We are doing everything right this time, reading information, preparing the travel trailer, preparing our kids, saving money. Last year I took several of the kids on a four month adventure around the United States. Stopping in several spots along the way. We loved it so much, we have decided to make it a family affair. In July we are all taking off (by all I mean half of our children) We are going to deliver AJ to college and begin our adventures. I have found that preparing for the adventure is more work than I imagined, because you have to live life in the meantime.
We spent this weekend, helping two teenage sons navigate the insane world that is PROM. Smatterings of other social events, and we even managed to unload a truck full of stuff. So much of preparing to leave is just getting rid of things, most of which I should have gotten rid of a millennium ago. Sorting through life and realizing just how much we don't need is a humbling experience.
There are waves of emotions that go along with leaving life and living on the road. I find myself questioning if I am doing the right thing several times a day. But in our short four month adventure there were so many experiences that I will treasure forever. So much of this tiny part of the world to get to know and see.
As I am still working mostly full-time, Tony is in charge of preparing our world. He makes trips to the dump, posts items on craigslist, and browses an amazing amount of literature on the Web. While he fixes the stove on the Travel Trailer, and launders a large pile of clothes, I go to work, and come home and work on motivating the children. Because they feel the same as I do, excited about the adventure, and terrified of what we will miss. We will miss our friends, and the fun we had the last four years in this neck of the woods. We will miss raising chickens and pigs, growing a garden, and snow. We will miss so much of the parts of stationary life, I have to remind myself that it's okay to mourn these things. Loss is apart of life. I can feel sad for these things and excited for the adventure that awaits us.
So far our adventure will include a tiger sanctuary, Comicon, and with any luck a few Broadway plays, some even off Broadway. The list grows as does the excitement. Spending the evenings relaxing again, taking walks as the sun sets, and scrambling to get schoolwork done. The magic of it is not lost on me.
I am beginning to wonder if four months is enough time to learn everything we need to learn. But then, do we ever have enough time to learn it all? Other times it seems like forever. For now the posts will be long and full of learning and adventure. Getting my son ready for college, and the kids ready for Roadschool. Preparing to leave my 16 year old to finish school with a dear and trusted friend. Figuring out what we really need as we pack the travel trailer. All these things are reminders of the adventure that awaits, the friends we will leave behind, and the friends we have yet to meet.
We spent this weekend, helping two teenage sons navigate the insane world that is PROM. Smatterings of other social events, and we even managed to unload a truck full of stuff. So much of preparing to leave is just getting rid of things, most of which I should have gotten rid of a millennium ago. Sorting through life and realizing just how much we don't need is a humbling experience.
There are waves of emotions that go along with leaving life and living on the road. I find myself questioning if I am doing the right thing several times a day. But in our short four month adventure there were so many experiences that I will treasure forever. So much of this tiny part of the world to get to know and see.
As I am still working mostly full-time, Tony is in charge of preparing our world. He makes trips to the dump, posts items on craigslist, and browses an amazing amount of literature on the Web. While he fixes the stove on the Travel Trailer, and launders a large pile of clothes, I go to work, and come home and work on motivating the children. Because they feel the same as I do, excited about the adventure, and terrified of what we will miss. We will miss our friends, and the fun we had the last four years in this neck of the woods. We will miss raising chickens and pigs, growing a garden, and snow. We will miss so much of the parts of stationary life, I have to remind myself that it's okay to mourn these things. Loss is apart of life. I can feel sad for these things and excited for the adventure that awaits us.
So far our adventure will include a tiger sanctuary, Comicon, and with any luck a few Broadway plays, some even off Broadway. The list grows as does the excitement. Spending the evenings relaxing again, taking walks as the sun sets, and scrambling to get schoolwork done. The magic of it is not lost on me.
I am beginning to wonder if four months is enough time to learn everything we need to learn. But then, do we ever have enough time to learn it all? Other times it seems like forever. For now the posts will be long and full of learning and adventure. Getting my son ready for college, and the kids ready for Roadschool. Preparing to leave my 16 year old to finish school with a dear and trusted friend. Figuring out what we really need as we pack the travel trailer. All these things are reminders of the adventure that awaits, the friends we will leave behind, and the friends we have yet to meet.
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