Suzy

"Today's episode is with three world-schooling kids. They share their thoughts on slow versus fast travel, learning along the way, and so much more. The microphones were a little wonky, but please listen through to this awesome conversation."

"Hello. Welcome to the Wander World School and Slow Family Travel Podcast. I'm Susie, a travel-loving money nerd, mom of two energetic boys, and our family lives between Spain and Colorado. On this show, we discuss the stories, logistics, and finances of long-term traveling families and the multitude of ways to learn and educate along the way. Today, we get to know three awesome kids from the Roam Base, San Miguel de Allende. They are down in Mexico having a wonderful time during this 11-week hub. And I am so happy that they are here to share more about their experiences as world-schooling kids. So if you can each introduce yourself and tell me your name and who makes up your family and where you're from originally."

Micah

"Okay, I'll start. I'm Micah. I'm almost 15. I will be in like a few days, but I have four siblings. I travel with my two parents and I'm from North Idaho."

Suzy

"Okay."

Suzy

"So excited to have you here."

Sammy

"I'm Sammy. I have one sibling, two cats, and I travel with my parents. My cats' names are Hazel and Greta. If you get pictures of them, you will obviously know why Hazel's named Hazel."

Suzy

"Hazel-colored."

Sammy

"Yeah, her eyes are as well, so."

Suzy

"And how old are you, Sammy?"

Sammy

"12."

Suzy

"Very cool."

Zuri

"My name is Zuri, I'm 12 years old, I have no siblings, and I travel with my parents."

Suzy

"And where are you from originally?"

Zuri

"North Carolina."

Suzy

"Awesome. I'd like to kick it off with telling me if you've traveled internationally before. Is this your first big trip to San Miguel de Allende for this hub, or have you traveled to other places before?"

Micah

"I've traveled to four other countries and two of them have been world-schooling experiences."

Suzy

"What other countries have you been to?"

Micah

"Jamaica, Canada, Colombia, and Costa Rica."

Suzy

"Very cool. I'm sending my love to Jamaica right now. They just had the hurricane and I think they're struggling a little bit. So hopefully they're going to get back up on their feet. What about you, Sammy? Have you traveled before?"

Sammy

"Yeah, I've been traveling for five years. I've gone to Croatia, Denmark, Turkey, the Netherlands. Hmm, where else? I've been to Mexico five times. I've been to... a little bit of Spain, if you count the Canary Islands."

Suzy

"That's great. How about you, Micah? Have you traveled before internationally?"

Micah

"Yeah, I've been to, I'm unsure of the number. South Korea, Bali, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, Columbia, Guatemala, Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico twice, Canada, Egypt in January."

Suzy

"Lots of cool places. Now when you travel, do you guys prefer to travel slowly, where you spend more time in one place, or do you like to travel pretty fast, where you get to see a lot of different things? You know, I'm curious because sometimes when you travel fast, you can fit more places and more things into an itinerary, but it can get tiring. So I'm curious from your perspective as the younger travelers in your family. Do you like to see as much as possible, or do you like to slow down and spend a couple of weeks in the same place like you are now in Mexico?"

Micah

"We usually, we would spend like one month in every place we went to. This is the longest we've been anywhere. A month is still long for some people. We go to Europe, we're going to be fast traveling on trains because of the Schengen zone rule and all that. And we kind of have to see as much as we can. I think my mom said we were going to like 29 countries or something while we're there."

Suzy

"So you're right. There are actually places where maybe it's easier to get around quicker, like Europe with public transportation, and the countries are quite small. So maybe that plays a role with the fast versus slow travel. How about you, Sammy? You guys do a mix of all of those. So I'm curious what your preference has been."

Sammy

"So usually I like to spend more time in one place. I like to spend like months to three months in one place at a time. So I really get to know the place and then get to know my way around, get to learn a bit of the language."

Suzy

"Gotcha. So if you're in one place longer, it allows you that chance to, like you said, get to know your way around the area. For, I'll just share for those listening, the Zoom is hilarious right now. It like changes based on who's speaking. So the kids and I are having fun with that. So thank you guys for being flexible. How about you, Zuri? What do you prefer: moving around faster or do you like to spend longer in one location and why or why not?"

Zuri

"I'd rather spend a lot more time in one location so I can really soak up all the new information that's coming in. To learn the new language, to learn the history, to learn the culture, to learn really everything."

Suzy

"Yeah, there's definitely benefits. And right now you're in San Miguel de Allende for, it'll be almost three months in total for many of you. What has been the benefit of being in one location for longer?"

