Traveling to 7 continents is still cheaper than living in the US for a year

A couple cut all their expenses to take their child on a trip around the world to seven continents. After 13 months, they concluded that it was still cheaper than a year living in the US.

The Almond family on an excursion to Antarctica - Photo: ANDI ALMOND

The couple decided to let their children take a break from school and see this trip as an opportunity for them to gain real-world experience, a form of " worldschooling ".

Traveling around the world is still cheaper than living in the US

American couple Andi and Randy Almond, living in Colorado, recounted their adventure around the world with their two children Finn and Aria in the book Classrooms Everywhere : How Families Turn Their Passion for Travel into Learning and You Can Too , according to CNN.

In the 2022-2023 school year, Finn and Aria were 13 and 10 years old, respectively. The trip lasted more than 400 days, covered more than 100,000 miles, and visited seven continents - and they only had one bad memory: the time Randy was stung by a scorpion.

The idea of ​​leaving home to travel with their children first came to Andi and Randy in 2017. In their twenties, they were both passionate travelers, taking a year-long trip around the world: six months in South America and six months in Southeast Asia.

Shortly after her 40th birthday, Andi began brainstorming ideas and meeting with a financial expert to prepare for the trip. The couple planned to save money, decided to rent out their home to generate extra income while they were away, and drastically cut down on their daily expenses.

Every time they wanted to buy something expensive, the family thought about how the money could help them on their adventure. They traveled to many countries and continents, from Africa, the Middle East and South America, then to Asia and the Pacific , to Hoi An (Vietnam).

Ultimately, Andi concluded that the cost of 13 months of traveling around the world was less than a year of living in the US, without having to pay for housing, food, extracurricular classes for children and countless other expenses.

Part of the reason is that they choose low-cost countries like Southeast Asia and South America, staying in places with few tourists. Meanwhile, the experiences the whole family has are priceless.

Lively and rich learning experience

“We really want to travel to many countries, so that our children can see different ways of life, cultures and types of happiness in the world,” Andi said.

One benefit of learning through travel, according to Andi, is that you can adapt to different paces depending on where you go, but it's important to stay flexible.

"Usually we visit ancient sites in the morning and travel around in the afternoon. Each place is different, each day is very different," she said.

They also make time for the kids to rest in between their busy schedules, balancing exploration with the need to relax. “We don’t have a set schedule, but we do have breaks throughout the day for the kids and don’t cram too many activities in,” she explains.

The family had a rich experience in many countries, watching the sunset from the giant sand dunes in the Sahara desert, scuba diving in the Indian Ocean, learning Portuguese in Brazil, cruising to Antarctica, climbing the Himalayas.

During the trip, Andi's two children did not use social media, but kept in touch with friends back home via WhatsApp and Facetime.

"I'm so happy to see my children become more confident, learn a range of practical skills and become self-sufficient. Adventures always help us broaden our horizons and see the world with more tolerance," said Andi.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/travel-through-7-chau-luc-van-re-hon-mot-nam-song-tai-my-20250508131303768.htm