Today's amazing episode is with Laurie Bevin Jackson, a UK-based teacher currently on a sabbatical with her wife and twin daughters, and we chat all about their gap year journey through Southeast Asia and Japan. The conversation explores the intentionality of their adoption process and the benefits of experiential worldschooling, while also providing a candid look at the financial planning required for a gap year and their specific experiences navigating different cultures as an LGBTQ+ family. Stick around to the end to hear what their kids said that made all the ups and downs worth it and their must-travel-with item recommendation.

Suzy: Welcome to Wander Worldschool, a long-term and slow family travel podcast. I'm Suzy, a travel-loving money nerd, mom of two, and our family lives between Spain and Colorado. On this show, we discuss the stories, logistics, and finances of traveling families and the many ways to learn along the way. Today we get to know Laurie Bevin Jackson.

Laurie: Thank you for having me. I'm Laurie. I am married to Kelly and we have two little girls, Summer and Daisy, who are seven. We adopted them in 2018 and they were eight months old when they moved in. If they were still in school in England, they would be in Year 3. But we are currently in Thailand, in Koh Samui to be specific. So we're on our second week in Koh Samui, which is absolutely brilliant. We're based in Leeds in the UK. I am a primary school teacher by trade and my wife is a firefighter.

Suzy: So I can't wait to hear more about your family travels. But I do like to go back and hear a little bit more about, for you or for your wife, how both of you started traveling.

Laurie: Kelly traveled loads and loads as a child. So her dad kind of worked all over on ships. So he saw lots of different parts of the world and then he'd come home and then he'd take them all on holiday to somewhere that he'd been. And it's really funny because we talk to people and they say something and they're like, "But I thought you've been there." And Kel's like, "Yeah, yeah." And like she hasn't been everywhere, but she's been a lot of places. And she took a gap year when she was like 21 and then we took a gap year together 10 years ago, and then obviously we're here. So she'd done lots of traveling, whereas I spent like my family holidays—we went to Fuerteventura every year. We went for two weeks and it was absolutely brilliant. We had the best time and my sister and I would make friends with everybody and we'd just run riot for two weeks. But I always had really itchy feet. I used to go and spend time with my grandma in the north of England, which I now ironically live in. She used to take me out on these crazy day trips. We would go and she'd make these amazing egg sandwiches and we'd take prawn cocktail crisps. And she'd tell me these stories—all these places she'd been. You know, we were going to like National Trust houses or big estates or museums or just things that we still do with our children. I take them to the same places that I went with my grandma, but I think it was she really showed me that like, "Let's just go and do it"—like there is an adventure to be had, so let's just go. And then we met when we were 23 and 30. We went on a holiday to Cyprus but we were like, "Where are we going to go?" I've always wanted to go to Thailand, and I'd never been before. Kelly's been numerous times, so she was like, "Okay, great, we'll go to Thailand." I thought, "Okay, this is amazing." I actually so vividly remember getting on the airplane. I'd never been on a long-haul flight and the screens were in the back of the seats. Blew my mind. And we just had this month in Thailand and we did a bit of the North and obviously did the full moon party because we were young and cool, and I just fell in love—like absolutely just fell in love with it immediately. We took the girls when they were three, so it was just after COVID in the January. My contract that I was in was like temporary. I was going to hand in my notice in December, we're going to Thailand and we'll be back in February. My headteacher was like, "Right, I'm going to type it, I'm going to put it into a contract." So she basically tied me into a full-time contract, like a permanent one, but with this time in Thailand. So she's not silly, but it was amazing because it meant that we could just leave. We had six weeks and it was just amazing and it's when you go, "Yeah, do you know what, Thailand is as good with children as it is without." It's different, but it is still amazing.

Suzy: It sounds like Thailand is a special place for you then. I went to Thailand with a friend and we did a yoga retreat. We went all over Southeast Asia for about three or four months. So it's on our radar to get back to that part of the world. But that's great to hear your adventure. And you did share a little bit about your adoption journey on the blog, and I'd love to hear more about that decision to adopt and how that process unfolded for you in the UK.

