HERMAN FAMILY TIMELINE

How did a middle-class, single-income family of four plan a yearlong, global adventure?

May 1: Richard Herman resigns from his job at PNC Bank in West

Palm Beach, where he worked since 2009. He was the treasury management officer supporting the Palm Beaches & Treasure Coast, and he’s still on good terms with the bank.

May 1-18: Richard, 36, and his wife Gosia, 34, sell their furniture and other possessions to supplement their savings. In the 16 months leading up to their travel adventure, they had saved $500 a week, creating savings of $32,000. They added this to $25,000 they had saved earlier. “We lived a modest lifestyle in West Palm Beach,”

Richard writes from Australia. “Cheap wine, no Starbucks, etc. We sold everything we owned: apartment, car, furniture, kids’ toys. We now own two suitcases, three backpacks, a child carrier and stroller. Our budget for 12 months is $55,000.”

May 18: Drive from West Palm Beach to Pittsburgh, to say goodbye to family.

May 21: Fly from Cleveland, to Boston

May 22: One night in Cape Cod, Massachusetts

May 23-31: In Germany visiting family

June 1-13: In Poland visiting family

June 13-July 12: France. Details on where they stayed and why they did this: “My wife and I share a passion for traveling and believe the world is our children’s playground,” Richard says. “We decided now was the most opportunistic time to travel since our kids are not yet in primary schooling. In addition, the chance to be a fulltime dad while my kids were young and show them the world was something I wanted to do. From a money standpoint, the world is more affordable now that it’s ever been because of the strong dollar. For example, we use AirBNB exclusively, and our average per night cost is $75. What we get is amazing, we’ve stayed at French chateaus, a Swiss cottage with Alps view, Bali 5-star villas with two pools, for example.”

July 12-26: Corsica

July 26-Aug 9: Italy

Aug. 10-23: Switzerland

Aug. 23-29: Germany and Liechtenstein

Aug. 29: Fly from Zurich to Bangkok

Aug. 29-Sept. 16: Thailand

Sept. 16-Sept. 20: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Sept. 20-Oct. 3: Bali, Indonesia

October through December: Australia

January through March 2018: New Zealand

March and April: Either Japan or Chile and Argentina