Worldschooling 101: Where to Begin

by | May 3, 2025 | world school

Deciding to worldschool your kids is a huge leap — but choosing where to go first? That’s where most families get stuck.

Should you stay close to home?
Chase the sunshine?
Follow the cheapest flights?
Go where everyone else is going — or find your own path?

In this post, I’ll walk you through the exact questions we asked (and the mistakes we nearly made) when choosing our first worldschool destination — so you can skip the overwhelm and start with clarity.


four children looking at sea
Photo by Naya Shaw on Pexels.com

🧭 First Things First: What Are You Really Looking For?

Before you open Google Flights or scroll through dreamy reels of Morocco or Bali, ask yourself this:

What kind of experience do we want to have?

Here are a few lenses to look through:

👩‍👧 Connection-Based

Are you craving deeper family connection, slower rhythms, and more presence?

You might want: a rural area, nature retreat, beach town, or walkable village

📚 Learning-Based

Do you want to immerse in history, language, culture, or hands-on education?

You might want: culturally rich cities with museums, ruins, food tours, or local classes

💸 Budget-Based

Is your top priority stretching your funds while you figure this all out?

You might want: a low-cost region like Mexico, Southeast Asia, or Eastern Europe

🌞 Climate-Based

Do you just need sunshine and a break from the grind?

You might want: beach towns, tropical hubs, or anywhere with outdoor living

kids sitting on green grass field
Photo by Vika Glitter on Pexels.com

✈️ The Destination Quiz: Ask These 5 Questions

Use these to filter down options that actually work for your family:

  1. Do we want city, nature, or a mix of both?
  2. What climate do we thrive in? (Be honest — the heat isn’t always dreamy with kids!)
  3. How important is walkability or public transport?
  4. Do we need strong Wi-Fi or can we unplug for a bit?
  5. Are we looking for community or solitude?

This helped us avoid the trap of picking destinations that looked dreamy online — but would have made us miserable on the ground.

✨ 6 Great First-Time Worldschool Destinations

Here are some tried-and-true options we seriously considered — and why they work well:

🇲🇽 Mexico

  • Pros: Affordable, family-friendly, rich culture, walkable cities, great food, easy to start with
  • Top spots: Oaxaca, Mérida, San Miguel de Allende, Puerto Escondido

🇵🇹 Portugal

  • Pros: Safe, chill, amazing food and beaches, solid Wi-Fi
  • Top spots: Lisbon, Algarve, Setúbal

🇹🇭 Thailand

  • Pros: Friendly people, beautiful beaches, strong expat communities
  • Top spots: Chiang Mai (great for families), Krabi, Pai

🇬🇪 Georgia (the country!)

  • Pros: Visa-free for a year, super affordable, stunning nature
  • Top spots: Tbilisi, Batumi

🇲🇦 Morocco

  • Pros: Budget-friendly, exotic and educational, close to Europe
  • Top spots: Essaouira, Chefchaouen, Marrakech (in cooler months)

🇦🇱 Albania

  • Pros: Beautiful coastline, low cost, non-Schengen (for visa runs!)
  • Top spots: Sarandë, Berat, Gjirokastër

❤️ Our Personal Path

We started our worldschool journey in Canada (with house sits), and then moved to Mexico. Why?

  • It was close, affordable, and gave us room to find our rhythm
  • The culture is rich, but the logistics weren’t overwhelming
  • Our girls could ease into Spanish while feeling safe and supported

It wasn’t perfect — but it was perfect for us to begin. If you are interested in house sitting opportunities. Check out our favorite site for opportunities.

💡 Final Thoughts

There’s no “right” first destination — only the one that fits your season, energy, and values. Start with what matters most to you.

And remember: you can always move on. Worldschooling is fluid. You don’t need to get it perfect — you just need to get started.

🎒Want Help Choosing?

Download our free guide:
“Plan Your First 90 Days of Worldschooling”

✨ Start building your new life — one intentional decision at a time.


Liz

Liz

Founder, VIBE Living Travel

I’m Liz -clarity coach, travel mentor, and freedom-led mama helping women design bold lives abroad with purpose and peace.
After years of caregiving and soul-searching, I finally gave myself permission to leave behind the grind and step into the life I’d always dreamed of.

Now I guide others to do the same – through grounded tools, honest stories, and courses that simplify the move abroad process (without the burnout or confusion).
Whether you’re here to move, rebuild, or remember who you really are… welcome. ✨

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