and teacher certifications. I say shave those regulations back even further and let parents decide what's important in a school.
Utilize technology
“If the schooling system does not rapidly close the gap between what it does, and what it should do in response to the demands of the 21st century, it will simply become irrelevant.” David Hood
I know that many schools and individual teachers are starting to see the importance of this but I think it needs to be happening at an even faster pace. The world is so much different decade to decade, we need to help keep our children on track. I would argue that teaching and utilizing technology effectively in education may be one of the most important things to helping prepare our children.
So many jobs that are now supporting families did not even exist five years ago. Personally, our family's travel lifestyle is only possible because of the Internet and this technology. Keeping that knowledge from children or making them feel that it is a less valuable way to spend their time seems completely outrageous to me. They need to learn it, in order to be able to make educated choices about their own future.
Tablets like iPads are just the latest gadgets that parents are told can be damaging to our children, but I wholeheartedly disagree. Young boys and girls need to know how to function on these tablets in order to open up all possibilities to them in the future. It's far more beneficial than spending countless hours practicing penmanship which still goes on in schools. Besides the operation knowledge of this technology, the educational applications are endless and the Kindle app holds thousands of backpacks worth of books.
Finally, with these handheld devices, students literally have access to all of the world's knowledge in the palm of their hand. The ramifications of that ability on our current brick-and-mortar educational paradigm are almost too many to list. I do not expect that my unschooled kids spend the entire day on the Internet, but allowing children to play games and learn in unconventional ways online will allow them to discover technology first hand and learn how to harness it.
5 things to take out of schools:
Separation of children by age
The practice of separating children by age only fosters the idea that we cannot work with others that are different. This couldn't be farther from the truth. Not only is working with different ages good for development but it also keeps in mind the highly variable rates at which young children develop. Not all five-year-olds are on the same level. Why not offer them the opportunity to learn from older children or to help younger ones?
Having a wide range of ages in a classroom will do a couple things. For starters, young children seem to benefit greatly by learning from older children, as they love to emulate older siblings and peers. Older children gain a confidence and pride in helping others and learn to be more tolerant and considerate of others when they are helping younger children. It benefits everyone and can easily be arranged.
Mentorship programs are wonderful and they work well. But why not offer that same type of interaction in school? Institute an age range of possibly 3-4 grade levels together at least for certain subjects and activities. Play with it and see what best works for the students. Montessori schools are already doing this and it works well to foster creativity and self-esteem. Two things that seem to be falling by the wayside in our school system at the moment.
Testing
“When test scores go up, we should worry, because of how poor a measure they are of what matters, and what you typically sacrifice in a desperate effort to raise scores.” Alfie Kohn
Testing our children is sold to us under the auspices of accountability. How on earth will we know what our children know and if the teachers are doing their job without the tests, they tell us. Accountability should come from parents and children’s happiness. Not every one will be pleased, but if the overall sentiment is positive and the children enjoy their days, that should be enough. Again, if parents had choices, they could simply choose a school that emphasizes testing or one that does not.
Universal testing of children is no longer an accurate measure of ability. Book smarts and ability are not universal. Additionally, many teachers complain that they are losing any autonomy they once had in the classroom in an effort to teach to the tests. The quality and flexibility of education drops as the focus is solely put on what the test makers think is important. Meanwhile, kids are having creativity and diversity sucked out of their lives. Finally, every answer to the questions on these so-called tests could be found or calculated with a tablet in seconds. So, really, what's the point?
Busy work
Busy work is a huge component to homework and the need for children to be in school so many hours a day. Relaxation or free time is not appreciated at all yet we all need it. Playing games and interacting with parents and siblings is a far more useful way for children to spend their time. If they are done with their work in the classroom, allow and encourage them to do what they want. They will still be busy, but busy working on what has value to them. Isn't that important enough? Even forcing them into full-time extracurricular activities can be harmful.
In my opinion, homework should be done away with altogether (I can hear all the children cheering now). When a second-grader is in school all day, five days a week, why on earth do they need to do more school work? It's madness! Mindless worksheets just to have the appearance that they are always working or always learning. I have news for you, they are always learning and usually most effectively through play. Get rid of homework all together, and allow children time to be with friends and family, play, and view the world on their own terms.
Long hours away from home
“We ask children to do for most of the day what few adults are able to do for even an hour. How many of us, attending, say, a lecture that doesn’t interest us, can keep our minds from wandering? Hardly any.” John Holt
Simply put, our children are overworked and separated for far too many hours from their family. Family ties are extremely important for child development, especially when children are young. Interaction with their siblings, parents, extended family and pets is vital to their formation of identity. At this point, we see our children for a very limited time during the day, and that time gets quickly eaten up with duties like extracurricular activities, homework, baths, dinner, and sleep.
Cut back the hours that they are in the classroom spent on traditional means of educating. If we have smaller class sizes, 4 hours a day should be plenty to gain what currently is achieved in 7 or so hours. If parents struggle with work commitments, then use that other time to allow children creative outlets to explore their world. Plant gardens, allow computer time, set up apprenticeships for older children, etc. Let children decide what they want to do and get them involved in it.
Institutional feel of classrooms
“If you wanted to create an education environment that was directly opposed to what the brain was good at doing, you would probably design something like a classroom.” John Medina
Schools and classrooms are overly institutional feeling, which is cold and unhealthy. The oppressive rules are increasingly prison-like. This stifles creativity and curiosity and makes our children accept the life of living in a box. I know building all new schools is not possible, but bringing the outdoors inside, allowing classroom time to be outdoors, colorfully painting and encouraging ideas from children are all things that can be done to help this.
When a new school is being built consider what would foster your own creativity, what would help allow you to see the world and all it's possibilities. Isn't that the best we can give to our children?
The bottom line is that no matter what you think of homeschooling or unschooling, the public education system needs a massive paradigm shift. How can it hurt to incorporate new ideas into the classroom? I know many of you reading will probably question how to fund these changes. But again I would argue that it may not be about increasing funding but rather a simple change in how and what we are funding.
"You may say I am a dreamer, but I'm not the only one." -- John Lennon. I know there are more people out there that see the pitfalls in the way our children are being educated. Let’s stand up together and make a change!
This article was originally written by us for Family on Bikes website !
How can we care so much about our children while knowingly walking away from the other kids that are stuck in what I feel is a completely inefficient model for gaining knowledge? We can’t completely ignore these challenges. While I am not there in the U.S. to personally advocate changes, I can offer up some tips to help bring some homeschooling philosophies of learning into the classroom. It will require an open mind and a willingness to try something new, but I believe these ideas could revolutionize the way our public education system functions.
It will seem idealistic to some, but isn’t that what we need? Our children deserve new ideas to help guide them into the quickly changing future. Our school systems are deeply rooted in an archaic mindset and it is vital that we change that sooner rather than later.
I started to think of what an ideal school setting would look like to me, as an unschooler. If we look at the ways in which home educators teach, there are many components that can be introduced on a larger scale and used in schools now! In my opinion, these things could make our children successful on a whole new level. Happiness, confidence, and seeking out their own passions can take precedence even on a large scale.
The following ideas are how I think that can be achieved.
5 Ideas from Unschooling to Help Public Education:
Change the way we view educating children
“The secret of education is respecting the pupil.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
First and foremost, we need to begin by looking at all children as individuals and make sure that they know it is okay to be exactly who they are. Acceptance by others is one of the easiest ways we can instill a positive sense of self esteem. One of our biggest problems with a mass education system is that children are judged on one path and one centrally-dictated curriculum. They are also constantly compared to peers and encouraged to do things no matter what their ideas of happiness or success are.
Throw away the list of arbitrary rules that make children feel mistrusted right out of the gate. Children need to feel like they are being guided, not controlled. Allow them the freedom to make choices individually about what they would like to do for at least part of the day, and then respect and encourage those choices. By showing children respect, we will gain it too -- as well as boosting their self esteem and allowing them to pursue subjects of their passion. This can be done by simply allowing them choice and encouragement! This concept is already proving successful by some Montessori schools.