Sammy

"Yeah, the benefit is you get to know the language. You get to learn about a lot of stuff. And you get to try the food."

Suzy

"Yes, Mexican food is so good. Yeah. And you said you guys are learning some Spanish. Do you feel like you've had times to use your Spanish around in the community?"

Micah

"Zuri speaks really good Spanish. I started speaking Spanish when I was five... Yes, five. Six. Five."

Suzy

"Sorry, that's five! That's awesome! Zuri, do you feel like when you're walking around in San Miguel de Allende, are you able to understand the Spanish around you?"

Zuri

"I understand a lot. I also do a lot of translating. I'm the person who speaks the most Spanish in my family. So my mom will ask me questions about, 'What does this mean,' 'What that means,' and yada, yada, yada."

Suzy

"That's so helpful to have that skill for helping people get around in a new country. What does schooling look like for each of you right now? I know you're at the hub. You're doing a lot of cultural events down there, but are either of you doing any education online or other schooling outside of that program either now or recently? And maybe I'll have Micah, if you want to go first."

Micah

"All of my siblings, as I said, there are five of us. We're doing this online program because it's easiest for my mom. But it has like its own dates that you can set to be done with work. We're going through it fast."

Suzy

"Is there a name to the program?"

Micah

"Yeah, well, there's two. There's one for older kids and one for young kids. Mia Prep is for the older kids and Mia Academy is for the younger ones."

Suzy

"And overall, do you like the flexibility with the online program and do you like what you get to learn, or are there things about it that you would improve if you were given the opportunity?"

Micah

"I really like it. I think it's a lot better than like a traditional classroom setting. And one of my siblings has ADD and like she didn't learn really anything being in a traditional classroom setting. And I think this is way better for her."

Suzy

"Yeah, it sounds like the program can be adapted to her needs and work with what she's feeling in the moment. So I love that. How about you, Sammy? What is schooling and education look like for you while you're traveling?"

Sammy

"I do a little bit of online stuff, like half an hour of online stuff a day. I mainly focus on math. And we do like doing it. I definitely prefer homeschooling and doing online stuff sometimes, much more than in a traditional classroom because sometimes there's like a kid that needs something. Sometimes there's that sort of stuff which slows you down and then you don't learn as much. But yeah, I love world schooling. I love homeschooling."

Suzy

"That's so cool. And I know your mom shared a little how she's following more of a math curriculum because that is something that is like sequential, like it goes in order. So it's great to have some assistance in that regard. How about you, Zuri, what does schooling and education look like for you?"

Zuri

"I've done multiple types. I've done Montessori, I've done public, I've done private, I've done homeschooling, I've done world schooling. I think that's it. Yeah. I like public school the best. I've done that for most of my life. I like my time in public school a lot. I did that for most of my life."

Suzy

"One last question, Zuri. How has your time in the hub been different from your public school time?"

Zuri

"I'm homeschooling now, but doing all this stuff, it's less structured. I get a lot more free time. Like I don't have like, let's say, eight o'clock to three o'clock. One day it could be 10 to 12. Another day it could be nine to seven. So it's a lot less structured. I get a lot more or less free time, depending on the day."

Suzy

"So it seems like you can adjust your schooling schedule to match what you need to do with your family or with the hub. What else is going on around you? So I love that flexibility. Thank you all for sharing. I would love to hear what has been your favorite memory from your time in San Miguel de Allende so far. You've been there for about two months so far. Sammy, I'll have you go first."

Sammy

"I'm not sure what week it was, maybe like week two or three. We went to a water park called Xote. Me and my friends really liked it because going down water slides in ways where you can't go down the water slide in the US, it's very fun. Going down as like on your belly. It's definitely very fun doing that. You can't do that in the US. You see a lifeguard, they're going to be like, 'No! No! No doing that! Only go down on your back!'"

Suzy

"You're right. There are different rules in different countries."

Micah

"My kind of favorite memory, it's more of a broad thing, is just like the amount of teenagers in the community here. That's been really cool. We did a teen activity where we built and acted in a haunted house for Halloween. And it was really, really cool. And I've made a lot of friends from that."

Suzy

"That is so cool. How many other students are with you all in Mexico right now?"

Micah

"Twenty-six or twenty-three other kids? Is it twenty-nine total or twenty-six? I'll find out. Okay, then it's twenty-three more kids you didn't get to interview."

Suzy

"And what is the age range? Micah, are you one of the older students or you said there are other teenagers?"

