5 Years of Traveling Family Life | The Family Without Borders

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5 Years of Traveling Life

5 years of traveling - traveling family kid

Today is a big day! Since exactly 5 years we are sharing our travel stories with the world. 30+ countries, some for a week, some for a month, as a family: mama journalist, papa photographer, little brave Hanna and little sweet Mila.

5 years ago we were packing for our first biiiig trip, around the Black Sea. – Will it work out? Will our small Hanna like traveling the way we like it? – we were asking ourselves. – Let’s see…

Not that we haven’t had the doubts. We had, like all the fresh parents do. But from today’s perspective, 5 years later, I can tell you: there is nothing else we would like to invest in more (time, energy or money), than in traveling together. In the common time, while discovering the world and educating our kids.

This is, in pictures, our little story of 30 countries we have visited together. Each of them was another part of the big lesson: the world and the people are just so incredibly interesting. The first 3 don’t count as a family list, because Hanna was just in the belly ;)

Happy watching!

Macedonia

Pregrant woman traveling on a lake
Anna pregnant at Lake Ohrid (Macedonia, 2009)

Macedonia was our first “together” country. All we have visited together as a couple already was just small trips or projects. Here were working on a journalistic story together, talking a lot with the people, hitch-hiking, (the results you can read in Polish only). Hanna in the belly made me less of a party-girl and always hungry.


 Kosovo

Pregrant woman traveling on a window
Pristina (Kosovo): 5th month pregnant with Hanna (2009)Kosovo

The capital of Kosovo stayed in our heads as the most sad capital of any coutry we have  visited. And it is still the case. Again: eating and eating because of Hanna! We should  maybe come back to Pristina.

 


Hungary

Pregrant woman traveling on a bridge, traveling
Budapest: 5th month pregnant with Hanna (2009)

Budapest from that time I remember only as a one thing: on the bridge, somebody for the first time has noticed my pregnancy ;))) We were visiting Hungary then few times more: with one small kid and also already in 4.


1: Germany

Father holding little baby
Hanna on her first trip: Comming come (Germany, 2009)

Here we go with nr 1! Hanna was born in Germany, the first trip: after loooong risky pregnancy and loooong weeks in the hospital, the way from the hospital home took around 15 minutes and I don’t remember anything else ;) Since Germany is also a foreign country for me (Anna) – I still feel like I’m discovering it every day.


2: Poland

young family kissing
Our first trip with Hanna to Poland (2009)

The first trip abroad? Of course to Poland! Winter, summer, Christmas, weekends – it’s the country we have visited the most from all ;)


3: Belgium

Little baby and mother in the train
Hanna’s first trip to Belgium (2009)

Hanna is not 3-month-old yet and we take the first flight: to Brussels!


4: Italy

Father traveling with a small baby
Tom and Hanna in Italy (2009)

Hanna turns 4 months and we are flying again: to Italy! Fast jump to Rome, Bologna and Bari.


5: Austria

Father and baby skiing
Hanna not skiing yet in Austria (2009)

The first winter means the first ski-holidays. In Austria! When your kid  cannot walk yet, mama and papa have to do the shifts but then every year  it’s easier ;)


6: Ukraine

Mother and baby traveling in Ukraine
Hanna in Ukraine (2010)

Crossing Polish-Ukrainian border was the real beginning of our adventure. That was the  beginning of our 6-month-lond around the Black Sea trip, the beginning of our blog  (check the very first post, 20th April 2010!!), the first hostel, west Ukrainian, the whole  Crimea


7: Romania

Baby on the ground
Hanna in Romania (2010)

We drove through Romania from up to down, from left to right. It was the first country I really had a feeling we checked quite well.


8: Bulgaria

Mother with child looking on the sea
Hanna’s first time meeting the Black Sea in Bulgaria (2010)

Our first meeting the Black Sea. We crossed the border to Bulgaria once on the Romanian side, and after 6 months once on the Turkish!


9: Moldova

Roma King in Soroca with a baby
Hanna and the Roma King of Moldova (2010)

The country we stayed the longest in, during our first trip was… Moldova! Living with our friend, meeting the Roma king, driving, driving and waiting for visas ;)


10: Transnistria

Baby/Toddler brushing daddies theath
Hanna brushing teeth in Transnistria (2010)

Hands up who knows where is Transinstria?! We have a passport stamp, the money, the registration papers. One of few most interesting places we have ever been to.