So many children dislike school yet they spend a huge percentage of their lives within those walls. By treating children as equals rather than subordinates that need to be controlled, it's my opinion that they will enjoy their childhood and find excitement in learning.
Apprenticeships
Most people learn best by doing! As soon as kids are 12 or so, I think it would be a great idea to offer different internships in the fields that cannot be covered in the classroom. Get children out in the community learning from everyone around them. Let children follow their passion and see how far they can take it.
Very little about being confined in school resembles the "real world". Why not get children out in it as soon as possible? Mechanics, plumbers, electricians, contractors, computer programmers, and even artists are all people that have a wealth of knowledge to offer, yet it seems as though what they do or what they have to offer counts for very little.
Many high schools in Northern Europe use apprenticeships as part of their standard curriculum. Most students graduate and can go right into a career already trained. While others may only need another year or two of university to build on their specialty. The whole system is less costly and more effective to educating young people for what profession they desire.
Accept that learning takes place all the time and in many ways
“Knowledge which is acquired under compulsion has no hold on the mind. Therefore, do not use compulsion, but let early education be rather a sort of amusement, this will better enable you to find out the natural bent of the child.” Plato
Whatever a child shows interest in is important, period. Let their creativity shine through in what ever way speaks to them. Offer as many possibilities in a day as possible, but never force anyone to partake. No real passion is born out of coercion. Passion is something we should be building up in children, that is how we will end up with happy adults that follow their dreams. Show them the possibilities in the world, not just the path that most take.
Disclaimer: Even most unschoolers feel that reading and basic math are important, as they are the basic tools that help us learn on our own. However, even these can be taught in creative ways that tickle the passions of the student. For instance, math concepts can be taught playing card games or calculating outcomes of reward system, and reading can be taught using only material the student wants to learn about.
Open the system up for competition
Class size is perhaps the biggest challenge to implementing some of the other changes suggested here. Of course, homeschoolers are usually in a one-on-one situation which is obviously not achievable in public education. However, nearly everyone in education would agree that smaller class sizes are more beneficial to the students. The question becomes how best to achieve this goal?
For years the debate has been about money. Special interests on all sides say more money is needed to achieve this goal. Yet, America already spends far more per student than any other developed nation -- with rather unimpressive results I might add. The U.S. government currently spends over $10K per year to educate each student. Sure, more money might be helpful to achieve this goal if spent properly. However, trusting that will happen with all of the special interests and bureaucracies seeking their cut is highly unlikely.
In my opinion, the only way to reduce class sizes in public schools is to open them to competition. In other words, open public funding to private schools to compete with public schools. Drop the centrally-dictated curriculum or board-certified teachers requirements for these private schools to receive funds and let the free market determine who's most effective at educating our children. Naturally, parents want the best for their children and will choose a school that gains a reputation for success, however it is defined by the parent. Whether the school is geared toward apprenticeships, learning foreign languages, the arts, meditation, or sports shouldn't matter in regards to how funds are distributed. Again, it's more about choice.
We don't need to look any farther than Canada to find an example of how this could work. In Calgary, students can choose between public schools, Montessori, Catholic schools, and a host of other private schools. Each of these schools receives funding per student as if they're a public school. However, each is still strictly regulated by curriculum and teacher certifications. I say shave those regulations back even further and let parents decide what's important in a school.
Utilize technology
“If the schooling system does not rapidly close the gap between what it does, and what it should do in response to the demands of the 21st century, it will simply become irrelevant.” David Hood
I know that many schools and individual teachers are starting to see the importance of this but I think it needs to be happening at an even faster pace. The world is so much different decade to decade, we need to help keep our children on track. I would argue that teaching and utilizing technology effectively in education may be one of the most important things to helping prepare our children.
So many jobs that are now supporting families did not even exist five years ago. Personally, our family's travel lifestyle is only possible because of the Internet and this technology. Keeping that knowledge from children or making them feel that it is a less valuable way to spend their time seems completely outrageous to me. They need to learn it, in order to be able to make educated choices about their own future.
Tablets like iPads are just the latest gadgets that parents are told can be damaging to our children, but I wholeheartedly disagree. Young boys and girls need to know how to function on these tablets in order to open up all possibilities to them in the future. It's far more beneficial than spending countless hours practicing penmanship which still goes on in schools. Besides the operation knowledge of this technology, the educational applications are endless and the Kindle app holds thousands of backpacks worth of books.
Finally, with these handheld devices, students literally have access to all of the world's knowledge in the palm of their hand. The ramifications of that ability on our current brick-and-mortar educational paradigm are almost too many to list. I do not expect that my unschooled kids spend the entire day on the Internet, but allowing children to play games and learn in unconventional ways online will allow them to discover technology first hand and learn how to harness it.
5 things to take out of schools:
Separation of children by age
The practice of separating children by age only fosters the idea that we cannot work with others that are different. This couldn't be farther from the truth. Not only is working with different ages good for development but it also keeps in mind the highly variable rates at which young children develop. Not all five-year-olds are on the same level. Why not offer them the opportunity to learn from older children or to help younger ones?
Having a wide range of ages in a classroom will do a couple things. For starters, young children seem to benefit greatly by learning from older children, as they love to emulate older siblings and peers. Older children gain a confidence and pride in helping others and learn to be more tolerant and considerate of others when they are helping younger children. It benefits everyone and can easily be arranged.
Mentorship programs are wonderful and they work well. But why not offer that same type of interaction in school? Institute an age range of possibly 3-4 grade levels together at least for certain subjects and activities. Play with it and see what best works for the students. Montessori schools are already doing this and it works well to foster creativity and self-esteem. Two things that seem to be falling by the wayside in our school system at the moment.
Testing
“When test scores go up, we should worry, because of how poor a measure they are of what matters, and what you typically sacrifice in a desperate effort to raise scores.” Alfie Kohn
Testing our children is sold to us under the auspices of accountability. How on earth will we know what our children know and if the teachers are doing their job without the tests, they tell us. Accountability should come from parents and children’s happiness. Not every one will be pleased, but if the overall sentiment is positive and the children enjoy their days, that should be enough. Again, if parents had choices, they could simply choose a school that emphasizes testing or one that does not.
Universal testing of children is no longer an accurate measure of ability. Book smarts and ability are not universal. Additionally, many teachers complain that they are losing any autonomy they once had in the classroom in an effort to teach to the tests. The quality and flexibility of education drops as the focus is solely put on what the test makers think is important. Meanwhile, kids are having creativity and diversity sucked out of their lives. Finally, every answer to the questions on these so-called tests could be found or calculated with a tablet in seconds. So, really, what's the point?
Busy work
Busy work is a huge component to homework and the need for children to be in school so many hours a day. Relaxation or free time is not appreciated at all yet we all need it. Playing games and interacting with parents and siblings is a far more useful way for children to spend their time. If they are done with their work in the classroom, allow and encourage them to do what they want. They will still be busy, but busy working on what has value to them. Isn't that important enough? Even forcing them into full-time extracurricular activities can be harmful.
In my opinion, homework should be done away with altogether (I can hear all the children cheering now). When a second-grader is in school all day, five days a week, why on earth do they need to do more school work? It's madness! Mindless worksheets just to have the appearance that they are always working or always learning. I have news for you, they are always learning and usually most effectively through play. Get rid of homework all together, and allow children time to be with friends and family, play, and view the world on their own terms.
Long hours away from home
“We ask children to do for most of the day what few adults are able to do for even an hour. How many of us, attending, say, a lecture that doesn’t interest us, can keep our minds from wandering? Hardly any.” John Holt
Simply put, our children are overworked and separated for far too many hours from their family. Family ties are extremely important for child development, especially when children are young. Interaction with their siblings, parents, extended family and pets is vital to their formation of identity. At this point, we see our children for a very limited time during the day, and that time gets quickly eaten up with duties like extracurricular activities, homework, baths, dinner, and sleep.
