Saturday, August 1, 2015

One Year Nomadiversary


This week we did something big—we celebrated our one year anniversary or “nomadiversary” as we like to call it.  So, I guess it is official, we are in this thing for the long haul.  There is no looking back.  Honestly, it feels like we are just now getting into the swing of things.  Our first year was that of adjustment, understanding and finding our bearings on this new life.  Tom and I realized the other day that we have been talking a lot about what next year will bring and how incredible it will be—places we will see, new experiences—but caught ourselves laughing at the fact that we weren’t referring to next year, as in 2016.  We now refer to a new year as July 28, the anniversary of the day we left it all behind.  I guess this means from now on our New Year celebration will forever be July 28, the day that we truly started to live life. 

The question we keep getting (especially from family) is “when, and where, do you plan to settle down?”  Well, honestly, we are settled…right into this new way of living.  This isn’t a trip.  This isn’t a goal.  It is the life we are embracing for this season, however long we want that to be.  We are not interested in going back to the “sticks ‘n’ bricks.”  We’ve been there, done that and left it for a reason.  I know most people can’t understand.  And, that’s quite alright.  They think of our journey as us living in our trailer, but that is such a small portion of this lifestyle.  It isn’t about the fact that we stay in various places, or live in a 28 foot trailer.  It is about the freedom to live life without any hindrance experiencing all the world has to offer.  This includes things like spending time together, enjoying local culture, giving back to the community, seeking out the deeper more important aspects of life, learning new hobbies, slowing down, enjoying the simple moments and hopefully marking some things off of a bucket list.  Most of these things I feel our society has started to tragically neglect.   


I’m not even sure I can sum up our first year.  It was filled with every kind of emotion possible.  We have had lots of highs and lots of lows.  We rolled through 15 states experiencing everything from frolicking in waterfalls to judging a BBQ contest in Texas.  We were blessed to give our time and hearts to communities along the way that have touched our souls immeasurably.  We embarked on the world of homeschooling, which was a tremendous adjustment to say the least both for us and the kids!  We even bought and sold our very first real estate “flip,” paving the way for our continued travels.  We took this step out on faith, leaving our jobs behind in hopes that we could make things work for ourselves.  It was thrilling, terrifying and unpredictable.  But the truth is, we are thriving like never before.  God has really opened doors in our life to friendships and places that we would have never otherwise known.  It took the first year to learn to let go and live for each day.  We used to try to force everything to happen in life.  Success.  A better family life.  Peace.  Learning.  Even spirituality.  It is when we started letting go and learning to live one day at a time in faith and simplicity that we felt a real sense of rejuvenation. 


Our kids amaze me.  They are learning who they are and spending moments with friends and family that they will remember forever.  There have been so many firsts!  It’s remarkable.  We see them discovering themselves and starting to live with curious wonder-filled minds.  This has taken a full year of adjustment for all of us, but to see them coming into their own is pretty incredible.  We seem them enjoying life, building new long lasting friendships, spending time with all kinds of family and flourishing more than we could have imagined.  They are even growing closer together as siblings, although some days are better than others.  It wasn’t an easy at first, especially for Tyler, but this year I’ve seen him grow so much into an amazing young man who is starting to realize his own dreams.  I know Tyler will accomplish anything he puts his mind to and this lifestyle is confirming that.  I think he is starting to really understand why his parents jumped off the edge to live life this way.  Haley was born to be a nomad.  She is free spirited and loves the spontaneity of this life.  She grows more confident in herself every day and she has opened up and come out of her shell so much this past year.  She is literally making friends across the entire U.S. and having the time of her life.

As far as Tom and I, this year has brought us closer than ever before.  We are rediscovering our life as a couple.  I look back and think, we were going through the motions so much in our busy life before, it is almost like rediscovering, or uncovering, both our individuality and our marriage.  He is my best friend and we are so much more than husband and wife—we are a team in everything we do.  I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather be doing life with. 

Even though we have only visited 15 states, we have concluded that every state is different and unique—the culture, the people, the landscape and it leaves us craving more.  As we drive through each little town, we find ourselves dreaming and thinking... “could we live here?”  I’m beginning to think we can live anywhere, but we want to live everywhere.  No one particular place is worth leaving all others behind. 

