We traveled around the world with our 11-y-o daughter and 8-y-o son; feel free to read our archives at away-together.com for destination...
sarahlavendersmith
- Profile
- Forum activity
About me
I’m a writer, runner and mother of two from the San Francisco Bay Area. I’m taking a year off with my family to travel around the world and educate ourselves along the way. Our site www.away-together.com chronicles our journey. If you’re a runner, you might also want to check out my trail running blog, www.sarahlavendersmith.com/blog.Recent activity
-
replied to a Thorn Tree thread called 11 Yr old son & 8 yr old daughter...March 2011...where to go next? in the Kids To Go Branch
over 1 year ago -
replied to a Thorn Tree thread called Australia feb-may2011: where to go with 3 and 6 years old in the Kids To Go Branch
Hi - our family traveled by car from Sydney down to Phillip Isl. and back up the coast, staying in family-friendly RV camps that have cheap...
over 1 year ago -
posted a Message to Long-Term Family Travel and Sabbatical
Have you noticed that the negative critical response to the film release of Eat, Pray, Love is creating a backlash to long-term travel? Regardless of what people think of the book and film, I hope they don't assume all far-flung, months-long journeys are "self-absorbed" and "culturally insensitive," as some criticism of the film suggests. I try to address the criticism and highlight the positive consequences of long-term family travel in this post http://away-together.com/2010/08/14/one-year-later/
What do you all think? Would love to hear some feedback here.over 1 year ago -
replied to a Thorn Tree thread called Eat - Pray - Love in the Women Travellers Branch
Well, all I can say is, I've hung out on a lot of Thorn Tree discussion branches and always found them useful and interesting -- and I...
over 1 year ago -
replied to a Thorn Tree thread called Eat - Pray - Love in the Women Travellers Branch
I feel compelled to chime in against all this Eat Pray Love criticism. I liked the book but haven't seen the film and don't plan to because...
over 1 year ago -
commented on Hi all, we are due to depart on our trip in about 10 days and I am currently swinging between excitement and high anxiety. I worry that perhaps this is not the right thing to do for my son (although everyone assures me it is!) I'm suddenly worried that by taking him away i'm putting him in danger/will he be isolated as an only child?. One of the hardest parts for him is saying goodbye to his dad, as adults we know that a year flies by but for a 12 year old it seems like a lifetime. Did anyone have similar anxieties around their childs safety and has anyone else gone away without the biological mother/father? I guess I'm just looking for some pre-trip reassurance. Thanks Ruth in Long-Term Family Travel and Sabbatical
Hi Ruth -- the trip won't be easy and there will be times of homesickness and second guessing, but in the end chances are you'll join the chorus of families who say "it was the best thing we ever did."
Regarding traveling with an only child, I recommend checking out this blog: letsdosomethingdifferent.wordpress.com
and here's a post from them that links to one of my posts recommending a safety device called the Road ID that I used while traveling "just in case."
Good luck to you!!over 1 year ago -
replied to a Thorn Tree thread called Dealing with the end of a RTW journey in the Gap Year & Round the World Travel Branch
Looseleaf -- thanks for the link and the thoughts! I appreciated reading that other guy's blog.
over 1 year ago -
posted a new Thorn Tree thread called Dealing with the end of a RTW journey in the Gap Year & Round the World Travel Branch
Hi all -- since so many topics in this forum deal with planning a RTW trip or gap year and getting ready to go, I thought I'd share some...
over 1 year ago -
posted a Message to Long-Term Family Travel and Sabbatical
I finally wrote a little about the weirdness -- the highs and lows and surreal sense that everything has changed -- after coming home from a RTW family journey; the post is at http://away-together.com/2010/07/12/homecoming/
I'm determined to maintain and nurture the positive changes and lessons we gained as a family while traveling, and to keep traveling! Has anyone out there faced similar challenges after ending a long-term trip?over 1 year ago -
commented on Roadschooling- reading list for middle school aged kids with themes from other countries. in Long-Term Family Travel and Sabbatical
Hi there - as a family, we read together "Three Cups of Tea - Young Reader's Edition" which was a great intro to Middle East (esp. Afghanistan) issues and helped my kids understand and get interested in the conflict and culture in the region. We also read a lot of the Horrid History series, but those deal more with time periods than with specific areas you're visiting. For New Zealand, it's worth a visit way up north (or just visit the website) of the Waitangi Treaty Grounds to learn about Maori culture and the handover from the Maori to the British; we had a special tour there which was great for homeschooling and an introduction the country. good luck!
over 1 year ago -
commented on I've had an amazing response to a post I wrote about the surprising benefits long-term family travel provides in terms of the quality time. So I'm posting a link here if anyone would like a look-see... in Long-Term Family Travel and Sabbatical
Lovely post. Thanks for sharing!
over 1 year ago -
posted a Message to Long-Term Family Travel and Sabbatical
Well, I'm headed home with very mixed feelings. I'll keep checking in with this group periodically as our family plans its next journey. Our round-the-world travel already feels a bit dreamlike, but I'm determined to nurture the positive ways in which it changed our family and not go back to the same ol', same ol'.
Here is a blog post that lists all the places we went -- I felt I had to get the list down as proof and as a reminder to myself that we really lived for a brief time in all these places! http://away-together.com/2010/06/15/83-places-5-continents-10-months/
One final thought: A year ago, as we struggled to leave a job and pack up a home to make our journey happen, one thing kept me going: the phrase that others who had done similar trips kept repeating, "It's the best thing we ever did." Now I'll join the chorus for all who might be contemplating a similar long-term, far-flung trip in spite of all the risks and logistical challenges: It's the best thing we ever did :-).over 1 year ago -
posted a new Thorn Tree thread called What to Pack for RTW journey in the Gap Year & Round the World Travel Branch
Hi all,...
over 1 year ago -
replied to a Thorn Tree thread called Looking for lightweight bag in the Activities & Gear Branch
I have to disagree and say don't get wheels! Please see my blog post...
over 1 year ago -
replied to a Thorn Tree thread called Traveling and Gear 101 in the Activities & Gear Branch
Our family has been traveling 10 months RTW, with an emphasis on traveling as light as possible, and I just put together a post with advice...
over 1 year ago

- Country United States
- Website Away Together
- Languages Spanish, English
- Favourite Places Ojai, California; and Telluride, Colorado (my two home towns)
- Interests running, writing, parenting, and of course traveling







