Meet the globe-trotting Scots family who have been travelling the world for nearly SEVEN years

As family albums go, the Smiths’ collection of vibrant and captivating photographs look like they were plucked straight from the pages of National Geographic magazine.

For the last seven years, Julie and Kris Smith have been on the most life-changing journeys; They travel almost constantly across continents and oceans with their two children, visiting more than 50 countries and staying in hundreds of homes along the way.

Their epic world tour began in June 2019, when they made the momentous decision to leave their old lives behind; giving up their home, work and school in Aberdeen to embark on a new adventure with their son Jacob, then three, and their daughter Erihn, nine.

Since then, they’ve trekked to Everest base camp, starred in a Bollywood movie, survived an earthquake, lived in Indian jungles, and watched the sun set with countless breathtaking views.

But for those who think this is a long vacation, think again. There were grueling journeys, like a 19-hour train ride in Vietnam, and homes they had to share with all kinds of wildlife.

They also had to deal with issues every family faces, such as illness, schoolwork, and managing their finances.

As Julie explains: ‘People still ask, ‘How’s the holiday going, how’s the trip going?’ he says. But really it’s just a different lifestyle.’

The couple had traveled extensively before having children and often dreamed of leaving the hustle and bustle for something more fulfilling.

Mother Julie and son Jacob Smith take a river cruise in Hoi An, Vietnam

One day, while sitting in the office where he worked as an electrical engineer in Aberdeen, Kris decided he was tired of staring at the gray sky.

He began researching how the family could rent out their home and use that income for travel.

They also began to save money and sold almost all their worldly possessions. The idea was for them to live on a tight budget that would ensure they didn’t spend more than they could afford.

Part of this will include ‘couchsurfing’, where people host travelers for free for short periods of time.

Additionally, the cost of living is much lower in many countries, which will allow their money to go further.

Julie describes the moment they decided to do it: ‘He wrote a departure date on the chalkboard in our kitchen and somehow convinced me that it was actually possible.

‘Fast forward two years, because of course we missed the original ‘blackboard’ date by a year, added a bucketload of persistence along with our share of false dawns, and finally set off on our great nomadic adventure.’

Their decision to couch surf led them to meet countless people from all walks of life, including an eccentric host in Vienna who said he could talk to wolves.

Julie, 52, says: ‘You meet the most weird and wonderful people and everyone has a story. “We have never had a bad experience.” Their journeys also brought them into close contact with wilder inhabitants.

‘We’ve had a few tarantulas and poison frogs. “At one point Erihn was stung by a scorpion in our backyard in Costa Rica,” Julie adds.

‘Luckily, we had good friends who sent the photo to a pediatrician. He said, “Oh yeah, it’s just a scorpion, you just have to do X, Y and Z and it’ll be fine in a few days.” And it was.”

The entire family was also vaccinated against rabies and protected themselves in case they were bitten by the many stray dogs they see around the world.

Kris, Jules, Erihn and Jacob Smith at Everest Base Camp during the Covid outbreak

The family posed for photos together in Kerala, India, last year.

Kris even encountered a monkey trying to snatch his camera in Sri Lanka.

On another occasion, little Jacob went to use the toilet while the family was on safari, but was confronted by a huge tarantula.

They also had to share their digs with local wildlife, like an iguana that lived in a Costa Rican attic and whose pee leaked through the ceiling onto its bed below.

Another time, heavy rain led to an infestation of hundreds of cockroaches, which came scurrying into the room through a drain in the floor. ‘We were running around with cups and lids trying to catch them,’ says Kris. It was disgusting.”

And encountering animals isn’t the only challenge they face.

While renting a top-floor apartment in Morocco, they were caught in a massive earthquake that shook the country.

Kris, 47, says: ‘You think you’re the one shaking and then suddenly you realize, ‘Oh, the whole building is moving like jelly.’

‘My first thought was to run to the roof, but Julie said, ‘We have to get out of here.’

‘So we ran five floors to get out. When I ran into the street, I could see the lamppost swinging in front of us. We all slept among the camels on the street. ‘The neighbors came and gave us blankets.’

Due to the nature of travelling, they often have to deal with unexpected situations. For example, in March 2020, the epidemic forced them to stay in quarantine in the mountains of Nepal, 10,000 ft above sea level.

