Family Backpacking in Asia – Our Journey Begins!

“The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.” – Oprah Winfrey

We Actually Did It – I Still Can’t Believe It!

A Moment of Gratitude

A family backpacking in Asia: Here I stand, coffee in hand, on the small balcony of our condo in Langkawi, Malaysia. The sun shines on the rooftops. In the distance, I can see palm trees swaying in the wind. The place is far from glamorous. It’s just everyday life. Laundry hangs out on the other balconies.

The kids are taking a break from the heat, playing Minecraft in the cool air-conditioned breeze. Haakon is taking an afternoon nap. And here I am, thinking: We actually did it. We set off on a long journey as a family. I still can’t believe it. Even after months of traveling, it feels surreal. This is my life. Oh my god, how lucky am I!

A Dream That Never Let Go

The dream of taking our family on a year-long journey has been with me for a long time. I’ve talked about it for years, maybe even decades – especially on the busiest, darkest days back home. Our daily life felt like a constant race from one thing to the next, barely catching our breath. It didn’t feel like I was truly living. I dreamed of a break. But actually uprooting everything and setting off on a long journey? That was something other people did – not us.

From Dream to Reality

Then one day, I realized I couldn’t just keep dreaming. If it was ever going to happen, I had to take the leap. I had to make it happen. There were a hundred things to organize before we left: packing, homeschooling plans, endless “what if” questions, and a whole lot of nerves. But we did it. And when the plane lifted off the ground, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief. We were finally on our way.

Read more: Traveling with Kids – 7 Steps from Dream to Reality

Chaotic, Magical – and Entirely Our Own Adventure

The first days of our family’s long journey were a little chaotic, but also magical. And since then, we’ve already experienced so much – more than I ever thought possible. We’ve wandered through markets, tasted foods we’d never tried before, and attempted homeschooling from hotel rooms. We train on the beach, explore new places, and spend more time together as a family than we ever did back home. It’s not always perfect, but it’s our adventure.

Reclaiming Everyday Life – in Our Own Way

This journey has become our way of reclaiming everyday life – taking back control of our time. We still face challenges, and things don’t always go as planned, but we’re here. We took the leap. And I couldn’t be more grateful for it. It takes courage to let go of the safe and predictable, but we have gained so much more than we ever could have imagined on our family’s long journey.

Welcome to our adventure!

Welcome to Our Blog!

Here, we’ll share glimpses of our journey – both the big adventures and the small, everyday moments. We hope our stories inspire you to follow your own dreams, no matter how big or small they may be.

Leave a comment and tell us – what do you dream about?

We’re the Mjaatvedt family, an adventurous group of five who followed our dream, quit our jobs, packed our bags and embarked on a year of backpacking through Asia. With us on the journey are three children aged 10 to 16, home schooling and a passion for exploring new cultures, flavors and places off the beaten track.

Through Asia4five, we share our experiences, travel tips and insights to inspire others to travel more – whether it’s on shorter vacations or bigger adventures. We create personalized travel guides, practical tips and honest blog posts to make your journey easier and more memorable.

Join us on the journey! 🚀🌍

Bangkok Burnout Dare to Take the Leap departure Homeschooling While Traveling Job and Leave nana our journey Packing for long distance Thailand Traffic Travel budget Travel with Kids Visa and Travel Documents welcome We made it!