Mom from Moldova Brings Family Along for Nomadic Life

She Who Wanders

Nov 16

9 Questions with Natalia from This Adventure Family

Meet Natalia. After moving to the US from Moldova when she was just 21, this faith-filled, adventurous mama has fought hard to build the beautiful life she has now with her husband and two kids. In search of a slower and more meaningful life, they hit the road full-time in their RV and haven’t looked back since, traversing the entire United States, one family memory at a time. In her unique down-to-earth and authentic way, Natalia boldly shares about travel, family adventure, homeschooling and her faith. She shows how God can take broken things and make them beautiful.

Q: Tell us a little about how your past has shaped you into the adventure mama you are today. Is there an experience in your life that made you passionate about providing this different, deeper and more meaningful experience for your own kids? Did you always know you wanted to give your kids a different kind of childhood?

I think I always knew I wanted to give my children things I never had. I grew up in a country of Moldova, it was post Soviet Union and my parents had to work a lot. I don’t remember many family trips or family weekends, I do remember my parents being there for me and my sister as much as they could. I didn’t grow up outdoorsy in a sense that we hiked a lot or went camping. I spent a lot of time outside because that was the only fun thing to do at that time. We played in dirt, built forts and wandered around the neighborhood until after sundown. I loved how carefree my childhood was and when I had my own children I knew I wanted them to feel that too. I didn’t understand the importance of slow living and outdoors until my second child came though. As a new mom with my first (with so many opinions coming at new moms) I fell into a lot of traps but by the time I had my second child I was following my intuition more and more.

Q: The Great Wanderlust is all about women getting outside the box and diving deeper in both travel and in life. Our mission is to inspire women to feel more vibrant through adventure and exploration. So, what is your great wanderlust? What most makes you come to life?

What makes me feel the most alive is marveling at the ragged peaks and alpine lakes after hiking for a couple of hours in the wilderness. It’s truly where my soul sings. I’m excited for our boys to get older so we can hike longer distances. I love the feeling of seeing a place no car can travel to, if that makes sense.

Q: What is the greatest value or one of the greatest values you strive to instill in your kids through living a lifestyle of travel and adventure?

I think one of the most important things I want my kids to take away from this chapter in our life is that they can do anything they set their hearts on, as long as it’s good, wholesome. I also want them to see the purpose in travel and adventure. You can travel anywhere in the world and see all the wonders but it’s the people you share it with that matter more.

Q: For anyone here who may feel a bit stuck and dreams of having more time with their family, doing more things that really matter to them, what would be your best piece of advice to help them get started?

I always say that the best way to start is to start somewhere! It doesn’t have to be a grand adventure. You don’t have to wait til the kids are older or til it feels like the right time. The right time was yesterday. Declutter your schedule, find a few things to say no to and squeeze in an adventure with your family into that slot. It can be as simple as a picnic in the park or as elaborate as a weekend camping trip.

Q: The technical definition of home is the place where one lives permanently, especially as a member of a family or household. Does that definition ring true to you? If not, how would you rewrite it?

I had many “homes” growing up. My aunt’s house was home for me every summer, oftentimes my go to climbing tree felt like home. After two years of travel we call so many places home due to how we felt while we were there and the memories we made. So I truly believe that home is a feeling.

Q: What do you hope the future holds for yourself and your family? If you could see your family doing anything, anywhere 5-10 years from now, what would that be and where would you be? Do you imagine you’ll still be living this beautiful nomadic lifestyle?

I’m really excited for what the future holds for us. I don’t know what it will be yet, but I know it will be just what we need. In 5-10 years we hope to own some land and build our own version of home on it. We love this nomadic lifestyle but we also know it’s a chapter that one day will end for us. We’re in no rush to end it though.

Q: What has been your favorite place your family has spent time since living in your RV and traveling full-time? Where is your top recommendation for other RV families to go?

It’s always so hard to choose just one favorite place. We have visited so many beautiful places and each of them made us feel one way or the other. We keep coming back to the Eastern Sierras in California, we spent two summers there and that place holds some of our best memories.

Some of the places that I would definitely recommend to other RVing families would be Glacier National Park, Redwoods in California, all of Idaho and Southern Utah, of course.

Q: Is there a question you wish I would have asked or anything else you’d like to share with other mamas relating to travel or life?

I’d like to say that there is no one single way of RVing, traveling or adventuring. Figuring out what works best for your family is also part of an adventure.

Q: Who inspires you to dig deeper in travel and life?

There are so many amazing families out there doing life differently. Some of these families we have met in person and some we are still wanting to cross paths with, but I love these families:

Anna and her adorable family from @therobertswerehere

Mel and Luke from @lahrs.with.latitude

Christina from @macs_explore is total goals

Sammy from @bigheartstinyspaces

I could go on!