Around the world in however long it takes

I want my kids to see the world. What I would really really love is for us, as a family, to travel the world. To go from place to place, seeing new things, new people, hearing different languages. Just learning all kinds of things you can't learn in school. Not that school is pointless, I don't mean that. But oh how I would love to just spend a year traveling around the world.

But since right now, it seems rather unlikely (thanks mostly to a husband who has zero desire to see anything outside of South Carolina!! love you, honey!), I figure the best we can do, is learn about the world.

Awhile back, maybe it was last year, I had the great idea to pick a country a month. So, Tiernan and I picked 6 countries to learn about in 6 months. Oh it was such a fun idea. We'd find it on the map. We'd learn the capital, the language they speak (not learn to speak it, really, just about it!), we'd make a meal from that country. Well, like most things I start, I never really got around to completing it. And I hate that.
We ARE going to do that this year. I'm going to buy a map of the world and the kids are going to learn where the country is, find the capital, learn about their culture, ect, ect. I'm so excited. I grew up learning about countries all over the world, and I loved every second of it. I want that for my kids.

I want my kids to learn that there is so much more to life than what Rock Hill has to offer. I'm actually starting a bank account for them so that in the future, if Tiernan, Belle or Jack decides they want to see Uganda or Brazil or Croatia, Singapore or Cambodia, or China or anywhere at all, or everywhere, I can say, "well, here, one third of whatever is in this bank account is yours. Go!" I will help them pack their bags, get their things to together and send them off. I want them to have a sense of adventure. If they choose to come back to Rock Hill and get a job, great. As long as they're doing it after they feel they've explored all their options. I do not want them to settle simply because it's what they're told they should do.

If they want to live in a mud hut somewhere, or in the jungle somewhere, or in a cabin somewhere, I will support them 100%. So what if they aren't making a ton of money doing it. Or any money. If they are doing what they love, then do it. Go!

I guess I started to think about it when I was putting Belle's new clothes on her this morning. Strange, I know. But I realized, all her clothes are so generic. No personality to them. They're adorable, don't get me wrong, but they're just there. Not that clothes define you, I don't mean that. It was just what brought it all up!

I don't want Isabelle to grow up being the generic American girl. Going to school, dance, cheerleading, going to college, getting married, getting some job that she may or may not want. If that's what she wants, then great, go for it. But I want her to be her. I want her to explore, to go do things that may not be considered all the girly or whatever. But I want her to be her. Not who everyone wants her to be.

Maybe it doesnt' make much sense written down. It did in my mind! ha! I feel like with Belle I'm going to have to work a lot harder and instilling that sense of adventure and exploration because she's so close to her Honey, who I adore, but who will absolutely NOT want her to leave the country!! :-) I will show Belle that it's ok to leave and do what you want with your life and not be stuck here.

I guess that's it. I don't want any of my children to feel stuck here, or anywhere. Like they have no other options. I don't want them to be stuck in some mediocre job that they barely like because they have to make everyone happy.

So, I"m out of time and I'm not sure I've made any point at all here! But I did try. hmmm...oh well!