Would You Quit Your Job and Drive 11,000 Miles to Meet the Pope? These Parents Did
One family, 11 thousand miles, one epic road trip to see the Pope.
Credit: americaenfamilia.com
Catire Walker and wife Noël Zemborain quit their jobs and loaded their four children into a Volkswagen Kombi van for an 11,000-mile road trip from Argentina to Philadelphia. The family is on their way to see Pope Francis at the World Meeting of Families in September.
Why did they quit their jobs?
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The 41-year-old Walker says that he and his wife wanted to enjoy their family, especially now that their children are still growing up. Walker told Fox News Latino: “We are starting to pay attention [to the fact] that time with the whole family is limited. If we don’t grab it when the moment offers it, we’ll miss it.”
If they quit their jobs, how are they paying for their trip?
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The family of six raised money through IndieGoGo to afford the six-month road trip. The family originally wanted to raise $14,300, but raised less than $5,000. That didn’t stop them from pushing forward with their dream.
Here they are in Colombia…
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Guatemala…
Guatemala! Each day getting closer to the @WMF2015 !! pic.twitter.com/DNN0kNsPvF
— America en Familia (@americayfamilia) July 18, 2015
Credit: @americanyfamilia / Twitter
Nicaragua…
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Panama…
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Costa Rica…
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And Mexico.
Credit: @americayfamilia / Twitter
The family has been on the road since March and is slowly making its way from Argentina to the US.
The adventure is more than a road trip to the family.
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The Catholic family wants to make the trip a family adventure and experience while meeting and connecting with people in the countries they travel through.
It hasn’t been a totally bump-free ride.
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At one point, one of the children hurt her ankle. They were able to make it to the doctor after 10 days of travel to get her ankle treated.
They’ve been relying on the kindness of strangers.
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People along their route have opened their homes offering shelter, food, and mechanical assistance when needed to complete their journey.
Colombia is a great surprise! Enjoying family and new friends. Read about it in: http://t.co/QPV3xTnnNb @WMF2015 pic.twitter.com/hEi0i0jsln
— America en Familia (@americayfamilia) June 17, 2015
Credit: @americayfamilia / Twitter
Some have been complete strangers, others have been people who have followed the family’s travels via Facebook and their blog. The family just made it into the US and is making its way to Philadelphia.
The trip has already been so fulfilling that they’ve welcomed someone into their family.
Credit: Facebook / América en Familia
They say their van, dubbed “Francisca,” is now a permanent member of the family. And yes, it’s named after Pope Francis.
