The Magic of Presence + Staying Open to Possibilities

She Who Wanders

Jun 7

A Convo with Kristin from Inclined2Travel

Meet Kristin. A wife + mom of two who thrives in exploring nature and visiting far away places, Kristin is an inspiration to imagine what’s possible in life, rather than just what’s realistic. Having spent 18 months living nomadically with her family, she has gained so much wisdom and perspective that she now shares with thousands of others who are striving to live life based on their own values, apart from society's norms or expectations. She now shares tips and ideas for fitting travel + family adventure around a traditional lifestyle with kids in school and activities and is an inspiration to roll with the punches and not let the expectation of how something “should be” cast shadows on the beauty of what is.

Tell us a little about you and your family like where you’re from, where you live now, how old are your kids and anything interesting or unique you’d like people to know.

We’re a Canadian/American family of four. I, Kristin, grew up in Nebraska and my husband, Alex, grew up on Vancouver Island, but we met each other in China when we were both living and working there for a year after university. We have lived both in the U.S. and Canada, but spent 10.5 years living near Calgary, Alberta, prior to our gap year in 2021-22. However, a big reason we decided to make the gap year happen is because we knew we’d eventually be relocating to the U.S. When my husband was furloughed for his job we decided to look at it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have unlimited free time to travel, as it was always a dream of ours to live abroad or travel full-time for a while. Therefore, it was a quick transition for us - we made the decision, 2.5 weeks later our house sold, we moved out 6 weeks later and then left Canada just less than 2 months after that. Upon returning from our travels, we took several months staying with family and friends as we decided the next spot we’d settle. Based on a long list of wants/needs we settled in North Central Washington state. We have two children - Clara who is currently 9 years old and Connor who is 6 years old. We homeschooled/worldschooled them during our gap year and while we were searching for a place to live, but since moving to Washington they attend public school.

The Great Wanderlust is all about moms stepping outside of the box and diving deeper in both travel and in life! The mission is to inspire mamas and families to feel fully alive through adventure and exploration! What is your great wanderlust? What most makes you come to life??

Ever since my first trip outside of the country when I was 16 years old, my great wanderlust has been international travel. Any type of travel is great…BUT being able to experience a whole new culture, way of life, unique landscapes and new countries is really what brings me the deepest joy. It’s not always the easiest, but the challenge makes the effort even more rewarding. Even before our gap year, international travel once or twice a year was a priority for my husband and I, and we were committed that it wouldn’t change once we had kids.

Now as a mother, being able to share those types of discoveries and learn more about our world right alongside my children has become even more of a special experience for me. I truly LOVE observing that sense of wonder and awe that can only come from the innocence of a child in a new place. Being able to travel with them has given me the opportunity to witness the kindness of many around the world and see how SO many nations are family-focused. Often the places that aren’t on the traditional family vacationer’s list are the most welcoming to our children! As an added bonus, we’ve discovered some pretty cool playgrounds along the way as well and seen how play has no language barriers! ;-)

If I can’t be traveling internationally, then my next wanderlust is just being out in nature with my family or children and just marveling at the beauty of our world, which can be found anywhere you look.

During your 18 months of living as a nomadic family, what are a few ways you changed as a person for the better? What are some positive changes you saw in your kids?

I’ll admit, I had a pretty traditional Type A personality (and sometimes still do). I liked to have a plan and wanted things to be organized/orderly. But along with that when something went sideways, I wasn’t the best at “rolling with the punches” – that is definitely more of my husband’s strong suit and personality. While previous travels definitely helped me become more flexible, it was our gap year that really affected and changed me the most.

We started our international travels in June 2021, when many countries still were closed due to Covid restrictions. The entire time we traveled, our decisions where we’d go next were solely based on which countries were open and what the entry requirements were in regards to vaccinations, testing, etc. Most places we traveled were decided literally a week or two prior to arriving in them. As an event-planner by trade this was definitely hard at first, as I wanted to be able to plan out what we’d be doing next or where we might be in two months from that point in time. Although there were places that I had researched and made itineraries for that we never used, ultimately I enjoyed this part of our travels and made the journey seem even more adventurous, albeit stressful at times.

