Through the Eyes of the Traveling Child – Cooper, Pepper and Woody

Provide us with a little background on who you are, where you are originally from, name, age and what you are doing with your family, any siblings?

• Cooper:  I am ten years old and live in Melbourne, Australia. Travel is in my blood. My ancestors traveled a lot on big ships around the world. I like to travel as much as possible and go on adventures. I use a wheelchair when we travel ( I have Cerebral Palsy) and at home I can walk around my classroom or house and use a walker or power wheelchair if we need to go a bit further.
  

• Pepper:  I am six years old. I like to travel around the world. I have two brothers one bigger, one smaller. I live in Melbourne, Australia and am in Grade One at school. I love writing and reading and Maths.

• Woody:  I am three. I’m not talking anymore! Oh I like the beach

Where do you call home?

• Melbourne, Australia. Near the beach and our family.

What do you like most about traveling?

• Cooper:  Everything. Probably the food! Yes the food!

• Pepper:  How I meet new people. I make friends everywhere I go.

• Woody:  Nothing…..I do like the plane and going in a pool.

How long have you been traveling and where have you lived so far?

• Cooper:  We travel as much as we can even though we have a home base and go to school in Melbourne.  My first trip was to Singapore when I was 18 months old. I did some therapy and we also went to an Indonesian island.

• Pepper:  My first trip was to Vietnam when I was 9 months old. Mum carried me in a sling on the back of a motorbike.
  

• Woody:  I went to Chiang Mai and rode an elephant when I was one.

What have you learned from your travels thus far?

• Cooper:  I have learned how poor some countries are and how grateful I should be living in Australia. I still want to live in London though!

• Pepper:  I learnt how to make pancakes in Laos on the street.

• Woody:  I learnt new words (Woody) and that people love to squish my face and arms! (from Mum)

Tell us about how you are receiving your education?

• Cooper:   We go to mainstream school here in Melbourne. When we travel during school time we write our travel blog and a journal to show our class. We learn so much when traveling.

• Pepper:  Pepper writes a journal and takes photos and draws pictures everyday.  Mum acts as my scribe and writes or types my words. I am waiting to be able to speak clearly enough to a computer and for it to type all my thoughts!

How many languages can you speak and at what level? Was it difficult to learn? 

• We speak English. We learn German at school. We also do a few signs and gestures.

Do you have many friends?  Tell us about them.  

• Cooper:  Yes I do! I love to meet new people. I can talk for hours and hours.

• Pepper:  I have lots of friends at school and make new friends when we travel. We even met some friends in Germany last year who we only knew on the computer. I love talking to people and learning new words.

• Woody:  My cousin Nell and my best friend Joe.

What is your favorite adventure? 

• Cooper:  London! Going to the Tower of London with my Poppy. London was so accessible and friendly.

• Pepper:  In Laos I met so many nice people. I rode on a motorbike with Dad and I liked how Mum and I rode a bike in the street. Mum and I walked across the river with the bike and my shoe floated off! A little boy got it for me. Saibadee!

• Woody:  Swimming in the pool. I love tuk tuks too! And sleeper trains.
  

Do you have a favorite game you play when you travel?

• Cooper:  Rock Paper Scissors! Or Marco Polo in the pool.

• Pepper:  Rock Paper Scissors – I play this with my brother! We played it on the sleeper train from Bangkok to Nong Khai.

• Woody:  I like watching Paw Patrol and playing Monster Snap.

Is there anything you miss seeing, having, doing? 

• Cooper:  No! I never want to come home!
  

• Pepper:  I miss Nanny and Nana and Poppy and Grandpa.

• Woody:  Joe boy.

What is the one thing you are happy you brought with you? 

• Cooper:  My iPad.

• Pepper:  Spencer my teddybear.

• Woody:  Sneaky my soft toy.

Where do you want to go next?

• Cooper:  USA

• Pepper:  Somewhere hot!

• Woody:  I just want to go back to Laos.

Thank you Cooper, Pepper and Woody for sharing with all of us!  

We don’t often get exposed to the opinion of the kids and perhaps think we should.  We all know the Wagoner kids are full of their two cents worth and are loving travel.   If you would like to read other interviews in our Traveling Child Series, just click the image below.

Thanks for following along!  Do you have a traveling child who would like to be part of our series?  Just let us know.