These parents have packed up to travel the world with their three kids - and have an efficient schedule to ensure their children are educated.
Mike Pope, 40, and his wife, Brooke, 39 have spent the last three years travelling through more than 15 countries with their three children, Max, eight, Mila, six and Daisy, three.
Mike and Brooke fund their travelling lifestyle through remote online marketing roles after leaving their full-time jobs as a firefighter and travel agent.
The family, from Melbourne, AUS, have travelled to Malta, Mexico, Serbia, Boston, Florida, Iceland, Turkey, the UK, and cross country through Australia.
Mike said: “Brooke and I have always loved travelling and adventures, and we visited a lot of places before having the kids.
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“The passion for travel kind of spurred us on to pack up and travel the world in February 2020, not long after Daisy was born.
“We went to Disney World in Florida, and then down to Mexico where we ended up getting stuck for four months when Covid-19 hit.
“Our accommodation was great, so the kids got to play in the pool most days, the only downside was that we weren’t really allowed to leave unless we were going to buy groceries.
“Once we were able to leave Mexico, we visited Iceland, New York, Turkey, Italy, Serbia, and Malta and basically travelled across Europe as Australia's borders were still closed.
“With the pandemic still ongoing, Malta was extremely quiet, so we were able to visit.
Brooke added: “Covid 19 numbers were really low in Malta, and as the second wave hit Europe, we ended up having to stay in Malta for 10 weeks.
"It was nice to be able to see all of the sights and visit some attractions whilst we were there as it was relatively quiet, although we did have to apply for residency whilst we were there, due to being stuck.”
After coming back to Australia during the Christmas period in 2020, the family have since been travelling across the country in a 4x4 with a caravan.
Mike said: “When we came back to Australia, we were instantly back on the road, we’ve travelled through New South Wales, the Kimberley Region, Tasmania, and lots of other places.
“Australia is just so big that we’ve barely even scratched the surface."
The children are homeschooled for an hour and a half per day.
Brooke said: “We’ve made so many friends with other families on the road, it’s amazing.
“The kids are constantly learning and growing with each passing day.
“We do home school for less than two hours daily and then they’re field learning and exploring, as well as making friends and interacting with new people.
“We’re in no rush to go to the next place, and really, it’s all about where the wind takes us.
“By travelling the globe, we’re making so many memories with the kids that we wouldn’t be able to in full time stationary jobs and life.”
Despite being able to live their dream travel life, the family have had to make a few sacrifices along the way.
Brooke said: “The kids miss their friends quite a bit, so its nice for them to visit when we come back to Melbourne.
“We’re hoping to enrol them in school in a different country in a few years and settle down for a little while, but we’ve got plenty of travelling to do first.
“When we left for a life of travel, we gave a lot of things away which was hard at the time, but you realise that you don’t need all those things.
“We have a storage unit that a few sentimental pieces are stored in but that’s it."
Mike added: “During the pandemic, it was difficult not being able to see other family members and close friends, especially as Australia had the biggest restrictions.
“But a lot of them were going on holidays to places like Portugal and Bulgaria in 2020, and we had plans to meet them, but once the pandemic hit, those plans were scupered.
"Now that we're travelling through Australia, we're able to catch up with friends and family before we head over seas again next year."
You can keep up with the Pope family’s adventures via their IG: @_roaminfree