Cut back the hours that they are in the classroom spent on traditional means of educating. If we have smaller class sizes, 4 hours a day should be plenty to gain what currently is achieved in 7 or so hours. If parents struggle with work commitments, then use that other time to allow children creative outlets to explore their world. Plant gardens, allow computer time, set up apprenticeships for older children, etc. Let children decide what they want to do and get them involved in it.
Institutional feel of classrooms
“If you wanted to create an education environment that was directly opposed to what the brain was good at doing, you would probably design something like a classroom.” John Medina
Schools and classrooms are overly institutional feeling, which is cold and unhealthy. The oppressive rules are increasingly prison-like. This stifles creativity and curiosity and makes our children accept the life of living in a box. I know building all new schools is not possible, but bringing the outdoors inside, allowing classroom time to be outdoors, colorfully painting and encouraging ideas from children are all things that can be done to help this.
When a new school is being built consider what would foster your own creativity, what would help allow you to see the world and all it's possibilities. Isn't that the best we can give to our children?
The bottom line is that no matter what you think of homeschooling or unschooling, the public education system needs a massive paradigm shift. How can it hurt to incorporate new ideas into the classroom? I know many of you reading will probably question how to fund these changes. But again I would argue that it may not be about increasing funding but rather a simple change in how and what we are funding.
"You may say I am a dreamer, but I'm not the only one." -- John Lennon. I know there are more people out there that see the pitfalls in the way our children are being educated. Let’s stand up together and make a change!
This article was originally written by us for Family on Bikes website !
If you enjoy this article please share with others!
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I have heard enough bad things about these two small town in Southeast Asia! If I had listened to the advice of the numerous websites I consulted, then our trip to both of these great towns might never have happened. I have been known to go against the norm at times and this time it paid off in spades! And as it turns out, Vang Vieng and Pai are two of our favorite towns!
Vang Vieng, Laos
Vang Vieng gets the worst rap out of the two. Here are some things I heard about this amazing little town before we visited; "It's just a town full of 20 something drunks", "lazy kids who sit around all day watching TV is all this town has to offer", and "there is nothing to do but get drunk and maybe even hurt yourself". Needless to say, I was turned off immediately as we are traveling with 3 children and left the party scene about 12 years ago.
BUT...
Luang Prabang was more recommended than Van Vieng, but a much longer drive on a very windy road. We had already come so far from Thailand and really weren't feeling up for it more trekking. Vang Vieng was only 3 hours by van from Vientiane -- the Laos Capital -- so we decided we would try it anyway. Maybe everyone else is wrong we thought, trying to persuade ourselves that this was in fact a good decision. If it was as bad as everyone says, we can always head to Luang Prabang from there.
Well, we could not have been more surprised! It is a small town; so easy to walk and it is full of great little restaurants, relaxed bars, hotels of varying cost, and kind welcoming locals. Sure there are plenty of young people spending their day drinking, but none of them bothered us at all. They were actually quite an amusing thing to watch. There are also the TV bars that so many had warned about but you know what, we loved those. Comfortable, yummy food, and fun shows to watch. I wouldn't want to live there but for a few weeks it was engaging and fun. What is so wrong with people relaxing anyway?
What's so family friendly about Vang Vieng?
It is hard to even know where to begin as there is SO much to do with kids of all ages. First, the river tubing that many portrayed as dangerous and full of filthy behavior was awesome. We went around 10am and even stopped at a few bars, to check out the water slides and ziplines. I went with my 12 and 8-year-old sons and we all had a great time.
In fact, there were only a few other people out there so early in the morning so it seemed like we had the river to ourselves. You can also just spend time down by the beautiful river itself splashing around and skipping rocks. There is such a beautiful backdrop of stunning limestone cliffs, locals fishing and washing clothes, and water buffalo swimming that the bars we merely one aspect to enjoy. All that -- the views, cool river, sun on our faces, and water slides -- sounds like family fun to me. It is true that some get hurt and even die on that river usually do to irresponsibly drinking buckets of alcohol. I recommend starting the tubing adventure early in the morning before the partiers' hangovers subside from the previous evening.
Another thing we love to do is rent motor scooters and exploring. We only do this in small towns where traffic is limited, so Vang Vieng was a perfect spot. Throw in the fact that there are amazing lagoons, caves, and unique villages that it was the perfect recipe for adventure and happiness the entire 3 weeks. That's right we liked it so much we stayed almost 3 weeks, and we never ran out of things to do.
Where to stay with a family
We realized quickly that the center of town gets quite loud in the evening and were very grateful for the fact that we had booked a hotel at the far end of town. Laos Haven Hotel was a perfect spot for us. It was close enough to easily walk to restaurants, but it was far enough away so we were not disturbed by the thumping of house music in the evening. The rooms were pretty basic but they offer rooms with 2 large beds and the 5 of us were quite comfortable. There is a great kitchen that serves food all day and the rates were fair and budget friendly. The owners were helpful and very sweet to all of us. We highly recommend it!
Pai, Thailand
Pai is a small mountain town in northern Thailand near the Burma border. Pai also has gotten a bad rap similarly as a party town, but more for being a hippie hangout over run with tourists. Since it is a short 3-hour van ride from Chiang Mai through some pretty windy roads, okay the most windy roads ever, I was not sure we would venture out that way. We generally do not target touristy areas.
BUT..
After a good friend went and assured us it was a great spot, and since we experienced enough time in Chiang Mai, we decided to brave the drive and check it out. Admittedly, we do enjoy smaller towns even if they are over run with tourists. The bigger cities we have visited are really wonderful but we feel more at home in a small town with space for the kids to run around. It has a calming effect on our whole family.
When we first arrived in Pai, I immediately understood the warnings. It was clearly FULL of tourists and the town seemed to be set up to cater to them. It was also a bit larger town than Vang Vieng so it took me a few days to really warm up to it, but once I did I just fell in love.
So what is there to do in Pai with a family?
Well, this is a long list so i'll keep it brief and write more about it in an upcoming Pai only post. Again we rented scooters at a mere $3 per day. A great deal and the cheapest we have found in our travels so far. With those we wee able to explore the entire area. From elephant camps to hot springs, memorial bridges to waterfalls, there is no shortage of things to keep everyone busy. It is a beautiful town with amazing temples, rice fields, and mountains to enjoy. A must see is Tham Lod cave, about a 1 hour scooter ride from town well worth it. The ride is beautiful and the cave is nothing short of amazing! There are plenty of family retaurants as well as a great nightly walking market.
Where to stay with a family?
Pai Chan was our choice. They offer discounts for stays over a week and have a really nice family bungalow. with two separate bedrooms, a large bathroom, and your own porch area and picnic table. The hotel also has a pool, although it's a bit cold for most people. The restaurant is wonderful, and they cook food to order as well as amazing fruit smoothies. The price is right and located just outside of town you get the best of both worlds, close enough to town to walk, but again, far enough away to avoid any "tourist behavior" you may want to be avoiding, especially at night.
Overall, I would have to say I enjoyed Vang Vieng a bit more than Pai, but I was pleasantly surprised that both of these towns have been portrayed inaccurately. There is so much beauty and fun to be had in both areas that I consider them to be must sees in this area of the world. Do yourself a favor and check them out while in Thailand and Laos. They are both great spots for your next family adventure!
Have you ventured to a town that others condemned and were pleasantlyt surprised?? Tell us about it below!
If you enjoyed this please share using the tabs below..
Vang Vieng gets the worst rap out of the two. Here are some things I heard about this amazing little town before we visited; "It's just a town full of 20 something drunks", "lazy kids who sit around all day watching TV is all this town has to offer", and "there is nothing to do but get drunk and maybe even hurt yourself". Needless to say, I was turned off immediately as we are traveling with 3 children and left the party scene about 12 years ago.
BUT...
Luang Prabang was more recommended than Van Vieng, but a much longer drive on a very windy road. We had already come so far from Thailand and really weren't feeling up for it more trekking. Vang Vieng was only 3 hours by van from Vientiane -- the Laos Capital -- so we decided we would try it anyway. Maybe everyone else is wrong we thought, trying to persuade ourselves that this was in fact a good decision. If it was as bad as everyone says, we can always head to Luang Prabang from there.
