Am I supposed to write a meaty post on my first day of blogging? I’m still in my lazy clothes and my tea is too hot to drink. I don’t know that I’m prepared for blog life, let alone life in general just yet. Let’s try it anyway.

ROADSCHOOLING! Yes, we are going to roadschool for the next few years. Roadschooling, for anyone who is reading this and doesn’t know, is a growing trend among people who have lost their minds. It involves hitting the road, usually with a camper or RV, and homeschooling your kids along the way; letting the traveling take the lead in education. Why read about history when you can FEEL it and SEE it and LEARN it right where it happened? Why not learn about nature by immersing yourself in it? Why not learn about cultures by meeting the people? Why not test the tolerances of your family by getting rid of most of your belongings and trapping yourselves in a large aluminum box? Ok that’s too literal. Step back a moment for the bottom line: Why READ when you can DO? Sounds better than watching a YouTube video, eh?

I hear a few of you mumbling “WHY? What catastrophic event is causing you to abandon your life?” No catastrophe, per se, and no abandonment. My Husband retired from the police department back in December because of a few injuries, and because of that he receives a monthly pension. He’s currently in physical therapy, trying to regain some of the mobility he lost and relieve some of the pain. The therapist seems VERY optimistic that he can feel a lot better than he currently does, and so far PT is working (YAAY!). He’ll not be able to continue his chosen profession, but he’ll at least be able to enjoy life a little more. Now, with four people who stay home and one also earning a living staying home, why should we actually STAY home? Why can’t home go with us? We discussed this at length over and over and OVER again while we waited for the PD to make their decision in regards to his abilities.

During the struggles with the police department there was a sudden depression of funds. We cut back our expenses substantially and made sure to keep up on all of our debts. We were also able to pay off all of those pesky credit cards. We will have absolutely no problems living on his pension alone. I hear you mumbling again “Why can’t YOU get a job?” I totally can, and have before, and probably will in the future. I can also pose the question back at you; Why? If we can afford to live comfortably on just the pension, why not enjoy the opportunity to watch our kids grow? Financially, it’s staggeringly less expensive for us to live on the road. Among our tools to facilitate this is a National Parks Pass. Campground fees at the National Parks are half off with a National Parks Pass. Because of his injuries, Justin was able to get one for free. You may or may not qualify for one as well (more info on that here, I encourage you to look: https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm ).

Midgets One and Two

“WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN?!? SOCIALIZE THE CHILDREN!” You scream. What about them? If you have ever met Midget One and Midget Two you’d know that they are two of the most outgoing and talkative kids around. Wesson lives his life like he is in a constant political race; figuratively shaking hands and kissing babies 24/7. He ALWAYS stops to say hello to children and grandmas, and he’s constantly including random children in his activities at the playground. I’ve seen him get through to the shyest of children, boys and girls alike. Mara soaks up his charisma as well, following her brother around, gathering children, and participating in whatever the adventure may be. I have no doubts that they will make friends wherever they go. They will most likely also see some of the same kids time after time as we travel, as there are TONS of roadschoolers wandering the open plains, hiding from winter’s icy grasp.

Which brings me to the subject of winter: NO.

“How long do you plan to skirt the responsibilities of conformity, you heathens?” Until we get tired of it. Until we find the place we’re meant to live. Until we get sick of eating s’mores every day (not gonna happen, s’mores for LIFE!). It’s a big ol’ country – and an even bigger world. We have lots of places to be and all the time in the universe to be there. We can inspect every little caterpillar, climb the trails, soak up the sun, splash in the lakes, visit the monuments and wonders, stare in awe at the stars in the sky, and appreciate each other’s company for as long as we please. Sounds like a dream come true to me!

BEEFY

So far, we have the truck – a big, BEEFY Ford F-450 crew cab. We’ve ordered a new custom built 5th wheel RV that should be done in the next few weeks, just in time for a camping trip we’d scheduled without actually having a camper or truck (or prospects for either) at the time. The house needs a little (ha) work before we can sell it. The basement bathroom currently has no walls. Walls are a luxury item, right? RIGHT?! The drywall and tile is in the garage, and the garage door opener quit yesterday. Quit, quit. Like, never working again. *sigh*

A good portion of the things in this house will be sold and of course some will come with us. A family member has agreed to keep a cargo trailer full of items we’ll need when we decide to buy another house. (You know who you are! THANK YOU!)

The purpose of starting a writing journey this morning in my jammies with my hot-ass green tea is to chronicle our actual journey. The good, the bad, and the ugly from start to finish. Mostly for ourselves so that we can look back at a yearbook, remembering the fun and terror and what-have-you, but also to impart the current happenings to any friends and family who’d like to keep up with us. I hope that I haven’t rambled too much in my first official post. If I’ve forgotten something here, shoot me your questions and I’ll do my best to pretend like I have the answers.