This post is directly taken from Kaysan’s Journal during the first six months of our yearlong global adventure. No changes in spelling or grammar have been made, in an effort to preserve Kaysee’s thoughts in his authentic voice.

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Aug 2018: The Guajeros (Guatemala)—Kaysan’s words transcribed by Aila

In the movie yesterday, I saw that there was a lot of trash, and I saw people eating from the trash. I also noticed the Guajeros have to find clothes to wear, from the garbage. That made me feel sad. It makes me know that I should reuse things so that there is less trash.

Today, we went to Creamos Futuros near The Dump. I learned that there is a lot of trash and work that people have to do. At Creamos, adults learn to make things o that they could get out of the garbage dump and make money.

The smell was just really bad and that’s hard for people to live in that. Also, I learned that the Guajero area only gets water at night so they have to save it in large buckets or trash bins. Even when we were talking to Felix, I noticed that garbage was flying around. We saw the actual dump because it was basically right near their office.

I am glad there are places like Creamos to help the Guajeros.

Visited an extraordinary nonprofit helping to educate and employ women of the Guajeros (people who work at the garbage dump). Very powerful experience and we hope you will support this cause. More coming soon in a post. #zona3 #guatemala #globalclassroom #travelwithkids #socialjustice #trash #basurerozona3 #basurero @creamos_futuros

35 Likes, 0 Comments - Franklin Street Globetrotters (@franklin_street_globetrotters) on Instagram: "Visited an extraordinary nonprofit helping to educate and employ women of the Guajeros (people who..."

Aug 2018: Ecuador and The Galapagos

The equator is in the middle of the earth. The equator is horizontal. The equator is all arond the worled.

In Galapagos Iguana shake there heds and blow snot to challenge.

Today we visited a butterfly garden and learned all about butterflies from the Andes region. The kids got to hold/feed them and we saw some of the most beautiful chrysalis' ever! See more butterfly videos and the golden chrysalis' in the Instagram Ecuador highlights! . #worldschooling #globalclassroom #culturetrip #mindo #exploreecuador #mariposa #mariposaria @marceloguerra_tourguide #travelingfamily #travelokido #travelwithkids

62 Likes, 0 Comments - Franklin Street Globetrotters (@franklin_street_globetrotters) on Instagram: "Today we visited a butterfly garden and learned all about butterflies from the Andes region. The..."

Greetings from the equator! We are standing at the highest altitude along the equator of the world. // . "Ecuador" means equator and "Quito" means the middle land. A French geodesic expedition team that was led by an explorer named Charles-Marie de La Comdamine began "official" calculations of the equator in the year 1736. La Condamine spent 10 years in Ecuador taking measurements and proved that the world is not perfectly round, but that it bulges at the equator. Of course, the indigenous people knew all along that this was a special place because of the shadows and the two solstice days per year where there is no shadow for 3 mins! . The equatorial circumference of Earth is about 24,901 miles (40,075 km) and the distance between each degree of latitude is approximately 69 miles (111 kilometers) apart. // . #worldschooling #globalclassroom #culturetrip #mitaddelmundo #equator #museointiñan #exploreequador #quito #travelblogger #travelphotography #travelingfamily #travelwithkids #travel #travelingtheglobe #parentswhowander #travelokiddo

81 Likes, 1 Comments - Franklin Street Globetrotters (@franklin_street_globetrotters) on Instagram: "Greetings from the equator! We are standing at the highest altitude along the equator of the world...."

Just some final Galápagos fauna shots...from over 500+ pictures! We cannot get over how amazing it was to view so many birds, sea lions, iguanas, and tortoises up close and in their natural environments. This was a trip we will never forget!! // . #travelingfamily #ecuador #galapagos #galapagosislands #planethoppers #globalclassroom #worldschooling

39 Likes, 0 Comments - Franklin Street Globetrotters (@franklin_street_globetrotters) on Instagram: "Just some final Galápagos fauna shots...from over 500+ pictures! We cannot get over how amazing it..."

Sept 2018: Panama Chocolate Farm (Bocas del Toro)

I went on a water taxi.

And we got a tour on the farm.

An we put shampoo plant on are head.

And we saw a sloth.

And we saw how chocolate is made, here are the steps:

1. Grow a cacao plant.

2. Pick the fruit.

3. Ferment and roast the seeds.

4. Grind the nibs into paste.

5. Cool and dry the paste.

6. Enjoy the Chocolate.

Walking through the jungle/farm of La Loma Jungle Lodge.

Thank you to Mr. Kelly who showed us the process of making delicious 100% chocolate from the cacao fruit! He is the real deal and is an incredible wealth of jungle knowledge! Wow! . #bastimentos #globalclassroom #travelingtheworld #worldschooling #travelwithkids #travelingfamily #chocolate #cacao @lalomajunglelodge

35 Likes, 0 Comments - Franklin Street Globetrotters (@franklin_street_globetrotters) on Instagram: "Thank you to Mr. Kelly who showed us the process of making delicious 100% chocolate from the cacao..."

Sept 2018: The Panama Canal

I took a video of the panama Canal.

I saw a big boat.

The boat is super slow.

In order to cross the Panama Canal, the water had to shrink.

We learned all about one of the seven human-made wonders of the world-the Panama Canal. What an amazing feat of engineering completed in 1914 and expanded in 2016! This 80km canal shortened the trans-oceanic journey by about two weeks! #travelingtheworld #travelwithkids #globalclassroom #history #engineering #panama #worthit #travelingfamily #worldschooling

62 Likes, 2 Comments - Franklin Street Globetrotters (@franklin_street_globetrotters) on Instagram: "We learned all about one of the seven human-made wonders of the world-the Panama Canal. What an..."

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About 35 ships pass through the Miraflores Locks everyday. The Panama Canal earns about $2billion per year with an average of $350k surcharge per boat (almost $1m for the huge 10,000 TEU ships on the expanded locks)! #globalclassroom #panama #mirafloreslocks #engineering #gravity #travelwithkids #travelingfamily #travelingtheworld

A post shared by Franklin Street Globetrotters (@franklin_street_globetrotters) on Sep 7, 2018 at 2:47pm PDT

Oct 2018: Floating Islands—Uros, Peru

We lived in straw houses.

We went fishing.

We went fishing for Karachi.

The bathrooms were different.

We ate the Karachi.

And we also ate a lot of potatoes.

A spider was on Zayan’s bed.

The closer we went to Puno, the more modern the floating islands were.

Kaysee in a boat going from one Uros floating island home to another community.

We spent two nights with the beautiful Uros people on a floating island of Totora reeds. We made friends, untangled fishing nets, and fished Karachi fish for our meals. It was an incredibly authentic experience and one we will never forget. Check ou… — We spent two nights with the beautiful Uros people on a floating island of Totora reeds. We made friends, untangled fishing nets, and fished Karachi fish for our meals. It was an incredibly authentic experience and one we will never forget. Check out more in our Peru Highlights. //
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The Uru or Uros (Uru: Qhas Qut suñi) are an indigenous people of Peru and Bolivia. They live on an approximate and still growing 120 self-fashioned floating islands in Lake Titicaca near Puno. They now speak Aymara and legend has it that they developed this lifestyle to escape from Incan slavery. If a threat arose, the floating islands could be moved. //
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#titicaca #uros #globalclassroom #global_family #culturallearning #learningtour #learningfamily #travelwithkids #travelingfamily #adventureswithchildren #parentswhowander #travelokido #familytravel #authentictravel #roamtheplanet #theglobewanderer

Oct 2018: Machu Picchu, Peru

I like it because it had dogs at the entrance.

I got to pet them.

There was also rock buildings.

The Incas built them.

I hiked up to the Sun Gate.

A dog that just came and lay down on Kaysee’s lap at the entrance of Machu Picchu.

Majestic Machu Picchu. ⛰// . Though (even in low tourist season) there were tons of people, and though it was foggier than we would have hoped, Machu Picchu did not disappoint. We were happy to reunite as a family-after welcoming Kapil and Z off of the 4-day Inca Trail. We also got to do some of the Inca Trail as a family up to the Sun Gate. // . Machu Picchu is one of the #sevenwondersoftheworld (since 2007). It was discovered by American explorer, Hiram Bingham in 1911. This was an Incan city with a very religious purpose (primarily). It was started in 1450AD and occupied until 1570 when the Spaniards conquered the Incan Empire. The Incas left this site (many day to protect it) and went to Vilcabamba and the Spaniards missed this because they found a shortcut in the Sacred Valley away from the river to that second site. // . #machupicchu #peru #travelingfamily #travelwithkids #planethoppers #adventureswithchildren #explorergeworld #globalclassroom #history

88 Likes, 10 Comments - Franklin Street Globetrotters (@franklin_street_globetrotters) on Instagram: "Majestic Machu Picchu. ⛰// . Though (even in low tourist season) there were tons of people, and..."

Nov 2018: The Amazon

1. Ther was lots of animals à

· Piranha

· Spiders

· Dolphins

· Snakes

· Suri

2. We got to swim in the river

3. We lived in a treehouse

We spent a lot of time with Banyan trees, as we lived in one for a week!! @treehouselodge was an amazing place to immerse ourselves into the culture and beauty of the rainforest, away from the more touristy areas near Iquitos. Check out our IG Story Highlights for more (Peru/Amazon). // . #amazon #peru #treehouselodge #banyantree #rainforest #learningtour #immersion #culture #travelwithkids #travelingfamily #planethoppers

52 Likes, 5 Comments - Franklin Street Globetrotters (@franklin_street_globetrotters) on Instagram: "We spent a lot of time with Banyan trees, as we lived in one for a week!! @treehouselodge was an..."

