Experience Mexico Family Travel: One Family’s Captivating 12-Month Road Trip

Wondering what Mexico family travel is all about? You’re in the right place!

In this article, we highlight the best features of our podcast on this very topic as well as offer the podcast links for your listening enjoyment. So let’s jump in!

In summary, it covers the family’s journey into extended travel, their experiences in Mexico, logistics of work/school, the aftermath of long-term family travel, future travel dreams, and tips for other travel enthusiasts.

For travel inspiration and guidance from families living this lifestyle, have a listen to season 1, episode [#8 ] of Our Offbeat Life! Listen on iTunes and Spotify, or watch on YouTube.

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Introduction

Have you ever dreamed of packing up your family for an extended Mexico family travel trip across Mexico? Does the thought of driving a minivan through small pueblos and winding mountain roads sound appealing?

As remote work becomes more commonplace, more families are embracing location independence and hitting the open road for Mexico family travel.

In this captivating interview, Stephanie shares her family’s 12-month journey through Mexico in a minivan. Get inspired by practical tips and captivating stories for your epic family road trip in Mexico.

Join me as we explore the highlights of their Mexico family travel journey, from getting started with travel to their triumphant return home.

Getting Started with Mexico Family Travel

Like many families, Stephanie’s long-term Mexico family travel began with a pivotal conversation.

When her husband proposed buying an expensive laptop for remote work, they realized they could invest that money in Mexico family travel instead.

Inspired by the idea, they sold their house and belongings to fund an extended trip through Mexico. With her husband working remotely and the kids enrolled in online school, it was the perfect opportunity for a family adventure in Mexico.

My husband came home one day and he just kind of said, you know what? I need to buy a new laptop. This is kind of the weird way it started.” [00:05:05]

Stephanie Mora Stonemetz

They hit the road in August 2021, driving from Ohio down the east coast of the US before crossing the border into Mexico that January.

Though their initial plan was to drive to Costa Rica, the important thing was taking that first step towards Mexico family travel.

Exploring Mexico by Minivan

From lively Mexico City to the rainbow facades of Guanajuato, Stephanie’s family uncovered hidden gems across Mexico during their family travel.

Traveling by minivan allowed them the flexibility to venture off the beaten path and immerse themselves in authentic local experiences of Mexico family travel.

You come in through like underground tunnels. It’s everything is kind of mountainous. So when you’re walking around, like, you’re just looking at all these houses on hills and they’re all painted different colors. It’s like a rainbow color. So, That whole town was just really, really charming and fun. [00:13:34]

Stephanie Mora Stonemetz

Stephanie shares how they brushed off safety concerns before the Mexico family travel trip, realizing Mexico is filled with kind people living everyday lives, not the dangerous stereotypes perpetuated by the media.

The kids thrived when connecting with other traveling families, but also felt bored when isolated for too long during their family travel in Mexico. Overall, Stephanie reflects on how travel taught them adaptability and cultural appreciation.

Insider Tips for Experiencing Mexico Family Travel

From savoring street tacos to seeking out mole sauce, Stephanie dishes on the joys of Mexican cuisine during their Mexico family travel. She was delighted to find fresh, artisanal chocolate in Oaxaca calling it a “chocolate mecca.”

There’s just hot chocolate everywhere, and it just has this distinctive taste. I think it’s the way they do the cinnamon in it. [00:15:35]

Stephanie Mora Stonemetz

Her kids embraced the chance to practice their Spanish through immersive experiences of Mexico family travel. Though navigating endless speed bumps proved challenging, Stephanie has only fond memories of Mexico family travel.

For traveling families, she suggests staying flexible, booking Airbnbs with extra bedrooms, and improving communication skills in advance.

And most importantly, don’t just dream about extended family travel in Mexico – take action to make it a reality!

Navigating Family Travel in Mexico

As Stephanie reveals, family road trips through Mexico family travel come with their own unique rewards and struggles.

While providing invaluable bonding time, spending 24/7 together in close quarters also intensifies any existing marital issues during Mexico family travel.

As you know, traveling all the time, that I think being with your family 24/7 also has a lot of challenges. [00:34:11]

Stephanie Mora Stonemetz

She recommends booking three-bedroom Airbnbs so each family member can have their own space. Though Stephanie is now separated from her husband, she speaks glowingly about their Mexico family travel accomplishments.

The kids gained independence and worldliness from the experience, despite some boredom and growing pains along the way. In the end, the challenges fade but the special memories last a lifetime.

Returning Home After Mexico Family Travel

After her remarkable twelve months across Mexico through family travel, Stephanie details her difficult transition back to everyday life in the United States.

She advises road-trippers to prepare for a period of readjustment upon returning home after long-term Mexico family travel.

For probably the first three months of being back here after traveling, I was just completely, just. Overwhelmed and kind of lost. [00:25:53]

Stephanie Mora Stonemetz

Though Stephanie now lives only 10 minutes from where she grew up in Ohio, her newfound love of travel pushes her to plan regular getaways after her Mexico family travel experience.

She continues prioritizing location independence and bought a vintage VW camper van for future adventures.

Planning Future Mexico Family Travel Adventures

For those considering their own family trip abroad, Stephanie enthusiastically declares “don’t be afraid, do your research, make the plan, and do it!” when it comes to Mexico family travel.

She recommends joining online communities of traveling families to get insider tips before your Mexico family travel journey.

Your kids aren’t going to get any younger. so just go do it. [00:45:11]

Stephanie Mora Stonemetz

Though Stephanie’s marriage dissolved after their epic Mexico family travel road trip, she speaks optimistically about upcoming travels with her new partner.

She dreams of witnessing her Scottish heritage firsthand during a trip to the British Isles after their life-changing Mexico family travel experience. Her kids can’t wait to embark on more far-flung adventures together.

