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Happy Holidays!
Tim
I love the OLPC laptop program. Looking forward to hearing about your experiment with it.
I am also going to do the donation of a laptop to a child. I hope everyone who makes a comment on this blog does so also. It is the time to give and I thank you for reminding us that there are those whom are not as fortunate as us.
Enjoy your Holidays
Jose Castro-Frenzel, Dallas 07
I'll do the same with my own kids (when I have them), that's for sure.
I can see you on Public television ala Suzy Ormand or that Rich Dad Poor Dad guy, Robert Kiyosaki.
Keep up the good work!
P.S I buying my brother your book for xmas.
Rick
Their son son was 1 year old at the start, and when he arrived home at 3, he had already been to more countries than most people dream of. Overland, so they actually met and interacted with people. He traded toys throughout the trip with locals-- now there's this string of goodwill left behind. His first memories will be of this trip, too.
They paid for it by doing work exchanges on farms-- they are farmers in their real life-- and an occasional package from the grandparents. Europeans get a small pension for new children too, I believe? At any rate, it is quite possible. Certainly not easy, but possible. They certainly inspired me.
It was a year ago this month that we left for that adventure, and our daughter still talks about it. The trip was an incredibly positive experience for all of us, but it sure made a lasting impact on her.
Like Bloggrrl's son, she picked up Spanish quite readily. What really surprised me, though, was that she seemed to have no accent. She spoke like a local - it was like I was hearing a different child. Amazing.
Makes me wished I'd learned a dozen languages back when my brain was a bit more plastic...:)
Here are some rankings of countries based on per-capita statistics. For those that do not know, per-capita means per number of people. Therefore a city of 1000 with 10 murders would be worse off than a city of 10000 with 50. Per capita puts things into perspective. Of course, as with any statistic whatsoever, caveat emperor.
Rankings of USA rank, with #1 being absolute worst.
Adults Prosecuted: #1 of 33 countries studied.
Assaults: #6 of 57.
Burglaries: #15 of 54.
Car thefts: #9 of 55.
Murders: #24 of 62.
Firearm murders: #8 of 32.
Prisoners: #1 of 164!
Rape: #9 of 65.
Robberies: #11 of 64.
Total crime: #8 of 60.
Interestingly, what people believe is different. Here are some other statistics (again, of USA):
Belief in police efficiency: #1 of 17 countries studied.
Perception of safety: #2 of 17.
The point here is that if you are from the USA and would be willing to travel around your own country, you have nothing to fear by visiting another country. So get out there, strap your shoes on, throw away your paralyzing fear, throw away your preconceived notions, pack those bags, and enjoy your time abroad! It is worth every penny and then some, especially long term stays.
NOTE: All statistics taken from UN sanctioned studies.
I saw this entry and immediately thought of an almost year long trip I took around the world with my then wife and my 4 month old son (when the trip started, he was over 1 year when it ended).
My son is now almost 5 years old and the OLPC "Give One, Get One" project seems completely worthwhile anyway, but this tipped me over the edge and caused me to donate.
Great entry, Tim. Keep it up. Change is hard, but the world needs mavericks to make that change happen.
I am and remain a huge fan.
Best,
Michael
I have been meaning to write to you for some time. This post has prompted me finally to do so -- it just couldn’t be more timely for my family. We are currently in Brazil for three months on a home exchange with our two-year-old son. I can say with all certainty that we would not be here if it had not been for the publication of 4HWW.
I read the book some months back, and it was very moving for me. I have followed the blog with great interest ever since. I haven’t been able to get over all the ways I connect with the breadth of ideas in the book and blog. The kind of limitless thinking 4HWW espouses used to be so natural to me; it was amazing to realize how much a couple decades of adulthood had, sadly, made mainstream thinking so much easier!
Luckily, one thing my husband and I had never given up was an emphasis on quality of life over working more (and more and more...). But it wasn’t until I read 4HWW that I realized that it was quite possible NOW for us to take our son on extended international adventures. I just want to thank you for the concrete examples of what can happen when we cut out excuses, and simply focus on what we want to accomplish and experience. The practical information and resources you provide are invaluable. (4HWW is how we found homeexchange.com! Our son is loving all the children he gets to see every day in our housing complex here. My husband and I are enjoying the full-time cook/housekeeper – whose salary along with food is equivalent to what we spend on only food back in the U.S.)
Thanks, Tim. Merry Christmas and happy adventures.
Dierdre
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Dierdre, congratulations! That is a huge accomplishment, and thank you so much for sharing. I might just see you down there after January 1st -- it's too cold for my blood up here...
Divirta-se :)
Tim
For anyone out there considering a move overseas, or extended travel, MAKE 2008 your year!! Feel free to email me with questions as I am more than happy to offer tips on how I did it.
Happy Holidays,
Mark
ps - Tim let me know if you will be traveling through Culebra...
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Hi D!
