Have you ever dreamt of just selling everything you own... car, house, all material possessions and just travelling the world? Well, that is exactly what the beautiful Di Nino family did.
Angelique and her husband, Vinny are the creative minds behind Raising the Free. Originally from San Diego, California they decided to sell it all and take a 'life cleanse' with their 3 beautiful kids Fox (1), Phoenix (3) and Cash (6) and go on one amazingly beautiful journey. A complete lifestyle transformation, to in turn, live a more present, purposeful and intentional lifestyle.
We met the beautiful family of 5 when they were in Byron Bay recently and chatted to them about life, travelling with kids and where they are off to next!
You guys were in Byron Bay recently, where were your favourite spots??
For starters, we loved EVERYTHING about Byron.
From the moment we first arrived we instantly felt at home and we already can't wait to go back. As for favourite spots, it's the obvious one, but the beach was absolutely magical.
We drove from Sydney all the way up to Fraser Island stopping at several beach towns along the way and we have to say that Bryon's beaches were the most breath taking.
We also LOVED eating at Combi and Main Street Burger.
Tell us, how did you and your husband come to the decision to sell it all and travel with your family?
It all happened in the matter an instant.
In March of 2017, Vinny and I had put the children down to bed and decided to watch a documentary called Be Here Now: The Andy Whitfield Story. It wasn’t specifically about travel but more about living your life to the fullest because you never know when it may end. Immediately after watching the documentary we looked at each other and said “what are we doing with our lives?” It was like a lightbulb had just gone off.
We decided right then and there to sell it all and travel.
What has been the biggest surprise about traveling with little ones?
Their adaptability. There is no question that we have had some hard times, particulary plane rides and long car rides, but it has been incredible to watch them adapt so quickly. For us, it seems that one of our children may have a hard time with something the first time, but by the second time, they now know what to expect and the experience has been much more enjoyable. Our first flight was something our of a nightmare J, but by the second flight, it was already so much better. On top of that, there have been so many new experiences that they just jumped right into with a positive attitude and no issues. They haven’t missed their home or bed one bit and don’t really seem to mind at all that we are always moving.
What places have you visited thus far?
So far: Mexico, Bali, Singapore, Thailand, Kuala Lumpur, Australia,
Next Up: Vietnam, Phillipines, Taiwan, Japan, Hawaii, then Central and South America
What is your favourite destination and why?
Right now its Bali. We have a series of YouTube vidoes covering our time here. The people and the general energy or the island is like nothing else we have ever experienced. The people seem so genuinely happy and gracious.
And the island itself has the indescribable energy about it that exudes positivity.
We loved the picture of your little mini Pheonix in the new Perry Lou Swimsuit, what do you love about the new collection?
We love how the whole line is effortlessly stylish.
Phoenix loves wearing the suit because its (in her words) "so comfy"
and I love it because its so cute on her.
Must have travel essentials.
We are about to publish an entire blog on this very subject but if I had to give you our top 3 they would be:
Compact enough to fit in your carry-on, but powerful enough to make everything from baby food to breakfast smoothies, this blender really is magical for our family.
I love essential oils, they have so many health benefits, I can’t even begin to list all the ways we use them. I will say this, after a long day of traveling, nothing can help ground you like specific scents. I personally love to sprinkle a little lavender on my pillow to help me relax and unwind.
We are huge on tea and finding a good cup while traveling can be challenging sometimes. Mad Monk is the absolute best tea we have ever had (and we've tried a lot). Once you try it, its pretty much impossible to drink anything else.
Must have summer pics from TinyPeople for you and the kids.
I cannot go past Zuttion for boys wear!
And for the girls June Kids, Perry Lou and Numero 74 are summer essentials.
Pheonix wear the June Kids Iris Dress in Storm.
We know you guys love the Beach, what's in your beach bag?
Nothing too fancy here.
Just the essentials
Diapers, wipes, sunscreen, snacks... lots of snacks!
One thing we are very fond of is our Sun Bear Shade. We love it because it is very compact and weights only about 3 pounds but provides a lot of shade. https://thesunbearco.com/
How do you best balance work/motherhood and life.
It's a never ending balancing act that always needs to be re-evaluated. We make a lot of schedules and do our best to stick to them. But we find those schedules need to be revisited each month. Basically, if you don't schedule the time for something, it won't happen. The other thing is yoga and meditating. This is hands-down the most important thing that I do for myself to make me a better, more-present mother. I can see the immediate positive impact it has on my ability to be a great mother when I do it regularly. It’s unbelievable how much 10 minutes of meditation everyday can completely change your day.
Best bit of advice you have been given
The best piece of advice we have ever been given is also the #1 piece of advice we love to give others. When traveling with children for an extended time, its important to lower your expectations of what you can see and do. If the children aren’t having a good day, you need to be willing to just call it all off and head back to the hotel or villa. The good news though is that when you’re traveling for an extended period of time, its not as big of a loss to “do nothing” for an entire day.
In other words, its a marathon, not a sprint.
When you have time to yourself, what do you enjoy doing most?
Yoga and meditating.
On your blog you have mentioned that you try to create a ‘media-free’ lifestyle for your kids. How is this going so far and are you planning on changing this as they get older?
So far its going great and I think it just gets easier and easier. We are all so used to it now. We know that at some point media will be a part of their lives, but we are going to continue to hold out as long as possible. We strongly feel that eliminating media has had a huge positive impact on their social skills and their general happiness.
Is there anything else you would want to share with us?
Just that we have SO much more traveling and growing to do this year and we hope that everyone will follow along and share any advice/suggestions they have on where to go and what to do!
Shop: Grey Label Pinafore, By Boy & Girl Una Dress, By Boy & Girl Poppy Dress, Soft Gallery Tory Dress
You can follow their incredible journey on instagram, @raisingthefreeand their blog here.