The idea of a family gap year sparks wanderlust and excitement, but the practicalities can feel overwhelming - especially when you need to factor in the needs of your children.
Fear not, intrepid explorers! This guide will break down the planning process into manageable steps, ensuring your family adventure is as enriching as it is stress-free.
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🌏 Step 1: Dream and Discuss
Destination Dreamscapes: Gather around the map (or globe!) and brainstorm destinations that pique everyone's interest. Consider climates, cultures, and activities suitable for all ages.
Family Huddle: Discuss expectations and concerns openly. How will you handle education? What is your budget?
Time Travellers: Decide on your ideal sabbatical duration - it doesn’t have to be a full year. It could also be longer! Will it be a whirlwind world tour or a slow travel deep dive into a few specific regions?
💳 Step 2: Figuring out the Finances
The Cost of Discovery: Research the average travel costs for your chosen destinations. Include flights, accommodation, food, transportation, and activities. Factor in unplanned expenses - and travel or health insurance that can help guard against them.
Boss-Level Budgeting: Create a budget and devise ways to save before your adventure commences and/or create income streams to support you during your travels.
Can you downsize living arrangements?
Can you rent (let) out your property whilst you are away?
If you don’t already have a role that allows you to ‘work from anywhere’, have you considered remote work options or freelance gigs to supplement your savings?
There are several websites that specialise in more flexible jobs - including those with fully remote options.
💡Check out Jobgether and Flexa Careers to get you started.
Future Funding: Consider responsible borrowing options if needed, but prioritise debt-free travel for ultimate peace of mind.
📃 Step 3: Logistics Labyrinth
Visas and Vaccinations: Research visa requirements for all destinations. Schedule travel health appointments to ensure everyone's vaccinations comply with the requirements and guidelines of your chosen destinations and you are aware of any preventative measures you should take whilst travelling.
💡Perhaps the most reliable sources of up-to-date information will come from a combination of your origin country’s government travel advisory (e.g. United States Department of State website or the UK’s FCDO website) and the official travel websites of your destination countries. For visas, ALWAYS follow the guidance of official government websites.
⚠️There are many scam visa websites out there that will often appear to be ‘official’.
Education Conundrums: If you have school-aged children, explore homeschooling and worldschooling options, flexible and online learning programmes and opportunities for them to continue their in-person education internationally.
Contact your local school district or authority regarding potential leave policies*.
*Sorry: It would be impossible to describe all the rules and implications of removing children from their school within this Blog as this varies greatly between countries and, sometimes, between states/counties too.
Parting with Possessions: Declutter your life! Sell or store belongings you won't need. Embrace a minimalist travel mindset. It can be truly liberating! Take it from someone who sold their house and sold or donated almost everything in it 😉
✅ Step 4: Planning the Itinerary
Themes: Choose a loose theme for your gap year, like “European Discovery”, "Following the Silk Road" or "Exploring Culinary Delights." This helps bring your plans to life and adds structure while allowing for flexibility.
Off the Beaten Path: Balance iconic landmarks with lesser-known hidden gems. Research local festivals, unique accommodation options, and volunteer opportunities.
Embrace Flexibility: Leave room for spontaneity! Unexpected detours and ‘hiccups’ can - and often do - become cherished memories.
⭐ Step 5: Bon Voyage with Boundless Life!
Now, let's address the elephant in the room - the sheer amount of work this might feel like! When you factor in many parents’ reservations about hitting the pause button on their children’s education OR taking on the responsibility of delivering this themselves, it can start to feel a little overwhelming, right?
That's where Boundless Life comes in. We specialise in crafting stress-free family gap year experiences. Here's how we tackle the common pain points and remove barriers:
Expert Planning and Support: Our Family Reps have a wealth of practical experience because they have ALL lived the Boundless Life with their families before and after joining our Crew! They know first-hand that you will have questions, concerns, and fears and are THE best placed to address them. They can also help you craft the perfect itinerary - whether you want a 4-Week Getaway, 3-Month Experience or the full family gap year adventure.
Community is Key: After you have booked, our Community Crew will coordinate all of your onboarding to ensure that you arrive on location feeling confident and relaxed. They’ll also help you get to know other members of the Boundless Life community - including those who will become your friends, and neighbours, and ‘experience elevators’.
Local Legends: Our local Crew are on hand to support you throughout your stay. From practical assistance to sharing the secrets of their local knowledge and experience, they will become an essential part of your adventure.
Same, same, different: Your and your children’s life is not interrupted by your travels, it is supercharged! It is reimagined.
🙂LIVE in one of our fully-equipped and conveniently-located Boundless Homes that have been designed with family life in mind.
😀WORK (if you want to) within our inspiring Coworking Hubs where you can enjoy solo focus time in private spaces or collaborate with your fellow cohort members in our expansive open areas.
😃LEARN with Boundless Education. Your children have the chance to grow through the unique lens of travel but packaged within a forward-thinking and experiential learning environment. Our approach prioritises the development of the whole child and values both academic and socio-emotional advancement equally. Boundless Education Centres are available across all our locations with the same curriculum and approach consistently applied - allowing children to move between them seamlessly without unnecessary stress.
😉Learning is not limited to our young Explorers. Parents will have regular opportunities to learn new skills, benefit from each other’s experiences, and have time to invest in themselves - as individuals, partners, and as parents.
Boundless Life transforms your family gap year dream into a reality, allowing you to focus entirely on creating lasting memories together.
So, ditch the spreadsheets and embrace the adventure! With Boundless Life as your guide, your family gap year will be an unforgettable journey of discovery, connection, and growth.
COMING UP!
⭐How Boundless Life is introducing even more ways to make your gap year dream a reality - including our exciting programmes for tweens and teens.
If your feet are itching for a family gap year where we do all the heavy lifting, we’d love to talk to you! Click here to get started. A journey starts with the very first step!
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