How We Balance Kids, Nomadic Life, and Full-Time Jobs
Embracing the nomadic lifestyle as a family doesn’t mean giving up on your career. Our family of four, with two kids aged four and two, is living proof. We’ve managed to combine our full-time remote jobs with a life of travel and exploration, and the journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. Here’s how we do it:
Slow Travel
Adopting a ‘slow-travel’ approach has been a game-changer for our family. We typically settle in a location for anywhere between 2 to 6 months; we’ve even extended our stay up to 10 months in a place we particularly loved. By staying longer, we are able to immerse ourselves in the local culture and become part of the community, understand the local dynamics, and experience life as the locals do.
This lifestyle has given us the unique opportunity to meet a variety of people from different backgrounds. We spend quality time, share experiences, and often forge lasting friendships. This interaction enriches our lives and broadens our perspectives in ways short-term travel never could.
While we enjoy the novelty of new places, we also ensure a stable environment for our kids. Staying longer in one place helps us create a ‘home away from home,’ offering our children the consistency they need. It also allows us to maintain a healthy balance between our work commitments and family time. We establish a routine that accommodates school, work, and leisure, ensuring that none of these crucial aspects of our life are neglected.
Craft Your Ideal Setup
We’ve made a conscious decision to avoid the daily grind of long commutes. This means we always look for places where the essentials of life are accessible without needing a car, where everything – from grocery stores to local attractions – is within walking or biking distance. Not only is it great for our health but it also reduces our environmental footprint. It’s a way to stay active and engage with our surroundings.
Additionally this proximity allows us to live like locals, adding depth to our experience.
Arrange Education & Work on the Go
When it comes to work and education, we prioritize finding co-working spaces that are located near schools. This logistical arrangement helps us manage our work-life balance more effectively, allowing us to be close to our children during the day.
We look for schools that offer short-term enrolments, a trend that is becoming more common thanks to the rise of educational services catering to traveling families (more about this in a next post. Stay tuned) . These schools understand the unique needs of nomadic families, making the transition smoother for our children.
This lifestyle provides our children with a unique chance to immerse themselves in diverse cultures and various educational approaches. Instead of a conventional classroom setting, they engage with the world directly. Their learning happens through hands-on experiences and outdoor adventures, embracing a holistic approach to education.
Build Your Support System
While embracing our nomadic lifestyle, one challenge we face is not having extended family nearby to help with the kids. Given that we both have full-time jobs, there are inevitably times when our work calls overlap or we’re both particularly busy. To prepare for this, we always scout local nanny websites and reach out to potential candidates before arriving at a new place. Upon arrival, we arrange a test day to ensure a good fit. Many of these nannies have quickly become like family to us. In fact, we’ve formed close bonds with some of their families as well.
Importantly, these nannies are not just caregivers; they are invaluable sources of local knowledge and insights. They often provide us with tips, introduce us to local customs, and connect us with other community members. This arrangement has not only enriched our lives with deeper connections but also provided our children with a broader sense of family and care. It’s been a game-changer, allowing us to focus on work without compromising our children’s care.
When we do get the chance to spend time with our close family, or when they come to visit, it’s a special treat. These moments give us a chance to enjoy some much-needed alone time while the kids are in the loving care of their grandparents, uncles, aunts and/or cousins. It’s a beautiful balance that adds to our journey.
Admittedly, this way of life isn’t always straightforward, but having the support of our families back home has been vital. Even though they may not always fully grasp or agree with our nomadic choices, their support and presence, whenever we need them, have been a cornerstone of our adventure.
Enjoy the Ride
Living on the road with our kids while juggling full-time jobs is definitely a handful, but it is worth it! Every day is a new adventure, filled with different cultures and learning new things together.
It’s brought us closer as a family, and we’ve figured out that with a bit of planning, some go-with-the-flow attitude, and a love for adventure, you really can have the best of both worlds – a cool job and loads of family fun. And guess what? We actually get to spend more quality time with our kids now than we did before.
Disclaimer – A fully remote job is obviously a must for this lifestyle.
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