Jill's Journal: I’ll admit it: I love reading blogs. And today I found something so profound on Simple Mom. It fit our trip and our philospophy so beautifully that I had to share it. It’s a guest post from Nicole at Burning Bridges and this is the part that I simply had to include:
"Be Rich in FREEDOM.
"When I loosen my grip on money and things in order to give to others, my things and my money loosen their grip on me. Letting go of something I think I need reveals that my need is not as deep as I thought. Letting go of some portion of my money or some thing I’m keeping as a safety net or luxury — if I can finally let it go — helps me redefine my needs. Am I dead? Am I freezing? Am I hungry? Am I bleeding? Most probably not. When we hold tightly to things, we start to fear the day of their release. And yet, ironically, it’s often our holding them so tightly that binds us up with fear in the first place.
"Be Rich in RELATIONSHIPS.
"If you’re like me, then the more stuff you have, the more you’re consumed with managing it all. Cleaning, sorting, organizing, and analyzing. Things have mass and the more mass we own, the more we are weighed down with it all. When we use our things and our assets to bless others, we remind ourselves that people are of primary importance and that relationships will outlast everything else."
Isn’t that profound? That’s what is at the heart of our trip: the simplifying of our lives to focus on our family. Because in the end, that’s what matters the most.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Continuing Research
Jill's Journal: We went to an RV show at the Horse Park a couple of weeks ago. Tomorrow we're heading to car lots to see some of the possibilities for trucks to pull our future fifth wheel. Our research marches on!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Where do you Thrive...
Jill found a note that I wanted to publish here to show it to the world, and to give a little insight as to our trip and the many reasons behind it. I like what he has to say, and I think that's going to be a large part of what we are doing. I've seen this first hand over the last year or so, and I'm even more keen to watch for it in others now. There is something about being happy where you are bringing a sense of happiness to other aspects of your life.
So, without further ado and no more gilding of the lily...
Today, June 08, 2009 • Michael Davis
Comedian Patton Oswalt gave a commencement speech to his former High School where he told the story of man who told him about the 'Five Environments'. The story resonated with me. I grew up in San Diego, a lovely city that most people would feel lucky to live in.. I hope it makes sense to you too.
"There are Five Environments you can live in on this planet. There's The City. The Desert. The Mountains. The Plains. And The Beach. You can live in combinations of them. Maybe a city in the desert, or in the mountains by the ocean. Or you could choose just one. Out in the plains somewhere, perhaps.
"But you need to get out there and travel, and figure out where you thrive. Some places you'll go to and you'll feel yourself wither. Your brain will fog up, your body won't respond to your thoughts and desires, and you'll feel sad and angry.
"You need to find out which of the Five Environments are yours. If you belong by the ocean, then the mountains will ruin you. If you're suited for the blue solitude of the plains, then the city will be a tight, roaring prison cell that'll eat you alive.
"He was right. I've traveled and tested his theory and he was absolutely right. There are Five Environments. If you find the right combination, or the perfect singularity, your life will click... into... place. You will click into place."
So, without further ado and no more gilding of the lily...
Today, June 08, 2009 • Michael Davis
Comedian Patton Oswalt gave a commencement speech to his former High School where he told the story of man who told him about the 'Five Environments'. The story resonated with me. I grew up in San Diego, a lovely city that most people would feel lucky to live in.. I hope it makes sense to you too.
"There are Five Environments you can live in on this planet. There's The City. The Desert. The Mountains. The Plains. And The Beach. You can live in combinations of them. Maybe a city in the desert, or in the mountains by the ocean. Or you could choose just one. Out in the plains somewhere, perhaps.
"But you need to get out there and travel, and figure out where you thrive. Some places you'll go to and you'll feel yourself wither. Your brain will fog up, your body won't respond to your thoughts and desires, and you'll feel sad and angry.
"You need to find out which of the Five Environments are yours. If you belong by the ocean, then the mountains will ruin you. If you're suited for the blue solitude of the plains, then the city will be a tight, roaring prison cell that'll eat you alive.
"He was right. I've traveled and tested his theory and he was absolutely right. There are Five Environments. If you find the right combination, or the perfect singularity, your life will click... into... place. You will click into place."
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Craig’s List, eBay, and Purging…Oh My
Jill's Journal: No one can say I’m not taking downsizing seriously. A little more than two months ago, I started cutting down on stuff. Probably 99.9% of people in this country have more things than they could ever need and we’re no exception. I’ve always hated clutter and always liked living minimalistically, but that doesn’t mean we’re down to the bare bones, by any means. Not yet, anyway.
My first big foray into cleansing the “stuff” palate was finding new homes for all my horse racing videos. We’re talking videotapes of every Breeders’ Cup race since its inception (1984), all Triple Crown races from the last 20 years, and literally thousands of other races and racing industry events.