Laurie: So we both wanted children, we talked about it—actually talked about it on our last world trips together. I remember where we were because it was in Georgetown in Malaysia, in Penang, and we were sat in the shop that is where Jimmy Choo did his apprenticeship. That's where he learned his trade and then it's now just this gorgeous little shop. And so we were sat there and we had this whole life conversation, made like the five or six-year plan, and getting married and having children was in that. And I'd always wanted to adopt. So Kelly—it was something that Kelly was really open to. We talked about like IUI and IVF, but actually, when it came down to it, I was coming home to train as a primary school teacher. It actually made more sense for us to adopt first and then look at kind of carrying children. So we kind of switched it on its head a little bit. And then we also kind of thought, "Well, do you know what, actually, if we were to adopt first and then to carry children, the children who were carried would be coming into the adopted children's family rather than the other way around." So rather than adopted children coming into a family that was already established. So that kind of felt really nice. Like it kind of made sense that actually it would be that way around. So we got married in 2017 and then we put in our registration of interest, then they come round and they interview you and there's lots of training, and then you have a social worker who comes round every week and has conversations with you about absolutely everything. It was really interesting actually because you really have to think about what you're going to do. So it is really involved. Then we went to an adoption panel, which is where you're approved to be adopters. Then the day after we went to the adoption panel and were approved, our social worker came round with a little profile of the girls. So it had a tiny little black and white photo because somebody who is called a "family finder" had given her this piece of paper as she left to come and see us—like as she was walking through the office. So she'd not even had time to print it in color. And that's all the information that we got. And we looked at it and we—like it just was the most amazing moment where you just know. One of them's got dark hair like me, one of them's got blonde hair like Kel. Like they're two little girls. Honestly, you just couldn't write it. It was just amazing.

Suzy: Aww.

Laurie: So yeah, so they moved in on the 5th of December in 2018, eight months old, and that's our "forever date." And we just got really lucky with how it all fit together because it meant I could have longer off work, because we adopted just before the school Christmas holidays. So even though I was still training, work were amazing. We could have—like I could have longer off. Kelly managed to make it so she had 14 months off with the girls. So it just kind of all fell into place and we don't need any more children. It's just perfect. It is just the four of us.

Suzy: What a wonderful feeling. I think it's a really beautiful way to create a family, is with that intentionality, and you have to put so much effort into it with all those steps involved.

Laurie: Thank you. Yeah.

Suzy: I encourage families to create families whatever way works best for them. But at the same time, there is some benefit, I think, to some of that intentionality and asking those questions. And twins too. I'm sure that was like double.

Laurie: They had a foster carer, Catherine. And she was so incredible and gave them the most amazing start, but you also get handed like a routine. "And here they are, and this is how much they drink, and this is what time you do it." And you go, "Oh my gosh, this is amazing. We're just going to do this and we're going to replicate it." And we did that for about two weeks and then we kind of found our rhythm. So actually that's like an incredible privilege to have that kind of expertise and that knowledge. And we had 10 days with her and the children to really get to know them and how these things work.

Suzy: Yeah. What has that twin dynamic been like with the girls?

Laurie: It's really interesting actually and I think we see it so much as well while being away and traveling because it's always the four of us. They're really sweet, they're really helpful with each other, they're really kind, but they also bicker just like siblings and I think there is that competition—more so than you would get with different ages because they are so similar in kind of where they're at and where their brains are. They both have completely different personalities so the same situation can cause two totally adverse reactions or kind of experiences. You start to see yourself in them as well, don't you? So it's that nature versus nurture thing, so even though it's just nurture, it's like, "Oh my god, that's me. Oh, that's Kel. Oh, she said that because she sounds like you. She looks like you when she does that." But they generally have a really good dynamic. Obviously, we get to spend all this time with them. We get to show them that having different skills is a really good thing. Kelly and I are like two halves of a person. So together, we actually make a whole person, and the girls are really similar. Where their weaknesses and strengths are, they kind of complement each other. So they have this confidence to do things, A, because there's the two of them and you put them in a new situation and they'll walk into it holding hands and then they kind of work together to get through that and to get through adversity. So I think they have an amazing relationship.

Suzy: I love that. I'm guessing it does take some effort as a parent to not lump twins together sometimes. My two boys are two and a half years apart and I still do it where sometimes I'm like, "Oh, they'll like this." But you realize, no, they are each their own person. They have their own needs and there are certainly benefits to having similar ages or genders or interests, but still, some of that independence comes out and it's the fun part about seeing them grow up too. So you've been on some longer family travels. I'd love to hear a little more about what that's looked like for your family, which countries you've been to and how all that unfolded with leaving work in the UK.

