Languages - A core pillar of homeschooling and worldschooling

In today’s interview, we have the pleasure of speaking with Christina Martinez-Williams, a passionate worldschooling mom who has embraced a lifestyle of travel, cultural immersion, and experiential learning with her two daughters, Kaila Leia and Zariah. Christina shares her inspiring journey from traditional education to unschooling and worldschooling, offering insights into how she balances travel, education, and family life. Through her creative approach to learning and her commitment to fostering connection, curiosity, and multilingualism, Christina has built a unique and enriching lifestyle for her family. Join us as she reflects on the challenges, triumphs, and dreams that have shaped their worldschooling adventure.

1. What is your name and the name(s)/age(s) of your child/children?

My name is Christina Martinez-Williams. I’m a mom of two daughters, ages 8 and 10. Their names are Kaila Leia (10) and Zariah (8).

2. What was your family’s educational situation before worldschooling?

Before worldschooling, our family’s educational path included both traditional and homeschool models. My oldest daughter attended a French immersion public charter school for kindergarten and first grade, and my youngest was always homeschooled. As I leaned more into a lifestyle of travel, flexibility, language learning, and cultural immersion, we transitioned to a homeschool and now unschooling/worldschooling rhythm that allows us to live, learn, and grow together in more experiential, relationship-centered ways.

3. How did you discover worldschooling and what inspired you to take the leap?

I discovered worldschooling through a combination of my own life experience and intentional research. I’ve always been passionate about learning through culture, language, and experience—I hold degrees in Spanish and math, and I lived in Ecuador for two years after college. Once I became a mother, I started seeing education differently. I wanted my daughters to grow up learning not only through books and lessons but through people, places, and real-world problem solving. As my business grew and I gained more flexibility, I began seeing how we could travel intentionally while continuing to learn as a family.

4. What does a typical day or week look like for your worldschooling family?

Our rhythm varies depending on whether we are traveling or at our home base, but it always includes a mix of real-world learning, creative play, cultural exploration, and connection. We prioritize time outside, reading together, having deep conversations, and following the girls’ curiosities. When we travel, our days often center around the location we’re in—visiting museums, meeting new people, exploring nature, or learning local customs and language. At home, we maintain some routines like morning reflection, creative time, and project-based learning. We believe learning happens everywhere, and we’re constantly adapting.

Our daughters are homeschooled through a flexible, child-led approach that blends unschooling, structured learning, and daily expectations. Language is a core pillar of our homeschool—they’re currently learning Spanish, French, and Mandarin, with English as their native language. Each day, they have a few consistent expectations to support their language development: 30 minutes of watching something educational, 30 minutes of watching a show in the language of the day, and 10 minutes each of Duolingo in French and Mandarin. We also use music, books, and tutors, and I aim to incorporate more immersive experiences and cultural exchanges as we continue to travel and grow.

My goal is for them to become confident in reading, speaking, and writing in at least four languages. But beyond fluency, what I really hope for is that all these languages, cultural experiences, and real-world learning moments give them a broader, more interconnected way of thinking. I want them to navigate life with the ability to draw on a rich bank of perspectives—subconsciously referencing how conflict was handled in another culture, how a community responded to a challenge, or how language itself shapes understanding. I imagine them growing up with a kind of mental filing system that lets them pull from diverse perspectives automatically—thinking, “In Mexico, I saw this,” or “In this language, we express this idea differently,” or “That reminds me of how another culture handled this problem.” I believe this layered way of thinking will allow them to see and solve problems in innovative ways—bringing fresh insight, empathy, and creativity to whatever field or path they choose in the future. It’s not just about school—it’s about shaping how they see the world and their place in it.

5. How do you balance travel with education, or do you see them as one in the same?

I don’t see travel and education as needing to be balanced—they are one and the same. Travel is education. When we travel, my daughters are learning from everything we do: planning, navigating, budgeting, communicating, problem-solving, reflecting, and being present in a new culture or environment. Every part of the experience—from leaving the house to arriving in a new place, shopping for groceries, choosing excursions, or figuring out how to get around—holds opportunities for learning and growth. It’s education in its richest, most integrated form.

