Most of us have dreamed at some time about swapping our everyday lives for some kind of travel adventure. For many, it means waiting until retirement, but one St Albans couple have taken the plunge and are currently working their way around Europe with their three children and two cats.
I caught up with the Binedells during their stay in Bremen, Germany – mum Karen and dad Warren who originally hail from Cape Town; and children Sebastian, 16, Aiden, 15, and Ella, 12. In April last year, the family sailed to Portugal to start a year-long volunteering adventure around Europe, a trip they had planned for 18 months.
‘Warren and I realised we wanted more for ourselves and our family,’ explained Karen, a former teaching assistant. ‘We were working six-day weeks and only getting one day together as a family. We were tired of rushing, stressing, working non-stop and having nothing to show for it at the end of the month.
‘We wanted the kids to know that there is so much more to life, to see the world, meet people from different walks of life, and realise that it’s OK to take the path less travelled. And we wanted them to learn life skills, and experience what it is like to do something for someone else without expecting anything in return.’
The Binedells made their life-changing decision after two years of living in rural Portugal, struggling to make ends meet by running a small café. Nobody earned much, but they were impressed by the way that family and friends were always top priority. So they headed back to Britain to purchase a caravan and prepare for an adventure.
This story is from the February 2020 edition of Hertfordshire Life.
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This story is from the February 2020 edition of Hertfordshire Life.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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