So, where do we go from here?  Well, we hope big things are in store for us this next year as we roll into the west.  The past few months have been filled with real estate flips (we’re working on our second) which has kind of consumed us, but hey, we do have to fund our lifestyle!  Now, we are aching to hit the road again and get focused on meeting our fellow RV community, ramping up our “Not So” Random Acts of Kindness Project and finally hoping to explore some of the wild west that we have been waiting to see for so long.  God only knows where this path will lead.  One thing is for sure, we are grateful for the support, encouragement and kind words from our entire community.  And, so, on we roll into year number two.    

Thursday, July 9, 2015

One Day


One day you will look back on this choice and realize that you and your husband took the biggest risk you could have possibly taken to do something big, something scary, something you’ve always had it inside of you to do.  You’ll have a smile on your face when you think of the moments you made with your family at the most beautiful places.  You won’t reminisce on the struggles or challenges, because it won’t matter.  Those challenges in the end will make your family closer and stronger.  The conversations that took place, although sometimes extremely hard, will be the catapult to a happier existence and memories that will forever remain sewn into the fabric of who you are. 
 
This journey will be the reason you are where you are in life.  When others share stories of similar feats, you will smile knowing that you share something special with them.  This something special is the ability to leap into the fierce unknown and chase after a dream without reservations.  This is not something to take lightly.  You’ll wonder, looking back, how you actually made it happen.  Although deep down you will remember that you let go of your fear and put aside the “what ifs,” and that was the very gateway to an abounding life.  This means discovering the path of letting go of micromanaging your own life and instead finding out what God can do in your life.  It will prove to be a worthy decision and will build your faith like nothing else.
 
The family trials and challenges will seem small compared to the big picture, which is seeing your family blossom in a new way.  God will use this time to shape you in ways that are needed, but have been neglected for so long.  One day you will be presented with a moment you have been preparing your whole life for and you will be ready, because you stepped out on faith in this journey.  God has a huge plan for your life. 
 
Your kids will be better rounded individuals and one day fully appreciate what this experience was all about.  They might even grow to appreciate each other!  It will ignite a spark in them that will be used later in shaping their own dreams and pursuing them with hearts full of passion.  As this happens it will create such a great moment of pride as a parent, seeing who they have become.  This journey will allow them to see the important things in life and that taking time for these things really makes all the difference.  The togetherness that at times were brutal will be the same thing that glues your family together in a way otherwise impossible.   
 
You will laugh as people couldn’t (and still can't) understand why you would live with your family in a trailer to find simplicity and happiness, but as you look into their over-scheduled lives, you will wish they could see what you’ve seen with your very own eyes.  People will talk about seeing places and hoping to vacation in places that your own two feet have touched and your very eyes seen.  Once again, a smile will find its way to your face when you realize that life is an adventure worth living and you and your family embraced it. 
 
There is no one right path.  That’s the biggest lie out there.  It’s a lie lined with fear holding the majority of individuals back from ever taking one single step toward their dreams.  In a moment of enlightenment (or pure insanity) you will know that you were able to take that first, terrifying and thrilling step that led you to a magical place where you lived beyond the lie.  Dreams are meant to be chased.  Fear is meant to be overcome.  And, a real life is waiting on the other side.  God gives us each the ability to live life uniquely with our own passions and talents and we can either embrace that or try to fit into a mold.  Not everyone will understand our family and the press on our hearts for this simple way of life, but looking back there won’t be any wondering or thinking “what if I stayed in my normal life and did all the normal things?”  Our family will be remembered as the trendsetters, the hippies, the dreamers— the people without an excuse.  In the end, we will say we lived life with no regrets, never looking back and we rolled on against all odds. 
 
Something truly remarkable will stem from this.  Maybe not the “win the lottery or become famous” kind of thing (which is perfectly alright by me), but the kind of big that is life altering for the person, or family in our case, experiencing it.  Be ready for that new opportunity when it comes, because it will require another step out of your comfort zone.  And as you step, smile with the changing seasons of your life and a new adventure ahead.

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Top 10 Reasons We Couldn't Wait to RV Fulltime


Top 10 Reasons We Couldn't Wait to RV Fulltime

There were so many reasons we decided to sell it all and drag our family around the country in our travel trailer, but these ten (in no particular order) should give a glimpse as to why we chose to embark on a life on the road.

We Didn’t Have To Wait

No longer do people have to wait for retirement to enjoy a life of travel.  In this age of possibilities, individuals can create a new American dream by pursuing mobile careers on the road.  We live in the perfect time and place to follow any dream.  There are SO many more career options out there to hopeful nomads.  Every family finds a different avenue, but if your dream is to travel, there is no doubt that you can find a way with some planning.  It took us almost three years of planning, but we made our dream happen.  If you don’t believe me, than check out the countless blogs posted on this topic.  However, I think what most people find is that there is no one right path to follow (sorry, I know you were hoping for the big secret everyone is holding out on, but there simply isn’t one).  It takes coming up with your own path and planning accordingly.