Packing Tips and Travel Essentials for Mexico Family Travel

Based on her twelve months crisscrossing Mexico in a minivan through family travel, Stephanie compiled her top road trip essentials for Mexico family travel.

She stresses bringing Ziploc bags for organizing, plus wet wipes and snacks to maintain sanity during Mexico family travel.

You have to have baby wipes because it’s just, you need those forever in your everyday life. [00:36:07]

Stephanie Mora Stonemetz

Don’t forget essential kitchen tools like a can opener, wine bottle opener, and your family’s favorite knives. Stephanie traveled everywhere with a toaster oven for preparing quick meals during their Mexico family travel.

Build in small comforts that make lodging feel more like home. Enjoy the minimalist lifestyle but indulge a couple travel luxuries.

She recommends identifying your must-have item for Mexico family travel and finding space for it, whether a French press for coffee or full set of hair products.

Final Thoughts on Mexico Family Travel

Stephanie’s interview shows that with preparation, mindset, and passion, families can turn their Mexico travel dreams into reality. She shares budget-friendly tips and inspiration for your own Mexico family adventures.

By embracing location independence, we gain fresh perspective and create lifelong memories with our loved ones through Mexico family travel.

As Stephanie discovered during twelve months across Mexico, you learn more from mishaps than seamless trips. Lean into the magic of every moment, even when plans veer off course during Mexico family travel.

Safe travels! Stephanie’s memoir-worthy Mexico family travel road trip motivates me to envision my next family getaway, either close to home or abroad.

What far-flung destinations ignite your family’s sense of wonder for Mexico family travel? Where will you chart your minivan escape?

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Apple Podcast reviews are one of THE most important factors for podcasts. If you enjoy the show please take a second to leave the show a review on Apple Podcasts!

✔️ Click this link: Leave a review on Apple Podcasts
✔️ Hit “Listen On Apple Podcast” in the middle next to the picture.
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✔️ Leave an honest review.
✔️ You’re awesome!

Key Takeaways

• [00:05:05] Extended Mexico family travel often starts with a simple conversation and decision. Determine your priorities and take the leap!
• [00:11:41] A road trip through Mexico offers surprises around every corner for Mexico family travel. Don’t let safety concerns deter you from discovering its magic as a family.
• [00:15:35] Immerse your family in Mexico’s incredible food, culture, and landscapes through Mexico family travel. Stay flexible, embrace mishaps as learning opportunities.
• [00:25:23] Be ready for a readjustment period after extended Mexico family travel trips. Keep the travel bug alive by planning regular getaways.
• [00:28:22] Don’t let relationship concerns deter your Mexico family travel dreams. Booking larger lodging and having reasonable expectations helps smooth family trips.
• [00:35:53] Determine your must-have travel items based on your family’s needs and interests for Mexico family travel. Balance minimalism with comfort.
• [00:44:43] Join online groups of like-minded travelers to gain knowledge before your own Mexico family travel trip. If one dream fizzles out, keep envisioning future possibilities.

Transcript

[00:00:00] David: hello and welcome adventurers. today’s guest, Steph, is no stranger to adventures. With her family, she’s traversed the length and breadth of Mexico.

[00:00:10] David: clocking countless miles in their trusty minivan, exploring the offbeaten path, their locales, soaking up the authentic Mexican lifestyle. From bustling city centers to tranquil coastal towns, I think they’ve seen it all. Steph is, Steph’s here. She’s going to share some of her family’s captivating journey, some of the challenges they faced, the joys they discovered, the life changing experiences that they’ve had along the way.

[00:00:39] David: So, I think you’re in for a treat today as we dive into this, conversation, we’re going to helpfully get some practical tips, heartwarming stories, and some unforgettable journeys by a car throughout Mexico. So, hello Steph, how are you?

[00:00:58] Stephanie: Hello, great, how are you?

[00:01:01] David: I’m well, I’m well, long time no see. So, for those people out there who don’t know you yet, let’s start off with a little bit about who you are, and what you, what got you started here.

[00:01:16] Stephanie: For the travel?

[00:01:17] David OOL- Interview Steph – Made with Clipchamp: For the travel, yes. Have you been traveling forever, or is this a newer thing?

[00:01:24] Stephanie: I think so. I mean, it started for, for me, really, I think I was about 23 and the company I was working for went out of business. So I was in this situation where I was getting unemployment and, I, someone, someone else was going to Europe to backpack and it didn’t work out to go with them.

[00:01:47] Stephanie: And I thought, you know what, I can just go by myself. So I took five weeks at that point and traveled around Europe. I went to nine different countries. so that was more of a Ural pass and hostels and that kind of thing. Cause you’re young and you can do that. Yep. And then actually earlier that year, my sister, was an exchange student in Australia for an entire year.

[00:02:11] Stephanie: So earlier in that year, before I went to Europe, I went to Australia for three weeks to visit her. So I had quite the year of travel. and then when I met my husband in, uh, 2002. That was kind of what our first date was talking about. We were talking about travel. He had taken a two week road trip just by himself driving out west and we were living in Ohio.

[00:02:37] Stephanie: So he did quite a lot of miles in that two weeks. So we were talking a lot about, All of our travels and that just became part of our life. So, from then on, we were always taking a trip. So, well, first about my husband, we, we are separated now. We did get a divorce, but I am going to refer to him as my husband just because he was entering this trip, that we took to Mexico.

[00:02:58] Stephanie: We were married. So just to not lengthen it out. I’ll just say husband. yeah. So when we got to, married, he’s from Costa Rica. So every single year we’d go to Costa Rica around the holidays and we’d spend anywhere from two to four weeks there. and, or we go to, maybe we go to Europe for a couple of weeks or we’d always just find some vacation to go to.

