My little family of four recently landed back in London and then made the car journey to our home in Cambridge with our, by then, numerous pieces of luggage.
If you’re new here, we’ve just returned from a family sabbatical around the world for a full year, starting last September 2024. A whole year abroad, moving steadily westward, circumnavigating the globe as we went.
The Stats Behind a Year Away
For fun, here are some of the numbers that sum up our sabbatical year:
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8 countries
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34 cities
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53 weeks
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53 different places we called home
Whoa. If my husband had proposed it to me like that — “53 places in 53 weeks” — I don’t think I would have been too keen on the sabbatical. As we planned, it sounded gentler: Only eight countries. We’ll follow the sun. Swim with penguins. Stay in summer climates.
Most of those things did end up being true for our year. And, it was, for the most part, a lovely time.
All of the countries we visited are reflected in the collage below. Sweden, The United States, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Costa Rica. Can you guess which is which?
What We Loved Most
The gift of a year like this is impossible to quantify. We all swam with penguins, basked in endless summer skies, and collected memories that will almost certainly anchor our kids’ childhoods.
For me, the surprise was how much clarity I gained about my life, my relationships with the kids, and my marriage. I learned that I can live out of a medium-sized suitcase with only a couple of pairs of shoes and still be very happy. Perhaps even happier than when I have a closet full?
So which was our favorite spot out of all of our travels? I love every place we went for different reasons. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be South Africa.
Cape Town especially took my breath away. The sea seems to roll right into the mountains, creating some of the most spectacular scenery I’ve ever seen. Just beyond the city, the wine country unfolds in soft, golden hills, all of it simply stunning. Boulders Beach, with its charming penguins, was a highlight, but what really stayed with me were the people: warm, open, and endlessly kind.
And the food… honestly, some of the best meals of our lives. Think Michelin-star quality (though South Africa doesn’t actually have Michelin restaurants) served with creativity and flair at prices that feel almost impossible. What we’d spend on a takeaway back in England covered a full five-course feast there. Every restaurant and café had such beautiful interiors too, which made my designer heart very happy. We also frequented the local farmers’ markets, full of start-up artisans selling everything from hand-woven dog leashes to fresh-pressed juices and homemade pastries. South Africa left a lasting mark on us, and I have no doubt we’ll be back many times. One day, I can easily imagine having a home there.
What We’d Do Differently
Since being home, the question I’m asked most often is: Would you do it again? My answer is yes — but not in exactly the same way.
For one, we absolutely would not rent our home again as a short-term rental. That was a major stressor and a mistake we wouldn’t repeat or recommend. Stay tuned for a blog post about that entire process and some of the pitfalls we experienced.
We might also slow the pace a little. It was hard to build any friendships in any one place because we were moving so fast, and that made the year a little lonely for me at times. We did see some family and friends along the way in different locations, and that plus friendly chats with many strangers all over the place, got us through. By in large, though, we were each other’s company for the entire year. Our girls are 6 years apart at 7 and 13, so they don’t have a lot in common in terms of how they “play” but they bonded in their own way.
Coming Home Again
One of my biggest worries was how it would feel to return. We’ve changed — of course we have — but would home have changed too? Would it feel like regression, like stepping backward into a life we’d already outgrown?
What I’m very happy to report is that it hasn’t felt like that at all. In fact, it has been the opposite. I’ve been walking around with a sort of euphoria about the amazing job we did building a life here for six years before we took off. Folding back into our community of friends and activities has felt seamless.
Every week, it feels a little more like home. Every cheerful wave to a friend from my bike, every school run chat, every coffee morning or cozy pub night makes my heart feel full. Full and happy to be home.
Living With Less
Before we left, I had the task of (resentfully) packing up our personal possessions into the attic so that our home could be turned into a short-term rental. It was miserable. Hours and hours of boxing up things I wasn’t even sure we wanted anymore.
Since being back, I’ve left many of those boxes exactly where they are — in the attic, untouched. I’ve given away half the items in my clothes closet. Our closets and cabinets feel roomy and echo-y compared to before. It feels freeing.
I’ve been striving to Marie Kondo my way through my entire adult life. The idea of living with less — fewer, better things has always appealed to me, but the application is hard in this modern world. We seem to accumulate stuff daily, and sometimes I don’t even know how it happens. I’ve always tried to be a conscious buyer, avoiding excess for myself and for the kids, but somehow the toy cupboards were always overstuffed, no matter how many Saturdays I spent culling and running bags to the charity shop.
I guess it took stripping the house bare and living from a suitcase to realize what I actually need, what I don’t, and how I really want to live.
Despite this, I still struggle on a daily basis with cluttered countertops and kids’ backpacks that have exploded in the entryway. This is the plight of modern-day life with kids, and someday the house will be tidy and quiet without them. So we’ll endure it and be grateful for these years. They’re precious and fleeting.
We are avid dog lovers and before we left, we promised our kids that we would get a dog when we returned. “I was promised a dog”, my teenager reminded me after we had been home for weeks and I hadn’t made any progress in that direction. She was right. We did promise, and despite being completely overwhelmed with the reentry into our life in Cambridge, for some reason, I threw myself headfirst into finding a furry friend to call our own.
I’m happy to announce that after some deliberation and much searching, we have now found our 5th family member, Pax the baby Cavapoo. He is a delight, and we love him so very much. Also, puppies are HARD, but I feel sure I’m laying the foundation for a child that will never leave me to go to college.
Final Reflections: Would We Do It Again?
In summary, I’m happy we left, and I’m thrilled we had a life and home we loved returning to. It was a wild, wonderful adventure that I wouldn’t take back for the world.
And yes, I would do it again. Absolutely. Because what we gained — as a family, as individuals, as travelers — is something we’ll carry with us always.
Here are a few more collages I made for my newsletters throughout the year, showing our journeys.
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