We spent an afternoon fishing for piranha with wooden stick poles. It was harder than it looked...but so fun...and most importantly, so tasty! The second picture shows the three types of Piranha found in the Amazon region-red belly, black, and white.// . #amazon #peru #planethoppers #piranha #fishing #globalclassroom #worldschooling #adventureswithchildren #travelingfamily #adventurousfamily #travel @treehouselodge #treehouselodgeperu

70 Likes, 3 Comments - Franklin Street Globetrotters (@franklin_street_globetrotters) on Instagram: "We spent an afternoon fishing for piranha with wooden stick poles. It was harder than it..."

Dec 2018: Antarctica

Antarctica is one of the coldest places on Earth. And it is at the bottom of the world. And you can find lots of different animals ther, like:

1. Whales

2. Seals

3. Penguins

It was very cold and icy, but I liked the wildlife. I would like to go again and do the Polar Plunge.

Then in discussion Kaysan had this to say:

“I don’t think aquariums should have penguins. Like the Monterey Bay Aquarium is supposed to care of injured wildlife, not a random penguin that they found because a penguin can’t live in the Bay Area. I have a lot of feelings for penguins now…[PAUSE] except they ARE tasty.”

When I explained that we never ate penguin and that the chef had listed that on the menu as a joke to the Antarctic Explorer times, Kaysee was shocked…and somewhat relieved.

Santa woke us up at our Antarctic campsite on Christmas morning. It was a magical moment on a light snow-flurried-white-Christmas, among glaciers and whales no less. Despite being cold and tired, Kaysee was momentarily awestruck by this Santa, whom he quickly realized was @kaspers_turgleder who is a helper for the "real" Santa :) // . #christmasmagic #christmas #santa #antarctica #travelwithkids #travelingfamily #familytravels #penguins #polarpioneer #nekoharbor #auroraexpeditions

106 Likes, 11 Comments - Franklin Street Globetrotters (@franklin_street_globetrotters) on Instagram: "Santa woke us up at our Antarctic campsite on Christmas morning. It was a magical moment on a light..."

These are BEAUTIFUL shots of the many animals we saw up close in Antarctica, taken by our friend and polar expeditionist, @kaspers_turgleder ❤️ He is an amazingly talented person in all-things Polar, including photography! Please message Kasper if you are interested in purchasing an autographed original photo print of his work. // . #global_family #antarctica #travelingfamily #auroraexpeditions #aroundtheworld #whales #orcas #skua #penguin #travelwithkids #travel #wow #natgeo

88 Likes, 9 Comments - Franklin Street Globetrotters (@franklin_street_globetrotters) on Instagram: "These are BEAUTIFUL shots of the many animals we saw up close in Antarctica, taken by our friend..."

Jan 2019: Iguazu Falls

We saw Iguazu falls. And we went under the falls. There was big waves.

It was the 3rd biggest falls in the world.

And it was so beautiful. It felt like a dream.

Animals:

· Toucan

· Monkey

· Iguana

· Coaties

Jan 2019: Lapland, Finland (The Arctic)

We got to go dog sledding and reinder sledding. We also saw the Aurora lights.

In Finland, we got to live in a igloo of glass.

We went sledding down hills as a family a lot.

Everey time we went back to the igloo, we made a fire.

Everey morning was beautiful.

In the mornings it had deep snow.

My favorite part was dog sledding because they were going so fast and they were so cute. They were also nicely treated doggies—not like my book, Call of the Wild.

Mushing! Easily one of the coolest activities we've experienced on our travels. // . Having read "Call of the Wild" Kaysee (7 years) was adamant about NOT dog-mushing if it involves a whip. We learned about the process and met the dogs. They train each other on their positions and with over 400 dogs on site, they are never lonely and form little communities of their own. They were so eager to work and seemed to take pride in getting picked for the team. We enjoyed a few hours of mushing and riding through the beautiful terrain of Lapland, Finland (well within the Arctic circle). // . Check out our video on our YouTube Channel and IGTV! // . #travelfam #travelingwithfamily #worldtraveler #travelblogger #yearlongadventure #finland #lapland #arctic #husky #mushing #travelwithkids #adventureswithchildren #familyexplorers #familyexplorersclub #bucketlist #arcticadventures #buck #callofthewild #dog #dogsofinstagram

92 Likes, 8 Comments - Franklin Street Globetrotters (@franklin_street_globetrotters) on Instagram: "Mushing! Easily one of the coolest activities we've experienced on our travels. // . Having read..."

Kaysee’s journal entries of Living in Belize, Enjoying Guatemalan Volcan Pacaya and Volunteering with Coffee Farmers, Witnessing Costa Rican Turtles Lay Eggs, Snorkeling in Nevis, Visiting the Moai in Rapa Nui, and Making Music in Cuban Caves are in another journal that was sent back home.

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