[00:03:23] Stephanie: So, when we had kids, of course, is a little harder for me with little kids, I need my sleep and I wasn’t getting it. So. we didn’t do as many trips, but we always still went to Costa Rica every year. So the kids had kind of been used to travel in that sense. And my husband and I had always talked about, wouldn’t it be great if we just moved to Spain or, you know, travel, like that was something we always really wanted to do.

[00:03:50] Stephanie: And then of course, with COVID coming in. He started working from home all the time. so we realized we could do that. So he wanted to stay in the East Coast time zone or as close to possible. So it just came to be that we, we kind of decided let’s do it. Let’s take the minivan. We started driving down the east coast of the United States, for about four months.

[00:04:17] Stephanie: And then we were heading into Mexico and the plan was to drive all the way to Costa Rica. We did not make it, but that was the plan. So that’s kind of our travel background. And just, we, we all. We all just really love traveling.

[00:04:32] David: Yeah. not all plans come to fruition or go as planned. I get that, but what kind of planning was involved?

[00:04:41] David: Like you said, one thing led to another. We, you took your van and you went, did you buy the van specifically for travels or just take your family car and go?

[00:04:51] Stephanie: Yeah, we just took the, the family Toyota Sienna. You know, my husband came home one day and he just kind of said, you know what? I need to buy a new laptop if, this is kind of the weird way it started.

[00:05:05] Stephanie: And he said, I could just buy a regular laptop or we could. he, he wanted to have like more of a gaming laptop, like a, a heavier, more expensive one. He’s like, if we’re gonna go, maybe we could just go travel. Like, maybe we could go do this. And that, literally, that laptop conversation turned that whole, dream and idea…

[00:05:27] Stephanie: Into, okay, now we’re going to sell our house. We’re going to sell one of our cars, our boat and like 95 percent of our stuff. So it was that conversation that kind of turned it. So luckily we sold in like a good market. It sold very quickly and we ended up moving out on August 11th of 2021. And that just started our adventure.

[00:05:50] David: I never get over how close our stories are connected there. You know, from that simple conversation to selling everything to, I mean, happens with a lot of the traveling families out there. It’s that type of scenario and yeah, but then you find yourself in Mexico. So why Mexico first?

[00:06:12] David: Like, why did you guys decide just to go straight through and have some fun in Mexico for a while?

[00:06:17] Stephanie: So we actually didn’t go to Mexico first. So we left in August and we headed to Pittsburgh and then over to Martha’s Vineyard. I have a really good friend in Martha’s Vineyard and I got a great deal. We got a great deal on an Airbnb for a month, like we really did.

[00:06:33] Stephanie: I look at the prices now and I’m like, oh my God. That was like a deal of a lifetime. and then we went down to Charleston. And down to Florida. So, that’s how it actually started out. And then we ended up heading into Mexico. I think it was in January. Yeah. so Mexico just, you know, it was on the way to Costa Rica.

[00:06:56] Stephanie: I knew we could get six months there. So I thought, let’s do it. Like, let’s explore it. And, I guess. Yeah, that’s why Mexico, because it was on the way to Costa Rica.

[00:07:07] David: Okay, okay. And so then, why buy a car? There’s not a lot of families that people hear from that say, Alright, I’m just going to drive for my travels.

[00:07:18] David: Most people are going to fly in, fly out, or some other way. Trains, planes, automobiles are a little bit on the backside. So, why

[00:07:28] Stephanie: the automobiles? Yeah. Well, I think we we had to have that. I mean, as you know, in the States, unless you live in a big city with good transportation, you have to have a car. So, and also anywhere we’ve ever gone, my husband really, he likes to have that independence of the car to be able to go wherever, do little side trips, see things here and there.

[00:07:50] Stephanie: He doesn’t want to be confined to a public, public transportation where Okay. You know, they’re dictating what you see and the timeline. So, I don’t think that was really ever in question. and then obviously I just, we just wanted to take the time, like we wanted to take about a year and a half and go down there and really take the time visiting the different cities on the way.

[00:08:12] Stephanie: So I really think in order to do that, you, you kind of have to have a car. I don’t even know the logistics of doing a trip like we did without, I guess. Yeah, I guess you could fly into those cities here and there and just take public transport, but I guess that that wasn’t really that’s not really our style.

[00:08:33] Stephanie: So that wasn’t really an option.

[00:08:36] David: well, we get it a lot. I don’t know if you do, but I’m sure people have talked to you about responding like Mexico. Isn’t it dangerous?

[00:08:47] Stephanie: Yes, actually, just this summer, I kind of got into a conversation with someone who, to my knowledge, has never been to Mexico, still trying to tell me. Ah, why would you, why would you go to Mexico? It’s so dangerous. Like that was a terrible place to be. I don’t understand. And I was like, I don’t, I don’t understand where this is even coming from.

[00:09:14] Stephanie: Like I was there, but yeah, we definitely got that. I definitely got that from my family. You know, I think people like to watch the news and, and what sensationalize the news and like, Oh, you’re going to get your head chopped off. And, you know, it was, it was stuff like that. So I would just basically kind of tell them that I know a lot of people who are already doing this, you know, I’ve, I’ve joined these groups.

[00:09:41] Stephanie: I’m not going to go into the bad areas and don’t we have bad areas in the United States or like, aren’t you maybe afraid you’re going to go to the mall and get shot? Like, those are, those are, Valid concerns as well. So I luckily I think I’m just able to kind of brush that stuff off like we were confident in what we wanted to do.

[00:10:01] Stephanie: So those comments were just kind of. Okay, eventually, you just stop, stop answering like, okay, I hear you, but this is what we’re doing. So, yeah,

[00:10:12] David: had you been to Mexico prior to this trip?

[00:10:17] Stephanie: Yes. we had gone. So, my husband, I had gone. It had been a long time ago, but we went over to the Cancun area, but we, we did rent a car and we were going out to see more of the sites and driving down the coast and everything.

