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Is It Actually Cheaper To Travel The World With Your Children Rather Than Living At Home?

Should you travel the world with young children? This mother and daughter say yes.

There are many different ways to raise a child. With the traditional family household and it’s nine to five jobs, local schools and after school sports games becoming less and less the norm, the public idea of what family means has changed.

The biggest questions that parents wonder during the early years of their child’s life, are about the environment in which their child will grow up and whether it’s necessary to stay in one place. While many parents travel with their young children. the jury still seems to be out on whether a lack of permanent school, address and friendship group can do children a disservice.

Evie Farrell, a mother from Sydney, Australia, believes that not only is the travelling lifestyle beneficial to children, but that it can also be a cheaper alternative for parents, compared to the normal city lifestyle.

Evie and her six year old daughter Emmie have been travelling around Asia for the last thirteen months with one backpack between them.

The idea to pack up and leave Sydney came after Evie’s close friend died in her early forties, leaving her to contemplate on the kind of lifestyle her and her daughter were living and what was possible. Since their first flight, the pair have now travelled to Taiwan, Malaysian Borneo, Bali, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, London, Paris and China.

“After buying insurance and flights, fixing up the house for rent and having a month off work before we left, I had $20,000 to pay for our travels for a year” Evie said in an article she wrote for the Huffington Post.

“A fraction of what I was spending at home, but enough to support us in Asia.”


While many people use methods such as travel blogging, working from place to place and learning teachable skills like diving to fund their travels, Evie decided to live off savings while renting out her apartment at home.

Instead of home schooling Emmie, she decided to enrol her in a long distance primary school in which lessons are planned and a teacher is only a Skype call away. Where appropriate, Emma’s experiences on the road with culture and wildlife can count towards her grades in her subjects.

As for friends? As expected, Emmie left her friendship group back in Australia, but she makes new friends all over the planet. From spending a month in an international school in Hoi An, to meeting new children in each place they explore.

“Emmie has played with local children on beaches, in lakes and waterfalls, shanty towns and outside temples, in rice paddies and dusty back streets” says Evie.

“Differences don’t matter ― kids just love each other.”

While many people might still disagree with the idea of uprooting children when they’re so young, we think that these two adventurers are a great example of how travelling with children can work.

Seeing the world at a young age opens up your mind to many different points of view, cultures and ways of living. That has to help in growing up as a generous and understanding member of the planet.

Evie and Emmie were planning to return to Sydney after one year, but with their apartment making money at home and their adventures going strong, they’ve decided to explore a little longer. We wish them all the best experiences!

Follow their exciting travels here.

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