The Smith Family Odyssey

Two years ago, the Smith family of Piedmont began a ten-month journey to over 80 places on five continents. They left with grand hopes, educated expectations, and understandable trepidation. They returned bursting with stories, and with new eyes on their old home.

This October 18th in San Francisco, Sarah Lavender Smith and a panel of world-travel experts will share their insights and practical advice for like-minded families at one of Meet, Plan, Go!’s speaker and networking events.

“I refer to our long trip as “extreme quality time” because when you leave your house and your routine, you are forced to collaborate and work through challenges as a team,” Smith said, during an interview in mid September.

The Smith team—including husband Morgan, and their children, Colly, (11, at the time) and Kyle (8)—was inspired by another Piedmont family who had taken an extended, but completely different trip.

“Everyone can travel in their own way. The point is to get outside of the familiar zone and challenge yourself to see and learn from the world,” Smith emphasized.

Discovery is a natural part of travel, and the Smiths were no exception.

As a married couple, the Smiths found that traditional or habitual roles often fell aside in the face of sudden caregiving or problem solving needs.

For the children, the nomadic lifestyle meant they were each other’s best friends for the year. Watching their parents budget and plan frugally increased their appreciation for splurging at a good restaurant, or visiting Hong Kong Disneyland, a treasured family memory.

“One of the legacies of the year is that the roadschooling made them more intellectually curious and more independent about learning,” she said. Taking the children out of a traditional classroom and educating them on the go was a source of parental anxiety before the family left home.

“I didn’t think I could handle my kid’s schooling. Teaching them the equivalent of 6th and 3rd grade on the road? I thought we had to have a very structured plan and was very nervous about it,” she admitted.

Early on, Smith realized that her kids were learning all the time.

“Education happens around the clock when you travel. The hours we carved out for formal learning were only a part of it.”

Because long-term travelers follow an impulse broader than simple wanderlust, they face specific challenges.

Financing is a big one. Fortunately, useful, practical advice is available on the Meet, Plan, Go! website and on Smith’s blog.

Smith said that budgeting for re-entry is the one thing people shouldn’t neglect.

“We had savings, and we rented out our home. We used the money we would have used at home for regular cost of living expenses. But when you return, if there’s a time before the income builds up again, you need to prepare.”

In her husband’s case, the journey was also a time to “grapple with questions and figure out what he wanted to do with the rest of his life,” Smith explained.

Ultimately, he chose to leave the law firm he had co-founded and began a new litigation graphics and consulting firm.

While her children and husband were learning, Smith also found lessons in flexibility during the journey.

“Travel planning is analogous to having your first baby. Lots of moms think they have to have everything ready. The reality is that we ended up doing a lot by the seat of our pants.”

Not needing a lot of stuff was also liberating.

“I really only need three outfits and three pairs of shoes: running, sandals, and comfortable closed-toe shoes.”

Smith would love to revisit Argentina and Italy. She describes New Zealand as “idyllic”, in terms of culture and the economy. And seeing the Matterhorn was her husband’s long-held dream; now a cherished reality.

"We seriously though of traveling indefinitely," she admitted.

But when she recalls the family’s homecoming, her words are reminiscent of Dorothy's at the end of the Wizard of Oz.

“When we returned, I distinctly remember walking through our neighborhood. I saw Piedmont with fresh eyes and appreciated how beautiful it is. The houses seemed gigantic, the street-scape so well manicured. We had mixed feelings, but one thing that eased the transition were our neighbors. We came back in the summer and started building the 4th of July float. That’s why we loved returning: the people.”

Ticket proceeds from the Meet, Plan, Go! event on October 18th in San Francisco will go directly to AFAR Media, the philanthropic arm of AFAR Foundation. AFAR is a cross-cultural exchange program for underserved high school students.

For more info and to purchase tickets, go to the event website.