Japan, Sept. 2013
Our trip is coming to an end. I am excited, but sad, knowing that we will soon be leaving our trip and settling down. I know that from now on my life will always be different because my view of the world has forever changed. My mom and my brother will be heading home early, because my brother is going to school and should not be jetlagged and without school supplies. My future after getting home will be flexible. After ten months back in the states, I have no idea what will happen next, though I know what I am hoping for.
My mom and Elio will head home on the 20th of August. My dad and I will stay in Italy until the 7th of September. We will drive my mom and Elio from our rented house in Osimo to the Milano airport. There they will go to Amsterdam, then Portland, and after staying in Portland for a week, they will go to Seattle. We will come back down to Senigallia, the city with many of our Italian cousins until the 7th. We will then go the same plane route. In Portland, we will drive to Seattle that day. Then my dad and I will get settled, recover from jetlag, and transition from roadschooling to homeschooling.
We are moving to Seattle because it’s better for my mom and dad’s work. In Seattle, Elio will go to school. I will continue to be homeschooled. Though we don’t know exactly what my homeschooling schedule will be yet, this is what I hope it will be similar to:
| Time | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| 9 – 12 | Schooling | Schooling | Schooling | Schooling | Schooling | Schooling | Weekend |
| 12 – 1 | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | |
| 1 – 3 | Swimming | Batik Art | Swimming | Batik Art | Swimming | Free |
Of course, being homeschooled means I can have a flexible schedule so this will change if necessary. My dad has found a swimming team for me. I will be studying a lot of math and hopefully a good amount of science.
After living in Seattle, I hope we will move back to Portland, buy a house, and settle down. Hopefully we will continue homeschooling until college. In the next few years, I would like to continue to travel, but I don’t think I’d like to be gone for more than three months at a time. It would be fantastic to tour South America and travel around the states. I want to see highlights like the Grand Canyon, Washington D.C., and New York.
Cambodia Oct. 2013
In so many ways, I now know much more about the world’s poverty, history, religion, and culture. This has helped me learn that the world is not just a place to live, it is a place where cultures develop and flourish.
HoiAn, Vietnam October 2013
Elephant Nature Camp (where we volunteered) with friends from Melbourne
Lantern Festival, Thailand Nov. 2013
Ziplining past gibbons, Thailand, Nov. 2013
My view of the world has expanded so much this year, and I am very glad we embarked on this traveling adventure. Now, I am ready to settle down, work hard on homeschooling, and visit family and friends, though. I am very excited to see how my life will change after this trip, because it’s bound to change in ways I cannot guess.
It has been a fun and busy year.
Batu Caves in Kuala Lumpur with new friends from Texas, Feb. 2014
Learning to surf in Bali, March 2014
Petting kangaroos with new friends in Australia (whom we met in Laos), March 2014
On the beach in Australia, March 2014
Exploring mines in Australia, March 2014
On Safari, South Africa, April 2014
Exploring Prague with new friends from Vancouver, B.C.
Visiting my great great aunt in Dresden, Germany July 2014
It is going to be hard to say goodbye to my Italian cousins!
That was so well written it brought tears to my eyes. This was the opportunity of a lifetime, and way more than most people will ever have in their lifetime…..
I think you and your brother must be the luckiest boys on earth.
Now that you’ll be home soon, I’m sure the whole rest of your lives will be more interesting through all the adventures you’ve had, and the experiences that most kids only rad about.
I’m glad you put “lunch” on your homeschooling schedule. I’m also glad you still plan to swim. You were so good at it, it would be sad to lose that talent. About the batik, I hope sometime you can teach me what you’ve learned, and how I could do it…maybe.
See you soon, sweetie. I’m so excited to have you back again and all of you together.
Thank you so much, Omi! You would do amazing at Batik. It’s so fun! I am planing on painting the batik like the one I did in Penang.
The problem is, and I don’t mean this in a bad way, is that many people just don’t want to. They just couldn’t leave all their stuff, their house, and their family and friends. I can understand that, but I still would rather travel. Except for now, where there are family, friends, and a new cousin waiting for us.
Ditto everything Omi said!! I love that you are further pursuing the art that you learned while travelling. That is so cool! And I CAN NOT wait to see you!!!!!!
I can try to teach you both batik if you want, but I don’t know enough to teach you much. See you soon and thanks for reading!
Lorenzo
Wow, Lorenzo! What a great post. It looks like you had a great time on your trip. I wonder what I’ll feel like when I have to go home.
Thank you for the response. How many months into your trip are you? What is your blog name? I know you told us, but my dad doesn’t remember. Where are you?
What a wonderful adventure for your family this year has been–love reading your blogs!!
Thanks for reading!
Thank you for this post! I love the part where you say “I am very excited to see how my life will change after this trip, because it’s bound to change in ways I cannot guess.” I hope that it’s still true and I also hope that you keep writing about it! You really have a way with words.
We are back home (temporarily) after 2 years on the road. In a few weeks we will be heading across the south/west US to camp in National Parks. And then…? We have no idea. We hope our lives change in ways we cannot guess too. 🙂
Thanks for reading! Have fun on your many travels!
Well said Lorenzo. So how has life changed?