Vista and her family first discovered Boundless Life when they spent a summer in Sintra in 2022. They enjoyed themselves and made some great friends too - some of whom they were able to reconnect with in Syros this summer! The next stop will be Bali for our festive December cohort. Let’s meet Vista and learn about her journey so far.
Hi Vista! Thanks so much for talking with us. It feels like only yesterday we were together in Sintra! For those who haven’t had the pleasure of meeting you and your family, we’d love a quick introduction.
Vista: Hi Kat! Always happy to chat with you! Our travel team includes my husband, our three children (9yr, 7yr &; 3yr), and at times the grandparents come to join as well! We are currently a typical Persian family living in Southern California. What we are NOT is a typical Boundless family as we are far from being digital nomads. My husband is a dentist and I am an educational psychologist working within schools.
Despite our careers - that are not exactly world schooling friendly - we have made these experiences a priority for our family. We have always considered the option of world schooling for our children, as I firmly believe in experiences being the best form of education. However, I had hesitations as traditional world schooling does not allow for our children to form consistent peer relationships and social opportunities – well Boundless came along and provided the solution which has well surpassed what I have always envisioned for our children.
It’s not too long now until you set off on your next Boundless Life adventure in Bali! Will you get to see more of the families you bonded with in Sintra or Syros?
Vista: Yes!! And we couldn’t be more excited!! We will actually be reuniting with families from both our Sintra and Syros experiences. It makes it extra fun for the kids to be together again, but also for us parents to be able to catch up. I absolutely crave spending time with like-minded parents and families. The experiences Boundless provides our family are simply irreplaceable.
Kat: What are you Alvand most looking forward to doing or seeing in Bali?
Vista: Honestly, I do not know much about Bali. Nor did I about Sintra, nor Syros! And that is how I like it, believe it or not! The kids will do some research
in advance to know what to look forward to, but I personally love the surprise factor. I am looking forward to meeting more families with similar mindsets though! It is actually my most favorite part about Boundless – knowing that we will develop life-long friendships for ourselves and our children. It is so effortless and beautiful; I already know that if you are at Boundless, you want something more for your children and that you challenge the status quo. Connecting with Boundless families is at the very top of my wishlist.
Kat: And what about the kids? What’s on their wishlist?
Vista: The kids absolutely love the adventures and I love it for them even more! The Boundless experiences push children outside of their comfort zone and really activates a growth mindset. As a psychologist, I truly could not ask for anything more. I know these skills will serve them for life.
Kat: One of the most enriching things to be born out of our communities is the spontaneous sharing of experience and skills between parents. These often take the form of workshops and presentations. You graciously gave your time on the topic of respectful parenting - drawing on your vast experience as a Psychologist within education.
Vista: Yes, I love that about the community! So many wonderful opportunities for both the parents and the children. I ended up providing parent workshops for both of the locations, as several families who attended from Sintra, actually requested it at Syros. I absolutely loved that because it is not often where you find parents truly prioritizing parenting and seeking self-growth opportunities – giving you a glimpse into the amazing families that attend Boundless!
In Syros, I even presented the students with self-help skills that nurture and support their social-emotional wellness and it was so wonderful as it allowed for both children and parents to continue the conversation at home.
Kat: What would you say were the Top Takeaways from your sessions that parents can benefit from?
Vista: If I had to choose the most impactful parenting skills, I would choose connection before correction and the power of repair. I wholeheartedly believe that connection is the underlying answer to all our parenting questions. I often share that we as parents should connect with our child at least five times prior to correcting or redirecting them if we want to positively influence their behavior. This is used across so many professional fields and directly instructed to anyone in a leadership position, which should include parents who play a paramount role as leaders.
Connection can be as simple as joining their world, showing sincere curiosity and interest; all of which also benefit their emotional well-being. So it really is a win-win skill that benefits all involved.
Repair is another parenting skill that I would say really is a multipurpose skill. First, it is so incredibly important to accept that we are going to mess up and that there is no such thing as a perfect parent. When we sincerely apologize to our child, that right there is us rebuilding whatever connection we lost, on top of being a role model for how to treat someone when we mess up and planting the seed that everyone messes up and that it is truly okay. This, in turn, supports our child in developing a growth mindset. When they internalize that even their parents, whom they think so highly of, can mess up; they will be better able to embrace challenges and persist despite failure.
Kat: There are a lot of ‘myths’ and assumptions made about slow travel with younger children and alternative forms of education. For example, I hear this a lot: “What’s the point? They won’t remember any of it!” What would you say to this? And what do you consider the main benefits to young children and their development?
Vista: I have heard that too and I like to answer that there is research that shows the impact of environment and experience while a child is still in the womb. We know no child ‘remembers’ those experiences! And, yes, there is a chance that they won’t remember some of it, but I personally travel with my children because I want these experiences to shape them, not because I want them to remember them – we have pictures for that! I want them to know there is more to this world than the little bubble that they are accustomed to. Traveling opens up their minds to so many new ideas and opens up their eyes to so many new perspectives – there is nothing more valuable in both my personal and professional opinion.
Kat: Tell us a little bit about your family’s plans for the future and how these might have changed after experiencing the benefits of slow travel for yourselves?
Vista: We are continually exploring ways to integrate Boundless experiences into our school year. So much so that I’ve introduced online parent workshops in order to help facilitate a more nomadic lifestyle, in hopes that it will allow us to pursue our educational aspirations for our children.
So, if you are interested in enhancing your parenting skills, please consider following my Instagram social media account @my.magnificent.mind, where I focus on social-emotional empowerment for children and their parents.
Huge thanks to Vista for sharing her story. All the Boundless Life Crew wishes her and her family a fantastic festive stay in Bali.
If you would like to join Vista in Bali or are keen to experience one of our other locations and unlock the benefits of slow travel, give us a call!