Well, we could not have been more surprised! It is a small town; so easy to walk and it is full of great little restaurants, relaxed bars, hotels of varying cost, and kind welcoming locals. Sure there are plenty of young people spending their day drinking, but none of them bothered us at all. They were actually quite an amusing thing to watch. There are also the TV bars that so many had warned about but you know what, we loved those. Comfortable, yummy food, and fun shows to watch. I wouldn't want to live there but for a few weeks it was engaging and fun. What is so wrong with people relaxing anyway?
What's so family friendly about Vang Vieng?
It is hard to even know where to begin as there is SO much to do with kids of all ages. First, the river tubing that many portrayed as dangerous and full of filthy behavior was awesome. We went around 10am and even stopped at a few bars, to check out the water slides and ziplines. I went with my 12 and 8-year-old sons and we all had a great time.
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| Fun and perfectly safe |
Another thing we love to do is rent motor scooters and exploring. We only do this in small towns where traffic is limited, so Vang Vieng was a perfect spot. Throw in the fact that there are amazing lagoons, caves, and unique villages that it was the perfect recipe for adventure and happiness the entire 3 weeks. That's right we liked it so much we stayed almost 3 weeks, and we never ran out of things to do.
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| Lots of amazing places to explore in Vang Vieng |
Where to stay with a family
We realized quickly that the center of town gets quite loud in the evening and were very grateful for the fact that we had booked a hotel at the far end of town. Laos Haven Hotel was a perfect spot for us. It was close enough to easily walk to restaurants, but it was far enough away so we were not disturbed by the thumping of house music in the evening. The rooms were pretty basic but they offer rooms with 2 large beds and the 5 of us were quite comfortable. There is a great kitchen that serves food all day and the rates were fair and budget friendly. The owners were helpful and very sweet to all of us. We highly recommend it!
Pai is a small mountain town in northern Thailand near the Burma border. Pai also has gotten a bad rap similarly as a party town, but more for being a hippie hangout over run with tourists. Since it is a short 3-hour van ride from Chiang Mai through some pretty windy roads, okay the most windy roads ever, I was not sure we would venture out that way. We generally do not target touristy areas.
BUT..
After a good friend went and assured us it was a great spot, and since we experienced enough time in Chiang Mai, we decided to brave the drive and check it out. Admittedly, we do enjoy smaller towns even if they are over run with tourists. The bigger cities we have visited are really wonderful but we feel more at home in a small town with space for the kids to run around. It has a calming effect on our whole family.
When we first arrived in Pai, I immediately understood the warnings. It was clearly FULL of tourists and the town seemed to be set up to cater to them. It was also a bit larger town than Vang Vieng so it took me a few days to really warm up to it, but once I did I just fell in love.
So what is there to do in Pai with a family?
Well, this is a long list so i'll keep it brief and write more about it in an upcoming Pai only post. Again we rented scooters at a mere $3 per day. A great deal and the cheapest we have found in our travels so far. With those we wee able to explore the entire area. From elephant camps to hot springs, memorial bridges to waterfalls, there is no shortage of things to keep everyone busy. It is a beautiful town with amazing temples, rice fields, and mountains to enjoy. A must see is Tham Lod cave, about a 1 hour scooter ride from town well worth it. The ride is beautiful and the cave is nothing short of amazing! There are plenty of family retaurants as well as a great nightly walking market.
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| Entrance to Tham Lod cave |
Where to stay with a family?
Pai Chan was our choice. They offer discounts for stays over a week and have a really nice family bungalow. with two separate bedrooms, a large bathroom, and your own porch area and picnic table. The hotel also has a pool, although it's a bit cold for most people. The restaurant is wonderful, and they cook food to order as well as amazing fruit smoothies. The price is right and located just outside of town you get the best of both worlds, close enough to town to walk, but again, far enough away to avoid any "tourist behavior" you may want to be avoiding, especially at night.
Overall, I would have to say I enjoyed Vang Vieng a bit more than Pai, but I was pleasantly surprised that both of these towns have been portrayed inaccurately. There is so much beauty and fun to be had in both areas that I consider them to be must sees in this area of the world. Do yourself a favor and check them out while in Thailand and Laos. They are both great spots for your next family adventure!
Have you ventured to a town that others condemned and were pleasantlyt surprised?? Tell us about it below!
If you enjoyed this please share using the tabs below..
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| Puzzled by what homeschool is all about? |
It took me over five years to fully settle in the ideas and, truth be told, I still question myself at least once a year. Over the eight years plus since we started to homeschool, my perspective through research and experience has grown considerably. This perspective has allowed me to address the most commonly asked questions.
What about college?
This is probably the most commonly asked question. The short answer is YES, homeschoolers can go to college. So can unschoolers. And they do! Millions of them in fact! With the advent of online college courses one can simply continue with a homeschool model even in college. Otherwise a student can take tests like GED and SATs, put together a transcript or examples of their work and apply, same as anyone else does. Prestigious universities such as Yale, Stanford, and Harvard accept and even seek out homeschoolers. Oftentimes they are MORE prepared then conventionally schooled children to tackle the pressures of a higher education.
The longer answer to this question will be covered in the next installment of this series, so check back next Monday for my rather unconventional (but gaining more momentum) ideas regarding college and if it really is the best path anymore.
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| Travel, the best education! |
How do they socialize and learn to work with others?
Some conformists actually argue that our kids won't be prepared for the real world because they aren't socialized in school. Pardon me for any typos from here on out, but I can't help but laugh out loud at this common misconception. As if herd pressure to look, dress, or behave a certain way is required to function in the world. Or that facing daily bullies is necessary to toughen somebody up for the "real" world. Or that learning about sex or relationships is better taught by confused pubescent middle-school peers who claim to be experts because they've gotten to second base. It's nonsense.
And just because we homeschool doesn't mean we stay home like hermits. Even before adopting a travel lifestyle we were on what seemed like a permanent field trip. Hikes, waterfalls, skiing, surf lessons, science centers, museums, and play dates of all kinds, etc. Most homeschoolers use the world as their classroom and spend lots of time exploring and engaging with people. Additionally, our children have taken numerous classes outside of the home from karate to cooking, Spanish to gymnastics where they have met many of their friends.
Finally and most importantly, they learn to respect others because we respect them, not because they are forced to at the threat of detention. We spend everyday out in the world interacting with and observing people of all ages. Our kids have MORE time to interact with people and observe the differences. Being cooped up all day in forced silence with 20-30 similarly-aged kids is not what anyone should call proper socialization that translates into the real world. Homeschooled children typically gain a tolerance, empathy, and understanding of all different age groups including adults. Ultimately, I would argue the socialization that homeschool kids experience is beneficial, while what passes for socialization in school is, well, unnecessary to put it kindly.
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| Kung fu class with all their best friends! |
How do you know they are "on par" with others?
I guess the best answer is WHO CARES? Do you realize that the mathematics concepts taught in the first seven years of school, drilled into children's heads day and night under intense pressure to perform, can be learned by a 14-year old in a single day? Many of those concepts can be learned by playing card games or by managing an allowance.
"On par" with others? I don't want my children to be like anyone else, and I fundamentally disagree with putting them in a box called "on par". Because par or even above par becomes the accepted level. How many of us bragged that we barely paid attention in school and still got As and Bs? As if that's something to be proud of.
Children are developmentally diverse and have different interests just like adults. One of the most amazing things about being human is it's beautiful diversity. The LAST thing I would want for my children is to see them morph into being the "same" as everyone else. We should celebrate our children's differences and help to ensure that they follow their own path in life! How else can we cultivate the self esteem that so many schooled children seem to be lacking?
It seems to me that if children have the basic tools to learn (reading and mathematics) and are encouraged to pursue their inquisitive nature, they'll likely excel at being happy and enjoying life no matter what a book says they should be like at age x,y, or z. Part of home-or-unschooling for the parent is to be okay with where your child is at developmentally and to unconditionally love the person that he or she is. It is also important to know that there is no right or wrong way to do things.
