Untitled document Traveling with kids has its rewards and challenges. Traveling with kids for 11 years is an entirely different experience and I'm not sure how many of us would survive!

I read about the Zapp family on msnbc.com with amusement and awe. As a traveling mom, packing for a 2-day weekend adventure can be tiring. But traveling for 11 years and having children along the way? I bow to the Zapp family for their patience and motivation to keep trekkin'!

According to the story, Herman and Candelaria Zapp are childhood sweathearts who planted roots in Argentina but were itching to travel around the world. They decided to embark on their journey before they had children thinking it would be impossible to do once they started their family. Little did they know that journey would never end. Rather than return to Argentina to start their family, they decided to have their family along the way.

Four children later, each born in a different country (Pampa, 8, in the United States; Tehue, 5, in Argentina; Paloma, 3, in Canada; and little Wallaby, 1, in Australia), the family has traveled to more than two dozen countries and traveled at least 145,000 miles. And it doesn't seem likely they'll be ending their trip soon.

World Schooling

This story appeals to me because the couple has been world schooling their children, a take on the homeschooling curriculum where you choose to incorporate real-life world experiences into the children's daily teachings. I love this idea because it broaden's our children's views of the world in the most rich way - by being a part of it.
Never having heard of the term, a quick google search took me to a site that shares with me what world schooling is and tips on how to world school our children. There is even a book on the subject if you want to delve right into it: The Lifestyle Guide. Although I've mot read the book, I like the fact that it mentions that it covers the good and the bad - because, as we know, there are always bumps in the road on any trip.

Mini World Shooling Opportunities

While most of us will never be able to take off for 11 years traveling the world with our 4 children, the fact remains that most us CAN expose our children to the world and traveling is a big part of that experience. Whether it's a local, ethnic museum or restaurant or boarding a train across country or getting on an airplane and flying somewhere farther away, the concept of world schooling doesn't have to be so formalized.

Sit down with your kids and a map and plot out your next adventure. And let the world be your guide!

Please share your experiences - I'd love to hear where the road takes you!

-Megy

Megy Karydes is founder/owner of World Shoppe, a fair trade company that works with artisans in South Africa and Pakistan. You can learn more about her adventures on Facebook where she often posts photos of her recent travels to developing countries.

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