Four years • Four continents • One big adventure
In 2017, my son Tai and I left South Africa to travel the world. What was meant to be one year became four years of backpacking, motorhome travel, worldschooling and campervan life across Asia, Europe, Morocco and South America.
Jeanne & Tai · Ilha Grande, Brazil
Our story
Hi, I’m Jeanne, and Learning to Breathe Abroad is the story of the four years my son, Tai, and I spent travelling the world together.
We left South Africa in January 2017, when Tai was nine, with backpacks on our backs and no idea quite how much our lives were about to change. Over the next four years we explored Southeast Asia, Europe and the Balkans, Morocco and South America.
We returned home at the end of 2020. These are our stories, practical travel guides and lessons from life on the road.
Where we went
From backpacks and buses to motorhomes and campervans, each part of our journey had a completely different rhythm. Explore the destinations, travel guides and stories from each chapter.
14 months • Motorhome
Our European journey took us through some of the continent’s best-known destinations, but it was the Balkans that completely stole our hearts.
Mountain roads, turquoise rivers and extraordinary little towns. Croatia, Albania, Montenegro, Slovenia and Serbia became some of our favourite places in the world.
Slovenia · Croatia · Bosnia & Herzegovina · Serbia · Montenegro · Albania · Kosovo · Macedonia
2 months • Motorhome
Desert roads, ancient medinas, mountain passes, coastal towns and some unforgettable wild camping.
Explore Morocco
12 months • Backpacking
Southeast Asia was the beginning of everything — backpacks, a nine-year-old and a very loose idea of what came next.
Explore Southeast Asia
18 months • Campervan
Our biggest overland adventure. We bought a campervan called Thor and travelled the continent one week at a time.
Explore South AmericaStart exploring
Practical guides and adventures from our travels.
Albania
Mountains, beaches and memorable roads through a country we fell in love with.
Read More →
Montenegro
Beautiful bays, mountain scenery and extraordinary places to stop.
Read More →
Slovenia
Lakes, castles and outdoor adventures from our motorhome journey.
Read More →
Serbia • The Balkans
Go beyond the familiar routes and explore another side of the Balkans.
Read More →
Peru • South America
Dune buggies, sandboarding and sunsets over a desert oasis.
Read More → Morocco
Golden dunes and a desert adventure to remember.
Read More →Watch the journey
Short films from the road — hot air balloons over Bagan, whitewater in Slovenia, Saharan dunes and our first week in South America.
For overland travellers
Our posts were written while we were on the road, for travellers doing exactly what we were doing — driving the continent independently.
Route maps
Border crossings
Campsites & overnight stops
Road-trip information
Attractions & places to eat
Weekly travel costs
Learning on the road
Travel wasn’t a break from Tai’s education — it became part of it.
We homeschooled and worldschooled, using the places we visited to learn about geography, history, culture and the world around us.
The bamboo train · Battambang, Cambodia