Laurie: That's what everybody says, "What about the girls? What about school? Can you just take them out of school?" Yeah, actually, because we have an elective home education system which nobody realizes. Everybody thinks it's compulsory. Obviously working in education I know differently, so it was very much like, "This is what we're thinking of doing," and the school could not have wished us better. "We'll see you when we see you." And we're really lucky because it's not like that everywhere. I have a sabbatical from work as does Kelly. In a couple of months' time, there's kind of a conversation to be had with our respective jobs about where we're at and what we're thinking for the next year. So if we were to go back in August, we would both go back to work and we would go back to how everything was and what we were doing. And the girls would probably rejoin football and art class and gymnastics and we would just slip right straight back in. So that's kind of where that plan came from and the initial sort of ideas. So we started in Sri Lanka, we went from Sri Lanka to Nepal, we did a three-day layover in Bangkok because it was the best flight through to the Philippines. Then we did the Philippines to Japan, Japan to Vietnam, and then Vietnam to Thailand. So we were in Vietnam for Christmas and New Year and we had family and friends come out to see us for that period and that was really great. Like, it was lovely and sometimes you need that after you've had a really long stretch of just the four of you. And then we met up with a family that we'd met in the Philippines and we traveled with them for like three weeks, which is just amazing because they've got children of a similar age and they all got on really well and we got on really well and that's obviously why we then planned to meet up again in Thailand. Then we've got to Koh Samui and it's just the four of us. And it's that opportunity to reset and do things at our own speed, which is also really nice.

Suzy: I love that about longer travels when you can have a mix of speeds and tempos and find space for you as a family, especially after so many weeks with other families. And what do the kids think about traveling?

Laurie: So they don't so much remember when we went to Thailand because they were only three. So they're like, "Is it going to be like this? Is it going to be like that?" But actually, Sri Lanka's somewhere that Kelly and I had neither of us been. Nepal was the same and the Philippines. So actually there was a bit of like, we're just going to go and explore together—like these are things that we would like to do. And I think in the most part they love it. They love the freedom of it and having a pool right outside the door sometimes and being able to go on these adventures and just having that time for us. And you know, you occasionally get that minute where they're like, "Is everyone else at school?" You're like, "Yeah, we're about to go on a waterslide—like, yeah, they are!" This is school for you. You need to listen to this tour guide because this is your education for the day and you need to remember it, and then three months later it comes out in a conversation and you're like, "Oh my god, I can't remember that. What is she talking about? What did she just say?" Honestly, it's crazy the stuff they come out with and the things they remember and link together. It's just amazing. Yeah.

Suzy: It's fascinating to watch that. Yeah. What has education looked like for you all?

Laurie: It's really funny because we meet other people and they're teaching every day. And it's like, "No," because I came away not to teach every day. And I don't want them to be at a disadvantage when they go back. I know how the curriculum works. I understand what is on it and what they need to know and what they need to know before they go into the next year.

Suzy: But yeah, you're on sabbatical too.

Laurie: But also like, you cannot teach swimming with a whale shark, climbing a volcano, visiting an ancient city—all of these things that as a teacher, I wish—did you ever watch the Magic School Bus as a child? I was obsessed. As a teacher, I wish I could do that. And I could take them and I could show my class and just go, "Right, come on, look, we're going to go and see what the beach is like or what this is like or do this..." And I can't. And actually, I've got this opportunity this year to be able to do that with my own children and go, "Look, this is what happens." It's been great because actually when we saw the whale shark and swam the other day, they were like, "Can we write about it?" And you go, "Oh, do you know what? Yeah." Like, child-led learning—how amazing is that? How hard it is to get children excited about writing something that they don't know about or they're not interested in. And they go, "Oh, we want to write about this. And we know this about it because we asked the guy on the dive boat," and you get this really organic piece of writing. You can't teach that. I can't teach that. Like, I'm a good teacher. I cannot teach that to the children in my class and I cannot take them out to go and see the beach and have those experiences. The experiential learning for me, I think, has just been just incredible—like absolutely amazing. Yeah, we'll do the maths and we'll do the basic things and we'll do the things that you need to be able to do because, eventually, we'll be back in an education system that requires that. But we're going to do it our way.

