Regrets - Gap Years for families

"The only way of catching a train I ever discovered is to miss the train before."
G.K. Chesterton

Looking back I do have a few regrets. Some major, some minor.

Major regrets:

• We did our gap year to include my 40th birthday. Savannah was going into year four and Eliza was going into her first year of high school but was still only 11 which meant that all her tickets etc were child fare. It was so logical to go then but looking back she missed out in some ways with the bonding of many of the little groups at school and has found it a little harder to fit in.
  
  
• I should have saved a little harder and a little longer got a bigger campervan for Australia. The extra space would have made the stay far more enjoyable and easier. Not least of all that we could have had an onboard loo!
  
  
• I should have networked before I left, met with other families through networking sites and forums like the thorn tree. Chatted to other families/parents, agreed to meet up as we travelled, shared fears and excitement. Shared ideas and tips.
  
  
• Uploaded much more homework onto the laptop so we carried less in terms of books and paperwork and we could have carried more homework and text info had we had it on the laptop. As it was we had to buy books along the way, libraries not being an option, nor yet the internet as we did not have consistent connection and had to pay per slot.
  
  
• Do it Now. - As we drove we would naturally go passed various things that intrigued or interested us. For example a waterfall, a park, a weird looking cafe. In the beginning I wouldn’t always stop, thinking ‘We’ll stop on the way back.’
  Except we didn’t always go back the same way or if we did it was closed or some such.
  I learnt that if you are interested, DO IT NOW, or else you will very likely miss out.
  

Minor Regrets

• The Towels that I took. Too big, should have stuck with travel towels.
  
  
• Packed way too many clothes
  
  
• Kept more bits and bobs for the girls journals
  
  
• Had other people take more photos of the children and I and got the kids to use the camera on me. I have sooooo many shots but mostly of them which is wonderful for me but they have few shots of me. (My mum died a few years ago and LOATHED the camera almost as much as I do and I wish I had more photos of her. You might be appalled by the way you look on screen but for the people who love you, you're just you.)