[00:10:33] Stephanie: So we did kind of get out there. We didn’t just stay at a resort. but I think that, that was probably the only other time I had been there.

[00:10:41] David: Okay. So tell me, what are some of the, those misconceptions that people have, or that you noticed while you were exploring

[00:10:50] Stephanie: Mexico? Yeah. So I think. We crossed the border and there was just this sense of like, like, kind of this anxious anticipation, like, what is going to happen when I cross this invisible line?

[00:11:08] Stephanie: So we get over there and we start driving and, you know, you’re just like, looking around, like, is someone going to let it come up and run me off the road? I don’t know. You hear all these stories and then eventually we’re kind of like, oh, no. It’s just like a regular road and we’re driving somewhere. so, yeah, I think the misconception is just that these are just people just like we are living their lives just like we are.

[00:11:41] Stephanie: And there are so many similarities and yeah, I think as long as you’re avoiding a known, Area that has the cartel involvement and, you know, the drugs and things like that, of course, that exists, but you’re not you’re if you’re smart about it. I mean, I can’t think of anything that made us feel unsafe at any point during the trip.

[00:12:06] David: Yeah, I’m glad you mentioned that too. And yeah, the border crossings, which one did you cross that when you crossed?

[00:12:15] Stephanie: that’s a good question.

[00:12:17] David: I know we went through Nogales..

[00:12:20] Stephanie: Okay. I don’t, I don’t remember actually. I know there was like, Like a main one and then there was a smaller one, like not far from there and we took the smaller one just because we heard that was better and of course we were, we didn’t want to take the major one because we’d heard, Oh my God, like once you cross the border, there are these people and they might like surround you.

[00:12:42] Stephanie: So it was just, weird, but then when we, when we came back into the States, I think we took one of the, the major ones because we weren’t as concerned about, but yeah, yeah.

[00:12:52] David: So you’re telling me you did your due diligence and you went where it was safe and what was known to be safe,

[00:12:59] Stephanie: right?

[00:13:02] David: Good very good So, this whole trip is a little unconventional.

[00:13:09] David: Not, not a lot of people do it. There’s a handful of people that I know that have done it. but like, what are some of the best, places more, your most favorite places that you went on this trip while you were through going through Mexico?

[00:13:24] Stephanie: Yeah, okay. So we went to, um, Guanajuato, which is kind of, you know, this like medieval type city.

[00:13:34] Stephanie: You come in through like underground tunnels. It’s everything is kind of mountainous. So when you’re walking around, like, you’re just looking at all these houses on hills and they’re all painted different colors. It’s like a rainbow color. So, That whole town was just really, really charming and fun, and you could kind of, like, get lost in these back alleys, and, of course, like, because it was in the mountains, you could just, there were just stairs, and you could climb up and just have beautiful views.

[00:14:04] Stephanie: but I, I think what also helped with that city is we, there was a world schooling event going on and that’s kind of why we went. And of course, you know, once you’re in a situation and you know, cause you’re traveling with a single child, like you’re trying to find people for them to hang out with.

[00:14:22] Stephanie: And so we kind of entered this mecca of people, all these people are doing what we’re doing, you know, so we were able to make friends, the kids were able to make friends, and then on top of that week, we did a, the pop up hubs, which I know you guys are hosting one in Argentina in a bit, we did the pop up hubs, There was one the week before and the week after it.

[00:14:47] Stephanie: So we joined both of those. So we had three weeks of hanging out with other people who were more or less like us and doing what we were doing. So I think that added to the experience, but the city itself was definitely beautiful. And I would definitely go back there. Mexico city absolutely adored it kind of had no idea what to expect.

[00:15:11] Stephanie: but. Of course, we met you guys there, and we attended another week long pop up, which was great. but Mexico City, I mean, it just has everything. You know, the theaters, and the museums, and they close down the roads on Sunday mornings, so you can, like, biking, and rollerblading. We just thought that was incredible.

[00:15:35] Stephanie: And the food there was incredible. You could get almost anything. so Mexico city definitely stands out. and then for me, I loved Oaxaca because it’s like a chocolate Mecca. There’s just hot chocolate everywhere, and it just has this distinctive taste. I think it’s the way they do the cinnamon in it, and like a little bit of chili.

[00:15:57] Stephanie: but I haven’t recreated it. I don’t even try. Like, I feel like some of those things are just like, that’s my thing in this place, and if I want it again, I have to go back to that place. and there was a chocolate store there called Mama Pacha Chocolate, and I like basically filled my bags when we left there because it was just the best.

[00:16:18] Stephanie: so yeah, I would say those places in Mexico like really stood out for me. I really, really love that.

[00:16:25] David: Yes, food and views and, it always, yeah, it always comes back to food. when you travel, when we travel, at least it’s always, it’s always about the food.

[00:16:37] Stephanie: I was going to say, I feel like, so in preparation for this, I was looking back at all my pictures and I feel like the theme of our whole trip was like ice cream.

[00:16:48] David: Ice cream, yeah.

[00:16:51] Stephanie: Oh, here we are eating this ice cream and here we are eating this ice cream and gelato and yeah, so, definitely the food, definitely the ice cream.

[00:17:00] David: How did the food compare authentically in Mexico to what you were used to

[00:17:05] Stephanie: in the States?

[00:17:07] Stephanie: Yeah, I think we just don’t really know what tacos are here in the States.

[00:17:13] Stephanie: it was interesting, though, to find that tacos are usually a lot of times they’re just, you know, they’re cooking them outside at like some stand and there’s just a shell and there’s meat and that’s kind of it. And if you want something else like, oh, where’s the cheese?

[00:17:29] Stephanie: They’re like, cheese. Why would we put cheese in a taco?

[00:17:33] David: Maybe some pico de gallo.

[00:17:36] Stephanie: Yeah. Yes, so you could get what you wanted. You just had to ask and they might be a little bit like, hmm. and my daughter loves guacamole. So she was just in heaven there. I mean, it was just, it was, it was great. I really liked the mole.