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| "On par" for happiness |
When do you get any free time as a parent?
This question is most often asked by people with young children, and it's the hardest to answer. I understand the need for a break as much as the next person, but 8-10 hours a day? Come on, no one needs that type of break from the things they love most in this world. That is just an excuse! It can be a challenge, don't get me wrong, but most moments I just prefer to enjoy the precious time with them while they're young. Frankly, I have never understood the parents with the "yeah, thank goodness the kids are back in school" mentality. Is that the message you want to convey to the people you love the most?
It's true that I have less free time than most parents I know, but I do have free time, whether its a short walk, long bath, or just when the kiddos are in bed and I can snuggle up with hubby or a good book. In my opinion, the thing that really needs to change to make homeschooling a success, is to change the way you view your child-parent relationship. Re-assess what you want out of your relationship with your children and question if you are doing all you can as a parent. You need to take care of yourself, but making an excuse that you "need" 8-10 hours a day is just plain silly. No one said parenting was easy, but it should be the most amazing and important thing you'll ever do. Enjoy it, soak up their giggles and messes....it won't last forever and you will most certainly miss it when it is gone.
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| Why would anyone need a "break" from this? |
Since when does anything about a school resemble the "real world"? Unless you are planning to be in prison, or landing a brainless job with a dress code shuffling paper all day, then I do not see a correlation at all. My boys are IN the real world everyday while schooled kids are stuck in one room, with the same age children, segregated from the "real world" and their family. Homeschooled children are well prepared for the world they will face because they have been preparing first hand their entire lives.
When you see what goes on in school you wonder what part that plays in real life. A family member of mine actually said that kids need to be bullied and picked on to be able to handle it later in life. Really? I just cannot remember when I was bullied anywhere but in school. As an adult it just doesn't happen unless you're conditioned to invite it. Likewise, when, in adult life, are we so distrusted that even going to the bathroom requires permission. No job I have ever worked has declined my right to use the bathroom. Finally, how much of what you learned in school applies to your happiness and success now? Think about it and be honest. It's probably very little.
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| Mahout training, who needs the "real world" |
In the end we all need to do what works best for our families. But if you're considering homeschooling, be sure to research it well to clear away any of the common myths before deciding. Or, better yet, try it for a year, the worst case scenario is that they go back to school if it is not working. If you go into it with flexibility, love, and encouragement then it will be a success.
Do you have any other questions you would like to have answered? I am happy to give my experiences and advice. Feel free to ask me anything in the comments below.
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| Yeah, I don't have homework tonight! Or ever! |
One of Holt's strongest beliefs was that children did not need to be forced into learning and anything that resembled school at all was counterproductive to their success. Unschooling, child led life learning, was born.
When I first heard about unschooling 8 years ago I thought it seemed crazy. I thought all the things that some of you are thinking right now. What about socialization, grades, college? My children need to go to school to be “on track” with everyone else. I thought it seemed lazy and neglectful and couldn’t imagine going against the grain in such an “extreme” way.
Flash forward to today and you see a very different philosophy in my home. I have spent the past 6 years homeschooling my oldest son. I have since had 2 more children, traveled with them extensively, moved to a foreign countries, and experimented with almost every type of homeschooling you can imagine. Then I discovered the mind opening experience that is unschooling and now I can’t imagine living my life in anything but this “extreme” way.
My oldest son started out life in a mainstream fashion. He attended 2 years of preschool and then went on to half-day Kindergarten. We lived in a wonderful small town with an excellent school system and were lucky enough to get an award-winning teacher for his Kindergarten experience. She was fantastic but through her own admission she could not provide the experience that she felt all the students deserved. It wasn’t a bad experience but we wanted more for our son. What more did we want? That is easy; room for independent thought, creativity, an ability to question things without being in “trouble” - and the freedom to run our household without the demands of the school system intruding.
The nagging question that remained was what could I, as a parent, do? After talking to that very same teacher and a lot of soul searching I decided to withdraw my son from school. She not only encouraged this, she was almost as enthusiastic as I was about the idea. I found that there were many philosophies to choose from within the realm of homeschooling. Since I was still caught up in the “school” mentality, we started by doing a canned curriculum at home. We tried this in many different ways for 3 years until I realized that we solved some of the issues but not all of them. Simply put, we were not enjoying it as much as we thought we should.
At this point I opened up my mind to the thoughts of unschooling and started reading book after book about it. I realized that I needed to throw away conventional thinking and open my mind up to the possibility that what I thought of as learning may not be the only path to knowledge. My discovery took place because of pioneers that came before me, Holt, Gatto, Kohn, and Sandra Dodd. They all showed me, through their writings, a new reality that I will forever be grateful for.
Reading books and opening my mind were the first steps in the process of de-schooling that Wikipedia defines as “the mental process a person goes through after being removed from a formal schooling environment, where the school mindset is eroded over time”. This step is vital for the entire family but for the parent it can be very difficult. We have far more baggage in regards to school and the added feeling and stress that we are responsible for our childrens’ education and, ultimately, their future. I struggled with what seemed like an ingrained need to follow the norm.
I did go to public school after all, and in his book Dumbing Us Down, John Taylor Gatto says “we are schooling children to merely obey orders…” Although I was a bit rebellious in school, I was still conditioned by societal norms and allowing myself to beak out of the box is where I struggled most on my journey to unschooling.
Ivan Illich first coined the term de-schooling in a controversial book called Deschooling Society, published in 1971. In this book he enlightens his readers to the fact that “universal education through schooling is not feasible”. He goes on to explain that the institutionalization of education means an institutionalization of society as a whole. And that it isn’t until we change the way we view education that we can change the way all institutions function. There is a corrupting impact at the institutional level but it is particularly damaging to society when this happens in schools, and it is happening in schools as we speak.
Another big hurdle for me was in understanding that authentic learning happens all the time. I realized over the past few years that you really can’t stop someone from learning no matter what you do or don’t do. My middle child has never been to school or even attempted anything remotely resembling school, yet at 7 he can read because he wanted to. Through simply living our lives he has learned numbers, adding, subtracting, percentage, fractions etc. How? We play war, poker, exchange money, let him do some shopping and all of those things are necessary for him so he has learned it. School puts our children in a box and real life cannot be found within it. I would prefer my children spend their time outside of that box, learning in the real world.
Everything my kids do shares an equal value because they are always learning, whether it is a walk in the jungle, playing video games, or reading a book. I love that my children have a say in what they want to discover. We offer them ideas and show them various paths to knowledge and support their enthusiasm, but ultimately it is what interests them that's most important to us. And don’t we all learn better when it is something pertinent in our lives? I know I do and I know my kids do as well.
De-schooling is an ongoing process and something I will be actively doing for many years to come. It has profoundly changed me as a person and there is no going back ever. It reaches beyond schooling and into our lives on every level. There is a new intensity of respect, equality and unconditional love for all members of the family. We all know now what authentic learning is, it looks nothing like school and we are all happier for it.
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A: Age you made your first international trip
I wish I could say I was as young as my boys were when they first made their international trip but my childhood was some what turbulent so travel was not a priority. After graduating high school my grandparents flew me to Bermuda. I remember getting that first passport and feeling so excited at the freedom in it. I knew that travel and filling up those pages was going to be a must on my life's bucket list.
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| Wikicommons |
B: Best (foreign) beer you've had and why
Beer Lao dark! Hands down, no question about it! When we lived in the US our favorite beer was Newcastle (brown ale imported from England), so Beer Lao dark resembles that the most. After very disappointing beer in Central America, Beer Lao was a nice change. It beats out Newcastle purely for financial reasons. At about 1/4 the cost of a Newcastle with the similar full-flavor taste it's a no brainer in my book!
C: Cuisine (favorite)
This is a tough one! Pizza is one of my favorites and New Haven, CT (my home state) cannot be beaten. But for desserts there is nothing like a cold scoop of Gelato after walking the streets of Rome. Then there is Thai food, where I am currently enjoying every last bite! Hmmm, I just can't pick a favorite, it just isn't a fair question!
