Watch out! The Watkins are on the move. We took off for Ecuador for the start of our South American adventure. We are excited to be traveling again. The Flights We flew Spirit Airlines from Atlanta to Guayaquil, Ecuador. We had a layover in Ft. Lauderdale. We chose Spirit Airlines because it is considerably cheaper than other airlines. It is…
The decision to uproot our family and start a worldschooling journey was not easy. We knew we wanted to travel long-term, but doing it has been fraught with doubts and fears. We still carry those doubts and fears with us, but going out on this journey, despite those fears, has been rewarding. We are glad we pushed through our worries…
It has been a year since my step mother Lois passed away. It seems recent and a long time ago all at the same time. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about her. Songs remind me of her. Washing the dishes and folding laundry reminds me of her. Hugging Lucas and Henry reminds me of her. Talking…
Traveling is exciting. Researching and planning the trips are fun. Packing for trips is not as much fun. It is easy to pack for a week at the beach or a weekend getaway. Packing for several months should be just as easy, but it is not. Packing for a longer-term trip requires some advance planning a lot of ‘would you…
Traveling today is easier in many ways than it was when Michael and I were growing up. We have GPS to get around, FaceTime and texting to stay in touch with family and friends, Facebook Groups to find out what is going on in the cities you are visiting, and most of the comforts of home can be found in…
Thanksgiving this year for us was in Atlanta. My brother Sam and his family flew in from California. Lucas and Henry were excited to spend time with their cousins Nell and Vivian. My sister Emily was the hostess with the mostess. We had an eventful week. It started with Lucas playing in a tennis tournament in Atlanta. He won one…
We have been on a wild ride. We wouldn’t change it right now, but there are things about a nomadic lifestyle that are difficult. One of the hardest things is having to say goodbye. We meet great people wherever we go, but then we move on. We seem to stay long enough to start making friends before we pick up…
Lucas, Henry, and Michael took a week-long boy’s trip to Williamsburg, VA. They stayed at a time-share property in a 4-bedroom place that was made up of 2, 2-bedroom units. The boys thought that they wanted to stay by themselves, but they ended up sleeping with Michael in one unit and using the second unit as a hangout during the…
For Henry’s birthday, I attempted to make Minecraft cake pops. Henry loves cake pops. He asks to get them every time we pass a Starbucks. I am not a baker. I can follow a recipe, but I would not win any competitions. The only reason I tried was that my sister was in town and she has some baking knowledge.…
Michael’s family lives in Arizona, so we try to get out there to visit at least once a year. This was our second visit this year. Our first visit was in July and it was hot. The weather was much nicer this time. We stayed with Michael’s sister and family. They have a beautiful house with an acre of land,…