This was a big step. This collection of videos held a very special place in my heart. For Pete’s sake, we moved to Kentucky for horse racing and this wonderful game puts food on our table and is our sole source of income. To say we’d be lost without racing is an understatement. It’s more than a passion…it’s a way of life and a major love.
I knew after saying goodbye to these videos that everything else would be relatively easy, so that’s why I started with them. I’m pleased to say I found good racing homes for all of them and they promise to be loved and cherished. :-) It was bittersweet to part with them, but I did it.
And then I delved into Craig’s List. It’s not my favorite thing, as I hate having to meet people to exchange an item for money, but it’s working out well. I’ve already sold several larger items – mostly baby stuff – and gotten cold, hard cash in exchange for them. It feels good!
And now tonight, I just closed on my first eBay sale – it was just a few dollars for some scrapbooking scissors, but it was a start. I had dabbled in eBay 10 years ago and I certainly had to jump through a few hoops to reactive my seller’s account, but I couldn’t be more excited. It’s such a thrill to start parting with things and get some money for them! Every item sold represents another step closer to our adventure of a lifetime.
My first big foray into cleansing the “stuff” palate was finding new homes for all my horse racing videos. We’re talking videotapes of every Breeders’ Cup race since its inception (1984), all Triple Crown races from the last 20 years, and literally thousands of other races and racing industry events.
This was a big step. This collection of videos held a very special place in my heart. For Pete’s sake, we moved to Kentucky for horse racing and this wonderful game puts food on our table and is our sole source of income. To say we’d be lost without racing is an understatement. It’s more than a passion…it’s a way of life and a major love.
I knew after saying goodbye to these videos that everything else would be relatively easy, so that’s why I started with them. I’m pleased to say I found good racing homes for all of them and they promise to be loved and cherished. :-) It was bittersweet to part with them, but I did it.
And then I delved into Craig’s List. It’s not my favorite thing, as I hate having to meet people to exchange an item for money, but it’s working out well. I’ve already sold several larger items – mostly baby stuff – and gotten cold, hard cash in exchange for them. It feels good!
And now tonight, I just closed on my first eBay sale – it was just a few dollars for some scrapbooking scissors, but it was a start. I had dabbled in eBay 10 years ago and I certainly had to jump through a few hoops to reactive my seller’s account, but I couldn’t be more excited. It’s such a thrill to start parting with things and get some money for them! Every item sold represents another step closer to our adventure of a lifetime.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Lightbulb at the Library
Jill's Journal: My girls are voracious readers, but strangely, we’ve spent very little time at the library. We’ve always bought them books, mostly because then they are available to be enjoyed over and over (and over) again. And, with three kids so close in age, it made sense to build a children’s library. It never dawned on me to borrow books, which is strange as I spent many, many hours at the library as a child with my own mother. But, I’ve recently rediscovered this wonderful resource and in the last month, I got the first library card I’ve held in probably close to 25 years.
We checked out four books in our first visit and the girls thought it was pretty much the neatest thing they’d ever seen. We returned them today and left with another 19. When I told the girls we were heading to the library, there was much celebrating in the land. I cannot even express how excited they were – literally bouncing off the walls and acting like we were going someplace so supremely special, like Disneyland or the zoo!
And then we checked out the books and the girls could not wait to be strapped into their car seats so they could delve into the titles on the ride home…and they could not even bear the wait to start reading together at home.
Their reaction pleased me greatly. (It also made me smack myself on the forehead for not utilizing the library earlier in my parenting years!) And it gave me an epiphany. The Sonlight homeschool program is based so heavily in reading, something they love so deeply, that it gave me even more of an assurance it’s the right program for us. I’m so excited about it! Rob still needs to be convinced, however…
We checked out four books in our first visit and the girls thought it was pretty much the neatest thing they’d ever seen. We returned them today and left with another 19. When I told the girls we were heading to the library, there was much celebrating in the land. I cannot even express how excited they were – literally bouncing off the walls and acting like we were going someplace so supremely special, like Disneyland or the zoo!
And then we checked out the books and the girls could not wait to be strapped into their car seats so they could delve into the titles on the ride home…and they could not even bear the wait to start reading together at home.
Their reaction pleased me greatly. (It also made me smack myself on the forehead for not utilizing the library earlier in my parenting years!) And it gave me an epiphany. The Sonlight homeschool program is based so heavily in reading, something they love so deeply, that it gave me even more of an assurance it’s the right program for us. I’m so excited about it! Rob still needs to be convinced, however…
Monday, June 1, 2009
Launch Day…One Year Away
Jill's Journal: I have begun looking at our RV adventure as very long-term. I’m seriously thinking in the five to 10 year range. I’m in no hurry to settle down – we’ve got our whole lives to do that, but only this short window of time with all our kids young enough and schooling flexible enough and this wonderful work-from-anywhere ability in Rob’s career…it’s just perfect. The only hard part is waiting another year.
