We made another trip to our wonderful and helpful STA rep in Nottingham yesterday. Having spent the good part of a whole day about 6 weeks ago planning all the flights. 11 in total and sorting all the logistics of dates when to take off, from where so we have the right amount time etc etc. We left on that occasion knowing that we had at least confounded my second oldest daughter Daisy. "yes Daisy, we have now booked the flights, we are going". 

The acorn of a travel trip probably started about 5 years ago when I retired. At that time we had  a camper van around Europe in mind. However, it fully matured last year when we thought Fred was the right age and Rachel knew she had to do something different from work. How we got from Europe to trying go around the world in 6 months I will leave Rachel to explain.

Our older kids have all helped in their own way, probably unknowingly. Daisy from her disbelief that we would ever hatch a fully robust plan based on years of hearing us talk about this and that. You have to prove your children wrong. Poppy and Chris (hubby) having already been off on a 8 month epic tour some years back and then went back to Australia to get married on bondi beach, practically in secret. They have helped with passion for travel,  ideas and equipment. Not to forget Barney, who as a 20 year coming out of that sultry late teenage years at 18 took his gap year and went and spent year in Morzine running a ski chalet. At 18 I went off and travelled on my own around the US and Canada. So why could I not do it again. Stay as young as your kids and when they start getting too old for you, stay as young as your grandchildren.  Which brings us to Buddy. At 18 months when we leave. He should have interesting grandparents and an uncle (Fred) who he can be inspired by to make his own journeys of curiosity. 

So, yesterday we made some alterations to the flight plans, which really will not surprise our kids. 

So today I gathered some more pics and finalised the layout of the website. Ambition sometimes overtakes hard reality but I hope that all three of us can regularly  post. For Fred it will be part of the on the road curricula. Oh and we got the ok from the LEA. So from the 20th June Fred will officially be home schooled.

And we have added to the planning room. Picture to follow (on twittter feed). Its a table with some things laid out on it but its the what goes in the back pack table. Rachel has sorted medical supplies. Any local emergencies on route she will be better equipped than the red cross.