Follow your kids - they know the way.

wanderwisdomws
Apr 28, 2025
10 min read

Updated: Oct 25, 2025

Curious about where worldschooling might actually lead your kids-or worried it’s too risky for their education and future? This week’s interview with Colleen Mariotti offers some genuine perspective.

Colleen and her family have spent the past 12 years worldschooling on the road, exploring over 30 countries together. As a mom, teacher, coach, and co-founder of Livology, Colleen shares thoughtful insights on trusting the process, embracing uncertainty, and letting your kids guide the journey. If you’re interested in what this lifestyle really looks like and what it can offer, Colleen’s story is well worth a read.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your family?

In 2013, we sold all of our belongings and hit the road with our three young children and

five carry-on bags. After traveling to over 30+ countries, 20 states, and counting, the

real adventure continues to be following our inspiration and being mindful about

appreciating each day together as it unfolds. https://livology.com/are-you-tired-or-inspired/

When we met many years ago, we dreamed of using the world as our classroom. Since

the inception of that dream, we have earned our M.Ed, taught high school, owned and

operated many of our own businesses, from executive coaching to restaurants, and real

estate. Through it all our focus is living in alignment with our core values, vision, and

purpose, which we practice daily.

Our kids were 5, 8 and 9 when we left the USA on this journey. They are now 16, 20,

and 21 and our two oldest are in university in a country we have never before lived.

Our mission is to lead an intentional and deliberate life and inspire others wherever they are on their personal journey.

Do you work online? Do you have online business? How do you fund your worldschooling lifestyle?

The short answer is we do whatever it takes to keep exploring. Our blog has been a huge factor in the longevity of this lifestyle because opportunities find us. We write one blog a month focused around the word for that month. We

have a weekly digital mindfulness product that has followers from all over the globe. It is a practice, photo and quote from somewhere in the world and a grounding practice inspired what we have learned from other cultures. Our life on the road costs about 30% less than our stationary life in the US cost for our family. The major reason for this is we don’t own a home or any cars. We use barter a lot. For example, as housesitters for over half of the time we have been traveling, we eliminated our number one expense which is housing. We have also partnered with brands like ClubMed and Eurocamp, and others to experience their travel options and share out thoughts in exchange for the trip.

My husband has a real estate referral business he is building. I do travel writing, ghost

writing, editing, etc. The term digital nomads was not a thing when we left but that is

essentially our path and we have reinvented ourselves 100 times. Life on the road

requires flexibility and sustainability. https://livology.com/pick-yourself-first/

What made you begin your world school journey? How long have you been on

the road? What does world schooling mean to you and your children?

We had the opportunity to apply for dual Italian/US citizenship through my husband’s

lineage. One morning we thought, “What if we do this in Italy instead of a US

consulate?” We always talked about living overseas and felt this was our chance. From

that moment something shifted in us. We starting dreaming bigger and bigger and within 4 months we had sold everything and purchased a one way ticket. We will celebrate our 12 year anniversary this fall.

Worlschooling was not a term when we left in 2013, or at least not a term we had ever

heard. For us, learning means continually building our capacity to learn through every

experience we can have together. We feel honored to have seen the world through our

children’s eyes for so many years. It is truly the greatest gift and they are our favorite teachers. I don’t believe travel is required for Worldschooling. It can be as simple as experiencing a different path through the woods, seeing your community from a different vantage point, taking the bus to the next town and trying something you have never eaten. It does not have to be a big, expensive endeavor. That we know for sure. It does have to feel uncomfortable and take us into the unknown even if it is only for an afternoon. https://livology.com/strewing-looking-beyond-back-to-school/

Have you tried any education hubs, homeschooling groups, online schools or

any alternative/government schools whilst on your travels?

Hubs and groups were not established when we started our journey. We built

community by landing and finding our way uncomfortably through the language barriers and cultural divide. https://livology.com/bloom/ Our kids are now doing it on their own navigating university in countries we have never lived. It is a joy to witness. There have different times throughout the past 12 years where our kids have craved a

structure and attracted the experiences themselves. For example: in Tuscany

https://livology.com/shifting-perceptions-people-represent-systems/ at the park they met the principal of the local school. She was so engaging and asked if they wanted to

enroll. We lived on the Tuscan coast for 6 months where our kids attended kindergarten,

3 rd and 4 th grade. They were all fluent in Italian in a month. In New Zealand a neighbor

close to our Airbnb told the kids about a Montessori school her kids attended.

https://livology.com/why-montessori-matters/ Our kids were so taken with the idea that

they attended for a month and are still in touch with those friends they made. During

lock-down, we returned to the USA and our boys decided to get their AA degrees on

line through a community college. It was the determining experience and paperwork

they needed (although they didn’t know this at the time) that got them into their top

universities in the EU. We could never have planned any of it. The key was allowing the

kids to follow their natural learning path. They are each so passionate and committed to

learning, open to coaching, and willing to step into very unfamiliar territory every day.

https://livology.com/thank-you-for-sea-ing-me-a-decade-as-a-nomadic-family/

What does a typical day look like for your family?

