Introduction
We are the Schaumanns, a family who loves God, travelling, music, learning and having a great time together. Since our family formation in 1996, we have lived in Utah, Louisiana, Brunei Darussalam, the Netherlands, and Texas. In our twenty years, we have travelled to well over 70 countries, and we’ve had unique experiences in every place. Through this blog/website, we hope to share the joy we find in seeing new places, and meeting new people. Pack your bags!
2022 - 2nd Travel Semester
In 2018, the family took an 18-month travel trip with out 6 kids. Four years later in 2022, we're taking another travel trip with only two of our kids. The older four have gotten mature and experienced and struck out on their own. Here is an update on what/where/why everyone is.
Brief History
Erik and Tera met at Brigham Young University in 1994, where Erik was studying Civil Engineering, and Tera was studying Piano Performance and Pedagogy. After about 18 months of dating, they were married in 1996. Tera graduated with her music degree, and Erik finished up his last year of school and thesis, and Emily was born. They moved to New Orleans for Erik’s first job with Exxon in 1998, and they stayed put for 9 years. During that time, 4 more children were born: Nathan, Anna, Tyler and Megan. Erik worked as a project manager for onshore and offshore oil production projects, and after 4 years moved from Exxon to Shell. Tera managed the growing household along with an in-home piano studio, while homeschooling the children and introducing each in turn to piano and violin.
After nine years in New Orleans, the first opportunity came to move abroad to Brunei Darussalam, a small Muslim country in Southeast Asia, on the island of Borneo. The family made the exciting move in late 2007, and began a six year sojourn in the Shell sponsored Panaga camp in Brunei. Erik worked to design/build/install an offshore platform and living quarters. The kids attended the international school, with Tera homeschooling one child/one year at a time, and our sixth child was born, Jacob. During this time, the family made significant travels throughout Southeast Asia with children of all ages, adventures ranging from hiking in the mountains of northern Thailand to overnight in a Karen village bamboo hut, to sandsurfing on the Australia southern coast next to the thundering Southern Ocean waves, to hiking along the Great Wall of China, to scuba-diving in the tropical waters of South China Sea.
Upon completion of the offshore Project from Borneo, the family took the opportunity to move to the Netherlands. The family took on the life of biking everywhere, and eating lots of cheese and poffertjes. The kids attended an international school in Wassenaar, and travels took us throughout Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. We climbed pyramids in Egypt, traipsed through waterfalls in Croatia, scaled erupting volcanoes in Italy, and motorboated through canals of Northern Holland. After four years in the Netherlands, with Emily and Nathan now graduated from High School, the family ended their expatriate life, and began their transition back to the United States in October 2017.
Starting in January 2018, Erik has left Shell, Emily and Nathan are taking a semester break from University, and the family is taking all 8 suitcases to embark on a full-time world travel trip.
After nine years in New Orleans, the first opportunity came to move abroad to Brunei Darussalam, a small Muslim country in Southeast Asia, on the island of Borneo. The family made the exciting move in late 2007, and began a six year sojourn in the Shell sponsored Panaga camp in Brunei. Erik worked to design/build/install an offshore platform and living quarters. The kids attended the international school, with Tera homeschooling one child/one year at a time, and our sixth child was born, Jacob. During this time, the family made significant travels throughout Southeast Asia with children of all ages, adventures ranging from hiking in the mountains of northern Thailand to overnight in a Karen village bamboo hut, to sandsurfing on the Australia southern coast next to the thundering Southern Ocean waves, to hiking along the Great Wall of China, to scuba-diving in the tropical waters of South China Sea.
Upon completion of the offshore Project from Borneo, the family took the opportunity to move to the Netherlands. The family took on the life of biking everywhere, and eating lots of cheese and poffertjes. The kids attended an international school in Wassenaar, and travels took us throughout Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. We climbed pyramids in Egypt, traipsed through waterfalls in Croatia, scaled erupting volcanoes in Italy, and motorboated through canals of Northern Holland. After four years in the Netherlands, with Emily and Nathan now graduated from High School, the family ended their expatriate life, and began their transition back to the United States in October 2017.
Starting in January 2018, Erik has left Shell, Emily and Nathan are taking a semester break from University, and the family is taking all 8 suitcases to embark on a full-time world travel trip.