It also allowed us flexibility to take advantage of DIFFERENT opportunities that arose! For instance, we were supposed to take a standy-by flight to Colombia for Christmas, but literally 15 minutes before boarding closed we were told that there were no seats due to last minute passengers being denied at customs. While it was disappointing and Colombia was a bucket list destination for me, it completely changed the trajectory of the next three months. Instead we headed back to the states to get our personal vehicle and to road trip through Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador, which allowed us to explore places we never would have been able to see if we didn’t have our own mode of transportation. Having no long-term plans also allowed us the opportunity to fulfill our daughter’s bucket list destination of Australia to see her favorite animal - the koala. We arrived in Australia just a week after all the Covid entry requirements were dropped. It ultimately proved to me time and time again that sometimes the best things in life aren’t planned. If we remain flexible and open to opportunities, the best and most surprising things can come our way.

One of the most positive changes that we saw between our children was the bond that they formed between them. They played well together before traveling, but during that gap year they were mainly each other’s best friend and playmate. It was fun to see the imaginative games they came up with to play and the creative ways they would utilize the limited resources they did have as “toys”. Being together 24/7 there was ultimately still some bickering between them at times, but they were quick to resolve and repair the issue. After coming home they still play some of the imaginative/pretend games they came up with while traveling and enjoy playing together. We’re hopeful the year served as a basis for a lifetime sibling bond.

The other major advantage we observed was how their worldly perspective changed. They have so much more innate worldly awareness and are good at rolling with the punches of the unexpected as well, which sometimes can be difficult for kids. They are aware that many kids don’t have as much as they do (although sometimes have to be reminded - wink, wink) and know names of countries that most other peers their age would have never heard of. We truly believe it was one of the greatest educational opportunities they have received to date! My favorite part is when they still recall or talk about things they saw or learned along the journey.

I loved hearing how you were able to spend time after your international travels, exploring different areas to find where you wanted to call home. How did you settle on your current home base in Washington? And what was something you learned during that process that helped you in making such a challenging decision?

While we are fully appreciative that we had the ability to choose from a wide range of places to live, this definitely proved more stressful than we thought it would be - ha ha! We started with our list of wants/needs for our new home, which ended up being quite extensive. The list included: a place with four seasons, but not too extreme or overcast; small school & community feel; outdoor recreation opportunities, including hiking, skiing and boating; affordable homes; short-term rental income property opportunities; and easy access to a major international airport for my husband’s job and future travel.

We ended up visiting five different states to scout out a possible new home location and we thought we might luck-out finding the ‘ultimate perfect spot’. BUT one of the biggest things we learned from the process is that there is no such thing as a ‘perfect place’. For some reason (partly I believe due to social media) we are led to believe that there are these “utopias'' that exist throughout the world. However, throughout this process of finding a home it became obvious that these utopias didn’t exist (even though at times we were convinced that we could find it). Ultimately, there is ALWAYS going to something that doesn’t quite mark off something on the list! The same can be said for travel. Oftentimes we get a short glimpse of what a place offers when we visit, but likely there are underlying things that don’t make it as “perfect” as it appears. However, breaking down our wants/needs list even further into more of a ‘weighted priority' list started to help with the decision-making process.

Giving ourselves ‘grace’ throughout the process was an important part as well. At the beginning we put so much pressure on ourselves to find this “perfect homebase” for our family that it became daunting and the fear of making the ‘wrong decision’ definitely started to creep in. However, trusting that the right things would fall into place after many prayers, and being more open to the fact that we could make a decision now, but later change our minds later, took the pressure off. The ability to “change our minds” and alter what ‘isn’t working or a good fit’ is one of the greatest privileges we have.

Even after living in our new home for the past six months there are still times where thoughts of “I wonder if we made the right choice?” still creep-in. However, having that weighted priority list to look back on, being mindful about exploring our ‘new backyard’ just like we would a new travel destination, and being appreciative of the things that it does offer, helps subside those doubts many times.

As a family who is now living more of a traditional lifestyle, what are some ways you still incorporate adventure and exploration into your life and work it around activities, school etc.?

