Casting a wider net in the sea of learning

Casting a wider net

We homeschooled our kids in a rural county in California. We were close enough to a major city and several universities. My husband attended one and taught at the other. While he spent a lot of time commuting, I did not like freeway driving. At first this meant we didn’t have much on our calendar.

It’s not like we didn’t go anywhere or do anything. We had one or two things every week near enough to go to. This was great when they were young and really into running around, climbing on things, and just being there. When they developed interests in specific topics and activities, our options were suddenly limited.

To remedy this, two things needed to happen. First, I needed to get comfortable driving on the freeway. That was a time on task deal. I still would rather not drive on freeways but I would things for kids that I wouldn't do for my self. Two, I needed to look for opportunities that were farther away from home. Where could I find out about these other events? There had to be a way to find out.

Facebook and Meet-up had info but the real big access point to events came when we joined a statewide homeschool group. Emails and snail mail brought us weekly opportunities to engage with other like-minded people. People with older kids allowed us to see where we were headed. It gave me excited comfort about our future.

One of the biggest events for us was the yearly convention held at a hotel in Sacramento. There were so many classes, talks, activities, vendors, and just people to sit and eat lunch next to. Here were found games to try and new friends to play them with. Our lives were enriched and empowered.

There may be no place like home, but sometimes just stepping out a little brings ten times the rewards. I am so grateful for everything we tried, every time we went to the wrong talk and the right one. I'm even grateful for freeway driving! Cast a wider net and bring in the learning of a lifetime.