To Live Out Our Family Values

My husband and I realized that we were going through the motions in our previous way of living.  All the good intentions we had to spend quality time as a family, give back to the community, pursue our talents seemed to take a backseat to our so-called “busyness.”  We weren’t living an inspired life or even stopping to smell the roses.  Instead, we were really living for the next vacation.  It became clear that we were the family we wanted to be when all the clutter was stripped away from our lives in moments like camping.  We needed to SLOW DOWN.  Simplicity would be the key to pursuing the things we felt were important.  It was time to live life as the people we felt we were meant to be.  In this newfound simplicity, we would have more time to give back to the community, more quality time with each other, and more focus on the important things in life.  It was time to leave all the other “stuff” behind.

Experience and Travel Shapes Us in a Way Nothing Else Can

Travel has a way of opening your eyes.  It changes you.  It affects you.  It makes you aware and conscious of something bigger than yourself.  This world is so big and few people have the opportunity to see beyond their four walls.  We knew our four walls were miniscule compared to a big, incredible world waiting to be discovered.  This would be something that would shape not only us, but our kids—their ideas, imaginations and develop perspective like nothing else. 


To Spend QUALITY Family Time

Our routine was exhausting in our previous life.  Get up.  Take the kids to school.  Come back to do homework or school projects, take the kids to basketball practice, rush through dinner, scurry through showers and off to bed.  At what point in the day did we have a chance to interact?  At what point were we learning who our growing tweens were, who they wanted to be, or who they were actually becoming?  How many hours were we even spending as a family?  When we were together, everyone was doing their own thing in the few hours a week we had together as a family.  This was not what we wanted for our family.  We were following along with this societal mindset that this was the only way—living a life completely tuned out—but deep down we knew better.  Family was always a priority and we were letting our precious moments slip away.  It was time to stop the madness and tune back in to what was important.

Showing Our Kids Their Untapped Potential

Previous to roadschooling our kids were in traditional school.  We realized there was more to our children besides them fitting into the mold and standardized testing that school had for them.  They weren’t able to discover and explore their creativity in the classroom setting.  This showed up in two different ways for our kids.  The oldest, Tyler, was clearly bored with school.  He wasn’t being challenged or striving for excellence; he was doing just enough to get by.  We knew he was brilliant and had so much untapped potential.  Our youngest, Haley, was missing large concepts and building blocks for growth.  In a classroom of 30 kids, you could say she was getting overlooked.  She has a brilliant imagination and mind, but she learns best hands on with one on one attention.  She was a perfect candidate for roadschooling, where school would come to life for her.  

We knew that roadschooling could challenge each of them to reach their potential.  We could cater their education to them.  For Tyler, we could allow him to learn at a faster pace learning with the sky as the limit.  For Haley, she could dig into the learning experience and touch it with her hands.  We wanted to see new passion for learning and see them discovering their passions and talents.  It was time for discovery, exploration and experience as a way to learn.  With this journey the underlying tone would be to teach our kids that they can accomplish anything.  There are no limits to life or the possibilities.  We wanted them to see that firsthand through us.

Simplify. Simplify. Simplify.

We had the gigantic 55” flat screen smart TV.  We had all the choking monthly bills that come with “normal” life.  There we were, working ourselves into an early grave at multiple jobs attempting to fund this typical American lifestyle.  At some point we started to ask ourselves, “Is this the American dream—becoming a slave to things that we don’t even have time to enjoy with the thought that having the next best thing will somehow make us happier?”  We tried to play along with this idea and it just wasn’t working.  I can honestly say that going the route of buying happiness doesn’t in fact make you happier.  If anything you become more trapped and further away from any true peace of mind. 

There is something incredibly liberating about selling 95% of what you own and downsizing everything.   Our best moments on this adventure haven’t been centered around our things.  What they have been centered around are irreplaceable memories and moments of pure simplicity and joy.  Moments we rarely took time for in our past life.  Life can be found in the smile on your kids face as you roll down 200 foot sand dunes together in the pitch dark, the excited screams of chasing each other through a corn maze, seeing the sense of accomplishment as your kids work together to build their very own tee-pee by hand, your daughter catching her first fish, or watching your son’s eyes light up as we stand in the control room at NASA where history was made on the first visit to the moon.  No person can put a price tag on these moments for our family.  This is what we traded it all for—being present in the moment.  It is not always perfect, but after experiencing it, we wouldn’t trade it for anything.
 

