Taking to the road
1 It was a normal evening in February 2014 when I had an idea that changed our family's life forever. My wife Kerry and I were both tired after a long day of teaching. As we talked, we realized we both felt trapped in our routines: working too hard and not spending enough time together as a family. We felt as if we were living and working simply to pay off our mortgage and save for retirement. Suddenly, I had a radical idea that would leave us houseless and jobless, and our two daughters, Amy and Ella, removed from the formal education system.
2 That night, I turned to Kerry with the idea: "How about we try getting away from it all for a year? Take a break. Spend more time together. Go on an adventure!" Kerry was a little nervous when I first mentioned it, but she didn't say "no" and, over the following days, the idea grew and developed in our minds and hearts. If nothing else, just making a decision like this – taking control of our own destiny – was empowering and exciting. We felt alive.
3 We were excited about the adventure, but nervous about how our daughters Amy and Ella might react. The suggestion shocked them at first, but when they considered the idea further, the excitement in their eyes was the answer Kerry and I had hoped for.
4 Our idea was to try living more for the moment and to start out on an educational adventure together. We wanted our adventure to be U.K.-based. Our islands have so much to offer: amazing geography and history everywhere, and beautiful landscapes. And there was no way we were going to give up our old dog, Sally.
5 It helped that we already had a caravan that was going to be our home and school on the road. Of course there were still some important issues to consider. Ella got upset about missing her friends. Amy wondered what would happen when she took leave from school. To help deal with these issues, we decided that if at any time someone wasn't enjoying the trip, we would stop and return to normal life.
6 Before we knew it, we were on the road with the caravan. We began at Warwick Castle then headed north to Berwick-upon-Tweed and into Scotland. We traveled into corners of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Our route was varied, driven by educational aims (visiting places of historical importance), invitations to speak at festivals about our trip, and regular trips back home to Nottingham so Amy and Ella could reconnect with their friends.
7 Instead of following the national curriculum, we developed a more flexible, learner-based model. Learning about science happened naturally: The girls learned about wind turbines and renewable energies at a wind farm, and about physical forces and light at Sir Isaac Newton's house.
8 Living so close to each other has its challenges. But on the whole, we've adapted well and accept that there will always be highs and lows. Our very lowest point came when our beloved dog Sally died. But we've learned that adventure builds character and that these experiences are both life-affirming and life-forming. After more than a year on the road, Amy and Ella now see challenges as an important part of life. They now understand the need to persevere when the going gets tough. We had to sell our house to pay for our adventure, but we are investing in our most precious assets, our children, by spending large amounts of quality time with them. We are living … and happy, very happy.
