Good for you!! It’s nice to know of the detailed planning that has gone into your trip. It sure corrects my perspective – and I deserve to be “bonked on the head” for looking at everything with “my blinders on”. Still, I doubt if any of my own children will ever have the desire or means to go on such an “expedition”. For sure, your whole family will have priceless memories that few others will ever have. And I still will pray that you have very fewer “hangups” – as will others who are watching your progress.

it’s brilliant, and you will do it! every time i mention your trip to friends or colleagues their faces light up, as if they’d forgotten, and just remembered, that something unconventional and adventuresome is far from impossible!

If we can do it, anybody can! We saved money for two years and Michelle will continue to work the entire time. Michelle works in a highly specialized field and she chose that kind of career in part because she wanted to be able to travel; these were decisions we made more than 20 years ago.The cost of RT airfare from Fairbanks to Santiago is $1658 (best deal and that is ($13,264) — and that does not include a rental car, two (or three) hotel rooms (because there are 8 of us), kenneling the dogs, eating out every meal for 8 people, flying (or worse bus rides) between countries and cities. We are spending $1500 per person to get to South America, all lodging and all transportation for 3+ months. We could not do this trip any cheaper. Also it enables us to cook our own food and have our own bathroom / shower and water, substantially reducing the exposure we will have to unsanitary conditions. Cooking our own food is also cheaper than eating out. I do all the car repairs myself and I did all the work to the camper and van to make them ready for the trip. We have home schooled the kids from the start and with six children home schooled and a full-time job while we travel, it does not really seem like we have “oodles” of free time! We have just picked a different venue for the year – South America instead of Alaska, a different place to be while we work and the kids go to school. We are saving on our heating bill and food costs while we travel (everywhere is cheaper than Alaska!). We do have antibiotics; it’s on the blog — https://www.thebluevan.us/preparing-to-leave-the-usa/. Again, if we can do it, anyone can. It just takes the desire to do it, research, planning and saving. One of the reasons for this blog is to provide information we learn on our adventure and to encourage others to live deliberately and enjoy life. Good luck to all who make the effort!