Jonathan and Lori Wynn met when they were in their mid-20's and traveled together around the globe for two years working in various jobs and living on a tight budget that allowed them to see  much of the South Pacific and Asia, experience multiple cultures, embrace diversity and gain an appreciation of the roles everyone plays in society. When they married four years later, in 1997, they committed to providing similar travel experiences for their family - when and if they had one.

Seventeen years later, Jonathan and Lori, and their three children, Ari (13 years old at the time) Noa (11) and Eli (8) embarked on the journey of a lifetime, this time together as a family. The Wynn family left their comfortable home in Regent Square in August 2013 and flew to Quito, Ecuador, each with one backpack full of clothes and personal items. From there, they backpacked through a total of ten countries over the next 355 days, expanding their minds and enhancing their family bond as they explored the wonders of South America.  

The Wynn's chose to travel to South America because they found the Latin culture to be very interesting and the costs reasonable for a family of five. Geographically, it is easy to get to from North America, transportation within most countries is good, and South America is considered to be relatively safe for backpackers.

To plan for their voyage, the entire family studied Spanish at home for over a year and Jonathan and Lori invested monthly savings as well as any bonuses and additional income when possible for more than 10 years before they hit their target amount. The family followed a strict budget while embracing the people, the landscape, and the traditions of the Latin American culture. Lori kept track of their expenditures on a spreadsheet as they traveled to ensure that the family spent within their means, but insists that the family did almost everything they wanted to and returned home with funds to spare.

 

The Patagonia Landscape

  

The family's adventures included skiing for a month in Argentina's Northern Patagonia, visiting Brazil for the World Cup, and exploring the Galapagos Islands. The Wynn's went to a working ranch in Uruguay where they worked side by side with gauchos (Uruguayan cowboys), rode horses every day helping to round up cows (for movement among paddocks or for any medical attention) and to locate birthing sheep. They ate and worked alongside the family who owned the ranch. By the end of their stay, all three kids could saddle their own horses and had assisted in branding and vaccinating the herds. Those aren't skills most urban kids need to know to excel in life, but the experience is one they'll never forget and has helped round them out as human beings. 

As far as Lori is concerned, their goal was to get out of the rut of daily life and change their perspective on life. She wanted to "shake things up like a snow globe - and see where things land". According to Lori " . . . too often we get sucked in our daily life and just go along with things within our society. The trip helped shape our family. We have amazing memories and the kids have a greater overall level of confidence now [after traveling on our own for a year]. They didn't always know where they were going or how they were going to get there. But they learned problem solving, new languages, and overcame certain fears as we traveled. The trip opened their eyes to so many things, including a slower paced life, a different nighttime sky and constellations, as well as a daily siesta."  

Although the children did not have any traditional schooling for the year, they did participate in some online courses and blogged about their travels through the Wynn's family post. You can read all about the family's yearlong adventure in their own words at: www.travelpod.com\members\the5wynns.

I think Lori and Jonathan summarized their experience best when they posted this:

We are a family of five with five distinctly different personalities, but as a team, Team Wynn, we are a force. Whether we are going in five separate directions, metaphorically or in reality, we are stuck together, bonded by blood and memories.

The Wynn's returned home in August 2014 with a greater appreciation for each other and for the world in which we live. At Signature Financial, we appreciate the opportunity to work with this inspirational family to help them achieve their goals in life, and are proud to have them as part of our family.

"Meet a Fellow Client" is a new series that we plan to run quarterly in our newsletter.  If you or your family have an interesting or adventurous story of your own to share, we'd love to hear it!