There is truly no such thing which I know makes some people very uncomfortable, but it is comforting for us. I think this personality trait is important for being nomadic. For expat life it is easier to create a routine, so it is key to be honest about what a family’s needs are before setting off into the wild blue yonder. Haha. Some things that are typical for us as a family, after living in over 30 countries, is slowing down and making sure we are all on the same direction and aligned with our path. We committed to each other early in our journey that we would never drag anyone anywhere. Typical for us means we don’t make decisions until everyone is on board, quite literally. We do work/study on line so, for example, now we are living in the Italian Alps. We wake up early for meditation and exercise. Ski/snowboard all day and return to our apartment for work/study in the late afternoon when it is morning in the USA. In the evenings we cook together, walk through the village and the kids meet friends, work or go out on a date. It feels so normal and so full of magic all in one breath. https://livology.com/carnevale-initaly/

What struggles have you encountered in your relocation or travels?

The hardest thing for us has always been being away from our aging parents. What we

committed to when we left was making family a central part of our travels. This means

that while we may not see grandparents, cousins, etc for every holiday, when we do

come we are around for a few months and the time is very focused and present. My

husbands father passed away last year. When we lived in Seattle it was a rushed 6 hour

flight for us to see him on school holidays. The year he passed we spent almost three

months with him every day in every way. It is not typical but it works for us. We spent

nearly a year in New Zealand visiting my sister so our kids could get closer as cousins.

My parents have visited us in Portugal and Italy and Hawaii. It is hard to be far away at

times but also we know this lifestyle has afforded us so much more quality time with

loved ones. https://livology.com/what-about-family/

What have your children learnt or experienced from their relocation or travels

that you don't think they would have if your family had not moved abroad?

As a nomadic family of 5 for over a decade, we recently had a day I will never forget. It

was a moment where I sat back and thought, THIS, this is one of the times when our

WHY is so clear. Our two boys are now in university in Europe. Our oldest called from

his moving van. He will be an artist in residence, giving back to a community he had

never even visited just over a year ago. Our daughter was sitting next to me in the

government office in our current home in the Italian Alps. She was there as my

translator. As she switched back and forth between English and Italian, my heart

swelled. Then, on the way out, our youngest son called from his university in the

Netherlands as he was filing his tax return for hours worked and was translating the

Dutch to sort through the forms. As we walked into the Italian afternoon sunshine, the

past 4299 days flooded my experience. When we left the USA in August of 2013, we

had never heard of the term Worldschooling. https://livology.com/what-stories-await-on-a-road-less-traveled/ We were just inspired to learn all the world had to teach us.

Through all the questions and all the answers, here are a few things we know for sure,

and our kids have told us they appreciate knowing:

 There are no wrong turns.

 Follow your kids; they know the way.

 When we get out of our own way, the path reveals itself.

 Our kids won’t know everything that other kids know, but they will know things

that other kids don’t know.

 What other people think about us is none of our business.

 The WHY is the WAY!

 During times of the greatest contrast (missed flights, cancelled reservations),

there is the most potential for remarkable cultural encounters that may even

change the path for the better if we allow it.

 Even if home has an address, roots are something that no one can take away

from us, and there is nothing more important than feeling grounded in who we

are, no matter where or how we live.

 There are life-changing teachers around every corner of this world.

 Lean into uncertainty with excited anticipation. That is where the magic happens.

Which has been your favorite place so far and why? Are there any locations that

were difficult and you would avoid?

I think I can answer both questions with the same location which will prove the point I want to make. When we landed in Bali, we were looking for a break. We were exhausted and had been traveling quickly for about 6 months straight. We decided on Bali as our first SE Asia stop so we could relax before exploring further afield. From the moment we landed it was nothing that we expected. It was chaotic, loud, over touristed

in places and our accommodation said 2 bedrooms but didn’t mention that the kids room was a separate building. The kids were young and we were in a new country down a long dark alley and we were so close to leaving. We leaned into the uncertainty.

We knew we were not in Bali for affordable luxury and cheap drinks so we asked

ourselves whey we were there. We were there to learn what it had to teach us. We

didn’t force a path but we woke up with a renewed sense of purpose.

https://livology.com/one-simple-ingredient/

That day, we picked up a business card in a drawer in our accommodation for a driver

and we called him to show us around. What happened next made Bali one of the most

transformative places we have ever been. I will attach a blog if you want the whole story but basically, after a day with him, he asked us on our way home, “Why Bali?” We replied, “We are not sure but we know we will find out our reason for coming.” He smiled knowingly and said, I know the perfect place for you.

The next morning we were on our way to an Ashram that housed 30 orphans in a city

about 2 hours from our accommodation. Our driver dropped us off and the week we

spent in this Ashram was one of the most powerful experiences we have ever had. We

slept on a dirt floor, taught English every day and our kids taught their own classes as

well. We went to a full moon ceremony, ate vegan food and learned the true meaning of

love.

Is there something that would make your or your childrens worldschooling

experience better?

Since our kids have a vote in every move we have made, even when they were

unhappy with a certain direction, they owned their role in the decision and did whatever

it took to make it a rich experience for themselves. I don’t think there are any wrong

turns because they all lead to new understanding. https://livology.com/no-plan-b-in-2023/

Do you plan to go back to a traditional schooling path in the future?

https://livology.com/question/

In 2018, our kids wanted to try traditional American school so we returned to the US but

lived very differently after being nomadic for 6 years already. After one year, they were

ready to travel again and then the pandemic hit. Our two oldest are now in traditional

university settings which they had very little preparation for and are doing really well.

They both have jobs and are learning Dutch. They are about 4 hours apart by train and

they navigate travels all over the EU with friends. They are engaged and excited about

learning. I think our unconventional path was the perfect preparation for traditional

schooling, or not. Whatever they choose.

Do you have any advice for families who are contemplating worldschooling or

who have just embarked on their journeys?

https://livology.com/anew/

I will copy my list from above: