New York Times Q&A With Soultravelers3 on Frugal Traveler
February 03, 2010
The New York Times profile of Soultravelers3 on Frugal Traveler has changed our lives! Soultravelers3 is the subject, but "Q&A With Jeanne Dee, the Nomadic Family Traveler" is the title in this NYTimes Travel piece. Little did we know what change was in store for us.
That's not what we expected when we got that Tweet and call out of the blue from one of our favorite writers, Matt Gross. We didn't really think much about anything as it all happened so quickly while we sat in Barcelona nursing my badly injured and paralyzed arm.
My
right arm will eventually heal completely, but it is still paralyzed,
over five months since the accident, so just handling normal duties
with just one left hand doing it all remains a challenge, not to
mention the deluge that arrived via the New York Times showcase. 120
comments on the Q&A
and many more to us via our blog contact page, many asking us for a
book as well as literary agents and professionals in publishing .
Nick Bowditch,Australia's Family Travel Expert,
called us " pioneers in both family travel and blogging and
micro-blogging about it." while choosing us as one of the tops in
family travel on Twitter. We're also featured on Huffington Post thanks to Tim Ferriss who has featured us as a Case Study in the new edition of The 4-Hour Workweek.(which I will review soon).
Our global lifestyle design amongst the vineyards, poolside in Bordeaux, France
Indeed, we have become pioneers and trendsetters in family travel and creative lifestyle design just as technology has helped globetrotting digital nomad living to go mainsteam. Who would have "thunk" it? We did see the housing collapse coming long before most, but never realized that our traveling global digital nomad lifestyle would become so popular and appeal to so many.
The world has changed so much since we started our journey in 2006
and none of our popularity was ever planned. We just had fun and
learned lots as we traveled and wanted to share that with others. We've
enjoyed the creative process of writing, photography and making " little movie" travel videos for Youtube. But as I said in one of my first posts, timing is everything.
It all just started as a way for us to document our experience for a memoir for our daughter and as a way to stay connected to family and friends. When National Geographic Traveler wrote about Soultravelers3 just three months into our journey and our first Youtube went viral with well over a million views, it became clear that there was more interest in what we were doing than we ever expected.
I
thought we were retiring when we left and had no idea how technology
and social media would strongly impact our travels. I've written about
it before, but it still stuns me how much we connect with others online
and how much our travel 2.0 and even education 2.0 methods impact our lives and journey. Not only do we meet and bond with people in person along the way, keep connected with family and friends at home, but part of our travel social life is online where we have daily conversations with people from around the world!
On a precipice in Costa Brava, Spain
I
can't help but feel a bit like an accidental tourist in all of this as
we find ourselves on yet another precipice. From the start, people have
regularly asked us for a book, and friends and family have been telling
me to write a book my whole life. I must admit that I have been
procrastinating on this because being an author was never on my bucket
list and we were just too busy having fun traveling.
I have
had mixed feelings about it because it's rather intimidating just by
the amount of work that it entails and I've worried some about protecting Mozart's privacy.
Yet, I have also become passionate about letting others know that long
term travel is easier, cheaper and more rewarding than most know. We
didn't know that when we began, so want others to know about
this option that is available to all. Just by living our dream, we
have gathered information and stories that are unique, inspiring and
badly needed in these economic times.
Thus, when the right
literary agent came to us via our New York Times interview, it seemed a
book was the next logical step! After months of discussion, much thought and
negotiations with her and others, we've decided to take this new leap
of faith. I've already written a few books worth of words on this blog,
but it is impossible to tell all in a website.The time seems right to
do this, despite my just having one left hand to type and I have gotten
some voice recognition software to meet that challenge.
I have also just become a writer for the Huffington Post which is very exciting! You can find our first post about the travel lifestyle and education, here.
Please fan and friend us there and write comments as that is a big part
of the Huffpost social news today, Yet another wonderful place to find
our tribe and community!