D. Destinations. Favorite. Least Favorite. Why?
I would have to say my favorite so far has been Vang Vieng in Laos. It's a manageable small town surrounded by majestic limestone bluffs. The culture is authentic, but plenty of Western touristy joints too. We rented motorbikes and explored incredible villages to the North. We had a fantastic time there. It made the tops perhaps because I really had no expectations going in to the trip and was so pleasantly surprised.
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| Blue lagoon, Vang Vieng, Laos |
E: Event you experienced that made you say "WOW"!
Climbing the steps at Chichen Itza in Mexico! When we reached the top and looked out and around, and DOWN! That was definitely one of my earliest WOW moments! Staring into Crater Lake in Oregon was also one of my entire family's more recent wow moments. If you're ever near there, don't miss it!
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| Oh those stairs! (wikicommons) |
F: Favorite mode of transportation
Train travel is by far the best way to get anyplace long distance. When you get on a sleeper car, you save money on a night's accommodation and they are remarkably comfortable. I don't care how nice a bus or a plane says their seats are, nothing compares to being able to lay down for a great rest and comfortably arrive at your destination. For shorter travel, around a city a tuk tuk is the best, exciting, open air, and always interesting conversation. Short distance in the country, my family will pick scooters any day!
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| Short distance tuk-tuks are where it's at |
Realizing that my life and my children's lives would be forever enriched by our experiences around the world. It changes you from the core of your being and I am so happy to be giving that gift to my children!
H: Hottest place I've traveled to
Super hot is not my favorite type of climate especially when I am pregnant and already feel like an oven. During my first pregnancy we took a road trip across the US. It just so happened to be record heat in the deserts of Arizona and New Mexico. 116-120 degrees during the day, dry heat or not that is HOT! Even cracking the window on the car for a minute felt like a hot blow dryer blasting you. We stopped to see the Grand Canyon and had to leave the car running as we
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| Grand Canyon Wikicommons |
Honestly, every place we have been has been incredible in this department. Costa Rica, Thailand, Laos, many places in Europe. Maybe it is because these cultures adore kids but we have really only been met with kindness and help at every turn.
J: Journey that took you the longest
The long haul trip from Costa Rica to Bangkok, Thailand. We traveled for 2 days. 6 hour flight from Costa Rica to LAX, 20 hours to Taiwan, and 3 more to Bangkok! That was a long couple of days but not nearly as hard as I was expecting.
K: Keepsakes from your travels
Pictures, pictures, and more pictures! I am not one for shopping for knick knacks since we have no room to keep them. We are slow traveling the world and got rid of all our possessions in order to carry what we really need in our backpacks. There is simply no room for extra trinkets. But I make room for an extra hard drive for photo storage, or 3;) My son did pick up a terrible case of hives but as that has dissipated I suppose it doesn't count as a keepsake!
L: Let down site. Where and why?
David, Panama! It was pouring, filthy, garbage every place, and really nothing to do there. We had heard good things about it so decided to drive down from Costa Rica (8 hours) to check out this border town to renew our visa! Perhaps it was the weather or the shoddy hotel we stayed at, but what a disappointment!
M: Moment where you fell in love with travel
From the time I was young I often dreamed of exotic locations. Before I knew what a "bucket list" was I had been creating one in my mind. I think the moment I fell in love though was when I booked my trip to Europe with a girlfriend way back in 1996! Just the realization, that I was going to be seeing the things I dreamed of, sparked a whole new love for the idea of travel.
N: Nicest hotel you've stayed in
I don't and have never really stayed at "nice" hotels. I just don't really see the point in spending a lot of money on a room to sleep in. Maybe the hotel I loved the most was a hostel that my friend and I found on the fly in Switzerland. It was an old swiss chalet with the most amazing views from our balcony. A great sense of community at the hostel, lots of drinking, skiing, and games. I believe we only spent $10 US per night as well. Icing meet cake!
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| Swiss Alps Wikicommons |
O: Obsession. What are you obsessed with taking pictures of?
When I travel I take pictures of everything, obscene amounts of pictures really. Currently, I am in South East Asia and my obsession seems to be with pictures of monks. I am a recovering monk stalker and the recovering part is not going very well! Beware men in orange!
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| Gotcha |
P: Passport stamps. How many and where from?
I am a relatively new traveler but, hopefully, by the end of this year the list will be much longer. At the moment, between the 2 passports I have had in my life; USA, Mexico, Bermuda, UK, Ireland, France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Czech rep., Austria, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Thailand, Burma, and Laos. 20 countries but I couldn't count up how many stamps I have had as I went in and out of many of those countries on multiple occasions.
Q: Quirkiest attraction you've visited and where.
The Natural History museum in Costa Rica. I know a natural history museum doesn't sound that weird but this place was in desperate need of upkeep. Picture the stuffed animals at any museum but with no upkeep for 10 years. The eyeballs were falling out, patches of hair missing, and mold and dust permeated the rooms. I think the thing that put it over the edge was the multiple human babies in jars section of the museum. Not sure how that got by especially in a Catholic dominated country but it was interesting. Yeah, that is the best word to describe this place, well at least it is the most kind way to explain it!
R: Recommended site, event, or experience.
I would have to recommend Laos to anyone coming to SE Asia. I think a lot of people miss it because it doesn't cater to tourists or seem to have much to offer. The roads are terrible, but the destinations are worth every minute. It is one of the most beautiful and unspoiled places I have ever been to, and the people are so laid back and kind. I enjoyed every minute, especially in Vang Vieng, and miss it already! It seems to me to be a more authentic experience than the neighboring (and more popular) Thailand, where a 7-11 can be found every 2 blocks!
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| I don't even need word here (Vang Vieng, Laos) |
S: Splurge. Something you have no problem forking over for while traveling.
I will skimp and save on food and hotels, but what I will not for go because of costs is any unique experience. Some things are touristy and you pay for it but unique is unique and I will gladly shell out the money for a new adventure!
T: Touristy thing you've done
I can admit that I am a tourist! I walk around new cities, camera at the ready and fully enjoy touristy events. I am also a traveler so I try not to spend too much on this category, but as I stated above it seems to be a weakness of mine. I have done LOTS of touristy things from climbing the Eiffel tower to playing with tigers at Tiger Kingdom. Just because a lot of people do it doesn't make it any less amazing in my book!
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| Touristy and amazing! |
U: Unforgettable travel memory
Stepping out of the car to see the Grand Canyon for the first time! I remember my husband and I being shocked at how much it cost to get in to the park and thinking man, all that for a giant hole, I mean really. Well honestly the first second we looked over the railing both our chins dropped to the floor and we felt foolish for even thinking it wouldn't be amazing!
V: Visas. How many of them and for where?
I guess as an American I do not get that many actual visas. Every time you are stamped into a new country that is considered a visa; a visa on arrival. As for actual visas, that I had to apply for, and that take up a WHOLE page in my passport, that is running out of space quickly, it is only 2. One for Laos and one for a single entry tourist visa to Thailand.
W: Wine. Best glass and while traveling and where?
Yuck, am I supposed to like that stuff? I'll take a good cup of coffee or beer over the vino anytime.
X: eXcellent view and from where?
This is another really tough one. Some of the views from the small town I lived in while in Costa Rica were amazing. So are some of the views I experienced after climbing monuments in incredible cities. All in all though I would have to say the view I had in the Swiss Alps. No wait, maybe Crater Lake in Oregon, no actually it must be Vang Vieng, Laos. Yeah, I said it before... I love Laos and you should visit soon!
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| Crater Lake Oregon - Wikicommons |
Y: Years spent traveling
Small trips all my life. 3 months in Europe with a friend and then I left the US for good in 2006 and have been traveling ever since! It has been around 1890 days since we left the US! This newest Asia adventure just started 2 months ago but the plan is to continue and move through the world for the nest few years.
Z: Zealous sports fans and where.