We’re Still Young!

Or, so we’d like to think.  We have been blessed with good health and a passion for life, why would we wait to retire to live this life?  We want to explore and enjoy the youth that we still have.  Now, I know that many people stay young and vibrant as they get older and won’t let their age hold them back, but for us there was no reason to take the gamble that we will feel good enough to do all the things that make a life on the road fun and exciting to us.  If we could do this, we wanted to do it now, and as a family.

Meeting America

Our life is more than just rolling around in our trailer.  The communities we have come across while on the road have taught us many lessons.  This journey is about reaching out and touching the real America.  The relationships we have built and incredible people we have met have rekindled the notion that good still exists in this world.  Some of our new friends have encouraged us, others have inspired us and many have made us feel like part of their family.  We are certain that many of the relationships we have built will remain lifelong friends. 

Outside of meeting people along the way, there are those moments we dive into the area’s culture.  Whether it means jumping into judging at a BBQ Cookoff in the Texas hill country or touring the Acadian French history of Vermillionville, we LOVE this part of travel!  We enjoy every moment of experiencing the uniqueness of our nation and the people who make our country great!

Exploring God’s Wonders

We are nature junkies.  Sunsets.  Sunrises.  Waterfalls.  Oceans.  Forests.  We’re not picky.  There is something to be said for the serenity nature provides.  I think God gives us nature, because we need it!  We need time to let it all go and nature provides that perfect outlet.  It doesn’t really matter how we experience it, whether hiking, biking, kayaking, swimming, or just sitting in it.  The great outdoors is a special place and we find ourselves drawn to it.  Taking a walk under the starry sky or a nature hike to the top of a peak is more than just exercise for us.  These moments create time for our family to enjoy each other, create fresh conversation and allow us to fully unplug from everything else.  In these fifty states that make up our great country, there are countless places to explore.  The freedom that we are given with a home on wheels gives us the perfect opportunity to see a glimpse of each state’s treasures.  It is our home base as we roll through some of the most majestic and beautiful places this country has to offer.

To LIVE an Amazing Life

Ok, so the truth is, we have one chance to do life.  My husband and I honestly feel that God was pulling on our hearts to live bigger lives.  We were letting our lives pass us by, instead of embracing our opportunities.  We could have chosen to stick with our busy life in the suburbs.  We could have let fear keep us there, but we knew we were cut out for something different, something more.  As we researched this lifestyle, there was no doubt that we wanted on board.  It became clear pretty quickly that we were ready to jump into adventure and leave it all behind with no looking back.  It was time to enjoy the uniqueness of each day and new place.  There was an undeniable pressing on our hearts that this was going to be the next step in life.  It was time to risk it all in order to trade it in for this incredible epic adventure of a lifetime!  It came down to one simple question, “If we do this and we follow this urge, what’s the worst that can happen?”  And with that simple thought, the rest is history.
 

Thursday, April 23, 2015

The Reveal of Our Chatsworth Charmer



Our time in Montgomery has come to an end.  So many memories and experiences were made in our six week detour that we wouldn’t trade for anything.  A serendipitous detour that led us hundreds of miles away in a completely opposite direction from initially planned.  While we were there we cherished quality time with family, made some incredible new friends, spent time with some old friends, took a walk through civil rights history, and even caught a glimpse of the President and his family for the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the March from Selma to Montgomery.  This visit to Montgomery also presented us with our first opportunity to get our hands a little dirty since hitting the road with our very first investment property. 
 
We found this home via an auction website, and completed the purchase virtually sight unseen.  Not something we would normally do, but we were familiar with Montgomery.  Jaime grew up here and I lived here for a few years, and we were able to get some eyes on the home before bidding, (thanks dad!).  The neighborhood was great, the school district was highly rated, and with some words of confidence from our eyes on the ground we began the bidding process, and came out as the highest bidders just shy of our pre-determined top price for the home.  Soon after, we began the long trek from Texas to Alabama. 

