1/3 Gwen, Susanne, Stefan and Tess travel North America for a year
For many people it is a dream, but Susanne (39) and Stefan (37) from Rosmalen make it come true. They quit their jobs to travel with their daughters from Canada to Panama in a self-built camper van for a year. “We wanted to get away from it all and enjoy our growing children.”
At the beginning of 2021, the Rosmalen couple started building their camper for their special trip. They bought a large van and turned it into a camper in a year and a half. What is special is that it is furnished in such a way that the family can spend a few days in the middle of nature without needing anything.
“We can watch our daughters grow up like this and show the world.”
“We only saw our daughters Tess and Gwen in the mornings, evenings and weekends and thought that was a little bit,” they say. “Now we can really watch them grow up and show them the world, a real passion of ours.” The bus was shipped to Halifax via Zeebrugge, after which the family started their journey on 9 July.
When you leave home and hearth and go on a trip with two young children, homesickness often lurks. According to Stefan, that’s okay. “Of course it was difficult to say goodbye to their girlfriends and the grandfathers and grandmothers in the beginning, but things are going surprisingly well now.”
“They have a different backyard to explore every day.”
According to mother Susanne, this is partly because Tess and Gwen realize how special it is that they make such a journey. “They really enjoy it and are also very flexible. They have a different backyard every day at the motorhome to explore.”
Besides mom and dad, Stefan and Susanne are now masters and teachers. Their daughters receive ‘bus schooling’. “School has been very helpful in drawing up a curriculum and we were all allowed to borrow materials,” says Susanne.
If they drive long distances, the girls get lessons on the bus. This leaves time to enjoy beautiful places. “It’s going really well, there’s a nice balance,” says Stefan. “In any case, I think that this trip is an enrichment for their development. They become more global citizens because they are immersed in other cultures and special experiences.”
“We already had to dig out the camper once.”
The route from Canada to Panama was not chosen lightly. “We are now starting easy to get used to traveling and to test the motorhome.” The roads in Mexico, Guatemala and Nicaragua are less well maintained. “We’ve already tested the camper off-road here and had to dig it out once,” Stefan says with a laugh.
Although the family has been close together for a year, Stefan is not afraid that they will grow tired of each other. “We don’t sit on the bus that much, you are mainly outside in nature. Sometimes we also do something for ourselves and one of us goes out with the children.”
“The view and enthusiasm of the girls are worth gold.”
What Susanne likes most about the trip is that the family is constantly pushing its boundaries. “You have to think of a way too hard hike to a beautiful glacier. If you arrive there completely broken and enjoy the view and see those girls completely enthusiastic, that is worth gold.”
