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Liz and Craig sold their home and bought an old Hymer motorhome to explore Europe and find a new life abroad with their 2 year old daughter Mabel. What they found along the way was very different from the expectations they set out with. It turned into a deeply personal journey, particularly for Craig who discovered that he couldn't escape from himself. One year in and their van broke, ending their vanlife adventure abruptly. But they packed off and headed to Italy, to an area in Northern Tuscany that had captured their hearts and imaginations, to start a new life abroad.Craig and I shared similar painful experiences along our van adventures, which connected us online as well as being travelling families at the same time. As such, this episode was in part an opportunity for us all to process the ups and downs of our vanlife experiences. As a dear friend pointed out to me, embarking on such a big life changing journey doesn't take us away from ourselves, and is in fact often an invitation to go deeper into the normal emotional work of life.Do reach out if you have been impacted by any of what we discussed in this episode.Episode notes and links: https://babybusadventures.com/new-life-in-italy-after-family-vanlife-adventures-podcast-ep3Follow on www.instagram.com/exploringitfamilies Topics we cover in this episodeWhy they made their life changeHow they came to choose a motorhome to explore EuropeLeaving their old life and why they chose to sell their houseWhat their original travel plans were and for how longWhere they went in their motorhome - Belgium, Holland, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, and ItalyDetails on their motorhome, the living space, and how it worked for them as a familyHow they financed their travels and what their budget wasMotorhome maintenance and breakdownsChallenges of higher costs in Scandinavian countriesTravelling in a motorhome with a 2 year old and what concerns they had for her as an only childWhat they wanted to get from their travels, and how their expectations were differentWhat they thought family van life would be like and what the reality wasWorkaways - what they are and why they did themHighlights from their travelsChallenges that they experienced on their travels - in particular we delve into the difficulties Craig facedHow and why their travels came to an abrupt endTheir move to Italy - why Italy and why Northern TuscanyWhat their new home and daily life looks likeHow their daughter has adjusted to life in Italy and nursery schoolWhat they do in ItalyAdvice for other families on moving to ItalyLessons learnt from their travelsWould they do anything differentlyDreams for the future - making it work in Italy, maybe buying a place with some land in ItalyAdvice for families considering a life change, a van life adventure, or a move abroad

Natalie and Will sold their house and all their possessions and took their two unschooled daughters Ava and Bonnie on a backpacking adventure around SE Asia. After an unexpected change of direction to their travels, they returned to their hometown in England after only 4 months travelling. Natalie shares openly and honestly the story of why they wanted to change their lives, the challenges of family who disapprove, and the desire to spend more time together as a family.  Natalie and Will are a brave couple who’s “go do it” attitude is inspirational and a must listen for all those hesitating about taking a step closer to their dreams of a different life. Episode notes and links: https://babybusadventures.com/family-backpacking-adventure-life-change-podcast-ep2Follow on www.instagram.com/exploringitfamilies Topics we cover in this episodeWhy they made their life change How they made their life change happen – selling their house, saving moneyWhat their travel plans were and for how long – SE Asia, Australia, NZWhat they hoped to get out of their travels – making family memories, family bucket list, reset, question the lives they felt they’d been told to live/aspire toSelling all their possession and why they did thisHow family and friends reacted to their plans – how to deal with negative reactionsFinancing their travels – budget, safety netsTravel insurance and any other things to budget for when backpacking as a familyHow their daughters reacted to the travel plans and how to meet their needs – emergencies, coping strategies, sensory processing disorderConcerns about uprooting their daughters from their home education friends and groupsUnschoolingHighlights from their travels – seeing orangutans, catching fireflies, visiting a slum in New Dehli, kindness of peopleWhat luggage and items they took in their backpacksHow they handled being without a homebaseMemorable experiences – cockroaches, huge spiders, a fake AirbnbTravelling ethically – what this means and looks likeWhy their travels were cut short and they returned to the UKWhy they didn’t resume their travels after Will’s operationBuying a motorhome and then settling down in their old hometown – impact of Covid-19 pandemicWhat their life currently looks like – renting a house, Will working 9-5, the struggles they have, feels of failureWhat they miss about travellingWhat they enjoy most about their current lifestyleLessons learnt from travelling – using their privilege, climate change, plastic problemHow their travels have inspired their daughters – creating t-shirts to raise money, XR youth assembly, meeting with their MPWould they do anything differentlyDreams for the future – travel Europe in their campervan, housing co-op Advice for families considering a life change

Laura and Carly along with their 10 year old daughter Agnes embarked on a life change to live in a converted van and travel through Europe long term. 18 months into their ‘new life’ they share their story – from how they made their life change to what life looks like for them now living on the road. They talk about how they manage family life in a tiny space, how they travel with their van dog Roy, and the impacts they’ve experienced of being a lesbian couple. Laura and Carly are an inspiring couple whose love for this alternative lifestyle is truly uplifting. Episode notes and links: https://babybusadventures.com/fulltime-van-family-exploring-europe-podcast-ep1Follow me on www.instagram.com/babybusadventures  Topics we cover in this episodeList of topics/themes discussed in the podcastWhy they made their life change How they made their life change happen – buying their van, jobs/work situationRemoving their daughter from school – life on the road, meeting other families, learning while travellingDetails of their van conversion – challenges of the conversion, converting a van whilst still workingHow they finance their travelling lifestyle – move from office to working remotelyHighlights of their travels How they find living in a tiny home as a family of 3 – getting space, Challenges they face driving a larger vehicle in Europe – weight, height, garagesImpacts of being a lesbian couple – challenges they’ve faced, how and where they travelVanlife with pets – a cat that didn’t like travelling, how to deal with places you can’t take a dogBreaking down – their experiences, how they handle it, top tipsLow points from their travels – breakdowns, migrants trying to get into their van, intimidating youths, corrupt policeImpacts of Brexit on their travels What they’ve learnt from their travelsDreams for the future and settling downAdvice for families considering vanlife or a life change