FAQ

Question: I somehow landed on this blog. Who are you?

Answer: We are Aubree and Zack Keys, a married couple with a 13-year-old son named Jonas and a 13-year-old daughter named Johanna. We permanently live in a suburb south of Denver, Colorado, but we will be traveling internationally for the first half of 2026.

Question: When do you leave, and when will you be back?

Answer: We fly to Colombia on December 30, 2025 and arrive back in Denver from Kyrgyzstan on July 14, 2026. 

Question: Where are you going?

Answer: Our plan is to travel throughout South America for about four and a half months, followed by a month in each of the kids' birth countries (China and Kyrgyzstan). See the itinerary tab for more details!

Question: Why are you traveling to these places?

Answer: Zack and I already traveled throughout Southeast Asia after living abroad in Australia, and South America seemed like the next-best budget-friendly place to experience different cultures and adventures with the kids. Also, 3/4 of us have some Spanish experience. Visiting the kids’ birth countries has always been in the plans, and we're excited to spend an extended time in both China and Kyrgyzstan.

Question: Why 2026?

Answer: 7th grade has always been a target year for long-term international travel with the kids, as they will be old enough to appreciate and remember the trip, but young enough to where missing school will not be too detrimental or difficult. Other things fortuitously came together to make the first half of 2026 a possibility.

Question: What about the adults’ jobs?

Answer: Zack is an IT independent contractor, so he can take on projects as desired. He’ll be taking a sabbatical during the trip. Aubree’s school was able to find a long-term sub to fill in while she is gone, so she will hopefully be rehired back into the same position in the fall.

Question: What about the kids’ schooling?

Answer: We plan to homeschool the kids while we travel. Aubree is a middle school teacher language arts teacher anyway, so she feels comfortable with that subject area, and we will make use of online materials and ideas we’ve gotten from the kids' current teachers. Plus, there will be the ongoing worldschooling experience that will naturally happen with our travels!

Question: How do the kids feel about the trip?

Answer: They are fairly excited, but they do have some mixed feelings about leaving friends and missing out on some second semester activities at school. Johanna is sad about leaving the cats!

Question: What about your house?

Answer: We thought about renting it, but ultimately decided against it for a variety of reasons. We will have family members check in on it periodically, mail will be forwarded to Aubree’s parents in Michigan, and we have neighbor boys lined up to shovel snow and mow the yard.

Question: What about the cats?

Answer: Thankfully, the son of one of Aubree’s neighborhood book club members is willing to keep them at his apartment while we are gone. They won’t like living inside full time, but they’ll have to learn to deal with it!

Question: Where will you be staying?

Answer: Because we are staying more than just a day or two in most cities, we are usually renting apartments, Airbnbs, or VRBOs in walkable areas. We want the ability to cook some of our own meals, do laundry, have more than one bedroom, etc.!

Question: How do you pack for a trip like this?

Answer: We’ll mostly be following summer weather, so we won’t have to take too many cold-weather clothes. Each person will be checking a rolling duffel bag (about 90L) and carrying on a daypack/backpack (about 28L). 

Question: Will you have phones, WiFi, etc.?

Answer: Aubree and Zack will have international plans on their phones, and the kids will have the ability to text and call on their watches. Most places we will be staying have WiFi, so we hope to keep this blog and Instagram (@aubreekeys) updated regularly. Follow along! 

Let me know what other questions you have!