We’re ZeTravelFamily — an adventurous full-time traveling family of three.
In 2022, my husband and I had an epipheny:
Life is too short to wait for “someday.”
After 12 years of comfortable city living in Hamburg, Germany, we found ourselves stuck. We had stable jobs, a rent-controlled apartment, and all the furnishings of a comfortable life- but we felt empty and unfulfilled. The endless hours, the never-ending bills, and the bureaucracy had worn us down. Society’s definition of success left us underwhelmed.
Instead of spending another year dreaming about a week-long vacation in an exotic country, we decided to dramatically change everything.
We sold everything we could, put the rest in storage, and became digital nomads.
Little did we know – the biggest plot twist was yet to come.
The Plot Twist That Changed Everything
Less than a week after going all in on our new nomadic lives, we had to rethink everything. I was pregnant! We found ourselves frantically googling things like:
(For the record: Yes, babies born to US parents abroad are US citizens. Travel Health Insurance that covers pregnancy is complicated. And spicy food is fine for babies, but may cause heartburn.)
We eventually found SafetyWing, the first health insurance for nomads. SafetyWing covers pregnancy, long-term hospital stays, and emergencies, and offers an additional option for vision and dental coverage.
Becoming Digital Nomads While Pregnant
At 20 weeks pregnant, we boarded a one-way flight from Germany to Thailand. Thailand’s excellent (and affordable) healthcare, beautiful beaches, and delicious food made it a no-brainer for our first stop.
Thailand is where our son was born. He was born on Koh Samui, surrounded by sunshine, and raised from day one as a citizen of the world.
Adjusting to Parenthood on the Road
Traveling full-time as new parents has been an adventure. We’ve learned how to balance work, parenting, and our relationship in constantly changing environments.
We’ve learned to exist as a family unit rather than a couple. Our toddler took his first steps on the steep steps in front of our Madeiran cottage, learned to swim before he could crawl in sunny Thailand, and sampled white rice and French fries on four different continents. The digital nomad family lifestyle hasn’t just made us closer as a family. It’s made us more adaptable, intentional, and conscious as parents, partners, and humans.
Why I started ZeTravelFamily.com
In 2023, I launched ZeTravelFamily.com for three big reasons:
🌍 To find our tribe. Connection is one of the most challenging aspects of digital nomad family life. We use Nearo to find like-minded families nearby.
✨To inspire parents or anyone who’s ever doubted that adventure and parenthood could mix.
💛 To show expectant parents that having a baby isn’t the end of your freedom. It’s the beginning of a whole new adventure.
This space is for families like ours – curious, brave, unconventional and a little bit crazy. If you’ve ever dreamed about trading your comfortable routine for a life filled with freedom, adventure, and exploration, you’re in the right place. We’re living proof that you don’t have to choose between family and adventure—you can have both.
We make our own rules. We make our own mistakes. And we wouldn’t trade this life for anything.
More Blogs about Digital Nomad Family Life
Life as a digital nomad family is chaotic. It’s amazing. It’s the best life we could imagine for our family. After 3 years of full-time family travel, we’ve learned a lot of tips, tricks, and hacks to keep us organized, on-the-move, and sane(ish).
Even with a toddler in tow.
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The Ultimate Shopping List for Nomadic Families from a Full-Time Traveling Family This blog contains affiliate links. Following any links found on this site and purchasing something may result in me earning a small comission – at no extra cost to you. For more information on Affiliate Links, check out this blog. This blog doesn’t…
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Life as a digital nomad family is amazing – but it’s not the life you see online. Influencers, like me, are guilty of portraying our lives as an endless highlight reel: mornings at the beach, afternoons lounging by the pool, and rare workdays filled with ocean breezes and tropical drinks. While these moments of pure…
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If you’ve spent any time reading family travel blogs, lifestyle blogs, or parenting blogs online, you’ve encountered the little note at the beginning of blogs saying, “This blog may contain affiliate links”. But what exactly does this blurb mean, and how does it affect you, the blog reader, and me, the blogger? Let’s break this…
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As a digital nomad family, you’re about to experience more freedom than you ever imagined, with one colossal restriction – your luggage allowance! Minimalism is an essential, unaviodable part of the full-time traveling lifestyle. And I have some great news: Minimalism is good for your mental and physical health! Even if you’re not planning on…
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Feeling burnt out from full-time family travel? Discover how digital nomad families can avoid travel burnout, balance remote work with kids, and create a sustainable nomadic lifestyle. Learn practical tips for slowing down, setting up a home base, and prioritizing mental health on the road. 🌍✨ #FamilyTravel
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Are you and your family thinking about becoming a digital nomad family? If you’re like us, you’ve been scrolling Instagram and TikTok incessantly, watching other families live the nomadic dream. Or, you’re stuck on the details, trying to figure out how digital nomad families make their chaotic lifestyles work. After all, isn’t full-time travel for…
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Our biggest worry about becoming digital nomads was financial. How expensive will life be in different parts of the world? Will we able to keep our standard of living while traveling full-time? We brought these woes when we left Hamburg for Thailand, Thailand for Madeira, and Madeira for the Cook Islands. So, I started a…
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Have you ever caught yourself dreaming about traveling full-time as a family? If so, you’ve probably asked yourself: What age is best to start traveling full-time with children? The truth is, there’s no correct answer—every age has unique benefits and challenges. In this guide, I’ll break down the pros and cons of traveling with kids…
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Digital nomad family life is exciting, filled with new cities, new surroundings, and nonstop fun. These same benefits can quickly turn into a nightmare for overwhelmed parents, overstimulated children, and exhausted families.
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