6. What has been your biggest challenge with worldschooling and how have you overcome it?

The biggest challenge initially was figuring out how to worldschool when my husband can’t work remotely more than one day at a time. That required us to find a rhythm that worked for our family and explore what was still possible with me traveling solo with the girls. The second major challenge was finances—how to make worldschooling work now, even if we couldn’t do it in the “ideal” way. That meant embracing domestic trips and shifting budget lines (like food, gas, learning expenses) to wherever we are. I’ve also continued growing my business to create more freedom and options. Another ongoing challenge is ensuring the girls have peer interaction during travel, which we’ve approached through virtual communities and occasional co-living with other families. I’ve learned to focus on what’s possible and build creatively from there.

7. How has worldschooling impacted your relationships—with your children, your spouse, or your wider community?

Worldschooling has brought us closer as a family, especially in how we communicate. When we travel, we’ve had to figure out what communication with my husband looks like when we’re apart, and also how we engage with each other or with my parents when they’re with us. It’s pushed me to grow in emotional intelligence and to help my girls do the same. I’ve also had to challenge myself to not do things based on what others expect, but based on what’s right for our family. In terms of community, being away from home means we have to be intentional about staying connected. When we’re back, I prioritize showing up in spaces where the girls can engage with friends, and I’ve had to be intentional about maintaining meaningful adult relationships too.

8. Can you share a few of your favorite worldschooling moments or experiences so far?

One of our most powerful experiences was walking through a crowded street in Mexico after a long bus ride. The sounds, smells, and language all around us were completely different than home, and I remember thinking, “This is why we do this.” That day we visited the home of someone in my business community, and the girls got to experience an entirely different way of living. That trip also gave them a broad view of what life looks like in Mexico—from apartment living to jungle homes to luxury resorts. We’ve also walked beaches across the U.S. and Mexico, saved sea stars, and boogie boarded together. Museum tours, private farm visits, and deep cultural conversations have helped the girls learn through experience, not just observation. Each of these moments has been filled with wonder, insight, and connection.

9. What have you learned about yourself through worldschooling?

Worldschooling hasn’t so much changed my worldview as it has expanded and deepened it. I grew up traveling internationally with my parents from a young age, visiting 27 countries and 6 continents—most of it via standby flights, which taught me flexibility, patience, and how to focus in chaotic environments. My parents prioritized cultural immersion, often connecting with locals or finding ways to explore the culture beyond tourist spaces. That upbringing gave me a multicultural lens that has only expanded with time. When I lived in Mexico and later in Ecuador, I fell in love with being rooted in a place long enough to learn the rhythm of the people and culture. After returning from Ecuador, I let go of wearing a watch as a symbolic and practical way to embrace a freer, more present lifestyle. Since then, my life has spanned multiple coasts, states, and countries, so in many ways, I was already living a “worldschooling mindset” before I had children. Now, as I worldschool my daughters, I get to offer them this gift of cultural immersion and travel not just once a year like I experienced—but throughout the year. It’s pushed me to stretch beyond my natural need for structure and planning, and embrace more spontaneity and flexibility. With two jobs, homeschooling, and running a business, I’ve learned to let go of the need to have everything researched or perfectly prepared. That shift has helped me release perfectionism and embrace the beauty of what’s possible in the moment. I’ve also grown emotionally—deepening my emotional intelligence and adaptability. I’ve had to step into the role of solo parent during many of our travels, and in those moments I’ve had to lead with confidence, calm, and courage. I’ve learned to give my daughters space to express themselves while also honoring my own voice and desires as part of our shared learning journey. Sometimes that means making choices they wouldn’t choose—and walking through those moments together as Team LALIM (Living and Learning in Motion), the name we’ve given our worldschooling team. More than anything, I’ve learned to trust that who I am is enough, that what we’re doing is more than adequate, and that the experiences we’re creating together are shaping all three of us into more resilient, curious, and connected humans.

