I have to admit that’s it’s one thing to make the decision to do this and another to actually start executing.  We had to pull the irreversible trigger to move forward. I left Airbnb. There was no turning back. As a part of that process I started sharing our plans with friends and family to validate to myself that this was happening.  Their reactions usually fell into one of the three categories:

• “I’m so thrilled for you – congratulations!  What an amazing adventure! Super bold”
• “I’m so jealous – I wish I could do this.”
• “I can’t believe you’re doing this – what’s your Plan B?  How will you find your jobs when you get back? Why would you do this?”

To be fair, most responses are some version of the first category.  I’m grateful for all the supportive friends who have encouraged us to follow our dreams.  But while hearing these words is empowering, I found myself getting bothered by the next two responses for different reasons.

Perhaps naively, I often discount the second reaction and encourage people to do this themselves, if this is what they want to do.  Of course, it’s not possible for everyone. Financial constraints are real, but they aren’t the only ones. If you have your own business walking away for a year can be detrimental. Oftentimes there are health issues involved, or career wise / timing wise it’s nearly impossible to pull away. However, most of these seem edge cases relative to the number of people who could actually do this (in our circles) but choose not to.  Over the past few months I’ve met several families who are embarking on similar adventures – many of whom own their own business or have just started a new job (and decided to quit) or are otherwise deeply entrenched in their lives like we are all. I think it’s the fear of failure and the unknown that holds most of us back. This is scary. To let go of everything you know and begin something very foreign can be intimidating for one person, let alone when little humans depend on you. It is also a matter of priorities.  Not everyone wants to do this – and that’s cool.  We have made certain decisions at the expense of others that have allowed us to do this (Rob drives a decade-old Honda civic – and loves it!). It’s all good. We all make choices that are best for our lives. But rarely do I believe that someone can’t follow this type of life-changing dream if this is what they truly want.  

Still, I do have doubts (read here) which brings me to the third type of response.  Rarely, but it’s there adding to the anxiety about the whole experience.  As organized as I am, I don’t have a plan B and I don’t like to worry about our return.  I probably should. There are those little humans to think about.  I’m giving myself the first six months to do what I’ve set out to do and not start planning  the following year(s). I recognize this will be an enormous challenge for me.  In the meantime, I deeply believe that my kids’ happiness is often tied to our attitude about life so for now we’re choosing to focus on the adventure of it all and know that we’ll get through whatever life throws at us post Argentina.