There are many philosophies parents try to teach their children, like gratitude for where they live, all that they have, and the courage to make a difference in the world. For writer Nancy Harper, the best way to teach her two young daughters these lessons was to hit the open road as a family for seven months of total adventure.
“I wanted the girls to experience a different way of life than what they have here, in Canada … to give them a chance to see how fortunate they are,” Harper said.
Together with her husband Doog Farquhar and daughters Annie and Molly, they took off in September 2006 on a journey that took them from the shores of the family cottage in Southampton, Ontario across Canada to Vancouver, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.
The trip inspired a new outlook on family life and encouraged Harper to publish a chronicle of their family journey, Travellin’ Momma: A Parent’s guide to ditching the routine, seeing the world and taking the kids along for the ride.
Harper is a self-described travel junkie and admitted, the travel bug encouraged her to make that time to “explore new places,” including fulfilling a dream to see South Africa. Having travelled extensively in her youth, her passport carries the stamps of exotic places like India, Nepal, Southeast Asia, Egypt, Israel, Europe, the United Kingdom and Australia.
During her travels she met her husband Doog, a New Zealander, and they spent years together in Melbourne. Heading back to that part of the world brought their children closer to their extended family, an important part of their heritage.
“The main motivation for the trip was to spend time together as a family,” Harper explained. “When we get in these routines, the time just flies so fast. The motivation was to slow time down. I think the best thing we you can do [for your children] is take them out of their routine. This was the gift of giving them an experience, rather than a ‘thing’. ”
Rooted in that theme of quality time, Harper challenges the notions of “suburban ideals of keeping up and conforming” by breaking those rules with a voyage that allowed her to share her passion for what she loves most with those she loves most.
“I really believe our North American way of life is that the children determine what we [the parents] are doing and I wanted to turn this around,” Harper said. For the author, the story is as much about travel and experiencing different cultures as it is about establishing a sense of her own family’s culture.
“I think it’s a timely theme, especially given our rushed lifestyles. It’s getting our kids to look at the world in new ways.”
Recalling some of her favorite memories with her collection of photographs, Harper recalls the impromptu soccer game her family enjoyed with children on street in a small African village, or seeing wild animals on safari, the experience of staying in youth hostels and visiting the coral reef. Those moments all stand out.
“Camping around Lake Superior, outdoor adventures in New Zealand, everything about Australia … ” Harper said, adding, “The real crowning glory was South Africa. Getting to know the people and being treated with genuine kindness … It was the trip of a lifetime.”
A description of the book paints a vivid picture of the not-so-great moments too. “The lowest point came when food poisoning caught up with all four of them on a so-overcrowded-we-can’t-believe-it-didn’t-sink Malaysian ferry – and only the thought that they were almost certain to drown anyway was worse than puking incessantly into the South China Sea as a bevy of burka-clad Saudis looked on in amusement.”
While Harper hopes her self-published book offers a humorous, realistic outlook on travelling with kids, her intent is that parents see that fulfilling dreams doesn’t’ end with childbirth.
“It’s a philosophy about parenting, about life,” Harper explained. “I’m not trying to preach about travelling, because I know I’m really fortunate to have had this experience,” she said, adding, “I hope it gets people thinking, even if they don’t want to travel, that there are lots of things to do and this is the time to do it.”
For her own daughters, Harper hopes the book, like the journey itself, will be a lesson to remember. “Annie and Molly will have this as adults, to help them understand the choices I made as a parent, not only in travel, but in everything.”
Travellin’ Momma: A Parent’s guide to ditching the routine, seeing the world and taking the kids along for the ride, is a digital ebook for Kindle or Adobe digital editions, available to be downloaded through Amazon at www.amazon.com/dp/B007CJKOI0. For more information on Harper visit http://travellinmama.blogspot.com. For more information on Harper, visit http://travellinmama.blogspot.com.
