2019 is going to be a BIG adventure for the Lieberman-Smith family! After much planning we are taking the kids backpacking for five months. We leave February 1st for: Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Jordan, Israel and a not-yet planned stop in Europe. I'll also be in Kiev for a week in May with my parents and brother - more on this later.
So, who takes their kids out of school for five months and goes backpacking in tropical countries? We do. (Also maybe crazy people - we'll talk about this another time.) Are we excited? Yes. Are we currently a little tired from moving out of our house and planning our trip? Yes. Very Much. Hence the blog title. We're hoping our Shabbatical will be an adventure, and a restful break. If you're wondering what Shabbatical means, sabbatical is a derivative of sabbath and we've added our own Jewish spin to it.
Friends keep asking me good questions like, where exactly are you going and have you booked places to stay for the whole time? Absolutely not. We've booked most of our flights and a few hotels for when we arrive in new countries, but otherwise we'll be making it up as we go. Is there a goal to our wanderings? Not particularly. We're hoping to see some interesting places, eat some good food, hang out as a family, do lots of hiking and explore our amazing planet. Lack of narrative is a distinct goal. Those that know how my 1998 trip to India resulted in me chasing Rob across the Indian sub-continent will understand my desire for lack of narrative. The Lieber-Smiths (aka Snugglemans) will look for no one and nothing on this trip, except maybe a fine bowl of Pho or the ultimate hommis.
Other friends want to know why we've chosen these particular countries. We've chosen regions of the world we like to travel to, but haven't been to yet. Rob and I both love South-East Asia but we've never been to Vietnam. Similarly, we both enjoyed traveling in India so we thought we'd experience Sri Lanka. We're also both keen to go back to Israel to visit family and friends.
Other friends want to know if I plan to write on this trip. I sincerely hope not. Remember, it's a Shabbatical. Or at least, I hope not to write anything that needs to be completed. Maybe I'll write some lists, or work on this blog, but no books will be written. I plan to draw cartoons, learn to play guitar, and do yoga instead.
Friends have also been asking one vital question about Rob: is he retiring before the trip? Possibly. And possibly not. He's thinking of teaching one final term in 2019 to finish off a 31 year career. Personally I think he's going to call it quits the second he gets to Vietnam and has a beer on the beach. We'll see.
What do the kids think of this trip? They're a little unknowing (clueless?) at this point. Despite travel videos, it's hard for them to imagine being outside of North America. One child (who will remain nameless) suggested it will be "a little like going to Palm Springs." This child now denies having ever said this, but I think both boys are in for a big wake-up call. Nonetheless, the boys are open-minded, curious and excited to learn about the world around them. They're also incredulous that we're actually leaving. This trip has been in the works for only three years, but to them that's a lifetime.
The kids also keep asking about their homeschooling. I've been giving them vague, disinterested answers, like, "right, we'll do that." (At one point I planned to call this blog Unschooled.) I will get to planning homeschooling at some point. In the mean time, I tell the kids they'll be writing this blog as part of their mastery of English writing. (These little francophones mathematicians have a ways to go in this department.) So stay tuned for the 2019 travel adventures written by Rob, Leanne, Makaio and Dassa!
