As we hiked in the desert, under a broad scorching sun, we had to ask ourselves, why did we choose to spend our afternoon like this? Bugs were flying around and biting. Sand in the shoes. Sunburn inevitable. Not enough water for anyone to drink (epic parenting fail). Yes, the formations at Arches National Park…
Author: Five Backpacks Family
Not all who wander are lost — we are living nomadically, exploring, and wandering to learn about the world, its people, and ourselves.
Chris and Holly Santillo are not your regular authors.
They are the epitome of the Latin phrase “Mens sana in corpore sano,” which means “A healthy mind in a healthy body.”
Having strong backgrounds in Martial Arts with Chris being the founder and Head Instructor at Potomac Kempo in Alexandria, Virginia, and Holly being a Senior Instructor, they have managed to develop the principles of Martial Arts into a cohesive parenting methodology.
They believe that children (and parents) with broader horizons and an open mind can sow the seeds for future generations of confident, strong, and resilient adults.
Now, you can find them gliding through the Siberian steppes on the Trans-Siberian Railway, visiting the buzzing markets of Samarkand on the Silk Road, or wondering at the vastness of the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. They have decided to live a nomadic life and explore the world with their three boys in order to bring back memories, ideas, experiences, and a fresh view on life.
Join their epic journey at www.FiveBackpacks.family, visit www.ResilienceParenting.info for more information on their book, and www.PotomacKempo.com to learn about their Martial Arts teachings.
Dirty Laundry
As a society, we have an obsession with cleanliness—not moderate cleanliness, but a divine level of freshly-bleached and pressed cleanliness. We daily scrub our skin, launder our clothes, buff our granite countertops, disinfect everything we can. Stew on the old saw, “Cleanliness is next to Godliness.” We have elevated the concept of ‘washing your hands’…
Trailblazing
It was supposed to be a challenging trail. We picked the one we thought would be hard, but not impossible for us to complete. Challenging but not overwhelming. Hiking is a natural metaphor for life choices, right? We prepared the night before, taking every possible snag into consideration—or so we thought. The sky was a…
My Promise To My Children
In truth, we obsess about parenting. Obviously, we practice it daily—well, most days, anyway—but beyond that, we study it, theorize about it, discuss it, and write about it. (Did we mention that we wrote a parenting book called Resilience Parenting?) But it’s all for a good reason.
Writing For The World To Read
This episode comes to you from the great plains of the midwest, homesteader’s cabin, T. S. Elliot on the bedside table, flames in the cookstove casting the only light. (Well, that cabin is where we will sleep, but before we go down there to the windy muddy cold I am writing in a comfy wingback…