The book process takes a while, so I am
also going to be getting up some new e-books quickly here on
Soultravelers3 for those that have been patiently waiting and asking
for them. I have a wonderful writer friend that will be helping me
organize things as I want to get them out as soon as possible while we
have this winter break. While we are in the creation mode with these
projects I'd love any feedback about what you most want to hear from
us. Leave them in the comments!
Like
Mozart leaping into the cold water in our pool, we joyfully and
gratefully take this leap and will see where it will lead us. We hope
we have angel wings supporting us through this new phase of change!
The New York Times profile of Soultravelers3 on Frugal Traveler has changed our lives! Soultravelers3 is the subject, but "Q&A With Jeanne Dee, the Nomadic Family Traveler" is the title in this NYTimes Travel piece. Little did we know what change was in store for us.
That's not what we expected when we got that Tweet and call out of the blue from one of our favorite writers, Matt Gross. We didn't really think much about anything as it all happened so quickly while we sat in Barcelona nursing my badly injured and paralyzed arm.
My right arm will eventually heal completely, but it is still paralyzed, over five months since the accident, so just handling normal duties with just one left hand doing it all remains a challenge, not to mention the deluge that arrived via the New York Times showcase. 120 comments on the Q&A and many more to us via our blog contact page, many asking us for a book as well as literary agents and professionals in publishing .
Nick Bowditch,Australia's Family Travel Expert, called us " pioneers in both family travel and blogging and micro-blogging about it." while choosing us as one of the tops in family travel on Twitter. We're also featured on Huffington Post thanks to Tim Ferriss who has featured us as a Case Study in the new edition of The 4-Hour Workweek.(which I will review soon).
Our global lifestyle design amongst the vineyards, poolside in Bordeaux, France
Indeed, we have become pioneers and trendsetters in family travel and creative lifestyle design just as technology has helped globetrotting digital nomad living to go mainsteam. Who would have "thunk" it? We did see the housing collapse coming long before most, but never realized that our traveling global digital nomad lifestyle would become so popular and appeal to so many.
The world has changed so much since we started our journey in 2006 and none of our popularity was ever planned. We just had fun and learned lots as we traveled and wanted to share that with others. We've enjoyed the creative process of writing, photography and making " little movie" travel videos for Youtube. But as I said in one of my first posts, timing is everything.
It all just started as a way for us to document our experience for a memoir for our daughter and as a way to stay connected to family and friends. When National Geographic Traveler wrote about Soultravelers3 just three months into our journey and our first Youtube went viral with well over a million views, it became clear that there was more interest in what we were doing than we ever expected.
I thought we were retiring when we left and had no idea how technology and social media would strongly impact our travels. I've written about it before, but it still stuns me how much we connect with others online and how much our travel 2.0 and even education 2.0 methods impact our lives and journey. Not only do we meet and bond with people in person along the way, keep connected with family and friends at home, but part of our travel social life is online where we have daily conversations with people from around the world!
On a precipice in Costa Brava, Spain
I can't help but feel a bit like an accidental tourist in all of this as we find ourselves on yet another precipice. From the start, people have regularly asked us for a book, and friends and family have been telling me to write a book my whole life. I must admit that I have been procrastinating on this because being an author was never on my bucket list and we were just too busy having fun traveling.
I have had mixed feelings about it because it's rather intimidating just by the amount of work that it entails and I've worried some about protecting Mozart's privacy. Yet, I have also become passionate about letting others know that long term travel is easier, cheaper and more rewarding than most know. We didn't know that when we began, so want others to know about this option that is available to all. Just by living our dream, we have gathered information and stories that are unique, inspiring and badly needed in these economic times.
Thus, when the right literary agent came to us via our New York Times interview, it seemed a book was the next logical step! After months of discussion, much thought and negotiations with her and others, we've decided to take this new leap of faith. I've already written a few books worth of words on this blog, but it is impossible to tell all in a website.The time seems right to do this, despite my just having one left hand to type and I have gotten some voice recognition software to meet that challenge.
