10 Guidelines to Make Full Time Travel a Successful Lifestyle for your family

Can full time travel even be a sustainable and successful lifestyle for your family?

Men have always been explorers. Even so, nomad tribes, not the new age trendy “digital” version of them, are still a living truth that leading a sedentary life was not the default for all humans across the globe..

Full time travel, nomadism, location independence are fundamentally not new concepts! Wanting to make the characteristics of today’s sedentary life fit into the equation is though.

Full-time travel means different things to different people and there are many ways to full time travel. Each nomadic family out there has developed their very own interests, goals, needs, strengths and limitations. And this is what makes the beauty of this global travel community. No playbook.

Now, although each family can shape the life for their own pack, there are still laws of nature, social rules and foundational behaviors universal and beneficial to a successful journey.

Traveling mamas, let’s look into the 10 guidelines to create a successful lifestyle out of full time travel with our family.

1 – Vacation Vs. Lifestyle

A nomadic “lifestyle” is not meant to be a short-lived undertaking, it must support your family’s dream travel journey but before all, it must be a sustainable way of living, by prioritizing necessary expenses, stretching, and continuing to gather resources as optimally as possible.

One of the biggest mistakes when embarking on a travel lifestyle is to approach it like you would a vacation. This is no longer about finding the best memorable locations seen on pictures, no longer about paying overly high seasonal prices for accommodations, all inclusive, full amenities that would not truly serve you and your kids on a regular day-to-day.

By all means, if you have it, spend it. But this is not the reality for most, especially when traveling with kids.

This is where most people, unfamiliar with it all, get the wrong impression that a travel lifestyle must be so expensive and unrealistic to sustain. Honestly, it will be as expensive as you allow it to be. It will be as flexible as you make it to be.

Traveling full time must be budgeted strategically and there must be a clear definition of what the minimum acceptable safety and sanitary conditions of living should be for you and your family.

Traveling with kids also changes your view on traveling. It typically raises your awareness to possible risks and increases your desire for comfort and convenience in a location.

Once you have put together your list of non negotiables, your searches for the next temporary nest will be a bit more fine tuned, wherever that location is in the world.

Your family full-time travel journey may not be permanent. However, it can be anything BUT too short!

So build it well with purpose, patience and practice.

2 – Possessions Vs. Experiences

In short, a travel lifestyle requires letting go of material attachment and developing the love to grow through experiences. You want to feel that ability to exist beyond what you own, learn to give and get in energy not in things.

And even if your family wanted to, you each cannot carry much with you. A comparison of your first trip versus your 10th trip would be enough to confirm that your things would quickly become a burden, dragging them on a rocky street, on your backs and paying hefty fees for not wanting to part away from them.

Cheers to a new kind of pursuit. A life experience in which the cost of a once upon a time new pair of fancy shoes become a last-minute bus tickets excitement for all to the next big city, you just found out from another travel family had the best hiking trails and the most sensational views of the country.

3 – Money Mindset

A lot of us have created those limitations for ourselves holding that we can only stretch as far as our money can.

In other words, if the budget is not there, we close our eyes on the very thing not thinking about any other ways to attract it in our life.

We exchange money to belong, be liked. We assess what our neighbors, friend circles are doing and try to match or exceed to feel relevant, successful or maintain that sense of connection.

Location Independence is rather exchanging money for more freedom, independence and to exist uniquely because you have less opportunities to be influenced by “the norm”. You spend more time away from the crowd, discovering what the heck you and your family even thrive in and enjoy.

You find your very authentic ways to become part of these new communities you meet on the road, and learn to contribute in ways that truly make these moments memorable.

Your spending habits as individuals and family unit become more intentional and “higher purpose” rooted.

4 – Routines & Rituals Redesign

Until now, what your family has been accustomed to is, revolving around the same places, same people, same resources and foreseeable evolving needs for each family members, including how to fulfill them. Like the future daycare, the future primary schools, middle schools, high schools…

This is the certainty that living in one place has permitted. All in favor of the building of routines and practices.

When embracing a more mobile lifestyle, a big switch is required.

Routines and practices get disturbed, familiar resources are lacking or look different. New ways of doing things spark confusion or inspiration. Each location create different dependencies, different levels of expectations and challenges to meet your family needs.

This is almost like creating a new playbook each time. It is exploiting your ability to adapt, teasing with your growing awareness, resourcefulness and understanding of how each of these locations should be appreciated to continue making your journey the best it can ever be.

Routines and practices are made to serve us. Most of them should not be set in stone as they are a reflection of our ability to extract the resources we need from our environment. If you change environment, then routines must change.

Your priority in all this is to understand which of your practices are, again, non-negotiable and ensure the associated resources are available. Any “negotiables” leave room for your family to redesign and be creatively getting immerse into the new environment to still get things done.

5 – Intentionality in Relationships

The REAL truth is “out of sight out of mind”.

You left people behind in your decision to pursue more meaningful ways to live with your little family. And not everyone is taking this cheerfully with wisdom and empathy.

Some will gather crumbs of resentment toward you because how dare you to live differently…and some won’t understand what you are working toward therefore not want to interfere with your endeavor by not distracting you (meaning inviting you or including you in their “plans”).

To be blunt, people will estrange your family more and more. But let’s still give credit to grandma who will relentlessly want to make sure everyone is safe and happy, wherever you are in the world. So will Grandpa anxiously listening in the background.

