A family has revealed how they “quit life” to travel across the world – but cut their trip short as they “missed home too much”.
Taylor and Megan Kovar, 38, had become “fed up” of their hectic, non-stop lifestyle.
While running their four businesses and homeschooling their three kids, Kix, 13, Kambry, 10 and Kessly, six, they suddenly stopped and asked themselves: were they actually living the life they wanted?
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In a bid to quit the rat race and find “ultimate freedom” the pair sold up their companies to travel the world with their brood.
Now, they’ve visited Greece, Australia, Canada, Mexico and all 50 states in the US.
“Busy doesn’t even begin to cover our lives before,” the entrepreneur told Luxury Travel Daily.
“We were always in motion, chasing the next goal.
“And while we loved what we were building, it wasn’t the life we wanted.
“At that point, we were just running on autopilot.
“The answer was clear – it was time to hit pause and rethink everything we had ever known.”
Taylor, from Texas, US, had always been a believer in the FIRE movement; financial independence, retiring early.
But the finish line was distant.
Instead, to embrace freedom in the now, they settled on taking a micro-retirement.
In 2022, the family-of-five sold off and donated many of their belongings – leaving the essentials in storage – and hit the road.
As they knew this wasn’t a permanent life change, they kept their house ready to return to.
For Taylor and Megan, the only thing that mattered was being able to make quality memories with their kids before it was too late.
He said: “I had the realisation that our children wouldn’t be little forever.
“I didn’t want to wake up one day and regret missing those years with my family.
“I grew up very poor, and travel wasn’t a part of my childhood, so seeing the world always felt like something other people got to do.
“I wanted more for my kids, I wanted them to experience the places I had only ever read about in books or seen on TV – to show them the world is bigger than their backyard.”
To ensure they wouldn’t fall behind, the couple hired a private teacher to work around their travel schedules.
And coupled with experiences such as standing where the Declaration of Independence was signed and learning how pineapples grow in Hawaii, Taylor and Megan believe their kids learned more than they would’ve done in a classroom.
But they still had their concerns.
He said: “School wasn’t an issue – but social connections were.
“Would they miss out on key moments with friends? Or find it difficult to stay connected?
“It wasn’t a super long trip, but the constant moving was a lot for them to handle.
“At first, they were excited – but the novelty quickly wore off.
“I remember being sat in Hawaii, complete paradise, and the kids curled up in our laps homesick and missing their friends.
“It was a reminder that no matter how incredible the destination, home is about the people you love.”
Taylor says the experience, which cost $25,000 (USD) (£19,000) in total, was “eye-opening” and “transformative”.
Ultimately, though, they all missed having routine and a base to come back to.
After just three months, they returned home.
Taylor has now taken on a career helping families navigate financial independence so they too can experience freedom now, rather than later.
And while they’ve realised living on the road full-time isn’t for them, they still have travel as their main priority.
Taylor added: “The experience completely rewired how we see life.
“Before, we were sprinting non-stop.
“Taking a step back made us realise that time is the one thing you can ever earn more of.
“Now, we prioritise experiences over endless work.
“And travel is no longer a one-time event for us – it’s part of our lifestyle now.
“Instead of waiting for the perfect time to take a trip, we go every six weeks instead.
“Looking back, it was money well spent.
“We weren’t just paying to travel – it was about investing in memories, adventure and a perspective shift.
“We realised that the real goal wasn’t escaping normal life, it was making sure the life we built was one we didn’t want to escape from.
“The adventure was great, but there’s something about home that can’t be replaced.
“It reinforced something for me which I already knew; we aren’t promised tomorrow.
“You can work your whole life and never actually take time to live.
“Money is just a tool, but how you use it to build a meaningful life is what really matters.”
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