11: Russian Federation

Policemen and baby in Besland (Russian Federation, North Ossetia)
Hanna with a policemen in Besland (North Ossetia, 2010)

Driving between Ukrainian (at that time :( ) Crimea and Georgia – was not an easy time.  But if we wouldn’t count the visa issues and corrupted police, the time in Russia would be  also good.


12: Georgia

Father with toddler on a lake
Tom and Hanna playing in Georgia (2010)

Georgia for many years was our favourite country. All: the people, the food and the mountains. Must-see, if you haven’t.


13: Azerbaijan

Father and baby in the sunset
Tom and Hanna in the mountains of Azerbaijan (2010)

The most east part of our first trip: touching the Caspian Sea and boiling during the  summer in Azerbaijan.


14: Armenia

Baby on the shoulder of her grandfather, Armenia
Hanna and grandpa Adam in Armenia (2010)

With Armenia we have still special memories: Anna’s papa has visited us and travelled with us in the country. Armenia, the history feelable in the air.


15: Nagorno-Karabakh

Mother and baby in a church in Nagorno-Karabakh
Anna and Hanna in a destoyed church in Nagorno-Karabakh (2010)

Squeezed between Armenia and Azerbaijan: Nagorny-Karabakh, has not an easy life but  stunning views and good people.


16: Turkey

Toddler and a huge dog (East Anatolia, Turkey 2010)
Hanna with a huge dog in Turkey (2010)

Not enough time to discover this huge and exciting country, we drove from east to west of Turkey and met few very important people (and dogs too).


17: Serbia

Dirty baby walking
Hanna ‘s first steps in Serbia (2010)

Serbia has a special place in our hearts, because our Hanna started to… walk there. At the  same time, when our car gave up and stayed forever somewhere in Belgrade.

 

And then we came back. And then our Mila was born!


22: Mexico

Baby and Maya Boys in Mexico
Hanna meeting mayan boys in Mexico (2011)

Once Mila became big enough: we decided about our next big trip – to Central America! We took the flight to Mexico, bought a car and discover the whole south of the country: Yucatan and Chiapas.


23: Guatemala

Litte white girl with Mayan boys (Mexico)
Hanna on the waterfall in Guatemala (2011)

Guatemala is also a country I feel we know: we checked all the waters: oceans, sees, lakes and waterfalls, we visited friends, we made new ones!


24: Belize

Baby with spidermen book
Hanna in Belize (2011)

We drove almost all the road of this little, interesting country: Belize! La isla bonita and ethnic minorities.


25: Honduras

Father carrying two children
Hanna, Mila, Tom in Honduras (2012)

Jungles, tropical animals and sad end of our second trip: Honduras.


18: Lithuania

Mother with two kids outside
Mila, Anna and Hanna in Lithuania (2012)

During the summer after coming back from wild Central America – we decided for a little tour to… neighbour Lithuania!


19: Czech Republic

Little girl with painted face and helmet
Hanna at the Ostrava Festival “Colors” in Czech Republik (2013)

One year later, another neighbour country: Czech Republic. Music festival and funny (accoring to Hanna!) language ;)


20: Slovakia

Small girl standing on a car in the sunset (Travel, Car)
Hanna in Slovakia (2013)

Slovakia is always somehow on our way: to the Balkans, or to the east. But we have never managed to really check it better.


21: Bosnia and Hercegovina

Woman and little girl in Bosnia, Lukomir
Hanna in Bosnian Mountains (2013)

In 2013 we decided for one, not that far away country. And we absolutely loved it: Bosna and Hercegovina and its waters – just check the pictures!


26: United Kingdom

Traveling family watching sea lions in New Zealand
A short stop over stay in London (2014)

The beginning of our next big trip to… South Pacific! : was in London! This time we had more time than only for the airport. Btw, we will be back very soon ;)


27: New Zealand

Family wathing
Near Kaikura (New Zealand): Meeting seals on the beach

Faaaaaar and beautiful: New Zealand, is impossible to see in 6 weeks. But we have done our best!


28: Tonga

Tonga, Ofu Island: Hannas friend (2014, South Pacific)
Hanna’s friend on Ofu island in Tonga (2014)

Lonely islands, tropical food and tropical diseases! The Kingdom of Tonga in the South Pacific had the most boring food ever ;) But look at those waters! And we even spent 3 days on an uninhabited Island.


