We Came, We Saw, We Left: A Family Gap Year

We Came, We Saw, We Left: A Family Gap Year | Charles Wheelan

pick

I really enjoyed this book about a family, traveling around the world. Many of the places they visit I‘ve been myself too and I could easily identify with them. The places I didn‘t visit, I now want to go as well!
I also enjoyed the family dynamics. Fun read that I‘ll be using for #ReadingThe Americas23 #Peru and #FoodAndLit #Chile. 🇵🇪 🇨🇱

Thanks for the recommendation Meg 🤍

Megabooks, Texreader, Librarybelle, Catsandbooks

Librarybelle I‘m definitely going to check this out! 13mo

BarbaraBB @Librarybelle It‘s entertaining and educational! 13mo

Catsandbooks Wonderful! 🇨🇱 13mo

82 likes2 stack adds3 comments

BarbaraBB

We Came, We Saw, We Left: A Family Gap Year | Charles Wheelan

Enjoying this travelogue and it makes me happy to read about Friends and Chandler and I do realize what an influence Matthew Perry has had on minimal two generations. He won‘t be forgotten any time soon 💔❤️

Megabooks So sad. Glad you‘re enjoying the book. I did too! 13mo

TrishB I watched Friends from the beginning and then my kids watched. It was still funny, especially Chandler. We have a friends quote for most things. 13mo

BarbaraBB @TrishB Same for me and my kids. We still quote them so often! #pivot 🤣 13mo

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BarbaraBB @Megabooks I remember you did and Cindy was annoyed by the father but I am really enjoying it, also because I did the exact same trip in South America. Now they have traveled to New Zealand and I‘ve never been there so this is new for me and enjoyable for that reason! #armchairtravel 13mo

Suet624 PIVOT! 13mo

BarbaraBB @Suet624 My all time favorite scene! 🛋️ (edited) 12mo

Suet624 By the way, my son has led trips in New Zealand for Backroads for years. If you ever want some special ideas of places to visit there, check in with me and I‘ll connect you two. 12mo

BarbaraBB @Suet624 Wow, thanks, I definitely will 💕 12mo

54 likes1 stack add8 comments

megnews

We Came, We Saw, We Left: A Family Gap Year | Charles Wheelan

pick

I will miss following this family as they travel around the world.

48 likes

megnews

We Came, We Saw, We Left: A Family Gap Year | Charles Wheelan

Two of my children were missing.
#firstlinefridays

ShyBookOwl

Peddler410 I think I have this book in one of my (many) bookshelves. Tomorrow I‘m dedicating to overhauling my book collection. 1y

48 likes1 stack add1 comment

Sharpeipup

We Came, We Saw, We Left: A Family Gap Year | Charles Wheelan

Maybe I‘ve been reading too many thrillers lately but my cup of tea seems to be watching me😳

Soubhiville 😂🤣 3y

Chrissyreadit 🤣 3y

Megabooks 😆😆 3y

marleed Lol! 3y

35 likes1 stack add4 comments

Cinfhen

We Came, We Saw, We Left: A Family Gap Year | Charles Wheelan

so-so

You know that guy in the office who tries so damn hard to be funny, or “likeable”, that you actually end up wanting to punch him in the throat?! Well, that‘s how I felt about the author; Charles Wheelan. His attempts to be the cool dad were SO DAMN ANNOYING & his smug self of entitlement infuriated me.👇🏼

Megabooks, Librarybelle, BarbaraBB

Cinfhen They traveled to so many exciting destinations, exploring some of the most desired sites, visiting 6 continents & yet many pages were about needing Internet connection.
For a family trip around the world, a lot of this book felt repetitive. This was a #BorrowNotBuy for me. #ReadingAsia21 #Bhutan
4y

