Episode 76 – The Long-Term Impact of Moving Abroad with Kids with David Schnurman
What happens when a family decides to step outside their routine and live abroad together?
In this episode of De-Stress the Nest, Hannah Morgan talks with David Schnurman, CEO of LawLine and author of 11 Suitcases, about the two years his family spent living in Barcelona and how the experience reshaped their family values, perspective, and approach to life.
David shares how stepping outside their comfort zone — from learning a new language to navigating unfamiliar places — created lasting memories and powerful lessons for his children. What started as a bold family decision turned into a defining experience that continues to shape how they approach travel, growth, and life together.
The conversation explores how meaningful travel can build resilience, confidence, and deeper family connection. Even when it feels uncomfortable, those moments outside your routine often become the experiences your family remembers for years.
If you’ve ever wondered whether a big adventure with your kids is worth it, this episode offers a powerful reminder that the memories you create together may matter more than you realize.
Key Takeaways
Travel builds resilience: Experiencing new places and cultures helps children realize that challenges they expect to be difficult are often more manageable than they imagined.
Shared discomfort strengthens families: Navigating unfamiliar environments together — long flights, language barriers, or unexpected changes — creates meaningful memories and deeper family bonds.
Routine can make time slip away: Stepping outside your normal schedule through travel or new experiences can slow time down and create moments that families remember for years.
Fear is often the biggest barrier: Thoughts like “maybe later” or “what if something goes wrong” are often just fear in disguise, and pushing through that hesitation can lead to incredible experiences.
Exposure to different cultures broadens perspective: Living abroad and meeting people from different backgrounds helps children realize how much we all have in common.
Adventures don’t have to be extravagant: Meaningful travel experiences can happen anywhere — the key is stepping outside your routine and exploring something new together as a family.
Quotes
You always think something is going to be a mountain, but once you do it, it’s usually just a molehill.”
“When you do uncomfortable things together as a family, you create memories you can’t replace.”
“It’s not whether you can afford to travel — it’s whether you can afford not to.”
“People are people. There’s more that connects us than separates us.”
“Maybe later is often just another word for fear.”
“Routine is where time slips away.”
Resources Mentioned
11 Suitcases – David Schnurman’s book about moving to Barcelona with kids
Heron House Management – Virtual house management for busy families: we handle your to-dos so you can focus on what matters most.
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on Spotify, iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us reach more listeners and continue to bring you valuable content!
Episodes Released Weekly on Tuesdays
This episode of De-Stress the Nest is sponsored by Heron House Management.
About Heron House Management:
Heron House Management is a virtual house management service that takes the stress out of your busy life by taking on your mental load and managing your To Do list. We provide fractional virtual house management for busy families at 10, 15 and 20+ hours/month.
Meal planning, signing up for kids activities, scheduling doctor's appointments, finding a house cleaner, planning your kid's birthday party, getting quotes for that home renovation project, or scheduling a monthly date night with your significant other and so much more. We do it all!
-
00:00
Hannah Morgan: Welcome to De-Stress the Nest, a podcast for busy parents where experts share bite-sized tips on how to create systems that minimize stress at home. I'm your host, Hannah Morgan. Today’s episode is sponsored by Heron House Management — the first-ever virtual house management service that lightens your mental load by handling your to-do list with monthly subscriptions of 10, 15, and 20+ hours per month. From meal planning and doctor’s appointments to birthday parties and home projects, Heron House Management helps busy families reclaim their time and live their best lives. Learn more at heronhousemanagement.com.00:44
Hannah Morgan: David, I'm thrilled to welcome you to our show today. Let's start by hearing a little bit about who you are and what you do.01:00
David Schnurman: Thanks for having me. My name is David Schnurman. I'm the CEO of LawLine and the father of three kids, two of whom are heading to college soon.01:16
David Schnurman: My family spent two years living in Barcelona, which became the inspiration for my second book, 11 Suitcases.01:30
David Schnurman: My personal mission is to inspire people to live life to the fullest so they can look back without regrets.01:46
David Schnurman: That idea was also the foundation for my first book, The Fast Forward Mindset.02:00
Hannah Morgan: Today you're going to share the long-term impact of moving abroad with your family.02:14
Hannah Morgan: Your children were quite young at the time, and it's now been five years since the experience.02:28
Hannah Morgan: I'd love to hear how that experience has shaped your family over time.02:42
David Schnurman: I'll start with a story from about two months into our time in Barcelona.02:58
David Schnurman: I was walking through the park with my daughter, who was ten at the time, and asked her how the experience had been.03:14
David Schnurman: She told me she thought it would be much harder than it actually was.03:28
David Schnurman: Then she said something that really stuck with me — that maybe other things she thought would be hard might also end up being easier than expected.03:46
David Schnurman: That moment felt like a powerful lesson about facing challenges.04:02
David Schnurman: Over time, that experience actually changed the operating system of our family.04:18
David Schnurman: Years before we moved abroad, my wife and I wrote a family vision statement.04:32
David Schnurman: One part of that vision was to experience life through travel.04:48
David Schnurman: After returning from Spain, our kids became the ones asking about our next adventure.05:02
David Schnurman: Since then we've traveled to places like Japan, Australia, Patagonia, Argentina, and New Zealand.05:20
David Schnurman: These trips aren't always relaxing. They can be complicated and uncomfortable.05:36
David Schnurman: But those experiences create memories that simply don't happen when life stays in routine.05:52
David Schnurman: When you're navigating new places together, time slows down.06:08
David Schnurman: And those shared challenges turn into stories your family talks about for years.06:24
David Schnurman: One thing we've learned is that travel doesn't have to be extravagant to matter.06:40
David Schnurman: Even local adventures can create meaningful family experiences.06:56
David Schnurman: Another important lesson is that fear shows up almost every time we plan a trip.07:12
David Schnurman: There's always a moment where I think maybe we shouldn't go.07:26
David Schnurman: But over time I realized that phrases like “maybe later” are often just another form of fear.07:44
David Schnurman: And pushing past that fear usually leads to the most rewarding experiences.08:00
Hannah Morgan: It sounds like those moments of discomfort are where the real growth happens.08:16
David Schnurman: Exactly. Those challenging moments are where the biggest lessons come from.08:32
David Schnurman: One of the biggest takeaways for our family was realizing that people everywhere are fundamentally the same.08:48
David Schnurman: Meeting people from different cultures showed us that everyone simply wants to be happy and connected.09:06
David Schnurman: That perspective made the world feel much smaller and more connected for our kids.09:22
Hannah Morgan: It also sounds like the experience expanded your own perspective.09:38
David Schnurman: Absolutely. Every few years I try to challenge myself with something new so life doesn't fall into routine.09:56
David Schnurman: Travel is one of the easiest ways for families to break out of that routine.10:12
Hannah Morgan: Thank you so much for sharing your story with us today.10:16
David Schnurman: Thanks for having me.10:23
Hannah Morgan: Thanks for listening to De-Stress the Nest, the podcast where experts share bite-sized tips on how to minimize stress at home. Don’t forget to subscribe and tune in every Tuesday for more ways to simplify your life.
