Finding Your Groove

I have a sweet friend who is over the moon to finally be world schooling with her family.  I’m so happy for her but sometimes her social media posts and the responses to them make assumptions I don’t agree with.  She had to say, “wait” to her travel bug so long that she assumes others at home feel the same way and need energy and inspiration to get out of that life.

I have a tiny travel bug, it inspires me to push out of my day-to-day and find some adventure.  I love road trips. My family spontaneously flew to Bali, Indonesia last year to embrace a new culture.  It was a great trip! Traveling is not my comfort zone, it’s distinctly out of my comfort zone and if I had to be traveling all the time it would cease to be an adventure and become stressful.  I am a home-body. I love building community and connecting with the same people for years. I love how connected my daughter is to family that we are close enough to see often and be involved with beyond holidays.   I love all my books surrounding me and cozying into my own bed each night. Oh how I miss my bed when we travel! I still offer my daughter the world, in books, stories, traveling friends and the adventures away in varying degrees.  We do loads of camping and travel within our state. World schooling can look great on social media, but it isn’t a calling for all of us. I don’t take pictures of my bed or my living room full of books that light me up with joy. But maybe I should.

The grass can always seem greener on a different side.  I think like so many things it comes down to respecting personal choice.  My stability is perhaps not as interesting as world travel but it is no less fulfilling.  It is the choice that is right for my family. I would feel as trapped and unsatisfied being un-tethered as she did living in one place.  I love that we can still be friends and support each other; our kids love playing together.

So find your groove and help other families live theirs!  The joy of homeschooling is our diverse journeys can be a strength rather than a cause for division.

-Grace Haiman Grace and her husband based their homeschooling philosophy on sharing their genuine interests and passions and allowing each family member to pursue self-directed education. They both love to share their experiences, thoughts, and ideas about homeschooling with the HSC community.