Book Smoothes Way to Living Abroad with Family
 Associated Press
| | The book, which costs $15.95 book, is available through its publisher, The Intrepid Traveler, of Branford, Conn. |
Ever dream of chucking the daily routine and moving with your family to a foreign country?
Elisa Bernick and her husband did just that, with their two children, moving from St. Paul, Minn., to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, for 18 months. Bernick has written a book about the experience that's part memoir and part advice, called "The Family Sabbatical Handbook: The Budget Guide to Living Abroad with Your Family."
Bernick and her husband decided to make the move in part to escape "the corrosive effects of the hectic lives we all seemed to lead."
Traveling, she added, creates a bond in families like no other. "Not only do you spend more time together and learn to rely on each other in a different way, you also go through fun, unusual and occasionally frightening experiences together."
They chose Mexico partly because of affordability, partly because it was easier to arrange than other destinations they'd considered, and partly because it was close enough to home that friends and relatives could visit. Bernick said the town they chose also met certain other criteria - easy Internet access, nice climate year-round, good options for schools, day care and health care.
Bernick and her husband spent three years saving up for the trip, in part by giving up small luxuries at home like eating out, and they got rental income from their home while they were away. Their expenses for 18 months, including private school and day care for their children in Mexico, and mortgage and home insurance on their property back in the states, totaled about $53,000. They both quit their jobs and used their time abroad to work on novels and other projects.
Bernick includes anecdotes from her own and other families about some of the difficulties in making such a move - such as children who are resistant to the idea, lack of emotional support from friends and family back home, and adjusting to new cultures where the standards and expectations are different from your own. In the end, she says, "The challenges are enormous, but so are the rewards."
The book, which costs $15.95 book, is available through its publisher, The Intrepid Traveler, of Branford, Conn., http://www.intrepidtraveler.com. |
Vallarta Weddings
Entertainment | Books | May 2007 
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