Family Gap Year with Tara and Dave
Gone are the days where we work 9-5, at the same company, for 40 years.
Couples, individuals and families all around the world are reinventing what life can look like for them and reprioritize what matters most. It might be travel, time together, or more space to think. The most fulfilled lives are the ones we are creating.
The Little Book of Big Dreams shows what life is like when we think our dreams are possible. May their stories encourage you to dream!
The Little Book of Big Dreams Series
After a magnificent blind date that was the catalyst for a life-long adventure, Tara & Dave created Molly & Zev. Their shared passion for exploring cultures and forging connections had Tara & Dave investing their time to create businesses that would support dreams to introduce their kids to the world and the unique people within. Dave was an 18 hours/day, seven days a week do-er--super productive and super involved with family, friends, work, and community. Tara, coordinator extraordinaire, was organizing schedules for a family of four while running her own pregnancy focused massage therapy clinic. This full life was fulfilling but left little space to sink into the deep enjoyment that only downtime can provide. So when Dave woke up one morning and leaned over for a thirty second snuggle, he whispered in Tara’s ear, “we should move to Bali.” Tara then set her talents in motion to make it happen!
From Jessica’s desk: We met Tara and Dave sitting in a little cafe on the beach in Bali. We learned that they were there for a year while their children attended The Green School. The Green School educates for sustainability through community learning in a natural environment. We chatted about their global travels, leaving Canada and life in Bali. Their view on life, travel and kids is refreshing and grounded!
Read more below to see how they made it all work.
We were lucky enough to cross paths with your and your family in Bali but you are originally from Canada. How did you decide to live abroad?
Love! We were so busy with life and wanted more time with each other. We decided that the only way to make that happen was to practice our pre-tirement; learn to enjoy each other more while we were still young and had children willing to participate.
We chose Bali for the local people and culture, the climate, the affordability, and the incredible school and associated community (greenschool.org).
2. What made you go from just thinking about doing it to actually going for it? Had you always dreamed of being expats?
We are all very well-travelled. We never dreamed of being expats, but we are constantly dreaming of adventure, and our next exploration.
Commitment to creating the lives that we want to live was our impetus. Early in our relationship, when we started the adjustment to life with children, we sat down to plan our lives a little. Dave had an opportunity to go to Ireland within months of the birth of our second child. Tara expressed concern with her ability to manage in Dave’s absence. The conversation went back and forth until we came to a resolution that worked perfectly for us both--we will do everything in our power to support each other to live the lives we really want to live! “You should go,” Tara said. And every trip since has happened!
3. Were you both on board from the start? Anyone need convincing?
We were both totally on board and excited. Although on our day of departure, Zev exclaimed, “Hey, nobody asked me if I wanted to move to Bali?!?”
4. You moved to a new country, across the world, with 2 young kids. Did you ever think, “Let's just wait until the kids are older?”
Nope! We thought that they would be less willing to go if they were older and more entwined in their friendships. We wanted to encourage as much flexibility as possible at a younger age.
5. Did you ever change your mind? Any fear around this?
Never!
6. How did you afford to do it? Any ideas you can pass along to someone that feels like money is keeping them from making a change.
In order to pay for the expat housing and the private school we saved up for two years. We used banked airline points for our flights to and from Bali. Our day-to-day expenses were covered by renting our home in Vancouver, BC, Canada. And Dave’s work as a life and executive coach is portable and can be done remotely. Dave worked minimally while abroad, and was able to assemble a group of Internationals to facilitate a condensed version of his Men’s Group curriculum.
7. Did others’ opinions about your choices ever affect you?
Although there were many people in our lives that thought the decision to leave at the peak of business development was backward, and that heading somewhere with poor access to modern infrastructure was reckless, we never had a second thought about whether or not to jump into the abyss with both feet!
8. What was the biggest adjustment when living abroad?
Tara--the bugs
Dave--the lack of productivity
Zev--lack of organized sport
Molly--being a pre-teen
9. Did it ever cross your mind to stay in Bali permanently?
You bet it did! We loved the school and we loved the community. But, interestingly, right after we met you all, we decided to return to Canada after our one year, with dreams of heading someplace else in the years to come.
Although we were ecstatic to introduce our kids to such a unique and incredible place, we did not want their long-term health to be affected by the pollution.
10. If you could offer someone one piece of advice in regards to going for a big dream they have, what would it be?
JUST DO IT! Live the life of your dreams, as it is always within your grasp….
Want to stay connected with Tara and Dave? Find them here:
on Facebook: Tara Romalis Robens and Dave Robens