I have to admit, this is still something I’m in the process of perfecting. Probably one of my absolute favorite things about full-time travel was how there was something unique, new or interesting almost every day. When you’re traveling internationally, even a trip to the grocery store or visiting a local market can prove to be adventurous. Therefore, the transition back to a work and school schedule – which honestly can feel mundane at times – was one of the hardest transitions for me. As a result, I had to be really intentional about planning and finding things that give us a sense of adventure and exploration. We try to search out new places in our area to check out at least once or twice a week…which should keep us busy for a while! We also have new hobbies we are eager to try out as well to challenge our adventurous spirit. Just getting outdoors helps immensely too - even something as simple as going for a bike ride or walk. My husband works away from home for half the month, so it has been important that the kids and I still get out and explore while he is away.

Since moving here, we have been in a period of transition in more ways than one, so we have mainly stuck close to home. However, for the summer and next school year, we are prioritizing using school breaks to get away (and pad them with extra days), as we still feel that seeing the world is one of the best educational opportunities for our kids. Luckily our school and teachers have been very supportive of that.

What is your greatest hope for the future for your family? Do you have a goal or dream you’re currently aiming for?

Traveling will continue to be an integral part of our family’s genetics. At this point in time, we’re just trying to figure out exactly how that will look for us. While I look at many families and see them living abroad and traveling full-time and honestly sometimes wish I was in their shoes, I know at this point in our lives, that having a homebase is the best thing for our particular family. (Fully recognizing it isn’t a one size fits all approach in MANY regards to life.) Our kids have the desire and have expressed to us many times that they want to live in a community and go to school, so we feel it is important to be respectful of that. Plus, my husband has residency requirements he needs to fulfill as a U.S. Permanent Resident.

However, that doesn’t keep us from dreaming. After renting a LandCruiser with a rooftop tent in Australia we are really interested in exploring overlanding more in the future - whether that be domestically or internationally. In addition to taking advantage of school breaks for trips, we’d like to figure out ways to take a month or two in the summer to travel internationally. (The hardest part is that summer time is the best time of year in our new home, so just trying to figure out that balance will be key.) My husband and I also often talk about living more nomadically again once the kids have grown.

But ultimately, we’re just keeping our options open! Some of the best opportunities that have arisen in life for us have been last minute and unexpected. So we try to remember that and stay open-minded to take advantage of them!

Where are you off to next and what are you most looking forward to about it? If you don’t have current travel plans, what are you excited about discovering and experiencing around home?

This past April, we traveled to Yelapa and Taxco, Mexico for Spring Break and experienced Semana Santa (Holy Week) celebrations. However, when we returned from that trip, our daughter’s passport was up for renewal, so we had to send that off. With long processing times, it looks like we’ll mainly be sticking around the U.S. (and maybe Western Canada) for the summer.

Plus, due to the nature of my husband’s work schedule, we tend to be last minute planners and travelers, so to be completely honest I never know exactly what the next week will look like. So I guess there is always the possibility of some surprises! However, we are hoping to take advantage of the commitment-free summer to explore more of the hiking opportunities in our area and spend some time out on the lakes. We also have camping trips planned to Northern Idaho and Glacier National Park later this summer, but I’m sure there will be a few last minute ones mixed in there as well!

Regardless, my husband and I are constantly throwing ideas around where we want to travel internationally next - the hardest part is always just deciding which one!

Who inspires you to dig deeper in travel and life?

There are so many inspiring families and individuals on Instagram, plus you have already highlighted SO many other amazing and inspiring women already in your “She, Who Wanders” series. However, a few of current inspirations for me include:

Ashley from @born_explorers – They have also found a homebase in the U.S. but continue to take advantage of any opportunity they get to travel internationally. They have been a great inspiration as we have settled back into more of a traditional lifestyle.

Tiphini from @the_axplorers – As they gear up to take off on their family gap year, which in contrast to ours they have been planning for years! It has been amazing to hear how their perspective is already changing prior to launching.

Jamie from @down.to.detour – After meeting in person in Prague, she has become someone I can share my yearnst for wanderlust and I know will understand. In my humble opinion, she is the definition of “wanderlust” and making the most of life. Her family is currently living out of their RV in the U.S. between stints traveling internationally.

Meri from @thirdculturevibes - Her and her husband’s story is so interesting and they have lived and traveled to so many spots. However, they have also found a homebase in Spain and make the most of the opportunities they have to explore their ‘new backyard’.