#TAFTA Awards – Far-flung Family!
This week in our spectacular (we use that word a lot) travel blogger awards, we’re paying tribute to some folks to whom the age old routine of settling down after having sprogs just seemed a little bit silly. And by golly, we’re grateful, because their adventures have been a blast. Join us in a great big cheer for your winner this week… Vagabond Kids!
We are family…
Once upon a time, there were two people who took off on an Asian adventure. Somewhere along the line (round about Taiwan), two nippers came along, bringing with them all the uniquely creative chaos one fully expects from children. But instead of packing it all in and settling down for a relaxing ex-pat life in Singapore, Jeff Watkins Jr. and Kristy Harris thought ‘Heck, let’s get this party started’. So far, they’re living happily ever after.
Choosing to relay their travelling tales through their blog adds just another successful feat to the ever-increasing list of lifetime achievements. As if they didn’t already have enough on their plate…
Parental Guidance…
The stories of the Harris-Watkins’ adventures are so enthusiastically relayed, they could have leapt straight out of an Enid Blyton book. Of course, this family would be a famous foursome as opposed to the eponymous five (no animal additions so far) and yet, their excursions insist on jumping off the web page just as boldly as those of Timothy and co. did back in the day. The incredible number of topics covered (spanning all from weird and wonderful food, staying green on the go and a fantastic array of travel hacking tips) help to communicate just how influential the young ones are in Jeff and Kristy’s already substantial appreciation of the World. Their admiration is only magnified by their kids’ curiosity, and K (Vagabond Girl, age 7) and D (Vagabond Boy, aged 9) have it in spades.
The blog balances the informational and the intimate well. This is, after all, a personal journey told by two people who are learning to deal with the ever changing rules of being parents. And no-one in the history of time has ever said that was an easy task. The few posts that are written from a purely adult perspective, that let us in on the little issues one must deal with, remain marvellous little grown up easter eggs in an otherwise U-rated realm.
You gotta be kidding me…
Weighing up genuine travel experience (ceremonies, hawker centres, long haul flights) with the more common outings one would associate with entertaining younglings (theme parks, museums, zoos) really earns this pair their stripes in the ‘cool parent’ category. So much so in fact, we kind of wish they were our own.
What’s really quite delightful about this blog, and to be fair, should probably be a logical addition to any family travel site, is that the kids have a lot of input in the creative process. Posts which detail how the children react to events, areas and activities are one thing, but to have the little monkeys taking the photos, making the discoveries and then telling their side of the story themselves make for much more enchanting and insightful accounts. 150 posts on, it’s a formula that’s working out pretty well (for family and readership alike).
Vagabond Kids details family travel for all the fun it is, and is never overly sentimental or superior in tone when it comes to discussing the merits of group globetrotting. This is a very journey focused blog, one in which every member of the clan learns a little something along the way. In this sense, it remains accessible to everyone from hardened solo-backpacker to stay-at-home mom alike.
So for a fabulously far-out family, stick with this lovely lot (we’ve got our fingers crossed for an honorary membership). Hats off to the Harris-Watkins collective!
Grab the kids and go-go-go!
Travels With A 9 Year Old – Theodora and (no longer 9 year old) Zac Sutcliffe travel through the world on their multitude of misadventures. Hilariously honest and downright charming.
Family On Bikes – Two former teachers take learning to the next level as they ride with their two kids across the Americas. A marvellously crafted blog, that educates as much as it entertains (while, thankfully, sparing us the lectures).
The Mother Of All Trips – Mara Gorman writes her maternal travel memoirs from the heart, all the while inspiring us to get our kids as clued up on the world as her lucky offspring.
1 Dad 1 Kid – The brilliantly boyish adventures of father and son. Frankly told and refreshingly unfussy.
THE NEXT #TAFTA TOPIC WILL BE: Ocean-bound Explorers (Travel bloggers with real aquatic tendencies)
Nominate now on Twitter, Facebook or comment below!
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About the Author (Author Profile)
Once upon a time in New Zealand, a very large, very loud, hissing cockroach landed on Hannah’s head. In Florida, she mistook a jellyfish for a plastic bag and was promptly stung. In Newquay, a penguin with murderous intent tried to eat her shoe. Despite all this, Hannah can’t be kept away from touching things that she probably shouldn’t in foreign countries. This is probably a misguided attempt at experiential learning. She has lived in Cornwall most of her life and is still trying to adjust to the time difference in London, despite having moved there many months ago. When she grows up she wants to be a Mexican Luchador.Subscribe
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Thanks for the shout out! So glad to have you read and enjoy the blog!
Most welcome, Kristy! Very much looking forward to following your adventures in the future and very glad you enjoyed the write up. Thank you for sharing your stories.