Traveling the world since 2019….
World adventures of a family of 5!
After years working in corporate America, having a start up in Brazil and being expats in London, in 2019 we decided to sell our primary home, cars, sell/donate/give away most of our possessions and explore the world. Our kids were 11, 9 and 4 at the time. We were excited and eager to embark in a new adventure but also somewhat insecure about many aspects of this new lifestyle, such as adjusting to home schooling, the social development of our kids, healthcare system in different countries and also how would we find comfortable, safe and memorable places to stay!
I joined People Like Us in March 2019, just two months before departing on our world adventure. We had 2 short term rental properties in Colorado to offer. I posted on the PLU facebook page and started chatting with several potential fellow exchangers. We had never exchanged homes and were newbies to the concept. But soon we were hooked.....
We were lucky to secure 3 home exchanges in Australia and New Zealand! One was simultaneous, one non simultaneous and the last one was in exchange for a globe!
Our first exchange was a simultaneous exchange in Sydney where we stayed for one month while our hosts spent time between our two properties in Colorado (including some great skiing in Breckenridge). Having a comfortable home base in a friendly neighborhood while exploring Sydney was perfect and we had fun spending Christmas and New Years there. We even participated in the end of year street potluck! We also joined a small PLU gathering and met our charismatic founder Drew!
Our second exchange was a non-simultaneous exchange on the island of Waiheke (NZ). We spent 10 days in a comfortable home with breathtaking views! We loved exploring the island and being able to use the kayaks, bikes, outdoor grill, decks and garden the house had to offer.
Our third exchange was for a Globe and we spent 10 days at a fun ‘beach bach' (beach home) in Whiritoa (NZ). This home was perfectly situated to explore the eastern coast of the northen island! The huge garden, grill, deck, the hammock, garden toys, proximity to the beach and laid back community was amazing!
Since Covid happened we have not stopped much as we still do not have a primary home and aren't ready to settle. After being in lock down in Malaysia for almost 2 months, in may 2020 we went back to the our properties in Colorado. After a month long RV trip in the US in the fall of 2020, we headed down to Mexico for a 6 month road trip over the winter. Although I tried, I was not able to secure a home exchange.
In the summer of 2021, we departed on a 3 month RV trip around the US Pacific Northwest. We were able to organize an exchange in Portland through People Like Us. By August we decided to head to Europe again. We are currently in Portugal and heading to Tenerife, Morocco, Egypt and South Africa next. Due to covid and continous travel restrictions/disruptions we are not planning much in advance but hoping to continue exploring the world and arranging PLU exchanges throughout our travels.
If you want to know more about our adventure, such as home/world schooling, our experience with packing for a world trip, local tips and posts written by our children, you can visit www.familyvagabonders.com or on instagram @familyvagabonders.
Our itinerary is fluid and flexible. Please reach out if you are interested in an exchange (sim or non sim) with a beautiful property in the historic and picturesque town of Estes Park, Colorado (USA) near the world famous Rocky Mountain National Park (https://peoplelikeus.world/properties/3077) or we also have some Globes to offer.
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Annelies
Travelling group
People Like Us is the world's most trusted home exchange community. We believe in sharing, trust, generosity, respect, communication, equality, cooperation, honesty, hospitality, friendship, flexibility and adventure. We take pride in our homes and we care about the environment in which we live: our village, city, country and our planet. We care about the ethos of home exchange and we do it because we love the experience and the friendships that it generates.
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