Turning the Road Into a Family Classroom

Дата публикации: 28-03-2026 10:00:44

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Trading our desks for deserts, coastlines, and campgrounds is giving our children a travel-based, real-world-inspired education.

By David and Kearstin Saul

At 9 a.m., our 15-year-old daughter Kinlee logs into her high school English class from a campground in Florida.

Meanwhile, our eight-year-old son Zeke is engaged in a Montessori-style learning activity outdoors. Tomorrow, we’re headed to the Everglades for an immersive learning experience for the entire family. Kinlee will be able to watch a recording of that day’s lessons on her laptop later, maybe under the stars at the picnic table next to our RV.

The only way we’ve been able to keep our kids on track academically while visiting every continental U.S. state is by rethinking school and choosing education options built for mobility, not a single ZIP code.

We didn’t set out to become a “digital nomad family.” At first, we were just a family in Asheville, North Carolina, doing what so many others were doing during the pandemic: juggling working remotely with navigating online learning at home with our kids.

Somewhere between lockdowns and Zoom calls, a bigger question started to take shape: If work and school no longer had to be tied to a building, what kind of life could we create together?

This idea didn’t come easily. One of us had always dreamed of living small and traveling full-time. The other, a civil engineer and lifelong “numbers guy,” needed proof it could actually work. The pandemic gave us both the space to imagine a different path.

Once we realized we could sell our home, become debt-free, and maintain our remote income, the dream became tangible. We committed to one year on the road, promising our kids—and ourselves—that if it didn’t feel right, we’d stop. We’re now heading into our fifth year.

In the time we’ve spent living, learning, and working from our RV, we’ve discovered that the key to keeping kids engaged in learning and on track for success is to weave educational opportunities into everyday life. 

Two Kids, Two Learning Paths

As a family with a 15-year-old daughter and an 8-year-old son, one of the biggest lessons we’ve learned is that flexibility is essential. Kinlee is in high school and thrives on structure, challenge, and connection with peers.

After doing a deep dive into online and homeschool options, we chose Crimson Global Academy (CGA), where Kinlee participates in live, interactive classes with students from around the world. CGA’s rigorous coursework and hybrid model—live sessions paired with recorded lessons—allow her to keep pace academically even on travel days. More importantly, learning this way has taught her responsibility. She manages her schedule, stays accountable for her work, and has grown more confident and independent. 

Zeke’s learning looks very different. At his age, we lean into curiosity and movement. His education is a blend of workbooks, hands-on projects, and what we like to call “location-based learning.” If we’re in the Everglades, we turn it into a fun science class. A trip to the zoo becomes biology. National parks turn into living geography and history lessons.

The World as Curriculum

One of the most powerful shifts we’ve seen is how learning sticks when it’s lived.

Kinlee has had moments where she’s studying a concept in class (whether it’s geology, history, or environmental science) and then finds herself standing inside the lesson weeks later. Walking through Yellowstone, exploring Banff, or paddle-boarding alpine lakes near the Grand Tetons has made abstract ideas tangible in ways no textbook ever could. 

For Zeke, learning rarely happens sitting still. He absorbs more outside than he ever would at a desk. We’ve stopped trying to force learning into rigid blocks of time and instead let his curiosity lead the way.

One of the most common questions we get asked is how we maintain social relationships, particularly for young kids who don’t have access to in-person school-organized activities. The truth is, your life can be as social on the road in an RV as it was living in one zip code in a home, maybe even more so.

The RV community is full of families. In winter, especially, hundreds of full-time traveling families converge in places like Florida and Southern California. We’re spending this winter at an RV park in Orlando, where there are 40 or 50 kids. Kinlee and Zeke have been going to theater classes and park meetups—there’s even an RV prom. Because of our nomadic lifestyle and her online school, Kinlee has friends scattered across states and countries, and thanks to CGA, she’ll be meeting classmates in person at organized meetups. 

Instead of being surrounded by the same peers year after year, our kids meet people of all ages, backgrounds, and perspectives. That diversity has expanded their world far beyond what we had imagined.

What Makes Digital Nomad Lifestyle Work

Living in an RV full-time isn’t about constant motion. In winter, we stay put for months. In summer, we’re more mobile, but we avoid one-night stays whenever possible. Balance matters. A few things we’ve learned along the way about living and learning on the road:

• Choose the right RV. Space and privacy are non-negotiable for long-term travel. Everyone needs their own area.
• Plan learning around life, not the other way around. Some days are school-heavy. Others are exploration-heavy. Both count. One week might feature a science lesson on ecosystems capped with a boat tour in the Everglades, while another week pairs history lessons with time in a historic Western town near a national park. 
• Invest in community. Whether it’s CGA, local classes, or RV family groups, connection is essential.
• Divide and conquer based on your strengths. Zeke does a lot of Montessori-inspired activities because Kearstin used to work at a Montessori school. David, with his background in civil engineering,  typically takes the lead on math, while Kearstin focuses on reading, writing, and spelling.
• Let kids take ownership, especially as they get older. Responsibility breeds confidence.
• Slow down. This lifestyle works best when it’s intentional, not rushed.

Raising Curious, Capable Humans

Both of us went through traditional schooling—public and private—and we don’t see this lifestyle as “better,” just different. What our kids have gained is choice. They can lean into what excites them. Kinlee has discovered a love for journalism, fueled by years of travel journaling. Zeke learns best when his hands and feet are moving.

What matters most to us is that our kids are engaged, growing, and happy. Each December, we sit down as a family and ask: Is this still working? So far, the answer has always been yes.

An Open Invitation

We don’t believe there’s one right way to live, travel, or learn. But we do believe the world is bigger than four classroom walls and that education doesn’t have to be confined by geography.

For families who feel that pull toward adventure, flexibility, and deeper connection, know this: it is possible. The road can be a classroom. Curiosity can be the curriculum. And learning can happen anywhere.

You can follow the Saul family’s adventures on Instagram @heartandsaultravel, and go to CrimsonGlobalAcademy.school to learn more.

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