About this blog: A Little Goes a Long Way

Why the name “A Little Goes a Long Way”? We’d been debating for weeks about a blog name that suited our family. Names that hit the chopping block were “Beadlecombs Abroad” which didn’t work because some of us are Naylors, “Six Suitcases” but we’re actually using backpacks so that one felt similarly inaccurate. We even enlisted the help of ChatGPT. Then, one evening I was cooking dinner and watching Arlo toddle in circles around the house. In another room, Beadle was telling one of the older kids that a little of something goes a long way and thought to myself how perfectly that applied to Arlo. A little guy going a long (for him) way as he continued go round and round. It was a true eureka moment.

Also, reader beware. I am an elder millennial and not super techy (although, lucky for you, Beadle will be handling the tech aspects of the blog). A lot of the time, we forget to take pictures of major life events because we’re caught up in the moment. You are going to get some real life stuff on this blog and probably some crappy pictures, too. That’s just how it’s gonna be.

About Us:

Who: We’re a blended family of six, including (oldest to youngest):

• Beadle- aka Dad/Daddy/Dada and stepdad. Tech guy/software developer/remote worker, fiddle player, rock climber, budget master

• Kaleigh- aka Mom/Mommy/Mama. Physician associate/assistant by trade (doula and midwife by heart, either way taking indefinite sabbatical as of May 2025), household/travel/kid coordinator, wannabe gardener/baker/forager/crafty person. Oh, and blogger now, I guess

• David-aka Davy/Gabravid/Gabravy. Teen and biggest brother extraordinaire, gamer, “the best knower”

• Faolan-aka Sissy. Teen, dog whisperer, artist, aspiring vocaloid song writer

• Ellum-aka Wild Man/Crazy Boy. Preschooler, precocious AF, monster truck and all around vehicle expert, music lover, snack aficionado

• Arlo- aka the baby. Stuffed animal squeezer, resident foodie baby, loves all things related to water

What: “Slow traveling” outside our country of origin (the US). For us, this means spending at least 4-6 weeks in each location as we move around. In Europe, we’ll be moving in and out of the Schengen Area. This is sometimes referred to as “The Schengen Shuffle.”

When: August 4th, 2025- at least July 2026

Where: We’ll be starting in Norway with plans to move around Europe including the Schengen Area, the UK, Ireland, and other non-Schengen European countries, potentially northern Africa

Why: There are a myriad of “why’s,” which I may explain further as the blog progresses, but which essentially boil down to wanting to spend more quality time with our family while immersing in cultures outside the Southeastern United States. The hope is that this broadens the horizons of our teens and introduces our toddlers to adaptability and the concept of being world citizens. We’re also, at least a little bit, looking for the place on this planet where we fit best.

How: From a funding perspective, this is possible due to Beadle learning to code during the COVID pandemic then finding the perfect coding job for someone with his combined skills and background of establishing and running a compost collections business and software development. That job also happens to be remote, so he’ll be able to continue working and through the wonders of the YNAB budgeting app we know we can live well on his salary alone. I’ll keep up my PA license and certification. The big kids will do remote/world schooling.

From a technical perspective, we are selling our house, cars, and the majority of our furniture. Anything that can’t fit into one Uhaul U-box will be donated or sold. We will be traveling with only what can fit in a carry on and a personal item. We will fly to Norway from NYC, then plan on traveling by train, bus, and ferry as much as possible with some flights mixed in.