29: Fiji

Fiji: ferry/bus to Levuka (Ovalau Island)
Hanna an Mila on the ferry to Ovalau Island in Fiji (2014)

Our new number 1 favourite country in the world. The country we arrived to by… hitch-hiking on the boat from Tonga. Fiji, ahhhh… Fiji!!!


30: Vanuatu

Atchin (Vanuatu, Malekula): Hanna and her pirate friends
Hanna and her pirate friends on little Atchin Island, Vanuatu (2014)

The most wild country on our list. I had no idea that places like this still exist. So many stories, so many not-sleeping nights and so many thoughts about the world, the needs, the dreams. If you ever have a chance: go to Vanuatu or at least read something about it.


30 countries as family of 4 during 5 years… Maybe it could be more. But we don’t like shorts stays. We love to get a feeling about the place. To see, to listen and to understand.

Where should we go next? Which corner of the world will the next one impressing the Family Without Borders? We are always happy about the suggestions and ideas!

And if somebody tells you that starting the family and having kids means “over”, “the end” and “home, credit and stable job”, do not believe him, because it doesn’t have to be like this. It’s his choice. Better share this post with him! This 5 years were truly the best 5 years of our life.


Our first book is out!

We have published our first book (for now just in Polish:) about our Central America Trip.
See, read and order here »

17 Comments

  • Ada
    Posted April 19, 2015 at 18:37 | Permalink

    Nie pomieszaliście imion dziewczynek pod zdjęciami z 8 i 10 podróży? ;)

    Reply
  • Bianca
    Posted April 19, 2015 at 20:08 | Permalink

    hello! You are coming to London again? When? Tell us more. I would recommend a trip from London to Wales or Cornwall or Scotland. All stunning locations x

    Reply
    • Anna Alboth
      Posted May 13, 2015 at 10:02 | Permalink

      Darling, it was just 2 fast days! If we come for longer – first of all you will know! :) And secondly: we are also thinking about Scotland.

      Reply
  • Posted April 20, 2015 at 03:50 | Permalink

    Congratulations of 5 years of all your wonderful adventures! May you have many, many more!!

    Reply
    • Anna Alboth
      Posted May 13, 2015 at 10:04 | Permalink

      thank you!! lets see what comes next!

      Reply
  • Posted April 20, 2015 at 11:12 | Permalink

    Mega. Jesteście moją inspiracją:)))

    Reply
  • Anna Kielbowicz
    Posted April 20, 2015 at 19:43 | Permalink

    A będzie też po polsku? “Teściowej” bym pokazała, a jak przetłumaczę to jeszcze nie uwierzy;)

    Reply
  • Posted April 22, 2015 at 10:32 | Permalink

    Hi
    I´m Ana and I live in a small town near Lisbon, Portugal.
    Maybe this country isn’t the country you want to visit right now, but (even with a small house) you are welcome anytime.
    I never done this, invite strangers, but I like to read your blog and (I feel) you seem to be nice person.
    So, think about it. I cannot show you Portugal, but you have a house you can stay for some days.
    Ana

    Reply
    • Anna Alboth
      Posted April 26, 2015 at 11:17 | Permalink

      Wow! Thank you! You know, we are right now in… Portugal :) Will go to Lisbon tomorrow to catch our plane but maybe maybe on the way? Gimme your number, please! anna.alboth@gmail.com Would be coooool!

      Reply
  • Posted April 25, 2015 at 06:39 | Permalink

    Wow, I am impressed. My wife and I have just started our travel adventure with our one year old. We left the United States and headed to Ukraine to teach English. I went to law school but decided that life was not for me. Instead, we are looking forward to teaching English for the next few years and taking her all over the world. We are planning on Thailand for our next home, but that will be in a year and a half. In the meantime, we want to explore Eastern Europe with her.

    Good luck on your next five years! Traveling is so great for children, and it is something I wish I grew up doing.

    Reply
    • Anna Alboth
      Posted April 30, 2015 at 11:52 | Permalink

      Good luck to you guys!! If you are in Europe – let me know!

      Reply
  • Posted May 8, 2015 at 22:35 | Permalink

    Lovely!
    So many trips within 5 years, so many memories, and super cute children! :D

    Reply
    • Anna Alboth
      Posted May 13, 2015 at 10:05 | Permalink

      the cutest in the whole world (for us) :))

      Reply
  • Posted July 9, 2015 at 10:49 | Permalink

    Naprawdę niezwykłe! Podróżowanie z dziećmi – podziwiam Was bardzo!

    Reply

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