I have also just become a writer for the Huffington Post which is very exciting! You can find our first post about the travel lifestyle and education, here. Please fan and friend us there and write comments as that is a big part of the Huffpost social news today, Yet another wonderful place to find our tribe and community!
The book process takes a while, so I am also going to be getting up some new e-books quickly here on Soultravelers3 for those that have been patiently waiting and asking for them. I have a wonderful writer friend that will be helping me organize things as I want to get them out as soon as possible while we have this winter break. While we are in the creation mode with these projects I'd love any feedback about what you most want to hear from us. Leave them in the comments!
Like Mozart leaping into the cold water in our pool, we joyfully and gratefully take this leap and will see where it will lead us. We hope we have angel wings supporting us through this new phase of change!
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As someone who has followed your blog for a long time, its nice to see you realizing how inspirational you are and how much you have to offer to others.
Posted by: Lise | February 03, 2010 at 12:41 PM
WOW! Amazing. But good things come to good people! That's comforting to know.
Posted by: Camels & Chocolate | February 03, 2010 at 12:45 PM
Congrats on the big decision. Look forward to see the book.
The questions I would like to see answered in such a book are: What drives you? - What do you think you're teaching Mozart, and what are you sacrificing? - And even though it's just 25k a year, how do you make a living?
Have fun writing it :)
Cheers
Hjörtur
Posted by: Hjortur Smarason | February 03, 2010 at 02:53 PM
Lise- Thanks so much for your touching words! I think having this attention and big decision to make helped me gain clarity about the purpose of it all & how I can and do give back.
Camels & Chocolate- Aw, shucks, thanks! ;) Even with this paralyzed arm, I feel like I live such a blessed life!
Hjörtur-Good questions! Thanks so much for your support & caring. You & your beautiful family make me want to visit Iceland! ;)
Posted by: soultravelers3 | February 03, 2010 at 03:58 PM
Congratulations and yes! you're definitely living a blessed life :)
Here's to many more blessings!
Posted by: Lola | February 03, 2010 at 06:03 PM
You guys are an inspiration to all and I always enjoy your posts. Congratulations!
Posted by: Liz | February 04, 2010 at 05:47 AM
Congratulations on all of your successes! What a story. I'm eager to see where it leads next.
Posted by: Keith | February 04, 2010 at 09:23 AM
You're an inspiration for a newbie like me! Can I have an autographed copy of the book? ;)
Posted by: Candice | February 04, 2010 at 10:04 AM
Lola- Aw, thanks! To you too!
Liz- Thanks so much! Maybe we will meet up one of these days!
Keith- You never know where life will lead you when you start traveling and blogging! LOL! Thanks for your support!
Candice- Thanks so much! Sure, but remind me again when it gets here as the book process takes a while. ;)
Posted by: soultravelers3 | February 05, 2010 at 10:42 AM
Well, this article -- as well as your lifestyle -- offers a lot of inspiration. Congratulations on your success and happy travels!
Posted by: TheWordWire | February 05, 2010 at 12:09 PM
WONDERFUL news!! YAHOO!!! i am so very happy for you and your crew. you're an inspiration!
Posted by: jessiev | February 05, 2010 at 12:53 PM
Jeanne and family, this news is amazing. I've enjoyed your site for sometime and always thought your story warranted a larger audience. Solo travel could be interpreted as easy, but families pursuing the location independent lifestyle, is not as common.
Congratulations on this success, it's highly deserved!
Posted by: Nomadic Chick | February 05, 2010 at 11:42 PM
As someone who has watched from the beginning when you would post on Slow Travel, I seriously could not be happier for you. It confirms what I believe that there are no coincidences and that even the things that seem to be negative occurrences all have their place for causing the next miracle to happen in our lives.
Many, many warm wishes as you go forward with this new adventure!
