Meet The Family Who Just Drove 12,400 Miles To See The Pope

It was six months ago and 12,400 miles away that the Walker family set out on their journey.

March 11 to be precise.

That’s when Catire Walker, 41, and his wife, Noel Zemborain, 39, left Buenos Aires with their four children in a Volkswagon bus. Their destination: to see the Pope in Philadelphia.

With a classic Volkswagon as their vehicle, the family of six drove from the tip of South America to the Northeast portion of the United States. After nearly 200 days, they arrived safely in Philadelphia earlier this week.

“For us he is a very inspiring person. We are very fond of him,” Noel said of the Pope during a phone interview with Patch mid-journey.

But the Pope, who is due in Philadelphia on Saturday, wasn’t the only reason behind their voyage across a dozen countries. The true reason was family, Noel said.

“We decided to do this trip before we knew about the World Meeting of Families,” Noel said. “The important thing is the family trip and the World Meeting of Families is the best end.”

Noel and her family have documented their travels on a blog, www.americaenfamilia.com.

But why drive—all that way, with four kids—when you could fly?

Noel says the reason is clear: to celebrate family and spread the message of the importance of family.

“We believe in the family as a force for change for a better world and a privileged place to live and be happy. Pope Francisco, who has inspired us, is working hard to protect and foster families,” Noel says on the family’s blog.

The journey began in Buenos Aires. From there, they made their way to Chile, then through Peru and on to Ecuador. Columbia was next, followed by Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala. Then they arrived in Mexico, and finally, the United States.

When asked which country has been their favorite, Noel says she can’t say. All have been a learning experience, with warm people and welcoming families, who have taken them in and provided them with a place to stay along the way.

“We have many, many favorite cities, towns and people. This is more about visiting families and people,” she said. ”People have been warm.”

This is the first time the family has taken such a long road trip, Noel said, but they do enjoy traveling. “We like to travel a lot. We lived abroad in Spain but a trip like this is a first,” she said.

And with four kids in the backseat, you may wonder if Noel hears a constant soundtrack of “are we there yet?” from the backseat.

The answer is no. Really.

The kids ”are very, very happy. They are enjoying it, enjoying being together,” she said. Along the way, they made sure not to spend every day in the car. ”We try to balance so it’s not so tiring for them,” she said, adding the children are being homeschooled for the year.

One hundred ninety four days after they left their home, the Walker family arrived in Philadelphia.

“All of a sudden we were in Philadelphia. It’s been 194 days since we left Buenos Aires. 13 countries, 12 borders and thousands of families who have been with us. We spent many things! We welcome the family. Ours and that of all. It is a journey of encounters. Thank you for opening the doors, for the messages, for the funds, by the aid in the routes, for the prayers. We’re happy,” the family posted Monday on Facebook.

They will join the Argentinian delegation at the World Meeting of Families, which is now underway and continues through Sunday. Highlights include the Papal mass on Sunday and the Festival of Families Saturday on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

After Philadelphia, Noel said the family plans to spend some time exploring the United States but they won’t be driving the Volkswagen all the way back to Argentina. They will be flying from Miami, and her younger brother will be driving it back, she noted.

To learn more about the family’s journey, click here to visit their blog. (Photos used with permission from http://americaenfamilia.com)

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