Taking my kids where the cotton grows

Hello from Marseille,

In one week, we’ll close the doors of our beloved house in Marseille, roll our suitcases to the airport, and begin a nine-month journey around the world. Wally will work on his own music, and I will continue my research on heirloom colored cotton. Our two kids in tow; the four of us, each carrying one suitcase, a shared sense of adventure, and, if I’m being honest, a bit of fear too.

I’ve been preparing for a few months, and yet it feels like the kind of thing you can never truly be ready for. There’s the excitement and the thrill of what’s ahead, but also that small voice in my head asking: Will I manage to homeschool while working? Will I lose my mind after spending so much time with my four-year-old unstoppable child?

The itinerary is shaped by my research on heirloom colored cotton, those rare, naturally pigmented fibers cultivated by families for generations. But it’s also a journey about transmission: how knowledge, care, and tradition are passed down. And this time, my children will be part of that chain.

We’ll start in the U.S., where I’ll meet colored cotton experts, and then make our way to Australia, India, and Central America, always guided by this ancestral fiber I’m so passionate about.

My children will see what it means to work with your hands, to grow something with patience and respect, to weave beauty into daily life. They’ll meet the women and men who keep this knowledge alive, people who don’t just make textiles but preserve the stories of the earth itself.

I often think of transmission as a thread: something fragile, yet strong enough to hold generations together. Traveling with my children feels like adding our own small thread to that tapestry. They might not remember every place, every name, every detail, but I hope they’ll remember the feeling of curiosity, the kindness of strangers, and the taste of new flavors.

My daughter, at seven, is ready to record everything: she has a journal and plans to send postcards to her classmates. My son, at four, will live fully in the moment, chasing chickens in the backyards of weavers, splashing in rivers, falling asleep in hammocks. He might not remember all of it, but his body will: the warmth, the freedom, the laughter.

People often tell me, they won’t remember. But I believe travel leaves invisible traces. It teaches flexibility, empathy, and curiosity. It reminds you that the world is wide, and that “different” is not something to fear.

For me, this trip is also a chance to bring together what I love most; my work, my family, and the open road. For years, I’ve traveled mostly alone for my projects, always feeling that small ache of separation. This time, I’ll get to watch my children encounter the people who inspire me and see the world through their eyes. I can’t imagine anything more meaningful.

We’ll have one bag just for homeschooling: English and French workbooks, pencils, notebooks that will fill with math, doodles, and stories about places we’ve seen. I have no illusions, some days will be messy, noisy, or exhausting. I’ll be a researcher, teacher, and mother all at once, often under the same palm tree. But I believe learning doesn’t happen only at a desk. It happens on the road, between two worlds, when you taste a new fruit or listen to a language you don’t understand.

As I write this, our bed is covered with clothes, books, UNO cards, and crayons. Every item has been carefully considered, what to bring, what to leave behind. The essentials look different for each of us, but maybe that’s what travel teaches best: how little we truly need.

I know this year will change us. I hope my children will return with bigger hearts, aware of how vast and generous the world can be. I hope they’ll learn that comfort isn’t always what matters most, that beauty can grow from the earth, and that joy often hides in simplicity.

Mostly, I hope they’ll remember that this world , like cotton, is colorful, textured, and full of life :)

Questions about traveling with kids? Let me know in the comments

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In my kids’ suitcases

Yoto Player
This little music and story player has been following us for a while now. The cards are evolutive, it’s sturdy, and easy for the kids to use on their own. Léonie (7) loves the Magic Tree House Collection, while Phileas (4) prefers listening to The Beatles, or QUEEN, usually on repeat.

Torch
The kids’ favorite “adventure tool.” Perfect for reading under the mosquito net, or tiptoeing to the bathroom in rural guesthouses.

Watercolor
We love the travel kit from the French brand Moulin Roty. We used to have these eco-friendly watercolor paints easy to find in the US.

2x3 Polaroid Printer (must have!)
This tiny printer connects to my phone and turns our photos into small 2x3 stickers in seconds. The kids love using it to create their own travel scrapbooks, pasting snapshots next to drawings and short sentences. It’s such a simple way for them to document our days.

Swim Goggles (Leonie used to call them “gloglos”, so this is how the whole family calls them now) Essential. No matter where we are, water finds its way into our days: pools, rivers, or the ocean. It’s their definition of happiness.

Note books
We are traveling with too many of them (!) and I will most likely add this one from Anthropology because it’s too cute.

Blu-tack (Patafix in French)
So we can decorate the walls of our temporary homes with drawings and photographs.

Nocs waterproof 10X Binoculars
The beloved binoculars we bought for our trip to Costa Rica two years ago. We can’t wait to use them again during this trip. Looking for exotic animals is always a hit!

Underwater Camera
They photograph everything: chickens, plunges, hotel rooms, and it’s fascinating to see what catches their eye. Then, they print their favorite shots with the Polaroid printer to add to their travel scrapbooks, or to send to their friends.

Coming next week:

Leaving Marseille

A love letter to my city by the sea; the places I’ll miss the most, the small rituals I’m leaving behind, and the ones I can’t wait to rediscover when we return in nine months.

Thank you for reading!

-Maud