Suzy: In this episode, we sit down with Justin Vorel, who is currently midway through an 18-month family road trip from the US down the Pan-American Highway with his wife and three children. Drawing from a decade of life in Morocco, Justin shares how they transitioned from running a rug manufacturing business to navigating the diverse landscapes of Latin America in a family SUV. Listen to the end so you don't miss the daily spending breakdown that makes this long-term adventure sustainable for a family of five.
Welcome to Wander Worldschool. I'm Suzy—a travel-loving money nerd, mom of two, and our family lives between Spain and Colorado. Here we discuss the stories, logistics, and finances of slow and long-term traveling families and the many ways to learn along the way. Today we get to know Justin Vorel. Thank you for joining me. Welcome! Please tell me more about you and your family and where you're calling in from.
Justin Vorel: So, we're in Cuenca, Ecuador. A bit about us: my wife is originally from Alabama and I'm from Oklahoma. We didn't really grow up in traveling families per se, but somehow we caught the bug and have traveled since our 20s. We have three kids: Ryan is 10, Sophie is eight, and Leo is six. We lived the last 11 years in Morocco; that's where our kids were born. My wife and I built a business there, and after about a decade, we decided we’d like to travel through Latin America. We’ve dedicated 18 months to driving from the United States down the Pan-American Highway while we continue to run the business online.
Suzy: That is awesome. We have so much to jump into. You mentioned the finances and the costs, so we’ll get into that. But I also want to take it back to before you had children. I saw that you had done some really cool, intentional travel—research in China, helping friends start a business in Afghanistan, and biking through many countries in South America. Tell me more about those adventures and where that love for travel originated.
Justin Vorel: My parents were amazing. At 19, they let me leave college to move to Taiwan. I lived in Taiwan and China for almost a year and a half learning Mandarin. I traveled through Xinjiang in Northwest China and Yunnan; I absolutely loved Taiwan. When I came back, my parents told me I could travel the world for the rest of my life, but I needed an undergraduate degree first. So, I got my degree in journalism and had the opportunity to go to Afghanistan.
I worked there for two years for an NGO doing journalism and agricultural projects. After that, I had saved some money and decided to bike all of Latin America. The trip I’m doing now in an SUV, I did on a bicycle by myself in 2007. I always dreamed of doing it again with my family, and we finally took the opportunity.
Suzy: That’s so cool. What’s the biggest difference between the bike and the car? Obviously, there are more people involved now!
Justin Vorel: Well, my wife does not like camping or the outdoors; she loves urban life. So, we are constantly balancing: are we going to be rural or in urban centers? We stay in urban centers more now than I did on my bike trip. Obviously, we can move faster and see more, though there are more factors to consider when traveling with three kids and thinking about their education. Honestly, I like it so much more with the family. My wife makes sure we stay in nice Airbnbs, eat nutritious meals, and spend a little more money, so we live a bit more "cushy" now.
Suzy: I can imagine! Seeing it through your kids' eyes is one of the best parts of travel. I’m curious, looking back at your 20s, which of those adventures had the most meaning for you?
Justin Vorel: I left Afghanistan feeling very broken. It was not many years after the fall of the Taliban, and I witnessed a lot of suffering and heartbreak. Doing my bike trip afterward was healing. Not knowing where I was going to sleep or eat, and relying on things like Couchsurfing—the way people cared for me and invited me in for meals restored my hope in humanity. When you travel, you see the most beautiful expressions of life. I hope my kids grasp that the world is a beautiful place full of wonderful people. When you know people’s names and stories, it changes your whole perspective.
Suzy: That’s a beautiful sentiment. You mentioned you’re about halfway through this 18-month journey. You started in the U.S. and worked your way down—where have you been so far?
Justin Vorel: We started in May and we are almost exactly at the halfway point. We’ve been through Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, and now we’re in Ecuador.
Suzy: To get across the Darien Gap, you have to ship the car, right?
Justin Vorel: Yep. It takes a couple of weeks and it costs way too much money. But for us, it was easier than trying to sell the vehicle and buy another one. We know our vehicle well, and when you’re on remote roads, that matters.
