“Making Room to Live”

Jill's Journal: As we continue to find homes for nearly all our worldly possessions, I continue to be inspired by random articles. A recent one, entitled “For Those Who Can’t Let Go: Some Tips and Tricks,” was clearly meant for people who have more trouble with this than I do…so I forwarded it to my husband! Ha – he actually should get mad props because he’s doing better with this process than I ever dreamed he could. I’m insanely proud of him.

Anyway, the last line in the brief little article (sadly, I can’t remember where I found it or who wrote it) really hit home. It said, in full, “Finally, and most important: remember that you are not so much getting rid of stuff as making room to live.”

Beautifully said.

Three Months and Counting!

Jill's Journal: It won’t be long! Our days right now are filled to the brim with preparations for our grand adventure. Rob’s office/storage space has been completely cleaned out. All of our horse and farm equipment is only days away from being totally eliminated. We were hoping to get our house on the market around March 15, but we’ve still got a good chunk of work to do to have it in tip-top sale shape. My dear 90-year-old grandmother passed away this week and I’ll be going to California for a few days for her services and to be with family. The trip will cause us to lose an entire weekend of work, but that’s okay – it’s a necessary thing. The rest of it will all get done. We’ve made huge strides and will continue to do so.

There are signs of spring; it’s a beautiful thing! We’ll start really kicking butt and taking names now. We've had some rough winter weather and several snow days. Each snow day taken by the school district caused another day to be added to the end of the school year…and another day of delay to our “launch date.” Hopefully that’s all behind us now and we can see a concrete finish date to Erika’s Kindergarten...and to the beginning of our family adventure!

“Adventuring With Children”

Jill's Journal: I skimmed another book with our journey in mind. Nan Jeffrey’s “Adventuring With Children: An Inspirational Guide to World Travel & the Outdoors” is a little outdated and not necessarily suited to the RV traveler, but there were some great tidbits nonetheless. Mostly it provided plenty of fodder for our belief that what we’re planning isn’t crazy and will enrich our children’s lives.

Some of my favorite passages include:

(Regarding meeting other adventuring families)
“…We spoke a common language—that of homeschooling and one-burner meals, of family cohesion and a sense of achievement, of sleeping in strange places and absorbing alien cultures, of raising our children in a neighborhood that encompassed the world. It was the language of an adventuring family.”

(Regarding the joy of traveling as a family unit)
“…It doesn’t take long to grasp that family adventuring is much more than taking a highly stimulating trip. It’s time apart, a chance to discover and reflect, to explore and grow…Regardless of destination or mode of travel, the benefits of this temporary lifestyle are many: living simply, becoming self-sufficient, experiencing new cultures and ideas, challenging your mind and body, being in harmony with the natural world, learning to have patience and tolerance and be content, and developing an unassailable joie de vivre. Best of all it fosters an interdependence within the family, one that encompasses all ages as you work toward a common goal.”

(And finally, encouragement to travel the world, not just the country)
“The presence of children will do much toward bridging the cultural gap, for children represent the ultimate peace offering the world over. Most of the world dotes on their young and will welcome yours with open arms. Your children will elicit a hospitality and generate a warmth denied most tourists, resulting in a more meaningful, enjoyable experience.”