Family's Search for Travel Nanny Garners Thousands of Applications

The nanny will get paid to take a year-long, around the world adventure.

ByABC News
January 5, 2017, 5:25 PM

— -- M'Kenzie and Derek Tillotson thought they might get "10 or 20" applications for the travel nanny job they're looking to fill.

But since the Salt lake City couple posted a video to Facebook on Tuesday with the job description, they've received more than 7,000.

It's no wonder -- the description is certainly tempting: Travel around the world with the family for one year, with all travel expenses paid. In exchange, the nanny will help them take care of their three kids (5, 3 and 4 months), including homeschooling of the kindergartener, and receive two weeks off for around the winter holidays and a salary of $1,200 - $1,500 per month.

Their video, which has been viewed more than three million times in two days, has drawn applicants from every country in the world, M'Kenzie Tillotson told ABC News.

"We've gotten so many personal stories, it seems like this is resonating as a dream for so many people," she said.

The couple, who are both in sales, will be working throughout the trip and are funding it entirely on their own, they said. Taking a year to travel the world, M'Kenzie said, has always been their goal.

"We want to go now before the kids' obligations and schooling makes it too hard to go away for a long period of time," she said.

The couple will begin their trip in New York City, then fly to Iceland and on to Scandinavia. The second half of their trip will be from Hawaii to Asia.

Derek Tillotson said he's most excited for his kids to experience more diversity than they do currently. "I want them to go to a playground and not understand a word of what's being spoken and for that to eventually become normal to them."

He said that while he expects there will be some difficult days along the journey, "in the end they just make us stronger."

Though most of the people reaching out to the couple are in just in the market for the job, some have been critical. M'Kenzie said some have called them selfish. But, she said, "it's not going to stop us."

The family plans to begin their trip in July and is accepting applications until Jan. 17.