Micah

"I am the oldest student. There are a couple other teenagers, including my brother, but the youngest is five. I mean, he's not really, he doesn't do the activities because he's too young, but he has five. He's a sibling. I'll say, I'll say like the actual youngest that does the stuff is seven. But yeah."

Suzy

"Great. Yeah. What a fun group of kids. You guys mentioned that you all have done some traveling with your family. And I assume you've been to places where it's just been just your family. But this is different with RoamBase because you're with a group of other kids. We just said there's, yeah, 20-plus other kids. What is one of the great things about being at a hub where there are other kids that you can be with? What do you like about that? Yeah, Zuri, do you want to get started?"

Zuri

"I get to have friends. I get to play with them. I get to hang out with my friends. So there's a little bit of both."

Suzy

"Because when you travel as an only child, it's you and your parents. So I bet this is quite different to have so many other kids to be able to spend time with."

Zuri

"Really different."

Suzy

"Yeah. Do you like having that mix of family time and friend time?"

Zuri

"Yeah, I do, but it's different. It's even taking some getting used to."

Suzy

"I bet when you're used to not being around so many other kids, it can be different. On the other side of things, Micah, you have a lot of siblings. So how does this compare to times that you're traveling with just your family to being at a hub like RoamBase where there are dozens of other kids?"

Micah

"A lot of us were pretty close in age. So when it is just us, we manage, but also I get sick of them. And I like having other kids and other friends and I think it's really good for them to have other friends too."

Suzy

"Yes. It's good to have that mix of family time and friend time. And how about you, Sammy? I have two boys, same ages, well, younger than you, but same difference as you and your brother. So how does this compare to times that you're with just your family and your brother to being with a hub?"

Sammy

"One of the reasons I actually made more friends than I did was to spend time with them instead of spending time with the little rugrats. On the other side, it's just more rugrats. It's more different than my ghost. It's just a lot of them, so it becomes sometimes very annoying."

Suzy

"Gotcha. I see. I see. Yes, I can imagine."

"So put on your magic wand. If you could create the perfect world-schooling hub, what would that look like? I want to know where would it be? How long would it be for? And what would the education part of it look like? And what size of hub would you like to have? So I'd love to hear what your magic wand wishful thinking perfect world-school hub would look like. Go Sammy!"

Sammy

"Okay, so it would be in Utrecht, the Netherlands. That's my favorite country I've been to. It has, like, a lot of the grocery stores sell my favorite food. A lot of like almost all over the country. My favorite place is there. My favorite thing to do is go to the skate parks. I ride scooters professionally. I'm not sponsored, but I do it well. Without a razor, I do it with a good one. Only problem is that they have a ton of rain."

Suzy

"What would the schooling part of a hub in Utrecht look like?"

Sammy

"If I would make the hub, I would work more on like I'd focus more on cultural stuff about the food, about culture, about the Netherlands' history, all sorts of that stuff. I would focus more on that and help kids learn about the country. So yeah, I would love to make a hub there, but I'm not 18."

Suzy

"That's so cool. Yes, someday. And what is your favorite meal when you're in the Netherlands?"

Sammy

"I can go to almost any grocery store and just pick up a box of sushi and then eat it."

Suzy

"It's so good. What about you, Zuri? If you could create a world-schooling hub anywhere in the world, what would that look like?"

Zuri

"I would be in Europe. It would be easy to travel to different places easily. It'd be for about three-ish months."

Suzy

"So you would like more time as in part of a hub. Like up to three months would be great to be together. Would you incorporate any like education center, or would it be a little more on the go?"

Zuri

"Well, it'd be kind of like RoamBase. We'd go on field trips every week-ish? Week or two?"

Suzy

"Very cool. I like that idea. So we'll take it throughout all of Europe. How about you, Micah? What would be your dream world-schooling opportunity?"

Micah

"So it's in Greece, but also in Turkey, but also in Rome. It's a, like a traveling one. I know those exist where you go with some group of families and they travel to another location with them and travel to another location with them. I want to do something like that. And I'd want to be like focused on mythology of all those different places and the different versions of mythology of the same myths."

Suzy

"I love how you could just spend hours and days and weeks learning all about Roman and Greek mythology and the stories and where they overlap. So it would be more of a traveling village-style hub. Would people be in their RVs or would it be something where you would stay in one city for a while and then just move between the cities?"

Micah

"I think we would have like, kind of like we do here where we have a certain neighborhood that everyone gets to stay in. And we would have designated neighborhoods in every place and we would have them book every place in advance and go to them together."