[00:17:51] Stephanie: Yeah, street food. Okay. Yeah. Yeah, some street food. Yes, we definitely enjoyed that. I think others in our party were a little more worried that they might get sick, but I was kind of like, yeah.

[00:18:06] Stephanie: It’s fine. Yes. the mole and. Oh, so what I really loved was how you can get the fruit there with the chili and the lime on top of it. So I really like just to get the mangoes and do that. So that was great. And everyone’s like, well, it’s just tahini. It’s tahini. And I’m like. It’s not tahini. It’s not. It is.

[00:18:32] Stephanie: It’s close, but theirs is just like a chili powder and then they’re actually squeezing a lime over it. You know, it was, it was different. So that’s, that’s something I did try to recreate when I got here, but then I was kind of like, you know, the mangoes don’t taste the same. Like we don’t have mangoes in Ohio.

[00:18:50] Stephanie: It’s, it’s not the same. So I, I left it alone for now.

[00:18:56] David: Well, moving from food, let’s say one of the biggest questions I get throughout the travels is how do you fund this lifestyle? You were gone for a while, so how does your family handle it?

[00:19:15] Stephanie: Well, I guess it’s kind of boring. You know, my husband has a business and, as we were talking about COVID before, before COVID, he would go into the office a few times a week, or he’d go to a client and then COVID came and he couldn’t do that.

[00:19:30] Stephanie: So he kind of talked to his business partner and said, listen, I don’t need to be anywhere. I can do all this work. From anywhere. so yeah, he just kept the same job and as we traveled, he just kind of did the same as he had been doing. on occasion, you know, he could take some Fridays off or shorten his hours here and there.

[00:19:50] Stephanie: but yeah, it was basically. Basically, same old, we all, all kept our, our same roles and as we travel,

[00:19:57] David: that’s really cool. I mean, yeah, you hear all the time that some, new types of job opportunities and, and access to jobs opened up because of the pandemic. so that’s, that’s really cool that some people are able to do that work from home or work from your car, wherever you are that situation.

[00:20:16] David: That’s neat. And then you had two elementary age, students or kids when you left. so what did you do about education? During that time frame.

[00:20:29] Stephanie: So yeah, the kids were 11 and nine and we found I looked through these online schooling options for a while and we decided on ME Academy. so what that is is basically the kids can do it at their own pace.

[00:20:48] Stephanie: So they would just log in and it would kind of be like a lesson, a recorded lesson. There was, there’s no actual teacher contact So they do a recorded lesson, they do a bunch of practicing, and then eventually they take a quiz on the subject. So, they’re actually still using that. It’s been two years now that they’ve, they’ve been using that.

[00:21:10] Stephanie: my kids are not wanting to go back to public school. and that’s fine. So, what I’m finding though is that, they do need… They do need a teacher in some of these subjects, especially math, especially with my daughter. We’re finding like she there are certain basic things that she just never learned because she didn’t have to.

[00:21:30] Stephanie: So she’s working with a tutor now and that’s kind of my plan is just to like supplement it with. With tutoring. actually she’s being tutored by my high school math teacher here in the area. Nice. Yeah, so it’s kind of fun. so yeah, I might be looking into changing that, that schooling a little bit just so there’s a little bit of teacher involvement, but that’s where we’re at for now.

[00:21:55] Stephanie: And it worked, it did work great.

[00:21:58] David: Very cool. Yeah, I’m a big fan of tutoring, so that’s awesome. Yeah. Now, during the travels then, how did your, how did your kids, how did they do? Did they thrive? Were they bored? how, how, how was their lifestyle?

[00:22:14] Stephanie: I think it was both. I think it was harder on my daughter to leave people and leave sort of friends and stability.

[00:22:22] Stephanie: I think, you know, they, it’s hard because they’re growing at the same time, right? They’re going to have growth no matter what. I think, you know, hopefully what they learned is just to be flexible and adaptable. They’re able to talk to people from any, any race or culture, you know, just, just, no, it’s, it’s not, it’s not this United States bubble everywhere.

[00:22:51] Stephanie: So, yeah, I think they, I think they did well, especially in situations where there were other kids around that they could hang out with, but then they definitely got into these times where there was just no one else and they were like, what am I going to do? I’m so bored. And we dealt with that too. So, you know, as you know, it’s not all.

[00:23:12] Stephanie: Rainbows and unicorns. It’s, you know, sometimes are a little tougher than others, but for the most part, I think they, they did

[00:23:19] David: well. Yeah. What would they, what would they say is their favorite experiences from the trip?

[00:23:28] Stephanie: I think. They would probably say the, the world school event where they were able to just meet so many other kids.

[00:23:36] Stephanie: And, during that event, they had like a kid’s camp going on at the same time. So the adults were kind of listening to talks from other world schoolers and the kids were all hanging out. My daughter really, really liked that. yeah. And, yeah. My son, he was actually talking to me last night about Guanajuato, just like the city and the hills and things like that, so I think they both really like that

[00:24:00] David: area.

[00:24:01] David: Yeah. Very, very cool. it’s awesome to see what they like and, and how they grow during all that and how it changes them and shapes them.

[00:24:11] Stephanie: Yeah. And you know, Logan, he still does his Duolingo every day. Does he? So it’s, yeah, so it’s funny because he will… If we ever come upon people who speak Spanish, he’ll all of a sudden start speaking Spanish to them.

[00:24:26] Stephanie: No, I mean, he’s in no way fluent, but he will, he will throw out certain sentences and, and, you know, and I’m like, Oh, okay. So I, I think like from Duolingo, he probably, he probably can read things and understand like science and things. And I know it’s always harder when someone who speaks Spanish starts speaking at you and then you’re like.

