Building the Dream of a Wandering Village Oasis
Embarking on a Bold Odyssey and The Genesis of The Travelling Village
Imagine packing your life and your family’s essentials into a suitcase and setting off on a journey that doesn’t lead home but transforms the entire globe into your communal backyard. This is the thrilling new chapter for 19 digital nomad families who have dared to redefine the essence of community and family life by joining The Travelling Village. Initiated on January 15, 2024, by Danish entrepreneurs Nikolaj Astrup and Michelle Rødgaard-Jessen, the project embodies a daring experiment to establish a roaming community post-parenthood. Having experienced the liberating yet solitary digital nomad lifestyle personally, the duo craved a world where their children could also thrive in global exploration without losing the warmth of a supportive community. The Travelling Village is their daring solution, blending the freedom of movement with the stability of a close-knit society across cultural landscapes in Hoi An, Vietnam; Ko Lanta, Thailand; and Kyoto, Japan. The genesis of this vibrant community highlights a quest for a harmonious balance between independence and a united front, where familial bonds are not restricted to conventional settlements but are rather expanded upon through shared global experiences.
Crafting a Nomadic Utopia and Daily Life and Community Dynamics
Picture a typical day in this wandering utopia: The sun peeks over the horizon as a mosaic of languages fills the air. Children, unperturbed by national boundaries, learn and play while their parents juggle remote work with the joys and demands of parenting— a microcosm of the world harmoniously distilled into a nomadic village. The community pulses with shared activities, from communal meals twice weekly to a diverse array of cultural exchanges and workgroups, echoing Danish cohousing best practices. Seventy souls, including 34 children, have connected with threads from various nationalities. Seventeen workgroups meticulously orchestrate the community’s rhythm, managing everything from meals to finances. They navigate the challenges together, like a mold infestation in Vietnam, which they addressed with the same collaborative spirit that defines their day-to-day lives. Despite varied backgrounds, these families share a single goal: to foster a space where work, education, and family life blend seamlessly amidst the backdrop of the world’s wonders. It’s this collective striving towards a shared vision that strengthens the bond of this unique community, making every sunrise a promise of new connections and shared growth.
The Balancing Act and Work, Education, and Family Time in Transition
The Travelling Village is not just a physical journey but a delicate dance of balance. Parents often find themselves working into the night, a sacrifice to ensure the days are free for family and community engagement. Work is facilitated by digital tools that erase the distance between clients and nomadic offices. Children’s laughter and learning fill the spaces between homes and shared areas as education takes on a new form—homeschooling tailored to the nomad’s life. Every family has invested around $3,000 into this collective dream, a show of their commitment, while personal expenses like flights and meals remain individual responsibilities. Such a financial model ensures everyone’s investment in the community’s success while respecting personal autonomy. The dynamic of shared childcare and group decision-making fosters a sense of collective child-rearing and democracy, cultivating an environment where every voice has the potential to shape their shared destiny. The balancing act here is multidimensional, intertwining professional productivity with personal development and collective responsibilities, ultimately shaping a community where the myriad aspects of life are not compartmentalized but flow cohesively as one.
Envisioning the Future and Expansion and Impact of The Travelling Village Experiment
As the journey nears its end on May 14, the families of The Travelling Village ponder the footprint they will leave on the world and the imprints the world has left on them. Astrup and Rødgaard-Jessen already envision an expanded horizon that could welcome other demographics, deepening local integration and fostering a more profound societal impact. The project has sparked a global curiosity, challenging the conventional wisdom of family life and work. It stands as a bold show of the human desire for connection, exploration, and the creation of shared experiences. Perhaps the greatest success of The Travelling Village is its demonstration that a life of borderless wanderings is not only feasible but can be richly rewarding when families unite under the common ideal of crafting a nomadic haven—a village that walks together. This concept’s future lies not just in its geographical expansion but in its potential to redefine societal norms, offering a template for others to draw inspiration from as they seek to harmonize the seemingly disparate elements of life, work, and play within their own communities.