The Smithsonian research island was arranged through contacts I made once arriving in Panama, then negotiated with fishermen/locals who were to take me there! It was located, however, in Coiba Marine Reserve, and you can find more options these days for visiting by googling "Coiba tours," etc. Here is one starting point: http://coibanationalpark.com/
All the best and good luck,
Tim
GOD bless you.
timothy s.
Thanks again for sharing your knowledge and experiences with us!
I am slowly breaking the "habit shackles" created by thinking and living the past 40 years the way I thought I should. For the past four months, I've been trying to determine what I find truly exciting, expanding my view of what is possible and to question what I previously thought was impossible. As the saying goes, "if there's the will, there's a way."
I do hope you square off and give Donny a knock-out punch. I saw the laughable (or was it irritating?) "interview" with Matt Lauer a few months ago on and thought Donny completely missed the point of your book. Aside from not letting you get a word in edgewise, he seemed to lump you and everyone else who liked your book as lazy slackers who didn't want to work. And he thought it was impossible to achieve anything meaningful without working 70 hours per week. Did he even read the book?
Hope you have a wonderful week. And Happy New Year!
Ernst
Instead of 5th grade my parents rented the house, put the car in storage, bought backpacks and set out on an 11 month backpacking adventure across Europe. The world was my classroom and only supplemented by the journal I wrote in every night and the math I did as I totaled and converted our expenses from the local currency back into dollars. What did I miss in school? I can't name all of the presidents or the state capitals. Instead i returned in love with history, amazed by culture and wide eyed, eager to learn about the world. I still have all my fingers and toes and wasn't kidnapped. In fact I was probably much safer while in Europe - after all I spent most of it using public transport and not in a car.
A year after returning to the states we set off again. This time across the continental U.S. in a 5th wheel trailer. This time I was home schooled and had to write papers and work through workbooks - but the education lacked all of the busywork and garbage that would have wasted my time had I been in class. I spent most of my time with adults and learned how to talk to them. The biggest problem I faced when I returned wasn't grades (I was an A student) it was actually dumbing myself down enough to interact and talk to the other kids.
Since that trip I did a 7 week study abroad program with the honors college, have seen Alaska and Hawaii and just returned from a 3 month walkabout in Europe 2/3s of which I did alone.
Don't make excuses, don't justify things. Jump into the deep end, sink to the bottom and walk your way out. It's the best thing you can possibly do for your kids.
A dad of two, I appreciated this post! I take my kids everywhere - mountains of colorado, the slickrock of Moab, beaches of Oaxaca and plenty more. Your book is my number one source for Lifestyle Design. It's far better than my ex-job as a corporate drug cook for Big Pharma. Way to go!
I'll be in NYC Jan 18-21. Drop me an email and Ill buy you a beer at my favorite bar.
Thanks for your incredible book and encouragement...I have a couple thoughts about your additional section on your web page about Investing Money:
1. Some Mutual fund companies have products that 'socially conscious' people may consider unacceptable: e.g. there is one you have listed that has PetroChina stock in some of their funds which has ties to Sudan and has hurt Darfur. Investorsagainstgenocide.com and DivestforDarfur.org are both excellent websites about this.
2. Also about "No Load" Funds. Although people don't pay an upfront commission on these funds, the 'yearly' administration fees can be as much as 2-3% a year vs. less than 1% for funds that carry a front end commission. Over a ten year period this can really add up.
Just a few thoughts... I'm a Financial Advisor and only offering a few suggestions for you to consider. Thanks!!!
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Hi Scott,
Thanks for the comment! I agree that we should get into investing on this blog, and we will soon. But, where did you find any recommendations from me about mutual funds? Please let me know, as I don't remember recommending any investments here or elsewhere.
Thanks for contributing,
Tim
Paraguayans are well known for their hospitality and since I heard you're coming down to Uruguay, you might as well take a 2 hour flight to Asuncion and visit this great (super humid and hot) country.
I have plenty of room at my house and beach house by the lake in San Bernardino that we could also visit. I'll be happy to have you here.
Take care and thanks once again for this great post.
My son Wyatt is 9 years old has already visited the Cook Islands, French Polynesia as well as a month in Hong Kong and China. I have been lucky enough to live in 5 countries and make it a goal to expose Wyatt to foriegn cultures whenever possible. It has sparked an interest in him to learn more of geography, history, language and culture while so many kids his age live on TV and video games.
Best wishes and thanks for the post!
Traveling has always been a fascination of mine - of course, being a law student and working in the legal field it's a major challenge!
But if you want anything bad enough you'll make time for it!
You can check out my quick review of it on my blog if you want more detail.
It's fantastic that you picked up on Dan Clements book, "Escape 101". It's a wonderful resource full of real world, life tested, and practical road map to unplugging from your career (or yourself). Beyond "Escaping with Children", the rest of the book is also a great read and could be the nudge you need to get out of dodge, recharge, work less, and live more.