Our Beautiful Australian Resort at Airlie Beach

These are wild mangos growing on the tree next to our villa. They are growing everywhere!

This is the resort pool. Devin loved the waterslides. One of my friends, Peck, went dumpter-diving one day after the conference and found several inflatable mattresses. We filled them all up and then had a huge water war with over a dozen Unschooled kids... So many memories and meet-ups for parents that I worked with one on one in this space.

This is our beautiful Villa which was our home for three weeks.

Australian Candy/Lollies

Here I am exhausted at the airport waiting for our final flight to Airlie Beach at the Great Barrier Reef. There was a fourteen hour time difference in Australia and it was quite an adjustment!

A Year of New Experiences!

Unschooling is all about giving your child as big of a world as possible. I feel very blessed that we can give our children so many opportunities and experiences to learn and grow from. Devin and I did so many new things that we had never done before when we were in Australia. One of which was parasailing! It was incredible and so peaceful when we were up in the air together. We talked about how grateful we were and how beautiful the experience was. Devin reminded me to be present and breathe in the moment. Our trip to Australia together is something I will never forget.

The wild cockatoos were everywhere and feeding them was a special treat for me. In the evening they would all fly back to their nests and looking up to see them fly overhead was unbelievable for me to experience. I have never seen exotic birds in the wild like there were at the Great Barrier Reef area of Australia. Such paradise!

Living the Dream at The Great Barrier Reef!!

Here Devin and I are ready to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef in Australia!

What we have on are called, "stinger suits" and they cover every inch of our bodies. There were jellyfish that could kill you where we were swimming, but we were totally protected.

This is a lifelong dream come true for me! It was amazing!!

Devin suiting up for his first experience snorkeling! He LOVED every minute of it! He saw giant clams, tons of fish and touched the Great Barrier Reef itself as he swam only a foot over it. Amazing life experience!!!

This is the boat that we took out to the Great Barrier Reef. It was a three-hour boat trip to the Reef itself. The is the same ship that Oprah took to the Reef when she visited Australia last year.

Here Devin is in a submarine where we were able to explore the Great Barrier Reef with great commentary about what we were seeing. We learned so much!

More Australia 2011...

Handmade Didgeridoos!

Devin climbed so many trees in Australia. This was my favorite one!!

Devin's new passion - Fire Twirling!!

My friend Brit and I at the Australian Unschooling Conference, 2011. Brit is one of the organizers of our Shift Experience in Sydney in 2012!!

Aussie Money! So beautiful and colorful!

Bringing Halloween in Oz

Before flying to Australia, the organizers of the Unschooling conference asked me if I would help them bring the American holiday of Halloween to the families attending the conference. I shared that I would be happy to organize Trick-or-Treating and share with the conference attendees what it entailed. To see most of these kids so excited to experience Halloween for the very first time was magical!! Also, seeing Halloween celebrated in such a non-commercial way was inspiring. I loved giving out "lollies" (what the Aussies call candy) and American change when I ran out of lollies.

Wild Australian Coconuts!

Holly and Lotus drinking the deliciousness!

Peck, opening each coconut with a machete. It wasn't as easy as it looked to do that!

The coconuts were abundant! It was such a good idea for Holly and Peck to pick them and then sell them at the conference. They were so popular! I loved how Peck would bring me on after my talks to help recharge me. I wish they grew in New Hampshire! ;)

Daydream Island, Australia Adventure!

Devin and I enjoyed Jetskiing on Daydream Island, Australia.

I loved the wild cockatoos!

Devin learned to scuba dive and then explored the depths of the ocean!!

New Ink!

When I was in Australia, I decided to get a tattoo to honor my husband and also symbolize the driving force in my life - Love! Love for my life, my family and my friends. I am so full of love and love to give it freely and abundantly to others.

This is the Japanese symbol for love under Joe's name written in tribal script. Devin was with me for the whole experience and it was great having him by my side as I tattooed his fathers name on my wrist. Devin loved being part of it!

This is my friend Finn. He is the son of my friend Maree. He was really interested in learning about tattoos and tattooing. Being Unschooled, his passion for learning is infectious! I was so glad to have him watch me go through the experience. He asked a lot of questions and my tattoo artist was happy to have him there and answer anything he asked about.

One great thing about Australia is that children are welcome in the back of a tattoo studio. They aren't in most studios in America. There is definitely a higher level of freedom there compared to here in many ways. I loved being barefoot in the grocery stores too!

Australia Adventures 2012

Here is Devin and his friend Jasper on an islands in the Whitsunday Island region of theGreat Barrier Reef in Australia. Devin and I flew to Australia for three weeks to speak at the 2nd Australian Unschooling Conference. It was an amazing experience!

Devin at Daydream Island, Australia

Devin and I sea kayaking in Australia

The Three Brothers Statues on Daydream Island.

Devin at Airlie Beach, Australia.