[00:24:51] Stephanie: Maybe I don’t know any Spanish, but yeah, he’s still been working on that. So I’m, I’m proud of him.

[00:25:00] David: I always liked how your kids were both very comfortable around, adults. you don’t get that always in the U S from children going to the public school. Some of them, yeah. But, for the most part, like yours were great, they had no problems being around adults and talking to them like normal people.

[00:25:19] Stephanie: Yeah, thank you.

[00:25:23] David: Now, looks like you’re transitioning back to life in the U. S. So, how has that been?

[00:25:31] Stephanie: Yeah. So it’s been a crazy year. We’ve had some like personal things going on. Of course, I’m not with my husband anymore. I am living about 10 minutes from where I, grew up. I’ve tried to leave Ohio so many times.

[00:25:48] David: Ohio does that though.

[00:25:49] David: It brings people back all the time.

[00:25:53] Stephanie: I keep ending up back here. So, yeah, so I did end up back with my high school sweetheart. So that’s where I’m at. for probably the first three months of being back here after traveling, I was just completely, just. Overwhelmed and kind of lost because this area is close to where I live, but it’s not where I lived.

[00:26:18] Stephanie: So I didn’t know any of the back roads. I didn’t know what was still here. I didn’t know what restaurants and yoga places. I was just kind of like, I’d wake up and I’d be like, what am I doing? it just took my brain a few months to kind of readjust to, to being here. but now it’s okay. I say as it’s August in Ohio and the weather is actually nice, but I’ve made peace with it.

[00:26:46] Stephanie: And I know I can travel. I can travel in the winter so I can get out of here and get some nice weather when I need to. But, I did love that year travel because we were in warm weather all the time. And that is my thing. So that was that was wonderful. Yeah,

[00:27:03] David: yeah, that is nice about Mexico is it is nice.

[00:27:07] David: Depending where you’re at. It’s pretty comfortable. Don’t go. Don’t go to. Don’t go to Cancun area in the super hot summer. It’s horrible, but,

[00:27:14] Stephanie: Right. Yeah. And that was kind of why, you know, we were glad we entered in January because we knew we were going to get, you know, planning to be there 6 months. At least we kind of knew we were going to be in nice weather.

[00:27:28] Stephanie: I mean, it would have been nice to come in around September, October. But yeah, I was like, okay, well, well, it’s going to be good whole time. You just have to like, kind of avoid the rain. But,

[00:27:39] David: That’s not bad. That’s not bad. So transitioning back to the U. S. has been ups and downs and backs and forth and just getting comfortable again.

[00:27:48] David: is there anything that you really, really miss from traveling or basically living off your out of your car?

[00:27:56] Stephanie: Now, we didn’t stay in Airbnbs, but we did have to carry all that stuff in every time we went to Airbnb. I, I do. I think that when I was traveling, I was much more likely to get out and do things. I, I’m a real homebody. So I kind of, when I’m here, I’m just kind of like, Oh, I don’t really think I need to run that errand today.

[00:28:22] Stephanie: but when you’re in a different place and you have all these different things to explore, you’re kind of, Oh, let’s get up and do this. so yeah, that’s probably the biggest thing. but as you know, traveling all the time, that I think being with your family 24 7 also has a lot of challenges. . so there’s, there are good things.

[00:28:45] Stephanie: Like I can, have more junk, you know, have

[00:28:50] David: Marie Kondo’s not gonna like that. .

[00:28:54] Stephanie: I know. I was like, I got rid of all that stuff and now I’m like, Hmm, but I need that. I need a snowsuit, . yeah. So, but it’s nice to have more creature comforts. but it was also nice to live like that and just have, okay, everything I need here has a purpose and I know that, and I don’t really have anything that doesn’t, and we travel with the toaster oven.

[00:29:19] Stephanie: I don’t know if you knew that, but we traveled the whole time with the toaster oven and we use that thing every single day. I still have that.

[00:29:28] David: We all, we all have that item that this somehow ends up traveling with us from place to place. For my wife, it’s her, it’s her, it’s her KitchenAid knives. For me, it’s the, the coffee, what is it?

[00:29:42] David: French press.

[00:29:44] Stephanie: And that stuff is expensive. Like, you’re never going to get to an Airbnb and be like, these knives are amazing. That’s never going to happen.

[00:29:57] Stephanie: No. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, but we did, Yeah.

[00:30:03] David: So, and, oh, I wanted to definitely congratulate you on that new van purchase. I told you that’s my dream vehicle, the VW van.

[00:30:13] Stephanie: Thank you.

[00:30:15] David: Do you plan on using it for future travels when you get it all fixed up?

[00:30:20] Stephanie: So, we, every year we go to Presque Isle, which is in Erie, PA. It’s about an hour and a half from where we live.

[00:30:28] Stephanie: And that’s kind of my goal at the moment is to get it running well enough that we can travel up there in it and back without breaking down . but you know, it is a 1974. It is a Mexican bus, which is funny. It came from Mexico. It, it, it, oh. It was up here last year. You can’t get away from Mexico. I don’t want to get away from Mexico.

[00:30:55] Stephanie: but you can already tell it’s it was from Mexico because. There have already been multiple things we’ve fixed and we’re like, huh? Bolts don’t really go here. This is the wrong wire for this. This is the wrong seal for this. So it’s, it’s pretty funny. I’m like, yep, Mexican bus.

[00:31:18] David: A Mexican German van. Yeah. Love it. I love it. So gonna get it ready for shortish long trip. And then after that, do you have any plans? I love the fact that you can sleep in the top bunk in those things. That’s one of the things.

[00:31:36] Stephanie: So, this is not a camper. It’s a tin top, but so when I bought this thing, I didn’t know what I was doing.

[00:31:46] Stephanie: I was like, that bus is cute. I want to get it. I didn’t know all the differences. but we’re not really campers and, you know, I have two kids and my partner has three. So we have five kids and this is more of a, like a carrier van. So it has two bench seats in the back that face each other. So for us.