Suzy: I love that, to get to design that. And I'm just curious about your take as an educator, if the ages and stages of kids are where this experiential learning can really shine and how to incorporate that even with older ages.

Laurie: At this age and kind of maybe up to sort of nine or ten, you get that real innocent excitement about everything, and you can go and see crabs or whatever it is that we've gone to do. And it's the best thing because it's real and it's there and it's exciting. And I think the more of that that we do younger, the better, the better. They're just better prepared to learn, to sit, to write. They've got the strength in their hands. They've got cognitive ability that you can't teach and you can't build in the same way in a classroom. As hard as we try, I cannot build that kind of critical questioning and curiosity in the same way. And I think experiential learning—it looks different the older you get—but there's always a place for it. I still remember the school trips I went on when I was in secondary school. They were the best things and you remember stuff, don't you? I remember learning about the Blue John Caverns in Derbyshire. I went on that trip in Year 7 and I was what, 11? I think deeper and there are things that you build, but I think it depends on which education system you're thinking of doing. If your children are growing into the UK and they're going to be sitting GCSEs in Year 11 in a school situation, you want to be able to prepare them for that. But I also think that children learn so much being out and doing things and learning real life. I had a young lad actually—to talk to the girls about—he really struggled with addition and subtraction, so doing column addition and subtraction. If I made it into money, he could do it in his head.

Suzy: He needed to connect it with something that he knew. Yeah, that's true.

Laurie: Yeah, that's because he'd gone to work every Saturday with his dad and he knew how to deal with money. It's, you know, I think there's a balance. I think it's incredibly important that our children can do things that they need to be able to do in life, you know, financially in terms of mathematics or English literacy—being able to read. There are so many jobs, and we're preparing them for jobs that don't even exist yet. So it's that balance of experiential learning, screens, how do we use computers, where does that fit into it, but you still need to be able to write properly and you need to be able to read. And it's good because you need to keep the basics ticking over. Learning times tables is invaluable for the rest of your life, if nothing else, to be able to convert currency in a different country. You know?

Suzy: Exactly. And you've had a lot of different currencies. I'm looking at places for Japan in the fall and I'm like, yen to USD is like a whole different ball game.

Laurie: Yeah, you get used to it.

Suzy: Yeah. What does a typical day look like now that you have settled down a little bit more into maybe what your typical routine is when you're not traveling so fast or traveling with family?

Laurie: We have really lazy mornings. So we wake up when we wake up. We drink copious amounts of tea because we're British and even though the tea is rubbish, I actually think I'm just getting used to it now, which is really terrifying. So then I have a proper tea bag like Twinings English breakfast and I'm like, "This tastes funny," because I'm so used to yellow label Lipton—yellow label international blend. I don't know what they've put in it, I don't know what I've become, but it's still a cup of tea.

Suzy: That's hilarious.

Laurie: Yeah, so we do that. They have like a little morning drink so they choose, and we will just chill and chat and color and go in the pool and we'll sit and plan some stuff and there is nowhere to be and unless we've got to be up and out somewhere, there isn't really a plan. And actually, that's what we kind of came away for. So we do that, then we have breakfast, or like, and Kelly and I do like a bit of a workout every day just to keep us moving and actually it's been the best thing we did and that was great. And the girls sometimes join us, they sometimes don't, it's up to them, it's their time as well and it's so important that they have choice for that time. Sometimes things can become so structured, can't they? Especially at home when it's like, "This is Monday, this is Tuesday," and do you know what, this is your downtime too. Then we do our learning after breakfast, whatever that may be. The other day we were painting whale sharks, we do a bit of maths, we tell the time—whatever I decide. I might choose something, they might guide that. Daisy wanted to write something the other day where she wrote down how to say hello in all the different countries that we've been to and then draw the flag, and that's what she did and how wonderful is that. And then we kind of have some lunch or we head out for lunch, then we might do kind of an activity. So today we had some lunch here and then we went down to the beach and that was it. We spent the afternoon on the beach. We came back, had some dinner. We decided to watch a movie because it's been a bit of a funny day today. And then it's bedtime and that's the same again tomorrow and the day after. And it's really nice to actually have been able to just slow down.

