Israeli Family Abandons High-Tech Careers for Three-Year Global Adventure

Keren and Dor Pozner, a couple from Tel Aviv, have embarked on an extraordinary journey, leaving behind their high-tech careers and selling their car to travel the world with their two daughters for nearly three years. The family, whose daughters Rotem and Gili were five and eight when they departed, visited India, Thailand, Japan, and various countries in the Americas.

Initially planning to travel in August 2023, their departure was postponed due to the October 7th attacks and the subsequent mobilization of Keren's brothers. After a period of uncertainty and staying near their parents in Netanya, Dor issued an ultimatum in January 2024: either find new work and postpone the trip indefinitely, or leave immediately. Within two weeks, they secured renters for their home, sold their car, and began their journey, starting with a brief stop near Frankfurt before flying to Bangalore, India.

The primary motivation for the trip, according to the Pozners, was not sightseeing but spending quality time together as a family. Keren, who previously worked as an algorithmist and software developer, described her high-tech job as a "golden cage" that left her with little time for her children. Dor, who managed international delegations for the Scouts movement, felt that delaying dreams until retirement meant missing out on experiences they could no longer physically manage.

Their travels included a year and a half in Asia, characterized by frequent moves, followed by a longer period in the Americas with extended stays, a practice they call "nesting." They integrated their daughters into local life through dance classes in Vietnam, a summer camp in the US, and an anthroposophical school in Mexico. Academically, the girls kept travel journals, continued with math workbooks, and learned languages, geography, and science directly from their experiences.

Financially, the family funded the trip by foregoing the purchase of a large apartment in Tel Aviv, investing instead in experiences. They also relied on savings and passive income from a rented property. Key cost-saving strategies included minimizing travel, engaging in volunteer work, embracing "Joy of Missing Out" (JOMO) by living like locals, and traveling with minimal luggage. Their average monthly expenditure was approximately 15,000 shekels for the entire family.

Upon returning to Israel for a visit, the Pozners were struck by the amount of possessions they had accumulated, contrasting sharply with their minimalist lifestyle abroad. While the daughters initially expressed a desire to stay in Israel, the family plans to spend a few more months in Goa before their eldest daughter finishes the school year in Israel. The couple advises others not to wait for the "right time" to pursue their dreams, emphasizing that the younger children are, the easier such a transition can be.