The family traveled for a year. Here are their biggest mistakes.

Life-changing experiences, unforgettable memories and beautiful pictures — these are the things that come to mind when people think of a year-round family trip.

But there are missteps behind that adventure, says Margaret Bensfield Sullivan, recalling the year she spent abroad with her husband and two children.

From encountering piranhas in Brazil to being stuck in an airport in Mozambique, Sullivan faced many unexpected challenges during his journey through 29 countries.

“I think people were very surprised that we were doing it because we didn’t fit the profile of the family that you picture when you think a family would do that,” Sullivan said. . “We had a good life. We were settled, getting along — two good kids, good careers, apartment, a dog.”

But that changed when Sullivan, who previously worked as a partner at a brand marketing agency in New York, returned from a work trip to Tanzania in 2017, which she described as an “eye-opening experience.” What did

The trip made him realize that the world is huge, and that his life revolves around a small part of it.

“So I had to ask myself: ‘What else am I missing because I’m busy at work or busy with the day-to-day activities of my life?'” she said. “And I felt that our family needed a shake-up. We needed to get out there and see what was going on.”

In addition, Sullivan said she wants to spend time with her family while she has the chance.

“I worry that one day I’ll wake up, and ask myself: ‘Where did the time go?'” she said. “Thus taking a year off was a way of future-proofing against regret.”

Before they left, Sullivan and her husband Teddy, an entrepreneur, spent months preparing for their year abroad. He said they’ve both reached natural stopping points in their careers, so they Decided it was a good time to take a year off.

“The best part: canceling all the bills. Not a single bill and we hit the road … our house was now our suitcase,” he said.

He said that making a budget for a year was a big consideration.

“What kept us sane was — it was limited,” he said. “It had a deadline, and it was very satisfying.”

Sullivan said she and her husband decided on a warm-weather trip, or “follow the sun,” that later became part of her. The title of a book he published about his year abroad.

“We bought a big white wall map, put it on the wall of our apartment. And we just stared at it every day and just dreamed about the places we wanted to go,” she said.

Finally, Sullivan hired travel agents to help with planning.

“It wasn’t a ‘wing it adventure,'” he said, adding that he had three months of plans when he left.

In January 2019, Sullivan left New York, traveling first to South America, then Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and finally Asia and Oceania, before heading home.

During the trip, the Sullivans suffered a “terrible” stomach bug in Beijing, altitude sickness in Peru and a lice infestation in Berlin.

“We packed every medicine imaginable, and it never occurred to me that we would encounter lice,” he said. “In New York, there are all kinds of services where people come in and get those lice off your kids. It didn’t exist in Germany.”

The Sullivan family also had what is now known as “The Piranha Story”, which took place while fishing in the Amazon rainforest.

Sullivan, who is terrified of fish, said someone in their boat threw a live piranha into his lap.

“I screamed bloody murder, flipped backwards, hit the floor of the boat, took my daughter with me, at which point the live piranha flopped between us. It’s stayed with me ever since,” she said. was the funniest thing.” .

“We wound up eating the piranha that night, and its jaws are now built into our house.”

In addition to accidents, Sullivan said her family also made mistakes, including following a travel agent’s advice to visit an orphanage in Vietnam.

“We immediately realized we shouldn’t be there. We felt terrible about it,” he said. “I cannot say this strongly enough that this type of tourism is completely irresponsible, and no one should visit an orphanage.”

In Cambodia, Sullivan encountered a sign near the airport that read: “Children are not tourist attractions. Do not go to orphanages.”

“Wealthy tourists come to a place and feel they want to contribute or do good. And so, they … distribute school supplies to a school and that’s not helpful to the community. ” he added. “It’s harmful and potentially exploitative.”

“Visiting a country with reverence, respect and curiosity, the way you would visit France or Japan, is the only way to go,” he said.

During her time abroad, Sullivan also revealed the gap between her expectations and the reality of her yearlong trip.

“We assumed we’d have a lot of free time,” he recalled. “I thought: ‘This was it, this was my big year’ to sit back and do all the creative projects I wanted to do, and [watch] All the shows I wanted to watch.”

“But we had two young children with us. There was no free time,” she said of her children, who were four and six at the time.

The Sullivans reluctantly left home with only their carry-on, but were surprised to return home with their bags half-full.

“You don’t need as much as you think,” he thought.

The couple even surprised themselves with their energy levels during their extensive travels.

“We were basically asleep in our rooms by 8:30 every night. Turns out, rest and lack of stress can do wonders for your energy,” she noted.

As they entered unfamiliar territory, Sullivan said the family divide between adults and children began to dissolve.

“My husband and I were confused, clueless, didn’t know the language, weak… we didn’t know everything. We quickly shed that invincible face of parenthood,” she admitted. “At the same time, our kids are proving themselves to be very funny, very brave and very curious.”

Amidst all the challenges, Sullivan revealed that the biggest lesson for the family was learning how to go places without prejudice.

“We’ve just learned to go to a place with a blank slate,” he said. “Take it, just ask questions because we all have assumptions about other parts of the world.”

After traveling to six continents, Sullivan said he learned that people are trying to help each other throughout life.

“Around the world, the common language was really kindness,” he said. “We came home from this year thinking that there are more good people in the world than bad, that most people just want to help.”

When asked if he had any advice for others, he said to pick a date and stick to it.

“Once it’s on the calendar, you can work backwards,” he said. “It makes it more real.”