Suzy: I love that you mentioned finding a rhythm that works for your family, getting in some exercise and movement, but giving the girls a chance to decide, "How do I want to spend this time?" It helps you listen to you and your body and what your needs are when you're doing it long-term, you can take a break.

Laurie: Yes, yes.

Suzy: I would really like to talk a little bit about which countries and communities that you found to be most welcoming. I feel like there are—in the Facebook groups and things—there are LGBTQ+ families that are like, "Where is safe to go?" And there's certainly an awareness that comes with our family and how we present and where are we safe? Where are we welcomed? And wanting to look for those communities while also, I'm sure, balancing a desire to see the world and see places that are different from what we're used to.

Laurie: I think Kelly and I have always been really aware that the world is not LGBTQ+ welcoming everywhere that you go. It's just the way of the world, isn't it? And eventually, it'll catch up. I think we've always had that awareness. You know, sometimes we'd just be like, "Yeah, we're sisters, we're cousins, whatever, we're just friends." You just have to take a deep breath and just roll with it, don't you? But when you have children, it becomes totally different. So actually, the Philippines, Japan—really private, nobody would really even ask who we were or anything. The Philippines is really apparent that there is an LGBTQ+ community wherever you go, even on small tiny islands, which was really nice actually. Vietnam again, Thailand—these places, it's there and it's present and there's a community. It's not just, "Yeah, we don't mind." You know, there is an actual community in itself. They have clubs or groups or places where, you know, people of LGBTQ+ would go and I think that's brilliant and it's easy to find and it's easy to see and there's no questions. I think the big thing for us—and I wrote a blog about it—is what we'd found hard in Sri Lanka. And it wasn't that it was unsafe. It was just that several times a day, somebody completely random—somebody we were talking to, or maybe in the restaurant, or actually just people on the street—would come up and say, "Who's Mama? Who's Mummy? Whose babies?" And you'd say, like, "Both of us." And they'd go, like, they'd say Daisy was mine and Summer was Kelly's, and we'd say, "No, like, both of us," because why would we say anything different in front of our children?

Suzy: Absolutely.

Laurie: And they'd be like, "What?" And they did not get cousins, no cousins, sisters. Like at one point I think they asked if Kelly was grandma. But this would be like every time we got in a tuk-tuk, every time we went into a restaurant. So sometimes it was like three or four times a day we were having this conversation with people and they did not get it. It got to the point where you feel really awkward at that restaurant or you don't want to stay or they have questions that they don't know how to ask and it just became really hard work and became really apparent that it wasn't accepted and that wasn't okay. And I appreciate that in their minds, being in a same-sex relationship carries a 10-year sentence—yeah, like in prison. So it wasn't that it was unsafe, like I say, it just was really hard to have that conversation all the time. And then as soon as we got to Nepal, nobody asked. Every single day in front of our children and try and be like, "No, we're both Mummy." One guy actually even said, "Prove it." I actually went to get my phone out and show them a picture and Kelly was like, "Don't you dare."

Suzy: Yeah.

Laurie: And I was like, "Yeah, actually, yeah, rain check, like, thank you." It really tainted Sri Lanka because it was every day. And it'd be interesting to see if other people had the same thing. Fine. But I think every day for six weeks it just becomes really hard work. We don't want the girls to feel like we can't say that and that it's not like that their family is not okay. And actually, maybe we should have thought about that. Like, we're not obviously married. We're just two women and two children. But if you're going to ask, then that's what became the issue.

Suzy: I think you bring up some really good points around. There are places where safety could apply to any family that's traveling there. And then there's this realm of, do we feel comfortable? Can we move in this space? Sometimes with kids, I know that they're loud and they make us stick out a little bit more because here I am yelling at them in English to get off that fountain. I can't blend in as easily as pre-kids. But it is one thing if you can't feel as comfortable moving around that space or being asked questions.

Laurie: Yeah. Yeah. I told you it was not right! But yeah, we kind of have those conversations with us. It's not like that here. It's different. It's different from home. The culture's different.

Suzy: I bet. Well, thank you for sharing. How do you feel like this has shaped your travel plans?

