Family Travels 14,000 Miles By Car To See Pope
By David Spunt, Ian Bush
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Thousands packed the Philadelphia Convention Center on Tuesday to celebrate official opening of the World Meeting of Families.
Families from around the world will spend the week in Philadelphia for the historic visit. Out of the thousands in town, Noel Zemborain, her husband, and four kids stand out. They don't stand out because they share a home city with Pope Francis, but because they started their trip to Philadelphia in a 1980 Volkswagen van back in March.
"We are so grateful for being here," Zemborain told Eyewitness News.
"I am very excited, because we finally arrived," 12-year-old Cala tells KYW Newsradio.
Zemborain and her husband, Alfredo Walker, quit their jobs, drained their savings, and traveled from Buenos Aires through South America and into Mexico before reaching the United States three weeks ago.
Their long journey has been chronicled since March.
"Almost 14,000 miles — a very long trip from Buenos Aires to here," Noel said. "It's a great van. It's like our fifth child," she added with a smile.
The trip was made even longer by that VW breaking down several times — most recently, just 30 miles south of Philly. But each time, someone offered to help, as did many families along their journey who opened their doors for a meal and some sleep.
For more information on the family, they created a blog to document their travels.
Visit: https://americaenfamiliaenglish.wordpress.com/