Suzy: Any tips on picking a vehicle?
Justin Vorel: In the overlanding groups, people can go all out, but really you just need good ground clearance. We went with a Honda Pilot. it has four-wheel drive, good gas consumption, and plenty of space. It’s a seven-seater, so if family joins us, they can fit too.
Suzy: What has stuck out for you and the kids so far?
Justin Vorel: We move fast—we literally move every week. We do school in the morning and explore every afternoon. I work about 10 to 15 hours a week, and my wife doesn't work. Some highlights: the rainforests in Costa Rica were magical; our Airbnb had its own waterfall. In southern Nicaragua, we had Playa Maderas almost to ourselves. We did whale watching, snorkeling in Belize, and Christmas in MedellĂn. MedellĂn spent $6 million on Christmas lights! It was the most amazing display we’ve ever seen.
Suzy: Tell me more about your approach to education and the languages involved in your journey.
Justin Vorel: My wife and I aren't the best at traditional homeschooling, but our kids are brilliant and love reading. They read 1,300 books last year between the three of them! We use IXL, Khan Academy, and workbooks. We also have them journal about what they see.
Regarding languages, our kids grew up in Morocco going to a Spanish school sponsored by the Spanish government, so they are all fluent in Spanish. They "language shame" me all the time because I’m still working on it! I also speak Mandarin, Dari, and Moroccan Arabic. My wife is a brilliant linguist; she speaks an indigenous Berber language, Arabic, French, and Spanish. The kids speak Spanish, French, Arabic, and English. We are definitely a language family.
Suzy: I’m impressed! Morocco is such a multilingual place. How did your rug business start, and how do you run it remotely?
Justin Vorel: I’m a painter, and my original idea was to open an art gallery in Morocco. But I realized the local paintings weren't quite what I was looking for, so I pivoted. I started finding rugs for $25, cleaning and repairing them, and selling them for $500. I knew the market in the U.S., so we did that for a few years. Eventually, I started getting requests for custom sizes and colors, so we purchased looms, hired weavers, and started manufacturing.
We now have about 20 employees. I told my team, "This is your business," and they’ve run it wonderfully. I go back every six months, but I handle sales and the outward-facing side while they handle the management.
Suzy: Let's talk about the "spending snapshot." You mentioned an average of $135 a day?
Justin Vorel: The numbers were scary to me at first. I just made up a budget of $135 a day, and we actually finished our first year under that. We roll the leftover money into the next year. This year, we’re increasing it to $155 a day to give us more wiggle room, especially for things like flights back to the States to see family.
We save a lot by booking Airbnbs about two months out. Right now in Cuenca, we have a two-bedroom, two-story place overlooking the city for $27 a night. When you find those deals, it leaves money for the big splurges, like our upcoming eight-day trip to the Galápagos Islands.
Suzy: What have been the biggest challenges?
Justin Vorel: Missing community. Morocco was home for us, and the kids miss their friends. My wife is very extroverted and misses sitting in coffee shops with her girlfriends. Also, safety is a constant consideration. We were in Colombia when there was political unrest, and crossing the border into Mexico can be tough. It takes work to keep the family safe and choose the right neighborhoods.
Suzy: And the wins?
Justin Vorel: The kids' resilience. They are tougher than us! We face things like poverty and geopolitical issues, which lead to incredible conversations. My son jumped four grade levels in English this year. Because they aren't held back by a traditional classroom, they can excel at their own pace. Plus, seeing the art, history, and wildlife in person is unbeatable.
Suzy: Final piece of advice for a family starting out?
Justin Vorel: The world is not as scary as you think. I wish I had done this sooner. Figure out your budget, work on your communication as a couple and with your kids, but just get out there. It’s worth the risk and the hard days.
Suzy: Thank you so much, Justin. Where can people find you?
Justin Vorel: "Nomad Blue Travel" on Instagram, and you can find my rug business website as well. We’ll be heading down to Brazil next, then back to Morocco for June, and finishing the year in Argentina and Chile before heading home for the holidays.
Suzy: It’s been so awesome hearing your story. I wish your family well on the rest of your adventure!