Our first order of business upon arriving was of course visiting our new home.  At first glance, the house was hiding behind years of overgrown shrubbery, a few missing shutters on the side of the house, and a weed infested front yard.  It was a full brick home, which was great for the steamy Alabama summers, with a carport and side parking pad.  The exterior trim paint was an odd plum-ish color, as was the front porch which we determined after maneuvering around the 10 foot tall shrubs.  Years of grime had collected on the driveway and walkway leading to the front porch. 
Overall, though, we could all immediately see the potential in our Chatsworth Charmer.


These front exterior fixes were thankfully all cosmetic and could be easily handled.  First things first, we had to uncover the home so it could actually be seen from the street.  We spent an afternoon removing the once beautiful shrubbery.  The intention was to attempt to salvage some, but the years of unmanaged growth and neglect had caused the majority of the smaller shrubs in the rear to partially die off.  In the end they were all removed, and it turned out to be a great decision. 
Under the direct supervision of their grandfather, Tyler and Haley reconstructed the front garden area with some beautiful flowers, new shrubs, and of course some fresh mulch. 
Tyler diligently worked on pressure washing the driveway and walkway.  Our family Picasso, Jaime, added a brilliant beige color to the front porch and exterior trim, giving the home some new life. 
 

Around back was not much different than the front, but right away showed some promise.  The yard had a full privacy fence, a screened in porch, and a large storage shed that was already wired for electricity.  The landscaping, although overgrown, was pleasantly surprising with some beautiful azaleas and even a pomegranate tree. 

I had a lot of fun working in the backyard, especially adding the new paver patio.  Although there was already a small existing patio, we felt it was important to offer some additional outdoor living for the new homeowners to enjoy on those Alabama evenings.  Some color was added with a stone garden area, a birdbath to enjoy the local wildlife, and we completed the outdoor living area with addition of a fire pit for a little extra charm.

 









The inside of the home really needed very little throughout the main living areas.  It featured some beautiful hardwood floors throughout the dining room, formal living room, and bedrooms.  It even came with two inch blinds throughout.  The light fixtures had previously been updated as well. 

I really wish we could take more credit for the way these main living areas turned out.  A little cleaning and some fresh paint throughout really made these areas sparkle. 

Now on to the kitchen.  Kitchens sell homes, so we struggled with which upgrades to do here while staying within budget.  At the forefront of the dilemma were the cabinets which were oddly hanging over the peninsula.  While the floorplan was “generally” open from the kitchen to the informal living area, these cabinets restricted the view in such a way that it essentially made a wall. 
The kitchen already came equipped with some relatively new white appliances, minus the refrigerator.  And it appeared that the existing countertops were in decent shape.

That said, we made most of our major changes here in the kitchen.  We started with the purchase of brand new stainless steel appliances.  Also, despite the risk of repairing the entire ceiling and eliminating cabinet space from an already small kitchen, we made the decision to remove the cabinets that were creating the barrier between the two rooms.  With the addition of the stainless steel hood, I feel this project turned out looking great and really opened up the floorplan. 


After some serious tile and grout scrubbing, the Chatsworth Charmer project was finished out with some stunning granite countertops adding tremendous appeal for the next owner.
 


And that was that!  After six weeks, our project in Montgomery had finally come to a close with the official listing of the home on Monday by our local superstar agent Kitty Wasserman with Capital Realty Group, River Region.  Chatsworth is priced aggressively, and even before listing, we had already received some interest.  Hopefully this is a good indication that we will get a quick sale. 

But, just as quickly as the Chatsworth Charmer project has ended, a new chapter is already in the works!  I write this today from the beaches of Pensacola, Florida…an amazing location to begin our next project, which we close on this week.  Meet our “Bayou Bargain”!

 
 
 
We have lots of exciting things in the works for this project, and it has been hard to contain up to this point!  This time, we hope to bring you our progress through video!  That’s right, it will be our own personal spin to many of the renovation shows you already watch.  We are excited to open this new chapter, and especially excited to have the opportunity to share with all of you! 

Monday, April 13, 2015

A Change in Direction



What happens when you don’t follow your original plans?  Well, for us, you end up in Alabama.  I’m sure those of you following along are wondering, WHAT in the world are we doing in Alabama?  Aren’t we supposed to be in California by now?  We should be.  We could be.  But we aren’t.  We started off eight months ago out of North Carolina and not only are we ONLY fifteen states in, here we are in the complete opposite direction of our original plans.  Why?  We threw out our original plans.  We threw out our milestones.  We threw out any limitations.  We threw out our timeline.  We left those things back in Texas on the side of the road.  We decided to embrace this life and roll with it.