10. How do you finance your worldschooling lifestyle?

Our worldschooling lifestyle is financed through a combination of creativity, intentional choices, and a wellness business I’ve built from home. My wellness business provides a growing income stream that’s flexible and aligned with our lifestyle values—helping others feel better, live healthier, and tap into more freedom. My husband works full-time in a job that doesn’t offer much remote flexibility, so from the beginning, I knew we’d need to be strategic. While our ultimate vision includes more international travel, we didn’t wait for the “perfect” moment or the “ideal” income. Instead, I’ve committed to making it work with what we have right now—traveling three times a year for a month at a time, even if most of those trips have been domestic. We stretch our resources by transferring our existing budget lines—like groceries, gas, and even learning expenses—to wherever we are in that moment. That allows us to maintain our financial rhythm even while traveling. We also look for ways to make each trip sustainable: choosing affordable accommodations, driving instead of flying when needed, and cooking most of our meals. I use our travels as part of my business storytelling, which allows me to pour into my work while living the values I teach. Financially, it hasn’t always been easy, but I’ve learned to focus on the abundance of what’s possible rather than what we lack. As my business continues to grow, so do our options. The vision is to create full location freedom while helping other families do the same—earning from anywhere, thriving together, and building legacies of health and impact.

11. What are your future worldschooling plans or dreams?

In the future, I envision taking three month-long trips per year, with at least one or two of them being international. I would love for one of those trips to involve living either with—or alongside—other worldschooling families, or a business partner (whether internationally or within the U.S.). In that setting, we’d be building community, strengthening relationships, and doing life and business side-by-side, while the girls engage in connection-rich experiences with other children. A dream of mine is to be part of a worldschool hub during one of our trips, where my daughters can learn, play, and grow in community with other worldschoolers. I also envision travel that immerses them in places where one of their non-English languages is spoken—so they can practice, play, and deepen their fluency in Spanish, French, or Mandarin in authentic, everyday ways. As our financial capacity continues to grow through my business, I see our travel evolving with even more freedom and choice—being able to say yes to experiences, museums, excursions, and cultural opportunities without hesitation or financial restriction. I want our travels to reflect a sense of abundance—not just in what we do, but in the presence, connection, and peace we feel while doing it. I also hope my husband can join us for at least a portion of one trip each year—whether for a week or long weekend—and eventually, as flexibility increases, for him to travel with us for a full month at a time. One of our big family dreams is to take a year-long cruise around the world together—an immersive, life-shaping experience that reflects our values of adventure, connection, and growth. Worldschooling, for us, isn’t just about travel—it’s about living with intention, learning through the world, and building a life that reflects both our dreams and our impact.

You can follow more of our journey here:

• Facebook: Christina Martinez-Williams – On my personal page, we share our family’s journey of worldschooling, wellness, homeschooling, and building a life by design. I’m especially looking for moms who are dreamers—ready to build a business alongside their families while creating a life of travel, financial freedom, and purpose. I help moms who feel stuck in survival mode create a life of energy, freedom, and purpose—without sacrificing their families in the process.

• Facebook: Christina’s World Kitchen – On Christina’s World Kitchen, we cook high-protein, low-carb meals, share lifestyle tips, and talk about My Mom Magic—a simple drink that supports energy, focus, easier fat loss, and muscle gain.

• Facebook: Keto en Español – On this Spanish-language page, my team and I share recipes, wellness tools, and stories about My Mom Magic to support people on their health journeys in a culturally relevant, accessible way.

• Instagram: @christinasworldkitchen

I run a business centered around sharing this drink—what I call My Mom Magic—that’s helped me reclaim my energy and confidence as a homeschooling, traveling mom. We offer multiple ways for people to build a flexible side income by sharing the drink and inspiring others to step into the best versions of themselves. I’m on a mission to help women build businesses that allow them to travel, work from anywhere, and lead lives aligned with their values.

I’m also looking for women and families who want to be part of a worldschooling community—traveling together, building businesses side by side, and learning from the places we go and the people we meet. Whether that means traveling to where you live and building community there, intentionally traveling together from one place to the next, or crossing paths on the road, I believe in learning with each other, not just near each other. If this vision excites you, I’d love to connect.