“I have a crazy idea.” When my husband starts a conversation like this I worry. He lives outside of the box; I, however, live very comfortably in it with coffee and a good book. “We should sell everything, live on a catamaran, and sail the world.” My nonchalant reply, with said coffee and nose in a good book, “I will go by land, but not by sea,” would set the wheels turning for a year that would change our lives. In under a year we had quit our jobs, rented our home, and set off to roadschool our children and chase extraordinary.
Q: How was your trip? A: Life changing. Q: Glad to be home? A: Yes. Q: How are you all adjusting? A: Okay… We’re committed to keeping our answers short as we’ve realized talking about our year long “trip” is not like recapping a week’s vacation because in fact we didn’t really take a trip…
So it would be a shit storm that would bring us to an epiphany. We have a routine. As we leave a park I trail Shawn in the Jeep to the dump. I linger as far downwind as I can, windows rolled up, and watch him, with industrial strength gloves up to his elbows, tense….
After visiting our friends in Texas we drove to the Gulf and began making our way home along the coast. The more we drive, the more it looks like home. This is confusing. We have been hiking in the mountains, peering over the Pacific Northwest cliffs, and staring up at Redwoods and Saguaro cacti for…
Drilling rigs dot the barren landscape of southwest Texas interspersed with cattle ranches, men in cowboy hats, boots, and pick up trucks. The cowboy is still alive and well in these parts. We are making our way to Austin then San Antonio to visit long time friends of ours stationed there. I have witnessed this…
As we travel during the winter we often remark how we’d love to return to each state in the spring to see it in its full glory. We choose instead rose colored glasses seeing the beauty of each sight in the dead of winter. Even Death Valley experiences a super bloom in spring I must…
So, I have this obsession. Everywhere we go I consider the fact that we may never return so I vow to cover every inch. The problem with this is that it is nearly impossible. This beautiful country of ours is endless. There is just too much to see. I want to exhaust every state, every…
After Christmas we headed toward Anza-Borrego State Park for hiking and exploring, but Carlsbad State Park’s beachside camping was too appealing. We had the most relaxing time doing school, hiking, and playing on the beach. We ventured into Carlsbad Village and splurged on dinner out and ice cream for New Years Eve. I even had…
Considering leaving it all behind and hitting the road as a family? Read our reflection six months in and I think you’ll get your answer.
Family. For a week my cousin let us move in, dog and all, as we celebrated the birth of Jesus and my mother. These are the people with whom I grew up doing Christmas. All of my childhood, my memories, and my traditions are wrapped up in these people. Oh, how I love them. To…
Why should one visit Joshua Tree National Park? Why to see Joshua Trees of course! Reading back through my blog I realize how little I obviously knew about our National Parks. Joshua Tree admittedly wasn’t on my initial radar, but I’ve quickly learned to prepare to be amazed! Why on earth would we just see a bunch…