Nate Wallick, a 40-year-old Chicago firefighter with a physics degree, faced a pivotal decision – whether to enroll his three young children in public school or embark on adventures like cliff jumping, canyon exploration, and carp shooting across America. For Nate, the choice was clear – he chose adventure without hesitation, as there were no public schools where they lived.
So, Nate and his wife Sally packed up their belongings, fled the suburbs, and moved to a farm a few miles outside Peoria, Illinois. Nate obtained a captain’s license, bought a boat, and began an extreme fishing journey, catching carp crazily leaping in the Illinois River. He took clients out to shoot fish with bow and arrow from a jet ski, sometimes even paddleboarding.
As their children grew older, the family pointed to uncharted places on the map and hit the road in a specially purchased motorhome. Instead of attending public school, the kids experienced a unique form of homeschooling that very few knew about. Nate and Sally had discussed this before they got married.
Over the past four years, their homeschooling combined wild adventures with learning on the go. Sally taught reading, writing, and arithmetic to their children during Arizona canyon explorations, cliff jumps into Kinkaid Lake, and waterfall dives. Nate, who had attended public school and later went to college on a football scholarship, aimed to “raise brave kids.”
“As parents, I think we must make an effort to understand our children’s individuality and potential, and strive to guide them in that direction,” Nate told Epoch Times, “If you want to raise brave kids, you need to do brave things yourself.”
Nate coached his eldest son, 10-year-old Gage, to overcome fear of cliff jumping. Later, Gage pleaded to face more fears. While some parents thought Nate was crazy, he insisted on safety measures, always checking water depth before allowing the plunge.
Nate listed the benefits of their adventurous schooling during the academic year – uncrowded beaches off-season, the father not exhausted from work but relaxing with a beer. Parents watched their children grow, guiding them to expand their minds and absorb knowledge while constantly learning. For the Wallick family, family came first.
Nate mentioned having no complaints about his public schooling experience but wanted to guide his children with their Christian values.
“I went to public school and feel I received a decent education,” Nate said, “So have things changed since I went to public school? Maybe so.”
Today, many parents have their children in classes for 8 hours daily, followed by several hours of homework at home. Nate believed all the wasted time could be saved, completing all assignments within two hours.
During an interview at the Clinton Lake camping ground – a cooling lake next to a nuclear power plant in Illinois – the Wallicks talked about a hopeful vision for their children’s future.
University loans and manual labor jobs were not out of the question, but Nate was guiding Gage to become an entrepreneur.
“I want to open a toy store,” Gage said, sharing his love for boating and airsoft guns like his dad, “A toy store with cool military-grade stuff, quality things.”
Nate taught that a major benefit of entrepreneurship is that hard work brings reward. Hiking into icy waters, winter high ropes course, and fearless dives were all accompanied by a satisfying feeling of success. It all felt worthwhile. Everyone congratulated each other.
“We are preparing them for success in the future,” he said, “I have never been exposed to this kind of education before. I’ve basically been forced to work manual labor jobs.”
“I want to give them this vision, and then what they make of it is their decision,” the father said.
As they rowed around the cooling lake of the nuclear plant, Nate said the current adventures were thrilling and soon to end.
“As long as my kids don’t grow a third arm, we’re good,” Nate laughed. They’d be heading home tonight. Gage, 9-year-old sister Charlee, and 7-year-old brother Axton would continue caring for the rabbits and chickens on their farm. They’d build many forts in the scrapyard and learn various subjects before embarking on their next family homeschooling adventure.