Laurie: I think we actually went into Nepal quite apprehensive; you would think maybe quite a similar culture and not at all. We went on a four-day trek and we had a guide and two Sherpas and they knew from the offset—I don't know, maybe they'd been told by the guys in the office who we'd spoken to, like there are two mums and two kids, like roll with it—and there was no question. We were just accepted as this unit. And then they obviously, we would talk about like our life together and things like that, and they would ask questions. And I know it's... there's a lot of trekking in Nepal, but there's not a lot of like two mums and two kids going on treks in Annapurna, right? Because there are not—we were the only people with children. So that was really interesting actually, because we kind of went into that apprehensive because of Sri Lanka and within about three days it was like, "Oh no, it's chill." And it was so wonderful they were so eager to get to know you as a person, what made you tick—nothing to do with who anybody was. They wanted to talk to the kids. They just wanted to have conversations. And so that was actually really wonderful.

Suzy: I love Nepal. I did some trekking there and I can't wait to go back. People are wonderful. And thanks for sharing more publicly about you and your family. If there is a family that is maybe not as public on social media and they like to see other families that look like their family out traveling and just learn from them, I appreciate you sharing that because I know that's not always easy to put that out there.

Laurie: Yeah. Hmm. That seems like the answer.

Suzy: I'd like to touch on the financial logistical part. You mentioned you're on a gap year, you're on a sabbatical. How have you been funding this travel? It's great that you have jobs to go back to. I think that is peace of mind that can really make it so you can enjoy this time. You're not also stressing about later. That plays a role if people can take time off. But I'd love to hear more about the budget for this trip and how that's all worked out.

Laurie: Of course. It's been in the 10-year plan, like always—regularly update that plan. We're going to go and live in Australia for a year. And that was the plan. And we went on holiday to Thailand and I was sat in the swimming pool with Kel and I just said, "I don't want to go and work in Australia—like I want to travel, I want to take the kids traveling, I don't just want to pick up our life and replicate it somewhere with better weather." And we kind of went full circle and came back around and actually, you know, the girls were adopted. It's so important for them that they have a strong attachment with us. It's so important for them that we have time to make sure all of those foundation blocks are really secure. So from that moment it was like, "Right, we're going to save." So we're going to save this much every month and that's the starting point. So we actually started the year with about 50,000 in savings that we'd managed to kind of pull together. And it was that like, "Right, this is where we start. This is the money we've got." But we also have two houses that we rent. The house that we were living in, we rented out, and another house that we have that we rent. And then we've got kind of this monthly sort of income, but it basically boils down to 180 pounds a day for the four of us.

Suzy: I love it. Since I'm in Spain right now, I'll say that's about 246 US dollars or about 200 euros a day. What I'm hearing is that if you can put together a plan of savings—when this is something that is intentional as a family, you can save for many years, setting money aside, renting places out. That all makes it very doable. Going to countries where you can live off of, you know, 6,000 US, maybe 5,400 pounds around that is very doable.

Laurie: Yeah. We're privileged. I understand that. We both have reliable jobs that were still there during COVID, but we work in the public sector, which has got pros and cons. So I worked four days a week, Kelly worked five days a week. She actually went up to headquarters and had gone for a promotion. I was working four days, but also was doing GCSE kind of maths tutoring and things as well. But also, Kelly is amazing with money. She understands how it works and she is really great at having it in different pots. We've got a property we can rent out. We've got a house that we own that we can rent out. It's not the same for everybody. But there are ways. Vietnam is doable on a small budget, even for a family. Like we are lucky, but also, there was sacrifice and there was planning and making sure that we had that money there that we wanted, that we'd planned, that meant that we could come and do what we wanted to do with children. Yeah, our Vietnam day-to-day was about 132 pounds, but we had some of the accommodation paid for because of parents—like Kel's parents came to see us. Whereas Japan was like 210 pounds a day and that was without the two days in Disney. So it kind of evens out, but the plan, original plan was 180 pounds a day.

Suzy: You bring up some really good points about—and I don't know how this is in the UK—there's no one that questions you if you upgrade and get a bigger house or you get a brand new car, things that also cost money. And if that's someone's priorities, great, focus on that. But if your priority is, "I want to take this time off with my family and my children," then there are maybe some more questions about it, is it possible? And it's just about where we want to put our time and our effort and our money.