Being that I am from CT and I spent my childhood attending NYC baseball and football games, my first inclination was to say New York City. But then I remember the fanatics of soccer and the zealous behaviors of its fans. While living in Costa Rica I experienced what I could only describe as insanity over a soccer game on the tube. The entire neighborhood would erupt in yelling and cheering during big games! I also remember visiting Europe during the Olympics and stepping into a bar to witness fans going wild. Assuming it was for the Olympics I was curious until I got closer and realized it was just an uproar for a local Soccer team.
Soccer fans win this one without a doubt. Where? I would say everywhere!
There you have it. Now it is my turn to tag other bloggers...tag Family Trek, Road trips for families, and The Nomadic Family.
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I have been following a lot of travel blogs during the past couple of years. One of my favorites is Family on bikes, an honest account of following your dreams and tackling your fears. When Nancy offered me a chance to have a sneak peek at her new book I was thrilled. I was so excited to read it but even more than that I was honored to help promote it in a book review on my own site here.
I devoured this book! Much to the chagrin of my children, I stole away an entire day reading and thinking about the evolution of the Vogel family during their trip and wondering if and how we could ever do something so, well, difficult! I just couldn't put it down! Twenty Miles Per Cookie is a must-read! How do I know?? When I read this; The kids, "learned that the Earth holds no boundaries for them and they are free to wander wherever their imaginations take them." Is there any better lesson in life?!
The Vogel family has been traveling for quite some time now. Nancy and John met while trying to find a partner to bike through India with. They were strangers who set out on adventure together. Nancy admits that it wasn't a perfect match in the beginning but they began to rely on and trust one another and eventually fell in love. They have lived in numerous countries and visited even more.
Twenty Miles Per Cookie is a memoir that chronicles the first long haul bike trip taken with their boys, 8 at the time. After becoming disillusioned once again with the "American dream", they hatched a plan that would launch them into a 1 year bike trip through deserts, up and down mountains, battling headwinds, along the Pacific coastline, and through Mexico. Challenge after challenge presents itself and Nancy candidly explains how they got through it all together, the only way it could work!
-->She also, through her writing, challenges us to see the world for the good in it. By explaining how many times they were saved by numerous "road angels", you feel a renewed sense of the good in people. How inspirational in this day and age when we are constantly barraged with warnings around every corner to be cautious amongst strangers. The lessons the family learn along the way are revealed beautifully!
Twenty Miles Per Cookie is also a wonderful narrative of a family that can tackle anything. It is thought provoking, honest and raw, and mostly an inspiration! It is a hopeful and positive book but at the same time Nancy also eloquently explains the difficult times with an honesty few of us share with the masses. It is told from Nancy's perspective, with snippets of the children's perspective told through letters they wrote to their grandmother. Nancy also lets the reader in on another special relationship, that which she has with her mother. She writes to her, "I can reach for the moon – and if, for some reason, I fail to get there, I’ll simply land among the stars. And for that I’ll always thank you." How beautiful!
After reading the book I asked Nancy a few questions about their trip. I think you'll be inspired just by reading the answers below! I know it will leave you wanting more...
How long have you been cycling? How about your husband?
Nancy: "I discovered the bike in high school and fell in love with the freedom. While my classmates rode the bus to school, I jumped on my bike and enjoyed the fresh air!"
"I didn't get in to bike touring until quite a few years later. I took my first bike tour in the summer of 1988 from Norfolk, Virginia to New Orleans."
"John figured out the bike touring stuff WAY before I did! His first bike tour was in 1981 when he cycled from Albuquerque to Denver."
Have the kids been cycling since they were small? How did you cultivate a love of biking?
Nancy: "They have been cycling since there were little, but not as much as many other families. Because we lived in Ethiopia when they were little, we only cycled when we came back to the USA for the summer. We started out with them on trail-a-bikes, then graduated to tandems, then the triple, and finally on their own bikes."
"As for the love of biking, I think kids tend to enjoy what their parents are excited about. Our family bike trips were always the highlight of our days and John and I loved them - so the kids got excited about them too."
How long did you save for this trip? I know you camped a lot but ow did you maintain your home and travel without working all along?
Nancy: "Ummm... we didn't. That being said, we always saved "for retirement" and we used some of that money to fund our bike trip. So maybe I should say we saved 19 years??"
What was the reaction of your family and friends?
Nancy: "Our families didn't blink an eye - they're used to us coming up with some cockananny idea and then doing it. We had previously spent a year cycling Pakistan, India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. We had packed up and moved to Egypt to teach. Our sons were born while we lived in Ethiopia. In other words, doing something like this was more or less expected."
You endured heat, cold, sandstorms, mud, rain...what was the most challenging aspect of this trip for you personally?
Nancy: "From a cycling perspective, headwinds are always the most difficult. There is no way to avoid them, but you also know you'll never beat them. When climbing a hill, you know you'll get to the top someday. Hot weather will cool down. Cold temps will warm up. But headwinds never go away. It like battling an unbeatable foe."
"But way harder than the headwinds was the mental block of feeling like I was inadequate. I wasn't strong enough, I wasn't hardy enough, blah, blah, blah. I overcame that once we reached the Pacific Ocean - if I could make it across Oregon, then I was good to go!"
How did this trip strengthen your marriage?
Nancy: "I think any shared experience with your spouse will strengthen a relationship. We have so many memories that we've created together that I can't imagine going on alone. There have been times when I've been ready to march to the divorce office but then I think, "But wait a minute - if we could get through THAT together, then we can get through THIS together."
What ways did this trip prepare you all for the longer journey from Alaska to Argentina?
(John, Nancy and their 2 boys have since rode their bikes from Alaska to Argentina)
Nancy: "Completely. Our Alaska - Argentina trip simply would not have happened without this one. To begin with, we never would have even thought of the idea without meeting people along the Pacific coast who were on their way to Argentina."
"Beyond that, our journey around the USA and Mexico taught us a LOT about bike touring with kids. We learned what kind of pace we could maintain, how much and what kind of food we needed, how to deal with rain/snow/heat/cold. It was on this trip around the USA and Mexico that we worked out all the kinks and figured it all out so we felt prepared to cycle from Alaska to Argentina. And trust me - we had a LOT to figure out!"
What kept you from quitting? Especially during the beginning or when your mom was so sick?
Nancy: "I honestly don't know. I think part of it was not wanting to accept defeat. If we turned around and went back home, we would be failing in many ways - although I always maintained that we had learned so much that we could call off the trip even before we left the driveway and we wouldn't have lost."
"Ultimately, I think what kept me going was knowing that we would look back on our journey with fond memories. Even though I was exhausted or hungry, I knew the time together as a family was a special gift and one I knew I wouldn't regret."
What was the most important thing you learned on this trip? What about your boys, what did they take away from it all?
Nancy: "I think we all took away a feeling of invincibility. If we could ride our bikes across the USA, then we could do anything."
As a mom traveling with my kids, I often wonder what they will think a few years from now. How do the boys view their travel lifestyle thus far?
Nancy: "My boys have grown up traveling; they don't know anything else. Although they do understand, on one level, just how extraordinary their experiences are, they don't feel it. To them, traveling thousands of miles on bikes is normal and they don't understand why people make such a fuss about it. Very few of their friends even know they've done what they've done."
Logistically I must know how did you keep up with laundry? As someone always consumed with laundry (3 boys) I just have to know:)
Nancy: "Keeping up with laundry in the USA was EASY! Every little town has a laundromat, so we just pulled up to one and washed clothes. It wasn't unusual for the boys to go into the restroom at the laundromat to put on their swimsuits as they had no other clean clothes to put on."
"Keeping up with laundry while we cycled from Alaska to Argentina was a nightmare including many hours sitting on the shower floor with a pile of dirty clothes, but I'll leave that one for the next book!"
What do you hope your readers will take away from this book?
Nancy: "I hope people take away the idea that they can do anything. If I, a normal wife, teacher, and mother to twin boys can ride my bike across the USA, then they can do it too. And if they can ride their bike across the USA, then they can do anything. They are limited only by their imagination."
