A local family have sold everything to travel the world with their young sons.

Rick and Alana Knelsen have sold their house and many of their possessions and bought a one-way ticket to see their world for the foreseeable future.

Alana notes they've always loved traveling and the timing was perfect because their boys aren't in school yet. "Right now it's kind of the sweet spot... we want to get as much travel in as possible before we have to settle down for the school life."

"It came down to, "Are we going to regret doing this or not?'" Alana says, adding the answer was obvious. "I think we will regret it if we don't try."

Rick says while they're grateful for the comfortable life they've enjoyed in Winkler, they'd rather focus on experiences than "accumulating more stuff."

"Not like there's anything wrong with having nice things," Rick says. "Right now we just see it as a positive thing for our family."

Heading into their adventure, Alana notes they've packed their entire lives into a handful of backpacks. The family will also be equipped with camera equipment and a drone to capture their journey.

Rick notes they also have a financial plan in place to return to Winkler for a second start when the time comes. In the end, he says knowing life is short puts the somewhat unconventional choice into perspective. Extended family, he says, also understand their decision knowing the couple's passions and personalities.

The Knelsens are first heading to Hawaii before making their way to New Zealand and beyond. To follow their story visit http://www.thenoregretsfamily.com/blog/