Jude Watson and Andy Wotton
In 2015 Jude and Andy took their children, James and Tessa (then 12 and 10) backpacking around 20 countries for a year.
“It was a dream and a ‘what if’ for a very long time. Once we had made up our mind we were going to do it, it then actually took about a year of serious planning,” Jude says.
The family began in Kuala Lumpur, then went on to Cambodia, Bangkok, Sri Lanka, India, Bhutan, southwest China, Doha, Turkey, Europe, the UK, Spain, Morocco, New York and east coast USA, Canada, Orlando, Jamaica and finally Sydney.
“It would be without a doubt one of the best years of our lives and to have given this opportunity to the kids is something we will always feel proud of. We became a tight unit, managing ourselves and looking out for each other. It changed our whole outlook on life.”
Jude and Andy know the kids are proud they did it, too, even though a year is a long time to be away from extended family and friends, and out of the normal routine of school and classroom life.
“They had to push on, deal with discomfort, handle tiredness and strangeness and foods and languages. They were so often out of their comfort zones. In hindsight, it is clear to them how character building this was and what essential life lessons they’ve learned. Tessa loved everything about Italy and James was sure Lionel Messi would be just around each corner through Spain. Andy and I were enthralled by India, loved exotic Morocco and felt privileged to be in Bhutan. A three-week Winnebago experience in Canada among the stunning autumn colours was a surprising bonus.”
Their advice to anyone contemplating it? “The whole romantic illusion of ‘winging it’ while backpacking can be quite a nightmare in reality. We appreciated the countries where we’d already spent hours on the internet before we left, booking accommodation and mapping out our itinerary, rather than ending up scratchy and tired and lost. Planning made the year; it didn’t restrict us.
“Travel is so personal but also so many people think they can’t possibly
do it. They worry about schooling, or whether the kids will get bored, or be okay without their familiar life. I think routines can be like a series of seatbelts around us. For us, to unclip each one of those, and start realising we could really do this, wander from country to country, watching the miles clock up, it filled us up. I’m glad we didn’t wait till we’re retired. It was amazing to experience it together as a family, and I’d go back tomorrow if we could.”