It’s the kind of thing people talk about doing, in both whimsical moments and when times get tough: “Let’s see the world. Let’s pack up and go. Let’s start fresh somewhere else.”
 
But for most of us, in the light of day, with all the trappings – good and bad – of our real lives, that fantasy seems like an impossible feat.
 
And then there are the rare few, like Karen Esterhammer and her family, that actually do it. They get up and go. Esterhammer has detailed for the Los Angeles Times how she, her husband Robin and their son  Kai left for Vietnam. It’s the kind of story, if you have any wanderlust at all, that might make you go, “Why don’t we do that?”
 
In Vietnam Esterhammer is writing and homeschooling her son, which she explains is a welcome change after working in the same job for almost 30 years. Her husband will soon be teaching English, which pays a liveable wage. Because the dollar goes so far there, life sounds pretty good. She describes:

We live in a tall, narrow house -- 9 feet wide -- with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. (Apparently, the Vietnamese build this way because taxes are based on the width of your property.) It's 900 square feet, spread over four stories, with a rooftop deck. We pay $500 a month.

We rent a motor scooter for $45 a month. (Very few cars here.) Monthly telephone is $1.80. Cable with all the cool movie channels costs $4 a month. Nightly trash pickup is 60 cents per month. When our landlord warned us that day-and-night air-conditioning could push the electric bill to $60 a month, I gasped in horror -- for his benefit.

An iced tea costs 6 cents and a nice meal runs 85 cents. I never cook anymore. What for, when prices are so low?

We’ll say it again, “Why don’t we do that?”

Vietnam may not be the destination of choice for everyone. Maybe your fantasy involves South America. Or Europe. Or even another state.

The Esterhammers’ story is really one about creating a home wherever you are. Growing your life experience so you have more to give. And really, even from thousands of miles away, putting down roots.

[Image at top: J. Catlett via Flickr]