Suzy

"Very cool. That sounds like a super fun opportunity. On the flip side, sometimes world schooling can have challenges for the parents, but sometimes for the kids as well, right? Whether it's this hub or other experiences you've had in the past, what have some challenges been with your world-schooling adventure and how did you work through those challenges?"

Micah

"I don't know. We haven't been traveling for very long, only about two years. We haven't encountered much problems. My mom is like overly planning where we stay and what we do. She's pretty good at that. So airlines, that's the worst part. Yeah."

Suzy

"That's awesome. So it's the flying part."

Micah

"The flying part. If like a fail in the fly, then your whole trip is ruined, well, not the whole, but most of your trip is ruined."

Suzy

"Yes."

Micah

"Uh-huh."

Suzy

"So the flying part is a challenge for you, Sammy. Tell me more about that."

Sammy

"Yeah, yeah, it's so stressful. We have two cats, so paperwork. And sometimes if like their part doesn't let us work, then like my mom or my dad has to stay in that location. And then like me, my dad and my brother will go to another place. And then my mom would finally arrive like two days after. This actually happened to us last time we were here. So yeah. Big thumbs up."

Suzy

"No, getting the cats in and out. That is an adventure."

Sammy

"Plus also, we like, we used to travel with our other cats. They were great travelers. They were old cats. So they just nap the whole time. These cats, they meow to the point where even I don't want them on the plane. They're like, 'Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow.' So we drugged them sometimes. That was legal once. Obviously a good drug, like a chill drug."

Suzy

"They have something to say. Yeah. Just help them sleep. Yeah. Helps them sleep. You know, that that's one way to make it a little easier on pets actually. What about you, Zuri?"

Zuri

"For me, it's leaving home because every time I go somewhere, I go to the place, go back, go to the place, go back. Yeah, du-du-du-du. So it's a lot of bouncing around. And when I leave, I really, really miss home. Really miss home. And every time I go somewhere, I will love the place, want to go home, but also never want to go home. So it's a tug in both directions, which can be really hard."

Suzy

"You have a piece of your heart in multiple locations, home and on your travels. It can be hard to want to be in more places at once than is possible. But thank you all for sharing. I just have a few more questions. You guys are doing awesome. I am curious since you guys are getting to the age where you're starting to learn money and how to handle finances. And when you travel, there's a lot of things that cost money."

Micah

"Run."

Suzy

"How do you and your family handle money and paying for things on your travels? So does your family give you a certain amount per week to spend? Do you just ask? Do you earn any of your own money yet? I'm just curious what this has looked like for your family. Go Sammy!"

Sammy

"Okay, so I earn a weekly allowance by doing chores, but the only problem is that I use a debit card. So I can't spend it because of an international fee. So if I want to go to the store and purchase a 10-peso lollipop, I'm probably gonna spend 20 pesos in the international fee. So it's like me buying two, but I only get one. Two for one, no. One for two, one for two. So yeah, that sucks. But yeah, it's..."

Suzy

"So you have to take into account the fees when you're international."

Sammy

"Yeah, so usually I just give my parents a little bit of money and then they give me that money in a changed currency to so I'm able to spend money here. But yeah."

Suzy

"Yeah. And you're doing a lot of the math of exchange rates, right? Every time you're trying to make a purchase. How about you, Micah? What does that look like for you?"

Micah

"We don't earn allowances, but we can get money from doing chores. A lot of places we have house cleaners because that's, we stay in a lot of Airbnbs and a lot of Airbnbs have house cleaners. So we can't really make money from cleaning as chores. So sometimes I'll just have to approach my mother and be like, 'I would like this new thing. Can I have money?' And then she'll be like, give you a list of things she needs done and then you'll do them and then you'll get the thing."

Suzy

"So it's a way to still earn money and it helps when you're in a country where maybe things don't cost as much as some higher cost countries. What about you, Zuri? What is the money and the spending look like for you with your family?"

Zuri

"I have nothing to do with money. My parents will handle all the money issues. If I want to get something, I ask my parents and they may or may not get it."

Suzy

"So it might depend on how they're feeling at that moment. I would love to do a lightning round where we can get to know you more and some of your favorites and things. For every question we'll go in the same order just to make it easy. So we'll go Micah, Sammy, Zuri. So first question, most delicious food you have ever tried?"

Micah

"Banh Mi."

Suzy

"Say it again?"

Micah

"Banh Mi, Vietnamese sandwiches. They're so good. We had one every single day we were in Vietnam. Man, I wish I was in Vietnam. Well, here, Al Pastor tacos, they're good. But if it was any food ever, sushi, I can get it anywhere."

