‘Our son was bathing elephants in the river the other day – he doesn’t go to a traditional school.’
Surprised? It certainly sounds like a unique approach to education.
But for Dan and Lou Liban, this alternative lifestyle has changed their world around, especially for their son, Otis, who has Down’s Syndrome.
The British couple sold everything they owned earlier this year to travel the world with their three children – and have revealed their ‘only regret is not doing it sooner’.
The pair had struggled with finding appropriate groups and educational settings for Otis that supported specialist SEN needs.
So Dan, 32, and Lou, 31, sold their home in Congleton, Cheshire and took their children out of school to take a one-way flight to Asia this summer.
The family is now exploring south east Asia – and Dan and Lou have been documenting their travels on social media via their Instagram @theinclusiveitinerary.
The couple booked a one-way flight to Bangkok, stayed for a month there before moving to Chiang Mai and Phuket, and are now in Penang in Malaysia.
The British couple sold everything they owned earlier this year to travel the world with their three children
The family is now exploring south east Asia – and Dan and Lou have been documenting their travels on social media
Dan and Lou knew travel could be a gamble for their three children, Evie, 8, Otis, 5, and Ezra, 1.
But now their kids are ‘learning Vietnamese’, ‘bathing elephants’, ‘climbing waterfalls’ and ‘sleeping in the jungle’.
From their condo in Malaysia where they are currently staying, the pair shared their motivations for such an unconventional move.
Dan said their UK life was ‘survival all the time, not really living’.
He said work took over his life during the week, and Lou said they had no real social life.
Having a mortgage and children in school, the pair felt they were stuck on a conveyor belt.
Dan said: ‘We had a certain way of life and realised it didn’t work for us.
‘Because I’m 32 now. I’ve had three kids, my life’s changed entirely, but that’s just in a period of 10 years, which goes by fast. Going from 30 to 60 could just pass in a blink.’
They had considered travelling before after having Evie, but when Otis grew up, that was the catalyst
Scared life would pass them by, they started to think seriously about a dream of theirs – travelling the world with their children in tow
He says he understands how people get to 60 and feel they haven’t achieved anything.
Scared life would pass them by, they started to think seriously about a dream of theirs – travelling the world with their children in tow.
Lou said: ‘I think when we had that conversation, we realised we should look into this a bit more. Then you start looking around, doing your research, and I think we always dismissed the idea of it because we have kids.
‘Then we had a child with quite a severe disability. And I feel like when we had Otis, who was our child with Down’s Syndrome, we were very much then in this mindset of, okay, life stops now – he’s disabled, that means we can’t do anything.’
They had considered travelling before, after having Evie, but when Otis grew up, that was the catalyst.
Their son has Down’s Syndrome – and, Lou argues, many places in the UK are not geared up for it. People overseas have been more welcoming of their son than in UK, she says.
‘It was quite isolating,’ Lou says.
Dan echoes: ‘We thought, do we just survive Monday to Friday and then have quiet weekends? Or shall we actually start living now?’
They had considered travelling before after having Evie
Now they’ve taken the plunge? It’s a different story.
Lou says: ‘Do you know what? My biggest regret is not doing it sooner. I regret listening to how society tells you to perceive disabilities. I wish I had the courage sooner to say this is my child, my way.’
Dan advises anyone considering a similar move to ‘just go for it’.
He says: ‘Just look at your life and question it. I think it’s very easy to fall into a routine. And then every year for the rest of your life, your escape is that you go on holiday.
‘You have a holiday a year, and then when your kids are old enough, they go off to university, and then you get your time back, and that’s when you start living. It’s like you lose 18 years, 20 years of your life, and it’s so easy to write that off.’
The parents believe education is important, too, and have enrolled their children in school hubs as they travel around the world. Now they are educated through ‘world school hubs’ and have a more rounded learning experience – including trips every week.
Lou says: ‘When you get to these places, you realise these world schooling hubs exist, because there are people from all corners of the world who have all done the same thing.
‘We’ve come from the UK, but someone’s done the same thing from France, or Canada, or the US. They’re so nice! Because you’re in a similar boat, and you’ve had a similar experience, you’re already on the same wavelength. You very quickly become friends.’
Now they are educated through ‘world school hubs’ and have a more rounded learning experience – including trips every week
The ease of connecting has been a big win, especially for Otis, who often struggled to communicate with people in the UK.
Lou says: ‘Rather than Otis being the odd one out, now we can go everywhere together, so Otis comes to all these world schooling places with us. For kids at his age, typically, it’s not straightforward for them to understand his disability. If they can’t understand it, they don’t bother with him.
‘Whereas here, kids that are his age, they won’t understand him because they don’t speak his language. But because they don’t understand the language anyway, they’re just two kids interacting, playing on the same level. They don’t see any difference.
‘I remember in Thailand he met another kid at this play centre, and they were best mates. He’s never done that. The whole time we’ve had him in England I’ve never seen him befriend people.
‘Honestly, it makes me so emotional, it’s amazing. He befriends people often now.’
Their children have also been ‘exposed to so many incredible things that would be far too expensive in the UK’, Dan says.
For example, days out are cheaper, as well as food and transport.
And they won’t be missing out on the festive season just because they’re on the other side of the world.
The children have also been ‘exposed to so many incredible things that would be far too expensive in the UK’, Dan says
They plan to make Christmas special abroad – they aim to be in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for Christmas so they can settle for a few weeks and explore Christmas markets.
As for their next steps?
They’ve got enough funds for now, but if all goes well, they will look into extending their travels.
It’s easy to understand why, given the complete turnaround in the wellbeing and mental health of all of their children – let alone themselves.
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