[00:32:06] Stephanie: It’s actually the perfect VW bus because everyone can get in it. Yeah,

[00:32:12] David: that’s awesome. Okay. Speaking of future plans and everything, where is this new family unit? Where is the dream plan of exploring? What would you guys do as a family if you could do anything?

[00:32:29] Stephanie: Yeah, so right now, the trip we want to take is to Scotland.

[00:32:36] Stephanie: Yeah. Yeah, so my partner has a lot of Scottish roots and so he had been thinking about it for a while. And, his boys really want to go to, and I had wanted to go to the UK, like that was on my list for exploring now, of course, it’s not going to be as long a trip as that because I, you know, he doesn’t have that kind of location independence, but, yeah, so Scotland, either in the spring or next summer is what we’re going to do.

[00:33:03] Stephanie: And then my partner and I kind of have like little trips here and there planned throughout the year. So. I got a and I got to plan something for winter. Can’t do it.

[00:33:15] David: Don’t want to do it.

[00:33:19] David: Not Ohio. Not at the winter. No, that’s not as bad as Chicago, but it’s pretty bad.

[00:33:25] Stephanie: It’s pretty bad. Well, and what the bad thing really is the length. You know, you’re kind of like, it’s March, come on now, we’re, we’re getting into the spring. And then you’re like, no, still cold. And then April was even just like, still cold.

[00:33:42] Stephanie: You know, yeah, it’s tough. It’s tough on me.

[00:33:48] David: For families out there that are listening to this and they hear your story and your own set of challenges and things like that. can you give them some advice as, as far as what you feel like is needed to travel as a family unit and make it work? Like you said, we’re close knit all the time during these long trips.

[00:34:11] Stephanie: Yeah. So I guess what we started to do is we strive. We started to book. Airbnbs that had three bedrooms so that everyone had their own space. I think this was very helpful. Get my kids separated in their own rooms. They could just kind of go on their laptops and zone out for a while. so. That was definitely helpful.

[00:34:37] Stephanie: yeah, of course, another tip I have is if you already have problems in your marriage, this is probably not going to make it better. I hear you keep that in mind. but honestly, I think it’s just so brave for people to take this leap. It really is, to just kind of go against the grain of what most people think and do it.

[00:34:59] Stephanie: And I think you just have to make that choice and that you’re just going to do it. Set a date, sell your stuff, or if you want, rent out your house, you know, and just like, just actually do it. You know, you can talk about it for a long time, but hopefully that little thing clicks and you can make that decision and go.

[00:35:22] David: I love it! Yeah, just do it, you know, as the saying goes.

[00:35:27] Stephanie: Right, figure out your finances, right? Even if you’re just gonna go for a year, just figure it out and, and do it. Because it, I, I don’t regret anything about it. I really don’t. I would do it again, no doubt.

[00:35:41] David: That’s amazing. Yeah. And so, all right. So, I know you said you travel with your, your toaster

[00:35:53] David: oven. Absolutely. Talking to people who are thinking about doing this lifestyle, what are some key essential products or items that you would recommend for family travelers?

[00:36:07] Stephanie: Yes. Okay. So, you have to have wipes. You have to have baby wipes because it’s just, you need those forever in your everyday life.

[00:36:16] Stephanie: After I had kids, I was like, I don’t know how I survived without carrying these around just by myself all the time. Ziploc bags come in very handy. Big, big fan of Ziploc bags and having like, actually having a bag in your, if you’re traveling by van or, or some kind of overlanding, like just a bag with like condiments and forks and spoons and napkins, just like having that with you at all times.

[00:36:44] Stephanie: My son, Logan, he’s obsessed with ketchup. We would go somewhere and he’d get food and they either didn’t have ketchup. Or whatever, and he would just be like, well, I can’t eat this.

[00:36:57] David: Kids.

[00:36:58] Stephanie: Add some ketchup. what else? I did write some, I think I wrote some things down. But yeah, the toaster oven, right? You gotta have the toaster oven.

[00:37:08] Stephanie: Snacks. You gotta have snacks. You have to, and then like for the adults, a credit card with no foreign transaction fees, obviously you got to have that. And also I’d recommend the Charles Schwab, checking account where you have the, ATM card, because that also doesn’t have any fees and they’ll reimburse you the ATM fees.

[00:37:30] Stephanie: So, I think those would be my, my top must have, I mean, knives. You gotta have some knives, too. We definitely like our knives. Yeah, but just like with the toaster oven, I think everybody has their little thing that they want, right? Like, you have the French press. I think, like, you really have to think about that and make space for, like, what you really love.

[00:37:58] David: But you must be an Airbnb expert by now. Like, like I consider us experts in that area and they don’t, they’re not all stocked the same. So as a full time traveler, I completely understand, you. You gather things as you go. I mean, we have a frying pan we travel with because we’ve been to places that don’t even have one.

[00:38:19] Stephanie: We did, we traveled with a grill pan, which is similar. And then you, and we also had like a, a nice can opener. Because how many times have you found can openers that don’t work? I mean, there’s, there’s all those little appliances or like a peeler. But yeah, some of these Airbnbs, I mean, I’m like, I… I don’t know what I’m doing here.

[00:38:41] Stephanie: You know, there’s nothing in the kitchen. There’s nothing I can cook with. So you’re right. It’s, and you, you figured that out along the way and what you

[00:38:49] David: need. Yeah. And on a side note to those listening, I’m not saying carry your entire kitchen drawer with you, that miscellaneous drawer that nobody uses, but as, as Steph said here, you, you, you pick it up as you go.

[00:39:02] David: take what you know, you can’t live without. If you are a wine person. Make sure you have a wine, bottle opener, because they might not have it.

