Vagabonding with kids, by AK Turner, is an autobiographical collection of one couple’s experiences traveling and living abroad with their small children.

The author explains how she and her husband overcame their fears about taking their children out of school to live abroad for extended periods. She details some lessons learned along the way — packing gear, eating out, personal safety practices. She shares how their lives back home are also influenced by their travels before and after each stay — researching their next language and culture, interacting with friends, and balancing preparation time while living in the moment.
This book is not a checklist. It is not Vagabonding with kids in 12 easy steps — which makes sense because it would be impossible to address every concern for every reader’s unique circumstance. Although I imagine if you approached each chapter that way — as a guide — without ever giving your travel any prior thought, this book would make a great starting point to prepare you. However, I feel this book is really written for the reader who has been wondering and weighing the idea of taking the kids abroad long term, for some time.
I was attracted to this book because before getting married, my wife and I enjoyed several years of vagabonding around the world. Back in Oregon now, with a baby, a mortgage, and a decent salary — my wife and I would love to make a version of that lifestyle work for our whole family, but now we have so much doubt and so much more to lose. We’ve been researching and planning it for years, so this book didn’t really hold and surprises for me.
So why do I still enjoy and recommend this book? If you’re like me — you’ve already thought of everything. All you need now is encouragement — one more voice saying “Yes, it’s possible. See? I did it!” That’s exactly what this book delivered for me.
Maybe you’ll learn something you didn’t know about how much time the necessary vaccinations actually do require. Or maybe you’ll finally feel empowered to take the plunge with your whole family. If all else fails, you’ll probably at least enjoy the playful sense of humor that comes through in the bits of dialogue the author shares, between her and her family members — which is peppered throughout the chapters. Overall, I give this book a thumbs up. ( )