Librarybelle Great review! 4y

Megabooks I‘m sorry you didn‘t enjoy very much. I just ignored the annoying dad parts. My dad can be that way, sort of sarcastic/joking/teasing. Sometimes I can‘t get a straight answer from him. I didn‘t care for all the details of Sophie‘s homeschooling, though. But, when I focused on things like what the Bolivian salt flats looked like or how beautiful New Zealand‘s national parks were, I kind of let the less desirable parts fall away. 4y

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Megabooks Anyway, thank goodness they went to Bhutan because I didn‘t know what I was going to do for that! 4y

Cinfhen I wanted to like this book and I agree, they saw so many cool places, but I was so annoyed by the dad. It could also have been the narrator @Megabooks also I thought it was SUPER TACKY to plug TWO of his other books in this one. You went to a mall in Dubai ( already one strike against you) and then you see your book on the shelf and THAT makes it into this travelogue.... Ugh!!! Nope, (edited) 4y

Cinfhen That pretty much ended any hopes I had of liking this book @Megabooks 4y

Cinfhen Thanks @Librarybelle it‘s a shame because this was such a unique opportunity to share a really amazing experience 4y

BarbaraBB I love this review 🤣 and I can‘t wait to read it! 4y

TrishB I know that person! 4y

Cinfhen Haha @TrishB 4y

76 likes10 comments

Cinfhen

We Came, We Saw, We Left: A Family Gap Year | Charles Wheelan

Ugh!!! A whole chapter highlighting a family argument. I don‘t need to listen to a book to hear another family‘s grievances. I‘m really NOT enjoying this book as much as I was expecting too & Charlie Wheelen, the author, is SUPER ANNOYING. I‘m gonna keep on because I‘m hoping to use this for #ReadingAsia21 according to @Megabooks there will be LOTS of exciting options.

Librarybelle, BarbaraBB

TrishB I think we‘ve all seen the power of family arguments over the last couple of days 😞 4y

Cinfhen Are you referring to the Oprah interview @TrishB I didn‘t watch it but I heard it was pretty uncomfortable 4y

TrishB Yes definitely. I found it very sad tbh. 4y

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Megabooks I didn‘t think about it from the arguing perspective. I guess it didn‘t bother me because a) I don‘t have kids to reflect on it like that or b) I was a pretty argumentative teen (but had loving parents at the same time) and I turned out pretty okay. I think at 13, 16, or 18 I definitely would‘ve had meltdowns with that much family time, but the interesting facts outweighed the arguments for me. And yes, lots of Asian countries!! 4y

Megabooks Thank you for the flowers!! I just emailed a picture to you and @BarbaraBB 💕💐💕 I will post a picture here soon!! They are beyond lovely!! 4y

BarbaraBB Oh this is interesting! Based on @Megabooks review I was sure I‘d love this one!! 4y

BarbaraBB @Megabooks They are a but early but we‘re happy they are in time! Happy birthday! There‘s more to come... 😘 4y

Cinfhen I can tell you that TRAVELING with teenagers and even young adults can be tricky!!! We‘ve had PLENTY of meltdowns, even on my recent trip my 28 year old daughter had a HUGE blowup with her 25 year old brother 🙄 @Megabooks but from the onset of this book, the dad is SO FREAKING ANNOYING that I can‘t cut him or his whiny son a break. Now that im a bit more into the book( about to enter NZ) I‘m liking it a bit more @BarbaraBB BUT the dad 👇🏽 4y

Cinfhen Is STILL the type of guy, I want to punch in the throat!! Dude, you‘re not funny and you‘re not cool - stop calling your 18yr old “scoop” and stop with the gonorrhea jokes!!! Ugh!!!! I feel for his kids 4y

Cinfhen Plus, their white privilege is SO EVIDENT and I HATE his false modesty. Don‘t try to act like your some salt of the earth, middle class working man and then talk about your “TigerMom” and country club visits. @Megabooks @BarbaraBB 4y

Cinfhen Yesssss @Megabooks Flowers arrived a day early but perhaps more treats will arrive tomorrow xxxx #LoveAcrossTheMiles 4y