Posted by: Diana Strinati Baur | February 06, 2010 at 04:31 AM
Congratulations Jeanne on this welcome next stage. I'd appreciate knowing what travel Web sites you have found helpful to get information about your next destinations.
Posted by: Gopika | February 06, 2010 at 07:03 AM
TheWordWire - Gee, thanks!
jessiev- Thanks so much for your kind words & support!
Nomadic Chick- I appreciate that! I really do think that more families will be doing variations on long term travel in the near future!
Diana- Yes, you were there & supportive before we even took off on our journey! So appreciate your kind words & support & hope we get to your piece of heaven B&B in Italy one of these days!
Posted by: soultravelers3 | February 07, 2010 at 11:23 AM
Gopika- Thanks so much and that is a great question! I do use a variety... depending on when, how long & where I'm traveling to & how much time we have to prepare. Often we are quite spontaneous, but the more I want to do on little budget or time etc, the more I plan! ;) I'm always passionate about finding special gems, avoiding crowds & educational value for Mozart! So try to pass them on!
Posted by: soultravelers3 | February 07, 2010 at 02:46 PM
How inspiring your life is! I always feared of starting a family, because I thought that would mean the end of my traveling, but now you have me thinking otherwise. Cheers to that!!! May you have a speedy recovery (try acupuncture!). :)
Posted by: Andi | February 09, 2010 at 08:04 AM
Andi- Thanks so much! So many people think their traveling days are over once they have a child, but we really want people to know that's just not true. Family travel is different than single travel or couple travel, but I've found it to be perhaps the MOST rewarding!
Many can work & school ANY where today and that trend will increase this decade & change travel forever.
Posted by: soultravelers3 | February 10, 2010 at 01:00 AM
Congratulations! You must be over the moon :)
Posted by: Ladyexpat (Nancie) | February 10, 2010 at 05:34 PM
You are so special family, so great! I found your site today and I'm really amazed!Wish you many more happy years around the globe!That's my dream too ..I hope one day may be after many years to make it comes true! Thank you for sharing all this with ordinary people from allover the world.
Posted by: Iva | February 13, 2010 at 08:42 AM
That's great that so many opportunities are coming your way now and I'm sure whatever direction you take will be as enriching as all the travelling and blogging. When you plug away for a while and wonder whether anyone's taking any notice, then you get something like this it makes it all worthwhile.
Posted by: Heather on her travels | February 14, 2010 at 07:05 AM
Nancie- Yes, we are over the moon! ;) Thanks so much for your support! Hope our paths cross when we get to Asia!
Iva- Welcome to our blog & I'm so glad that you found us! Thanks so much for your kind words!
Heather- Really appreciate your thoughts! So true!
Posted by: soultravelers3 | February 17, 2010 at 01:18 PM
Congratulations on all your past, present, and future achievements! How do you do it all, even with one arm that's temporarily out of commission. I wish you a speedy recovery and the best in life :) You guys are a true inspiration! I'm not "pulling your leg" - you are pioneers!
Posted by: Jen Laceda | February 18, 2010 at 02:14 PM
Jen- Thanks so much! You know, that is also what I wonder when I look at other bloggers..how do they do it all??
In truth, I always feel hopelessly behind because what I want to do and what gets done are two very different things.
I have a hard time just trying to not be drowned in email...especially since the accident which had me totally out of commission for some time. Stillll, trying to catch up!
There are days when I am tempted to totally unplug forever!
Mostly, I just plug along and do the best I can with what I have to work with & stay as balanced and happy as I can.
My arm HAS been a huge challenge, but not much to do but accept & be grateful that it's not worse! ;)
Posted by: soultravelers3 | February 18, 2010 at 04:07 PM
Congrats, guys! You guys are truly inspirational and great representatives for the digital nomad family lifestyle. All of the publicity you're getting is well deserved! Kudos!
Posted by: Cherie / Technomadia | February 21, 2010 at 12:17 PM