I’m going to introduce you to our neighbours and share a book, Somewhere Different,
You’re probably a family traveller, like me, maybe you homeschool, worldschool or unschool, like me.
You certainly have an interest in the world, adventure, education and alternate lifestyles.
If so, you have something in common with the family behind the book, Somewhere Different.
I first met Duncan Ridgley through an email. He described himself and his family as “You, 10 years ago.”
He and his wife, Penny, packed up their 3 children, bundled them into a camper van and took off around the world on a mission to find ” Somewhere Different”. Duncan was disillusioned with life in London. His career, as a top newspaper photographer and later in advertising, wasn’t giving him or his family the lifestyle they needed.
Do you recognise the house? Another way the Ridgleys’ family travel story has become part of our story, it’s the house we’ve bought, they built it.
It was an adventure that almost ended in tragedy.
They were on the beach in Sri Lanka on the day the devastating Boxing Day tsunami hit. By a miracle, all of them survived, their youngest child was just 7 years old.
It’s scarred them all, an experience like that is life changing, but the good news is, those three children are now grown and, after opting out of years of formal education, went on to college successfully.
Penny, Duncan and the kids built and own two hotels, one in Egypt, one here, in Breb, Romania.
Their story has become part of our story and I’d like to introduce them to you.
Duncan, author of family travel blog, Somewhere Different. Read how his journey took him from London, to Europe, Sri Lanka, and Egypt then finally to Romania.
Duncan gave me 1 day to read his book Somewhere Different
I lay on the guest bed at his farm-house in Romania and read most of it in what little time I had, I couldn’t put it down.
Duncan is not a professional writer, he is a photographer. He has dyslexia and wrote this book partly as therapy, to put his experiences into words and to recreate the family diaries and videos he lost in the tsunami.
They lost EVERYTHING in the tsunami. Except their lives.
Their experiences on that day in Sri Lanka were worse that I could ever have imagined. Sri Lanka is dear to our hearts and I’ve watched every video on You Tube, every interview with tsunami survivors, reading the story is far more harrowing. There were 5 huge waves, the ordeal lasted all day. They were the only family on that paradise beach on Sri Lanka’s east coast, not to lose somebody that day.
Penny and one of the Ridgleys’ 3 children. They all missed years of formal schooling and all went on to college. A worldschooling success story. Penny works incredibly hard now at the Village Hotel, Breb and looks after us too! This lady cooks a mean Sunday roast.
Somewhere Different isn’t just the story of that nightmare day, it is their family adventure travel story, from the beginning.
I think you’ll enjoy it, I wouldn’t be recommending it otherwise.
The book, Somewhere Different, if you have an interest in long-term family adventure travel, worldschooling, RVing or alternative ways of living, it’s for you. It’s the most fascinating real family travel story I know.
You can click through to Amazon
or $20.00 (US) (Hint, Christmas presents!)Want to bookmark an image to Pinterest? There are two below, just for you.
The book, Somewhere Different. We think you’d enjoy reading it.
It seems Romania is where world travellers end up when they settle down. Read this story, Somewhere Different.
If you are interested in visiting our part of Romania, take a look at the Ridgley’s beautiful hotel, The Village Hotel, Breb.
The Village Hotel,Breb. Maramures County,Romania. A cluster of traditional village homes, built and created by Penny and Duncan Ridgley.
Their story isn’t on any of their websites, it’s only in Somewhere Different , Book 1 takes the adventure to Sri Lanka, book 2 is still to come. ( Hurry up Duncan!)
You can read more about our adventures in a peasant village in Romania on Simple Life Romania