For more than three months in total, they lived with the basic necessities they brought with them.

Electronic games and devices are gone. Instead, the children had nothing but pens, notebooks, and imaginations to keep them entertained for months.

The family also took to taking bucket showers, hand-washing their single suit of clothes, and eating the same meal of dal bhat (lentil soup), bread, and an omelette every day.

Erihn and Jacob Smith at Mount Batur, Bali

Once a week, they were lucky enough to receive a single stick of Mars, which they divided enthusiastically among themselves.

In June of the same year, as the couple was much weaker than when they arrived, they received permission to complete their trek and reached Everest base camp at 17,598 ft.

That period remains one of their most precious memories. ‘Even though it was a struggle in Nepal, I loved it,’ says Julie.

‘Because we had this freedom with the kids they were so wild and wild and we knew we were safe, we knew our families were safe in Scotland.

‘I can sit and drink a cup of tea looking at the mountains. Looking back now, it was beautiful.’

Considering it was monsoon season when they set out to finish the journey to base camp, clouds had covered the peaks for most of the trek.

However, as they approached the final point, the clouds finally parted. It was worth the blisters, stomach issues, and bad weather they endured.

Kris adds: ‘Normally there would be 15,000 people on the walk but there were just the four of us and two Nepalese friends.

‘It was extraordinary how the clouds opened and then closed again during the two hours we sat there. “It was like a movie.”

Due to travel restrictions in most countries, the family returned to Aberdeen in September 2020 to reunite before hitting the road again. This was one of four times they had been home in the last seven years, and the longest ever.

During this time Jacob attended primary school; It was the only time he went to a ‘brick and mortar’ school.

After this time, they resumed their travel routes, which means the children returned to online learning. A family video shows them attending online classes last year while living with a nomadic community deep in the Indian forests.

Julie explains: ‘Structure is really important. ‘They have a school schedule with live classes and homework, so they have to arrive at a certain time.’

Currently Erihn is preparing for his GCSE exams while Jacob is enjoying his newfound love of reading.

While the family still has a lot of traveling to do, they plan to put down roots for the first time in seven years.

Julie says: ‘We want a place where we can say right, we’ll stay here for six months, eight months and then travel somewhere else for three, four, five or six months of the year.

‘We want to be able to go home more often and chat with people. ‘Trying to find that balance.’

They currently live in Xabia in southern Spain, where they hope to establish a new home.

Julie says: ‘Erihn is 15 so it would be great if he always had his own room. Our parents are getting older, so we’d like to be able to go to Aberdeen more often.’

Kris adds: ‘If we got a place here I could see us not moving for a year because that would be a novelty for us.’

Their travels are mostly financed by money they earn renting their home in Aberdeen and income from Kris’s job as a freelance video editor.

These days, Kris and Julie, who work in business development, make ends meet much less than they did when they had a job in the oil industry.

Kris says: ‘One of the reasons we went was to enjoy the time we got to spend with the kids while they were little.

‘We don’t want to go back to working five, six days a week and 9 to 5. Yes, we are much poorer than when we lived in Aberdeen, but we are happier.’

And if you think their financial situation will be easier if they return home, think again. The couple were shocked to see how the cost of living in Scotland had increased during their time away.

Kris says: ‘When we returned to Aberdeen it was a challenge because the cost of going out to eat was so high. A burger and fries that used to cost £8, £9, £10 is now £15.’

These costs are in stark contrast to some of the prices they enjoy in more remote locations. For example, dining out in Da Nang, Vietnam, started from £1, and they paid £25 a night for a clean, modern, two-bedroom flat a stone’s throw from the ocean.

This aspect of travel is something they, like many others, discuss on their @Clanwander social media page, which they use to help other travel-savvy families follow their lead.

So what does life look like now? ‘We started swimming in the sea here with a group,’ says Julie.

‘Maybe we’ll go down to the beach, have a little breakfast and then head back home so the kids can go to school.’

There are also weekly Muay Thai boxing lessons for Jacob, who is enjoying his first bike, and a more consistent friendship group for both children.

While the Smiths appreciate the stability that comes with staying in one place, they plan to travel further afield with the benefit of having a fixed base.

As Kris explains: ‘It’s trying to find that balance, and over the years we’ve slowly found what works for our family.’