«Happiness travels with you»: settling down again

Indignation clearly resonates in her voice: «Everyone goes home at some point!». The woman is on her way home to Switzerland. It irritates her that we are not returning to any place.

Of course, she's a bit right. We won't be travelling for the rest of our lives either, although a part of us would like to keep chugging from place to place.

The only question is, how do you find your way back to a settled life when you have become so completely detached from it? It's a good thing that we're not completely without a plan.

How our checklist works

The plan goes like this: 2022 will be dedicated to finding a new home. At the end of the year, we will settle on an island in North Friesland if we haven't found somewhere else by then.

We have drawn up a list of places we have visited that could be considered for a settled life. Each family member is allowed to award points from 1 to 10. This quickly makes it clear where we take a closer look and which candidates have no chance.

We feel that our daughters are ready to rejoin a group of other young people.

Our place of arrival must fulfil certain requirements. Perhaps you remember the first blog? The high mountains, the North Sea, the Atlantic... Somewhere where everyone can breathe easily. There are also other requirements that the new home should fulfil. There is also a list of desired characteristics, to which everyone has contributed.

So in February 2022, we will start another round through Europe. This time with a clear focus on setting an anchor somewhere.

Find what you are looking for faster than expected

At the beginning of the journey, we were still of the opinion that we would find a new «forever» home. We have since let go of this endeavour. We need a place that gives the girls a secure base on their journey into adulthood. Who knows what needs we will have afterwards?

And so, in April 2022, we make an unexpected find. In a fishing village and surfing hotspot north of Lisbon, we discover an innovative school where the children can further develop their acquired independence in learning. The international, mixed-age social context is perfect.

We sense that they are ready to rejoin a group of other young people. It will enrich them to mirror and rub shoulders with other young people. It's good to get new social stimuli.

The vegetation, the Atlantic air and the sea create a climate that is very different from that of Central Europe. A glance at our list shows that this location has already been top favourite twice in our points distribution. We are ready to set up a base here.

A shrunken donkey

So it is with a dose of melancholy that we embark on a final round at the beginning of June before we open a new chapter in Portugal in September 2022. It will be our one hundredth stop on the journey.

On a stopover in our old home, one of the girls visits her beloved old donkeys. She reports that they have definitely shrunk in size. We feel it too: it's not just the donkeys that have become smaller. The beds, the caravan, everything seems to have become a little narrower recently and we parents: a lot shorter.

What we have won

Luck accompanied us throughout our journey. This was possible because we found it even when circumstances looked unlucky.

I wrote in detail about our luck with Corona in the second blog . We also experienced a few major mishaps and breakdowns along the way. For example, an awning tore off and an incident with our fold-down bed, which even led to a few months in a replacement caravan called «Emma».

Unpleasant experiences pass, the good memories remain.

However, such incidents always led us to helpful people, creative solutions and the realisation that unpleasant experiences pass, but the good memories remain.

As a family, we have created a treasure trove of shared experiences that will nourish us for many years to come. Whenever we think of particularly beautiful, funny or touching travelling moments together, we feel like allies in a fantastic conspiracy.

Our daughter, who had to inhale cortisone daily for almost ten years, has been free of any permanent medication for a year now. Before that, she lived a half-life for months between January and August. Today she is healthy and full of vitality. The whole family is free.

What about the costs?

Of course, the trip came at a price. Financially, we are now a little poorer than before. Part of a previous inheritance was not invested in the usual way, but in a kind of «life share». This yields a completely different kind of interest.

During the trip, my husband set up his own online counselling business and can work from anywhere. I was able to dedicate myself to training as a journalist.

Nobody will be able to calculate exactly what this will mean for the bank accounts of all family members and for our retirement provision. However, the personal gain is immeasurable.

The itinerary at a glance:

What if everyone did this?

It is a privilege to be able to write about our journey here. I would like to use this opportunity to say a few words of encouragement to other parents. I am also addressing people who can inspire, hinder or even prevent such a step, for example head teachers, employers, but also relatives, acquaintances and friends:

Be generous, be happy. Because every person who broadens their horizons never does so for themselves alone.

Not every family has the opportunity to take time off. However, fears about missed school lessons or holes in the pension fund should not be the main reason. Nor should the objection: «What if everyone did this?».

My plea

A dear friend and mother of three children died of an aggressive cancer within a few months while we were travelling at the age of 40. Her fate was a stark reminder that it is good to realise your dreams.

So here is my plea to all parents of school-age children who are willing to travel:

• Framework conditions are sometimes more flexible than we think.
• Time together is the most valuable gift you can give your children.
• Do it: you won't regret it.

Find out in part 6 how the daughters attend a new school in Portugal and how various teen themes provide a breath of fresh air. This will be published in mid-January.