Laurie: Yeah, I forget that actually that's where we choose, you know, we shop at Aldi. And everyone's like, "Oh, right, really? I don't think you can get everything." I'm like, "Well, you know, it's also half the price of a lot of places." Yeah, it's things like that, isn't it? I think we then consciously are like, "We're not going to do that this weekend because it's really expensive," or we take the girls for experiences for their birthdays and they can choose a day, and that's what we would rather spend our money on, I think, is what it comes down to.

Suzy: A couple of other good points are leaning into whichever partner's strength is with the money piece. Also that you have jobs that you were able to take sabbaticals from—and you might not know if your company will even allow that if you don't ever ask. Then if they say no, you reassess and maybe look for a different opportunity. I love what you guys are doing with the gap year. There are so many benefits, I think, to having both parents be present in a year. I think it would be amazing if every family, whether that is literally a month in the summer—that's fine too—or an entire year, there's just so much benefit that can happen for a family when there's like that intentional time off with both parents. It's a really cool way to do it with taking like a full-on gap year.

Laurie: Yeah, I think the opportunity is there, isn't it? I speak to so many people who spend 8,000 pounds going on a two-week holiday in the summer holidays. Go to Thailand! You could stay for months. I get it. People are busy. They don't have that holiday. It's just the way that it works, isn't it? We went for a weekend in Center Parcs and it was absolutely brilliant. And I get that it can be expensive, but it wasn't. We paid for accommodation. We didn't do any paid activities. We took all our own food. And actually, it makes it really affordable.

Suzy: Yeah, you can totally make it work. I'd love to hear any challenges or wins. We've talked about a lot of lovely, beautiful things that come with traveling. I know there are challenges to it as well. Or if you want to just focus on the wins, that's fine too.

Laurie: It's the planning sometimes, isn't it, when you go, "Right, this is the plan," and then you look and there's no accommodation. Or the bus is not quite at the right time or the ferry's not. I think it's the adaptability. And family rooms? How many places want the whole four of you to sleep in one double bed? And I think actually with Thailand this time it's really surprised us because it's been quite expensive. And I get it, it's peak season. We've hired a car and that's made things kind of cheaper and easier, and it means we can stay further out so we're not spending as much. So it's maybe been different from how we expected, but I think, apart from spending 24 hours with each other, like generally the challenges haven't been too much. And I wrote two quotes because I had to put about the family wins. So one of the girls said to me the other day, "Mommy, we are literally living other people's dreams," which is just gorgeous, but also like the most middle-class thing ever. And when you say, "What's your favorite part about traveling?" one of the girls always says, "My favorite part is us being together all the time." I just think like, we can't give you that if we're not doing this and being together all the time. Those two things that you just go, "Okay, okay, we are doing the right thing."

Suzy: Yes, exactly. Sometimes all it takes is one sentence and it reinforces that, yes, this is the right thing. Yes, that's beautiful. Thank you for sharing those quotes. It is helpful to write down. I love right now what kids' quotes are. Let's pop into a lightning round. Best or worst food you've ever tried?

Laurie: We went on a food tour and it blew my mind. I love Vietnamese food but this was unbelievable. We had six dishes and it was amazing.

Suzy: That sounds delicious. One item that you cannot travel without?

Laurie: My pegless washing line, hands down, is unreal. It hooks to anything, it sticks to anything, and it's like wound elastic, so you don't need pegs. You could just poke things into the little holes and they're—I'll send you a photo!

Suzy: And so you can basically hang it anywhere and let your clothes dry and not need the clothespins. That's genius. What is the best sunrise or sunset that you can remember on your journey?

Laurie: Koh Lanta sunsets—they are just unreal. Coogee Beach sunrise in Australia.

Suzy: The first thing you do when you arrive somewhere new?

Laurie: Check the bathroom.

Suzy: Perfect. And if you could teleport to one place right now, where would it be?

Laurie: Home to see my sister. She gave birth to my nephew in May and we left in August and it was like, "Why the timing?" So we get to FaceTime but yeah, I'd go and see them.

Suzy: My brand new nephew was born in May as well. And so we did spend some time last fall, but I'm looking for some more cuddles this summer. Where can people find you?

Laurie: So everything is on our social media page which is @realityofadventure.

Suzy: Well, this has been great. Thanks for joining me.

Laurie: Thank you so much for having me. It's been fantastic. Thanks, Suzy.