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Dear Mom and Dad: I hate camp

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ATTENTION ALL WOMENWant it all? Start telling the truth about your life

When Nancy Harper and her husband decidedto go on vacation in 2006 with their two

daughters, aged 7 and 8, Disneyland wasn’t going tocut it.

The travel junkies took their desire for adventureto the extreme, deciding to leave their home in Elo-ra, Ont., for a year-long trek across Canada, NewZealand, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and SouthAfrica.

There are many parents who would consider un-dertaking that kind of trip with two children fool-ish, if not slightly insane. And looking back, Ms.Harper admits that there were times when the“adventure” was even a bit too much for her (likecamping in Australia during monsoon season – it’sa wonder, she says, that she didn’t start smokingagain). She documented the ups, downs and way,way downs of their odyssey in her self-publisheddigital book, Travellin’ Mama: A Parent’s Guide toDitching the Routine, Seeing the World and Taking theKids Along for the Ride.

We tracked down Ms. Harper to talk about howshe pulled off the ultimate family vacation. It didn’tcome as a surprise to hear that she’s preparing for atwo-month backpacking trip through CentralAmerica. Yes, the kids are going, too.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A lot of parents find a two-week vacation withkids this age exhausting. Why did you decide onsuch a big undertaking?

I do actually enjoy travelling with them. As they getolder, you find that routine makes the time fly sofast. You want to try and slow that time down a bit.So being on the road, just the four of us for such along time, it really did do that.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Didn’t they drive you crazy?

I think what a lot people [focus on] is those timeswhen it is irritating as hell. Travel, Page 2

GETAWAYS

‘What shines through is theamazing stuff you did together,’says Ms. Harper of the trip, whichincluded a South African safari anda visit to the shores of the IndianOcean. NANCY HARPER

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Camping with her daughters in Australiaduring monsoon season may not have beenthe smartest decision Nancy Harper evermade – but she wouldn’t travel any otherway. Caroline Alphonso talks to the writerabout how she and her husband managed topull off the ultimate family vacation

12 months4 continents2 kids0 casualties

Two mothers debatethe promise andpitfalls of watchingyour kid from workPAGE 3

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