Suzy

"Yum, sounds good. You gotta for sure. How about you, Sammy? Or, or, okay. Wait, say that again. So sushi anywhere, otherwise when you're in Mexico, the tacos. Great."

Sammy

"Yes, the sushi here is not that good. Or in Germany. It's so processed, it looks like it's from Minecraft."

Suzy

"Yeah. How about you, Zuri, what's your favorite food?"

Zuri

"What about, I think she like Elote?"

Suzy

"Ooh, where's that from?"

Zuri

"Mexico."

Suzy

"Okay. Yum. Yeah, you guys are in probably an amazing place for good food. One item you cannot travel without. Micah, go."

Micah

"Clothes. It is true. It is true. They won't put you in the airport or the Uber driver will probably take you out. Yeah, clothes or my phone, I guess. Yeah, definitely a phone because you won't be able to stay in meetings. Won't be able to call your parents. Won't be able to call your grandparents. Won't be able to do anything. Yeah. You'll just have to sit on the chair for however many hours the flight is. Sit there. You can't call your grandparents in the airplane."

Suzy

"Yes, you do need something to wear. Gotcha. So some way to stay connected."

Suzy

"Is there anything that you cannot travel without?"

Sammy

"A reading device I cannot travel without."

Suzy

"Yes. Do you have a preference?"

Sammy

"I'd, I always prefer books, but you can't exactly carry about 20 books in your suitcase. Yeah. Kindle. Yeah. Yeah. The kindle is good. The kindle can hold a book a thousand times, a thousand of the exact same book. That's really, give me the mic."

Suzy

"Kindle. Good. Or maybe a thousand different books. Okay. When you arrive somewhere new, what is the first thing you do?"

Sammy

"Yeah, it is going to be when I arrive somewhere new."

Micah

"Explore the house, check the perimeters. Ask my mom if you can flush the toilet paper in the country we're in."

Suzy

"That's important to know, you're right."

Micah

"And also ask if the water is drinkable or if we need a filter."

Suzy

"Super smart. Love it. How about you, Sammy?"

Sammy

"First thing I do is I explore the house. Then I see if the water is drinkable. Then if I have any leftover snacks in my backpack, I house it before I need to go to bed. And then I go to bed."

Suzy

"Gotta catch up on sleep. How about you, Zuri?"

Zuri

"First, I look around the house, then I call dibs on a room, then I'll walk around town trying to get my bearings. Never works, but oh well. Just try and try and try again until it works."

Suzy

"Exactly. Okay, Micah, what is your favorite subject to world school? Like what's your favorite topic that you like to be learning about when you're traveling?"

Micah

"Archaeology or mythology."

Suzy

"Yes, that makes sense with your wanting to go to Greece and Rome. How about you, Sammy?"

Sammy

"My favorite thing to learn about is the culture. I love learning about the culture in any country I go to and its history."

Suzy

"Yes, culture and history are closely interwoven. How about you, Zuri?"

Zuri

"I think the language. I'll try to learn as much of the language as I can."

Suzy

"Yeah, that's great to go to Spanish-speaking countries and practice since you're learning Spanish. If you could teleport to one place right now, where would it be? Just one place."

Micah

"I don't have money. I can't pay for anything. Everything's cheap in Japan. No, it's not a lie, depends on where you go. Food's cheap. Depends on where you go in Japan. Yeah, man, I can get a sushi bowl from Japan. Japanese."

Suzy

"Yeah. So, sushi. So, Sammy would go to Japan to get sushi. You would teleport there right now. How about you, Zuri?"

Zuri

"Japan as well to stuff my face with the ramen and sushi. I think you guys are just hungry. I think you guys are just hungry."

Suzy

"Yes. I know you guys are ready for dinner, I bet. How about you, Micah? Have you picked a location?"

Micah

"I don't want to be basic and be like Greece again, but also kind of Greece again. I'll specify it. I'm going to Crete, guys. Also probably want to go to Vietnam. Which is more fun? Nah, I'll eat some Banh Mis. I'll join the hungry train. Join the hungry train."

Suzy

"This is so great. This has been so awesome. I've really enjoyed hearing your perspective. And I know the camera was super crazy but you guys have been so awesome. Thank you so much. And I look forward to being able to share your stories because you know as a traveling mom, I like to know that kids enjoy these opportunities. Thank you all so much. I appreciate you all. And thank you, Aaron, for arranging this. This is super awesome."