Many families travel for the occasional vacation, but it’s nothing compared to the Holabecks. Having recently moved from Colorado, this family has maintained their love of adventure. As a result, each of the five children is named after a different continent, country or city including Asia, Austin, Sydney, Cayman and Vienna. The idea for this unique naming system was that for each child’s high school senior trip, they will travel to their name. So, for the summer the Holabecks will be traveling to a very familiar country for Asia’s senior trip: Cambodia.
“I was around 1 when I [first] went to Cambodia. Austin was born and then like six weeks later, we went back [to the U.S.]. After Syd was born was when we stayed in the States,” Asia said.
The parents, Trish Holabeck and Gus Holabeck III, met in college through the track team. They later became missionaries and decided to go to Cambodia.
“We wanted to work with a younger population and because of the Khmer Rouge [government that ruled Cambodia from 1975-1979] , a lot of the population was under 21 when we were there,” Gus Holabeck III said.
The family lived in Cambodia for three years before moving back to Indiana and then eventually Colorado, where Cayman and Vienna were born.
“I loved living there [Cambodia]. We worked with a lot of villagers and I enjoy working in places where there’s a lot of poverty. I didn’t love being hot all the time but it’s an enjoyable place to live in lots of different ways,” Gus Holabeck III said.
During their stay in Cambodia, both parents became fluent in the local language, Kumai. This experience changed how they view the world.
“It helps you understand how hard English actually is when you learn another language. It changes how you think. When you learn their language and live among them you learn the deeper values that determine that behavior. You can understand why they do certain things,” Gus Holabeck III said.
Growing up and experiencing life with different cultures has shaped their perspectives on the world.
“I don’t remember a ton about it but it’s definitely changed my worldview. I lived there first and now have lived in the U.S. It’s like I was kinda a part of two different cultures which means I don’t feel like I quite fit in certain places fully as a result,” Asia said.
The Holabecks have traveled to Kyrgyzstan, England, South Korea, Thailand, Spain, France and Turkey as well.
“I think it just made me very open to other ideas and points of view because there’s millions of them and there’s not just one way of life or just one right answer to everything, which I think is really beautiful. What we consider normal is not what other people consider normal and there are just a lot of funny things you learn about your own culture and language and other people’s culture and their language,” Asia said.
The Holabecks lived in Colorado until moving to North Carolina two years ago. While living in Colorado, the family found a pleasant pastime through backpacking and camping. The family often traveled to Buena Vista and Mount Harvard in Colorado. They practiced dispersed camping, which is where one camps away from designated spots. The general rule is to be 100-200 feet away from any path, trail or water source.
“It was fun but we didn’t really bring a lot of stuff. We just worked with what we had. I learned how to chop wood and start a fire,” Cayman said.
Proven through their constant adventures together, the Holabecks not only value family bonding but make it a priority.