BarbaraBB @Cinfhen @Megabooks I am super intrigued now. Cindy‘s comments make me laugh out loud and I can imagine the annoyance. However travelling the world with my family seems like a dream to me. A subject I‘d love to read more about! 4y

Cinfhen Agreed!!! @BarbaraBB Traveling the world with your kids for nine months is SUPER PRIVILEGED and SUCH A LUXURY!! He‘s making it seem like any family can make it happen with some good planning & job flexibility. And his kids are bickering about typical kid stuff like your knapsack is in my leg room and Sophie is being mean to me...you‘re in PERU hiking Machu Picchu/ shut the F@CK UP!!!!!! 4y

BarbaraBB @Cinfhen Making that kind of privileges sound as a normal thing to do and then emphasize the whining sounds pretty annoying indeed 😆 4y

Cinfhen I‘m done bitching for tonight @BarbaraBB but I‘ll be VERY CURIOUS to hear your thoughts xx 4y

BarbaraBB 😂 4y

Librarybelle I am so loving this thread! 😂 4y

TrishB @Librarybelle 😂 but not feeling the need to read the book! 4y

Cinfhen They do visit A TON of cool places but their constant whining about needing to find internet is a bit annoying @TrishB @Librarybelle I don‘t know why but I have a pretty strong negative reaction to the dad...maybe it‘s the narrator who‘s just bugging me 🤷🏼‍♀️ 4y

Librarybelle @TrishB Exactly! I think the whining would annoy me as well @Cinfhen . I‘m glad they are visiting cool places! 4y

70 likes20 comments

Cinfhen

We Came, We Saw, We Left: A Family Gap Year | Charles Wheelan

Look what I found on #Hoopla @Megabooks !!!!!
#ReadingAsia21

Librarybelle, BarbaraBB

Librarybelle Hope you enjoy! 4y

Megabooks Cool!! 4y

73 likes2 comments

Megabooks

We Came, We Saw, We Left: A Family Gap Year | Charles Wheelan

pick

The Wheelan family visited six continents with their 3 teens during a family gap year. It starts with practical planning advice, then the family heads down the western part of South America. Their time in the Andes and the Amazon was my favorite part of the book. Then they head on a road trip through the both main islands of New Zealand. @Centique they described so much natural beauty! He even saw a kiwi (at 2 AM in a nature preserve.) ⬇️⬇️

Texreader, Librarybelle, Butterfinger

BookishMarginalia Love the title and the cover. 4y

Megabooks ⬆️ they scuba dived on the Great Barrier Reef in Cairns before heading to #Vietnam and learning a lot about the war. They saw Myanmar & hiked around many temples at Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Then they had a cold stay hiking in #Bhutan where foreigners must spend $250 per person per day, making it one of their more expensive stops. They had a safari in Tanzania and visited Zanzibar before a brief stay in Cape Town. They visited friends in Mumbai ⬇️ (edited) 4y

Megabooks ⬆️⬆️ before heading home via Dubai, Berlin, Munich, and Tbilisi, Georgia. Phew! Overall this was a fantastic book!! I highly recommend it. I‘m using it for #readingasia2021 #Bhutan and #foodandlit #Vietnam He talks about the French influence on Vietnamese food. Definitely recommending this to you, Barbara!!! I don‘t think I left out any countries, but I definitely left out some cities! Karen, Tammy, & Jess, I‘m unsure whether this popped up for u? (edited) 4y

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squirrelbrain Sounds great - I can‘t remember if I‘ve identified a book for #bhutan or not, but stacking this anyway. 4y

Megabooks @BookishMarginalia it is fun! 4y

Megabooks @squirrelbrain I figured I‘d have the most trouble finding one for there of the countries in Asia that they visited! 4y

Cinfhen Stacked♥️ 4y

Megabooks Also this is likely the last day of this snow in Kentucky. I don‘t know if I‘m sad or relieved! 4y

Megabooks @Cinfhen I think you‘ll enjoy this one! It‘s probably a good audiobook. 4y