When we started this nomadic lifestyle, Tom and I promised ourselves one particular thing: that we would open ourselves up to this experience, what God has in store for us and any and all possibilities along the way.  We wanted to be flexible.  We wanted to take opportunities as they presented themselves to us.  We wanted to see what doors opened up along the way as we let go of fear.  We wanted to live by faith embracing the unknown.  Originally, our thoughts consisted of treating this journey as a year off to see the country.  This mentality would allow us to see how we liked being on the road and what the kids refer to as being a “homeless family.”  (Which always makes me laugh.)  But, somehow Tom and I knew deep down we were going to be hooked to this new simplistic, adventurous way of life.  So, we had already talked about more long-term plans to support our nomadic lifestyle when we were ready to do so. 

We were sure that Texas would be the perfect location to do several things.  It was a pivotal moment in our travels.  First, we could establish our residency, since we sold our two homes in North Carolina we had to pick a state to call home.  What state would be better than Texas?  They have a club setup for RVers that full time just like us.  Plus, calling ourselves Texans just sounds cool.  Second, we could reassess our goals and whether this travel thing was really for us.  Third, if it was for us and all was going well, we could commit to buying an investment property.  With its many cities and opportunities, we felt Texas would be a great place to do all of these things.  When the beginning of the year came around, Tom and I were more than ready for the next step.  We had just sold our second home, so we began house shopping in between adventures.  It was time to stretch our dream in a much larger way.  It was time to make this full time travel thing a long term reality.   

On our route, our next stop would have been Big Bend National Park.  Instead, we found ourselves on our way to a new destination—Montgomery, Alabama.  Well, you probably don’t need me to tell you that Montgomery is nowhere near Big Bend and probably not the most desirable place to visit if you are adventurous like us.  And it sure doesn’t take us out west to the destinations we have been craving.

Sometimes on this journey we call life, things happen that you can’t quite explain.  We like to refer to these particular occurrences as none other than a “God thing.”  Something that happens through strange circumstances with an underlying reason that you can’t quite see at the time.  As you are making these huge life decisions, you can’t even explain what is possessing you to walk in that direction.  Everything about this whole scenario was none other than illogical.  I guess this is where faith comes into play.  

So here’s how it went down.  Tom and I had started searching for properties like the crazed real estate junkies we are about two months ago.  We actually had offers in on two different properties in Texas.  Neither one panned out.  For some strange reason we decided to look in our old stomping grounds just to see what might be available.  We take our property searches pretty seriously and we like to keep an eye on real estate across the country.  This is our passion and what we love—auction properties and foreclosures that have sat empty ready to be brought back to life again.  Of all places, I pulled up my old hometown of Montgomery in what appeared to be a moment of pure insanity.  However, in my mind, there was no way we would actually find a home there.  It was obviously just for fun and giggles.  As I pulled it up on my laptop you can only imagine my surprise when my eyes hit the auction page.  There she was.  The cutest little home in a nice and very familiar neighborhood.  It appeared to be in great condition outside of its vacant status.  It was begging for someone to come and bring it back to life as it sat empty and lonely.  What were we thinking here? 

It soon dawned on us that this would mean driving halfway across the country in the opposite direction and taking a huge detour from our original plans.  With our reasoning of “what’s the worst that can happen,” we pursued this purchase and decided to delve into the unknown.  The next thing we knew we were bidding on this property.  And then, next thing we knew, we were the highest bidders.  And, then it happened.  We had bought a home in Montgomery, Alabama.  The only thing left to say was, “Kids, what do you think about heading to see family in Montgomery for a few weeks?!”  Surprisingly, they were thrilled!  So, off we went on a new type of adventure.  The adventures of “house camping.”
 
The Devoes on the Roll have a brand new mentality.  Our travels are so much more than a planned route on a map or a period of time exploring the country.  Our journey involves so much more.  This way of life is just that—a way of life.  Adventures come in many forms and we are living the ultimate adventure.  From seeing National Parks to flipping a house, there is no telling what is in store for this crazy, unstoppable family of four. 

We have plans to continue traveling, but we don’t always know where our travels might lead and that is perfectly fine with us.  We plan to work hard, play hard and see what incredible things are ahead.  And, maybe, eventually, we will make it out west.  The truth is that it doesn’t matter!  We will eventually see the entire lower 48 and it doesn’t have to be on our timeline.  There is something to be said for living life with a little spontaneity.  This life of twists and turns is unpredictable, but we know God has his guiding hand on us the entire way.  And, so, on we roll.