[00:39:12] Stephanie: Probably not. Probably not. Yeah. Agree. But they probably, they’ll probably have spoons and forks and plates, you know, you don’t have to worry about that.

[00:39:22] David: Yeah, usually.

[00:39:23] David: But if you go to Mexico, there’s not going to be a dishwasher. So, forget that.

[00:39:28] David: And hardly ever will you find adryer either. That’s true. Yes. All right. So let’s do our lightning round.

[00:39:42] David: Coffee or tea?

[00:39:45] David: Tea. Cat or dog? Probably dog. Pool or beach? Beach.

[00:40:01] David: Would you rather be able to understand and speak every language in the world? Or be able to teleport anywhere at any time.

[00:40:12] Stephanie: So this is a really good one. I mean, this is like, I love this one. I would love both of those, but I think honestly, being able to speak and understand any language would be amazing.

[00:40:23] Stephanie: I would love that.

[00:40:25] David: That’s awesome. Yeah. All right. Now imagine this, you get off the plane at your next destination, Scotland . You’re in Scotland, but you arrive into the zombie apocalypse. Okay? , you’re able to get to your bags. What’s the first thing you would grab, and why?

[00:40:45] Stephanie: So, what I’m grabbing out of my bag…

[00:40:48] Stephanie: Gosh. I mean, I think what you’d really need is, like, a long pointy stick, right? To, like, smash their brains out. But I’m not gonna have that in my bag. I’m not gonna have my toaster oven to hit them over the head with.

[00:41:03] Stephanie: This is a tough one, I mean… You know, maybe, maybe like a scarf to strangle them, or maybe like my conditioner and shampoo to like throw in their eyes to run away, I don’t know.

[00:41:19] David: Yeah, that’s, that’s thinking, that’s thinking. I have not seen either of those attempted in the zombie movies, so interesting.

[00:41:30] Stephanie: But I feel like I’m not going to have the right tools with me, you know, that no weapons thing on the plane.

[00:41:36] David: Definitely. You never know what people have in their checked luggage, though, but we don’t check luggage, so.

[00:41:42] Stephanie: Right. I’ll just throw my shorts at them.

[00:41:49] David: Alright, let’s do a little travel trivia. All right, let’s see how we, how we do here. What is the capital city of Mexico? Mexico City. Ah. National bird of Mexico.

[00:42:07] Stephanie: Okay, so I knew it was like the eagle. I think it’s like the golden eagle.

[00:42:14] David: Golden eagle, good. Yes. All right, what is the name of the ancient city built by the Mayans in Mexico, which is also a famous tourist spot?

[00:42:27] Stephanie: Okay, so, Yucatan. This is, Chichen Itza.

[00:42:31] David: Chichen Itza, good, good. Yeah. Alright, what is, what unique ability does an axolotl possess?

[00:42:44] Stephanie: So I know this because we have axolotls. We have two. And they should not be together. Because one ate off the other one’s limbs, two of them, so their ability is they can regenerate their limbs.

[00:43:00] David: Awesome, awesome. You’re going to have to tell me that story of how you acquired axolotls. That’s pretty cool.

[00:43:06] Stephanie: They were already here when I moved in.

[00:43:09] David: Nice. That’s a rare animal to find. Okay. Yeah. Last but not least. What unique feature will you encounter frequently when driving in Mexico? A. Traffic lights that play music.

[00:43:28] David: B. Roads made of glass. C. Around one million speed bumps. Or D. Cars that drive on water.

[00:43:42] Stephanie: It’s the speed bumps! A million speed bumps. The topes! Everywhere! Yes, everywhere. Some you can see, some you can’t.

[00:43:53] David: Do you have a tope story?

[00:43:57] Stephanie: I mean, not other than just like, they’re not painted and you can’t see them and you’re just like, boom!

[00:44:05] Stephanie: And you’re like, oh, yeah. What’s broken now?

[00:44:07] David: Yes.

[00:44:16] Stephanie: The van did have, the van did break down, and maybe that’s why.

[00:44:22] David: Oh, maybe.

[00:44:26] David: Oh, very good. That was awesome. All right. Well, as we wrap up, do you have any pearls of wisdom tips or anything else for family travelers who might be travel thinking about a similar adventure with their kiddos?

[00:44:43] Stephanie: yeah, just don’t be afraid. Do your research. Join the, join the Facebook groups, you know, the world schoolers, we are world schoolers.

[00:44:51] Stephanie: There’s just a wealth of information in there. If you’re gonna do Mexico, join On the Road in Mexico, right? You’ll get all your information about Mexico, where the cartels are. and yeah, really just like make the plan and do it because I think that’s the biggest thing. Like you can talk about it forever.

[00:45:11] Stephanie: Your kids aren’t going to get any younger. so just go do it.

[00:45:15] David: Just go do it. Awesome. Well thank you everyone for tuning in to the Our Offbeat Life podcast show where we bring you obviously the most inspiring and transformative stories of family life on the road. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast to be the first to hear about our new episodes and follow us on social media channels.

[00:45:38] David: But,everybody wish Steph an amazing rest of her adventures. Thank you for being a part of this,episode today. it was great.

[00:45:47] David: It was great talking with you. Laughing with you and sharing some stories.

[00:45:52] Stephanie: Yeah, it was so fun. And I hope you guys continue to have a great time. Maybe you’ll see me in Argentina.

[00:46:01] David: That would be amazing. I’m sure the kids would love to catch up too. So

[00:46:06] Stephanie: I know, I know I have it in my mind now. We’ll see.

[00:46:12] David: Manifest it. There you go. You have it in your mind. Manifest it.

[00:46:15] Stephanie: Yeah. Yes, absolutely.

[00:46:18] David: All right. Well, thank you very much. Take care. And we will be talking.

[00:46:22] Stephanie: All right. Bye. Thanks, David. Bye. Bye.

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