What would you say to someone that wants to do what you have done but is fearful?
Nancy:
"Fearful of what?
Of people? There's no need - this world is filled with wonder
Of cars? Choose roads without much traffic and cycle predictably so the car drivers know what to expect from you.
Of animals? They're more afraid of you than you are of them.
Of failing? What is failing - never setting out in order to "be safe" or at least trying and giving it your best?
Of the unknown? The unknown is scary, but the only way you'll know is to go."
If you are a traveler, a biker, or a dreamer then you need to read this book. It will stay with you and inspire you to tackle your greatest fears and to follow your dreams no matter what the challenge. To purchase Twenty Miles Per Cookie in book or kindle form, please visit Nancy's site. Aside from purchasing the book be sure to follow their blog to keep up with their travels and get inspired!
The Vogel family has been traveling for quite some time now. Nancy and John met while trying to find a partner to bike through India with. They were strangers who set out on adventure together. Nancy admits that it wasn't a perfect match in the beginning but they began to rely on and trust one another and eventually fell in love. They have lived in numerous countries and visited even more.
Twenty Miles Per Cookie is a memoir that chronicles the first long haul bike trip taken with their boys, 8 at the time. After becoming disillusioned once again with the "American dream", they hatched a plan that would launch them into a 1 year bike trip through deserts, up and down mountains, battling headwinds, along the Pacific coastline, and through Mexico. Challenge after challenge presents itself and Nancy candidly explains how they got through it all together, the only way it could work!
Twenty Miles Per Cookie is also a wonderful narrative of a family that can tackle anything. It is thought provoking, honest and raw, and mostly an inspiration! It is a hopeful and positive book but at the same time Nancy also eloquently explains the difficult times with an honesty few of us share with the masses. It is told from Nancy's perspective, with snippets of the children's perspective told through letters they wrote to their grandmother. Nancy also lets the reader in on another special relationship, that which she has with her mother. She writes to her, "I can reach for the moon – and if, for some reason, I fail to get there, I’ll simply land among the stars. And for that I’ll always thank you." How beautiful!
After reading the book I asked Nancy a few questions about their trip. I think you'll be inspired just by reading the answers below! I know it will leave you wanting more...
How long have you been cycling? How about your husband?
Nancy: "I discovered the bike in high school and fell in love with the freedom. While my classmates rode the bus to school, I jumped on my bike and enjoyed the fresh air!"
"I didn't get in to bike touring until quite a few years later. I took my first bike tour in the summer of 1988 from Norfolk, Virginia to New Orleans."
"John figured out the bike touring stuff WAY before I did! His first bike tour was in 1981 when he cycled from Albuquerque to Denver."
Have the kids been cycling since they were small? How did you cultivate a love of biking?
Nancy: "They have been cycling since there were little, but not as much as many other families. Because we lived in Ethiopia when they were little, we only cycled when we came back to the USA for the summer. We started out with them on trail-a-bikes, then graduated to tandems, then the triple, and finally on their own bikes."
"As for the love of biking, I think kids tend to enjoy what their parents are excited about. Our family bike trips were always the highlight of our days and John and I loved them - so the kids got excited about them too."
How long did you save for this trip? I know you camped a lot but ow did you maintain your home and travel without working all along?
Nancy: "Ummm... we didn't. That being said, we always saved "for retirement" and we used some of that money to fund our bike trip. So maybe I should say we saved 19 years??"
What was the reaction of your family and friends?
Nancy: "Our families didn't blink an eye - they're used to us coming up with some cockananny idea and then doing it. We had previously spent a year cycling Pakistan, India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. We had packed up and moved to Egypt to teach. Our sons were born while we lived in Ethiopia. In other words, doing something like this was more or less expected."
You endured heat, cold, sandstorms, mud, rain...what was the most challenging aspect of this trip for you personally?
Nancy: "From a cycling perspective, headwinds are always the most difficult. There is no way to avoid them, but you also know you'll never beat them. When climbing a hill, you know you'll get to the top someday. Hot weather will cool down. Cold temps will warm up. But headwinds never go away. It like battling an unbeatable foe."
"But way harder than the headwinds was the mental block of feeling like I was inadequate. I wasn't strong enough, I wasn't hardy enough, blah, blah, blah. I overcame that once we reached the Pacific Ocean - if I could make it across Oregon, then I was good to go!"
How did this trip strengthen your marriage?
Nancy: "I think any shared experience with your spouse will strengthen a relationship. We have so many memories that we've created together that I can't imagine going on alone. There have been times when I've been ready to march to the divorce office but then I think, "But wait a minute - if we could get through THAT together, then we can get through THIS together."
What ways did this trip prepare you all for the longer journey from Alaska to Argentina?
(John, Nancy and their 2 boys have since rode their bikes from Alaska to Argentina)
Nancy: "Completely. Our Alaska - Argentina trip simply would not have happened without this one. To begin with, we never would have even thought of the idea without meeting people along the Pacific coast who were on their way to Argentina."
"Beyond that, our journey around the USA and Mexico taught us a LOT about bike touring with kids. We learned what kind of pace we could maintain, how much and what kind of food we needed, how to deal with rain/snow/heat/cold. It was on this trip around the USA and Mexico that we worked out all the kinks and figured it all out so we felt prepared to cycle from Alaska to Argentina. And trust me - we had a LOT to figure out!"
What kept you from quitting? Especially during the beginning or when your mom was so sick?
Nancy: "I honestly don't know. I think part of it was not wanting to accept defeat. If we turned around and went back home, we would be failing in many ways - although I always maintained that we had learned so much that we could call off the trip even before we left the driveway and we wouldn't have lost."
"Ultimately, I think what kept me going was knowing that we would look back on our journey with fond memories. Even though I was exhausted or hungry, I knew the time together as a family was a special gift and one I knew I wouldn't regret."
What was the most important thing you learned on this trip? What about your boys, what did they take away from it all?
Nancy: "I think we all took away a feeling of invincibility. If we could ride our bikes across the USA, then we could do anything."
As a mom traveling with my kids, I often wonder what they will think a few years from now. How do the boys view their travel lifestyle thus far?
Nancy: "My boys have grown up traveling; they don't know anything else. Although they do understand, on one level, just how extraordinary their experiences are, they don't feel it. To them, traveling thousands of miles on bikes is normal and they don't understand why people make such a fuss about it. Very few of their friends even know they've done what they've done."
Logistically I must know how did you keep up with laundry? As someone always consumed with laundry (3 boys) I just have to know:)
Nancy: "Keeping up with laundry in the USA was EASY! Every little town has a laundromat, so we just pulled up to one and washed clothes. It wasn't unusual for the boys to go into the restroom at the laundromat to put on their swimsuits as they had no other clean clothes to put on."
"Keeping up with laundry while we cycled from Alaska to Argentina was a nightmare including many hours sitting on the shower floor with a pile of dirty clothes, but I'll leave that one for the next book!"
What do you hope your readers will take away from this book?
Nancy: "I hope people take away the idea that they can do anything. If I, a normal wife, teacher, and mother to twin boys can ride my bike across the USA, then they can do it too. And if they can ride their bike across the USA, then they can do anything. They are limited only by their imagination."
What would you say to someone that wants to do what you have done but is fearful?
Nancy:
"Fearful of what?
Of people? There's no need - this world is filled with wonder
Of cars? Choose roads without much traffic and cycle predictably so the car drivers know what to expect from you.
Of animals? They're more afraid of you than you are of them.
Of failing? What is failing - never setting out in order to "be safe" or at least trying and giving it your best?
Of the unknown? The unknown is scary, but the only way you'll know is to go."
If you are a traveler, a biker, or a dreamer then you need to read this book. It will stay with you and inspire you to tackle your greatest fears and to follow your dreams no matter what the challenge. To purchase Twenty Miles Per Cookie in book or kindle form, please visit Nancy's site. Aside from purchasing the book be sure to follow their blog to keep up with their travels and get inspired!
FOLLOW BOHEMIAN TRAVELERS HERE: