A couple who travels the world permanently with their 2 kids shares their secret for traveling with toddlers
Courtesy of The Bucket List Family
In the summer of 2015, Garrett Gee and his wife Jessica set off on a six-month journey around the world with their two kids, Dorothy and Manilla, now ages 4 and 2.
Gee had just quit his job at Snapchat where he worked for three months after selling his company, Scan, to the Silicon Valley darling for $54 million, he told Business Insider.
But instead of using his cut from the sale to fund their travels, the couple sold all their belongings for about $45,000 and decided to travel for as long as that reserve lasted them, agreeing not to dip into savings.
But just as their fund was dwindling down about a month before the six-month mark, the Gee’s travel blog and social media brand, The Bucket List Family, became profitable. So they decided to make their life on the road permanent.
In 2016, the family of four traveled to 23 countries, by way of 43 flights, 11 rental cars, and 7 train rides. That’s enough to make a single person exhausted, but with two toddlers in tow, Garrett and Jessica have their work cut out for them. But they insist it’s all about approaching potential challenges as adventures.
“Probably the best thing we can do to help our children during our travels around the world is keep a positive attitude,” Gee said.
“A 15-hour flight can be ‘a dreadful restless headache’ or it can be ‘an adventure on a giant spacecraft that is taking us to a new world to explore!’ It’s all in the attitude.”
Ultimately, Gee said he’s hoping to teach young people — especially his kids — one thing through the family’s travels.
“This is something that changed my life and something that I’m trying to help my own children learn: Know your worth!” he said. “The more you understand your potential and value yourself, the better you will be at following your dreams and avoiding dead-end jobs.”
Follow along with the family’s 2017 travel adventures on their website.
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