FAQs About Our Year Abroad
Wait, what are you guys doing?!
We’re taking a “family gap year.” For all of 2019, we will be traveling around the world.
With the kids?
Yes, with the kids!
How old are they again?
Willa’s six and James is four.
Have you lost your minds?
There are moments when it does feel like that, honestly, but we’re confident and excited about this move.
Is this something you guys have always dreamed of doing?
Not really, actually. Occasionally we’d fantasize about spending a year in another country, but those were never serious conversations.
But in August 2017, Margaret attended a TED Conference in Tanzania for work, and a combination of the time away to think, the ideas she heard at the event and the people she met led her to this idea. She jotted down her case on the flight home and pitched it to Teddy when she returned.
He raised his eyebrows but definitely didn’t say no. Fast forward to June 2018, almost a year later, and we’d made a firm decision to do it (yes, it took that long to figure out feasibility, work up the nerve, etc.). Now here we are, actually doing this. Still hard to believe.
When do you leave?
We depart January 7 from Washington, DC.
Are you going to travel around or pick just a few spots?
We’re going to be on the move. All continents but Antarctica (decided to do that when they’re a little older!).
Do you know your itinerary yet? Or are you going where the wind takes you?
We’ve more or less figured out the first half of the year’s itinerary. There’s room for spontaneity but a lot has been booked.
Are you staying in hotels or with friends or doing AirBNB?
All of the above! Plus stuff like overnight trains and river boats.
What’s your first stop?
Our first stop will actually be Kingston, Jamaica, where we’ll visit our beloved nanny of 6+ years. She lives in the Bronx but will be there in early January for the Christmas holiday. We look forward to exploring “Didi’s Jamaica.”
Then what?
January/February – South America (Colombia, Peru, Chile, Brazil)
March/April – Africa (South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique)
May – Middle East (Egypt, Jordan, UAE)
May/June/July – Europe (Spain, France, Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Russia)
Second half of the year: Asia, Australia, New Zealand, TBD
(Know anyone awesome in those places who we should meet?? Please let us know!)
That seems like a lot!
It does. It may end up being too much, in which case we’ll slow the pace.
How do you pack for a year?
Believe it or not the plan is to do carry-on only! The grownups will each have a roller, and the kids will each get a bag that fits on top of the rollers. Then, we’ll all carry backpacks that can fit under the seat of an airplane.
I’m sorry, did you say “carry-on only”? Why? How??
We’re going to be in mostly warm weather all year so that definitely helps. We’ve basically bought the kids uniforms – went to Primary.com and got a bunch of solid colored basics. Same concept for the grownups. And we’ll probably purge and get new stuff as needed along the way. We’re doing it partly out of ease and partly out of a challenge to ourselves – I mean, how much clothing does one actually need? Guess we’re about to find out.
What about the kids’ school?
Our kids’ school has been incredibly supportive. The plan is for us to homeschool them with curriculum input from their teachers and help from iPads (Khan Academy, etc). Willa will miss the second half of 1st grade and first half of 2nd grade. James will miss first half of pre-K and first half of Kindergarten. Our vision is to stay connected through classroom video chats, pen pals, etc.
And your jobs? Are you working at all?
We are both taking career breaks.
Will you come back to New York?
That’s the plan. But we also realize this year might bring new paths and ideas for the future, and we’re committed to being open to everything.
What will you do when you’re back?
Great question! We have 365 days to ponder that one and will let you know as soon as we figure it out.
What about your apartment?
We’re giving it up. We sold our one-bedroom in 2016 and are ending the lease on our current place.
What about all your stuff?
There will be a giant purge, and the rest will go in storage.
What about Molly?
Oh, Molly. Our beloved aging dog. This is not a joke: She has retired to a farm upstate. Molly started to have some bladder issues this fall, and apartment living became very uncomfortable for her. With this big trip on the horizon, we found her a farm four hours north of Manhattan where “retired” elderly Manhattan dogs like Molly can live out their golden years in comfort. She is still our dog, we can visit any time we want and we can bring her home whenever we choose—but she’s got a pretty great setup there. We get regular updates that she’s happy and spoiled (and using her dog door to pee 20x a day in a field whenever she wants).
What did your families think when you told them about this trip?
They’ve been really supportive. Some have even booked flights already to join us on the road! We can’t wait.
Are you going to do a blog or Instagram or something?
YES! You’ve got your blog access right here, and the Instagram is @SullivanFamilyAdventure. We promise to show the lows as well as the highs.
What are you most excited about?
Spending a ton of time with our kids. Disconnecting. Not having work worries lingering somewhere in our brains. The sights, yes, but also just how people live on an average Tuesday. Watching live sports in places like New Zealand and Brazil. Practicing our Spanish and French.
What are you most nervous about?
Spending a ton of time with our kids. Is that bad? The homeschooling on top of that seems daunting. And how is a year’s worth of daily disposable contact lenses going to fit in our carry-ons? Oh, and how’re we going to motivate to exercise regularly? Also, Margaret is really afraid of boogeymen so quiet farmhouses and other terrifying locales will be interesting. Teddy also just realized he’ll miss March Madness right when Duke has a shot at the Final Four.
So are you guys trying to be like The Bucket List family?
We get this one a lot, surprisingly. They are super fun to follow, and what they’ve created is pretty amazing, but no, that’s not the plan here.
Wow, this is crazy. Well, I’m really happy/surprised/confused about this whole thing.
We are too. 🙂
Please stay in touch. Connect us to your friends around the world and join us at some point along the way!