Adopting a travel lifestyle requires a brand-new perception of what maintaining & nurturing relationships is. And your family should be willing to go the extra mile to keep the bonds solids with extended family and friends from a distance.

Scheduling consistent blocks of time to catch up, let the kids interact with their cousins on videos, learn about the latest happenings in a friend’s life, and last but not least, share the latest on your end so no one is moving in silo in either part.

Naturally, the ones who truly want you in their life will do just as much.

6 – Travel goals Vs. Life Goals

While mesmerized by the beauty of the world,. shit gotta get done.

This is not a sabbatical, this is life going by and it is important to also reach milestones without being distracted. This also means mastering how to combine the pleasure of adventure with laser focused on work and self-development for all.

this is a rewarding lifestyle that you travel mama has chosen though delayed gratification is still an applicable model to follow to ensure important milestones are reached as a family but also for each single member of your little tribe.

Making time to reflect, reassess the plan.

Looking into the rear view mirror to make room for improvement, like managing uncertainty better, working through relationships more intentionally, being more courageous in some situations, less distracted in others.

My family mantra, for example, has always been our travel should enable our life accomplishments, not delay them or be an obstacle in reaching them.

Be sure to not create another vicious circle in your life chasing shiny object, like rushing to the next 50 destinations in one year, if that is not truly one top goal for your family. No frivolous actions.

Goal #1 is finding the right travel cadence physically, mentally, emotionally and financially including what leads to true fulfillment.

7 – Sandy beaches Vs. Bedbugs

A travel lifestyle looks like paradise to many.

Especially with the way its most popular advocates have been blasting these beautiful scenaries in their social media, picturesque destinations, unique adventures.

The irony being that many of these shares could be part of a sponsorship or workstream they are monetizing or trying to get into monetizing to entice “vacation” crowd to come for an experience.

Of course, not true to all. BUT this is good to keep in perspective as you design the ideal journey for your family. Not all is MAGIC.

What is not shown enough however is the behind the scene of all of it. The hardship of having no familiar home to go back to, only another new place with more challenges and new ways to being uncomfortable.

No true place to really unpack the day and leave the rest of the world at the front door.

Working on a bed or on the floor because this was a low month and it was more affordable, a better trade off, to rent less comfortable accommodations to not exceed the budget this month.

The constant moving around, unpacking regularly, flight cancelled, long lines, visa denial, credit card getting scammed, accommodations not living up to the expectations with little unwelcomed crawlers in the sheets IS also travel lifestlye.

Adaptability will test you to your core and going through this with your children, young children even, is to say the least nerve-racking.

Practice makes progress. Your family gets to master patience, flexibility, effective management and fine tuned decision making skills. It does not rid of the hardship but makes it more bearable sometimes laughable. Good memories!

 8 – Global Friendship Vs. Loneliness

This lifestyle grants you the opportunities to meet many people from all over the world and it is amazing!

You may find that you never interacted with that many inspiring (still including a few not so great) souls along the way.

Many look just like you. They have chosen the same path for their family, are excited for the growth and life experiences to come, the memories created thus far and this great sense of belonging when meeting others creating similar dreams with their own children.

Though, it feels LONELY, at times. Still. This lifestyle is unique to you and your family. It is only you on your own terms while the rest of the world is following other terms. One of the costs of being different although the undertaking is still worth it, a millions times.

Here lies your responsibility to create a healthy support system, whatever this means to your family to win those times of feeling isolated from the world even though it has become your oyster.

Living is not as enriching if there is no community and support of some sort to cheer up these unsettling moments. Loneliness is part of life, even if we are billions on the planet and the room around us is full of people.

9 – Living Fully Vs. Unhealthy Habits

This one is quite contradictory. You are living full, full of experiences with a burning desire to see more, gaining a different knowing of yourselves as a family unit but also learning to know what each of you love and how impactful you want to become in the world.

Despite all this, it is very easy to become unhealthy and develop routines that do not serve you.

Mentally drained because of the constant shift and effort to redefine harmony in each new place you make “home” during your travels.

You may overwork to ensure this lifestyle does not come to an end too fast, that your family remain safe and comfortable.

The work-life separation for you parents fainted, heck your whole family may be living in one room every single day now. Privacy is kinda GONE.

Making sure everyone actually make the best of the current environment, prioritizing health and well-being can be put in the backburner as much as if you were living in one place.

And let’s be honest, a lack of self-care will send any of you right where you do not want to be, doctor’s office, hospital, bedrest. Without counting the hassle of dealing with healthcare systems abroad if not prepared or informed sufficiently. You have better places to be!

10 – Odd jobs Vs. Purposeful Career

Not everyone gets to have a stable work situation when embarking in this lifestyle. For most, this is a very bold and adventurous ride of unknowns.

At first, it may be great to take various odd jobs to sustain your new way of living but grinding is fun until it lasts too long. You are doing this as a family so most likely left with a very cautious, rather gracious safety net to allow you to develop the needed income and meet targeted budget.

Very fast, the need to part away with the odd/side hustle life will kick in and your need to search for work with deeper meaning, purpose become increasingly important. When a job sucks it sucks, traveling will not change that fact.

Hope you do the internal work, finding your zone of genius that is lucrative enough to move mountains. You can be a travel working mama and have a very successful career, a very successful business!

Here you go, you have it travel mama…

…The 10 guidelines to create a successful Location Independence lifestyle with your family. As I always say, our post will not be complete without your input! What is another guideline in your books? Was this helpful? Where on your journey are you?

Leave us a comment!