Cinfhen I‘m going to look in both mediums 💕 4y

BarbaraBB I am super excited for this one!! 4y

Megabooks @BarbaraBB 🎉🎉👍🏻👍🏻 yay!! (edited) 4y

Centique This sounds fab. Stacked. 😍 I am very keen for living vicariously these days! Thanks for remembering me. 4y

Megabooks @Centique I hope you enjoy it! Definitely good for seeing the world vicariously! 4y

Texreader Oh my goodness thank you for bringing this to our attention! Stacked! 4y

Megabooks @Texreader yes, lots of great countries for this year and future ones! It was a great read!! 4y

Butterfinger How I wish I could do that for my girls. Sounds ideal. I can't wait to read it. Thanks. 4y

Megabooks @Butterfinger it would be fantastic! I hope you enjoy the book. 4y

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Megabooks

We Came, We Saw, We Left: A Family Gap Year | Charles Wheelan

I haven‘t had a whole lot of time to read today, but when I do get moment, I‘ve been following the Wheelan family‘s adventures in South America during their gap year. Not only is a fun travelogue, it also shows the joys and pitfalls of traveling with teens.

Enjoy these pictures from the Bolivian salt flats!

BarbaraBB I‘ve been there, it‘s terrifyingly beautiful. And the altitude indeed! I definitely must read that book!! (edited) 4y

Megabooks @BarbaraBB I couldn‘t imagine being at 15000 feet like they (and you) went to! So far, I‘d definitely recommend this book to you. It will definitely bring back your memories of travel. And I think you‘ll enjoy the joys and headaches of traveling with teens! 😃👍🏻 4y

BarbaraBB Yes that‘s an extra for me as well ❤️ 4y

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Megabooks

We Came, We Saw, We Left: A Family Gap Year | Charles Wheelan

Guess I‘m spending the next 30 minutes of this snow day on vacation with the Wheelans! ❄️❄️

The snow here is very dry and just sticking on the pavement. The yard is still half bare even though it‘s been snowing for hours! It feels like fake snow when you touch it. Weird.

Suet624 That IS weird. 4y

Megabooks @Suet624 yes! The snow feels really strange. 4y

Soozee Fake snow!😂 4y

Megabooks @Soozee fake snow is real! 😂 4y

101 likes4 comments

Megabooks

We Came, We Saw, We Left: A Family Gap Year | Charles Wheelan

I think this family has traveled almost as much as you @BarbaraBB ! Definitely some possibilities for #readingasia2021!

Cinfhen I may have to buy this one too!! 4y

Megabooks 3 for 2 girl! @Cinfhen 💜 (edited) 4y

BarbaraBB Lots of similarities with my world map indeed! I love travel books. If you give it a pick, I won‘t hesitate and buy it too 💜 4y

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Megabooks @BarbaraBB I‘m going to start it in earnest when I get up. The first part had a great hook! 👍🏻 4y

Megabooks @BarbaraBB and all this is in just one year!! 4y

Megabooks Sorry that NZ got cut off @Centique ! They went to several cities and towns according to the map. I‘m excited to read more about your neck of the woods! 4y

BarbaraBB A year is way too short but I still envy them! 4y

Centique @Megabooks ha ha! 😂😂 It is sweet that you noticed! NZ has a long history of being left off world maps. Comes with being in the middle of a nice bit of “empty space” where graphic designers can put text and stuff. 4y

Megabooks @Centique it‘s on the book‘s map, and I thought I gotten it in my picture until after I posted it. 🤦🏻‍♀️ so basically my mistake! I haven‘t read much about NZ, so I‘m really excited to get a travelogue. 🤞🏻 it‘s good! 4y

Centique @Megabooks I‘ll be interested to hear what you think of it when you finish 😊 4y

MaureenMc This very much reminds me of

At Home in the World: Reflections on Belonging While Wandering the Globe

Megabooks @MaureenMc thanks for the suggestion! I‘ve added that! With Covid, I‘ve come to love travelogues. 4y

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