Our “soft launch” date is May 1, 2010. In an ideal world, we’d like to have the house sold and be moved into the RV by that point, living the following month at the Kentucky Horse Park. It gives us a bit of time to work out the kinks, get fully accustomed to living in a fifth wheel, finish up Erika’s kindergarten and Madelyn’s first year of preschool, and say goodbye to everyone and everything local. The school year finishes at the end of May and we’d like to be on the road by June 1st.
Our “soft launch” date is May 1, 2010. In an ideal world, we’d like to have the house sold and be moved into the RV by that point, living the following month at the Kentucky Horse Park. It gives us a bit of time to work out the kinks, get fully accustomed to living in a fifth wheel, finish up Erika’s kindergarten and Madelyn’s first year of preschool, and say goodbye to everyone and everything local. The school year finishes at the end of May and we’d like to be on the road by June 1st.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Europe…Ooh la la!
Jill's Journal: When Rob shared his RVing through Europe idea as an epilogue to our US adventure, I about peed my pants!! WHAT a brilliant idea! I’m almost more fired up about that than I was about our North America plan! Unbelievable. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it. It’s beyond brilliant and so very, very doable, especially after a few years of doing it here. And then there’s Australia and goodness knows where else… We could either ship our rig or sell what we have stateside and buy one there more suited to the local roads and lifestyles… Oh, the dreaming and scheming I am going to do!
I thought I was excited about our trip, but now I am ridiculously thrilled about it! What fabulous prospects are out there … the only limits on our future are our own imaginations!
I thought I was excited about our trip, but now I am ridiculously thrilled about it! What fabulous prospects are out there … the only limits on our future are our own imaginations!
Monday, May 25, 2009
Europe bound?
Last night I was watching Bourne and thought, you know - if we can do the RV in the US - we could really do that in Europe too. That movie shows an awful lot of fantastic sights and scenes and things that I would very much like to see. I'm sure there are some logitical problems, but that's a good two years or more away, and we'll have to see how everything shakes out between now and then. I am however pretty certain that if we can do it here, we can do it there.
If we were to do it, I'd have to do a lot of research about vehicle length, width, fuel, types, etc. I know that there are differrent laws over there and I'm not entirely keen on all the hoops we'd probably have to jump through, but it'd be worth it if I can put up with it and keep the right attitude.
Personally, I'd like to see all the different things that Europe has to show me and my family, and I'd like to learn and teach the cultures and heritage that the area would have to offer. I could see a good amout of time in Western Europe, and while going into Eastern Europe would be interesting, it would all depend on how much time we wanted to spend. If I think it'll take a long time to move around over here, I can imagine how much time it'll take over there.
I suppose our primary countries would be: Italy, Spain, France, Germany (I mean - the autobahn in a 450 towing 40' of house... oh yeah!), the Netherlands, Denmark and I'm sure England/Ireland/Scotland would all be something to do. Secondary trips could include Monaco, Iceland (I've always wanted to go), Moscow (maybe a weekend trip), and Sweden/Finland/Norway just to see what that area is like. We'd need our passports in hand, that's for sure.
Worst case scenario is that the girls would all be much older, and could understand that they need to survive with less space. We could just sell the rig over here and buy something more suitable to life over there - we'll see. I'd think that over there I'd be very, very interested in a class C or A. Maybe by that point I'll have won the World Series and no longer need to work... HA!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Sonlight
Jill's Journal: The Sonlight brochure and catalogue finally arrived. This is the homeschooling information I’d been waiting for so eagerly and I quickly devoured all 162 pages of it. If it was completely up to me, I would very comfortably say this is THE one for us. It has all the things I loved so much about Calvert, plus all the things I wished Calvert had. It looks wonderful, beyond outstanding, and simply perfect for us.
It’s a pretty traditional program, but literature-rich, which is right up our book-loving kids’ alley. It combines all the best things about regular school with homeschool and appears to meld them together beautifully for the optimal experience. The only downside (and I’m not sure this is a total downside) is that there aren’t traditional tests throughout the program. Sonlight feels you delve so completely into each subject that you immediately know how well the kids grasp the concepts and testing would be just an extra exercise with no benefit. I don’t necessarily disagree, but it does make me worry about the challenge of smoothly assimilating our children back into conventional school someday.
On the plus side, Sonlight seems to make school an exploration, almost like an expedition of learning for kids. The emphasis is on learning through literature, yet it has all the usual subjects. And as an added bonus, it has a strong basis in ethics and values and family connection. It’s everything I wanted.
Here’s the most bizarre part to me: Sonlight makes me want to start now. It makes me yearn to pull Erika out of the kindergarten class she’s scheduled to start in the fall and start homeschooling even before our RV adventure. It also makes me want to homeschool long after we put roots down somewhere. This is coming from someone who never wanted to homeschool in the first place!
Another plus: like Calvert, Sonlight has pre-packaged curricula “in a box” for preschool through fifth grade. This is designed for newcomers, people like me who are just starting out and not yet confident enough in their homeschooling skills to design their own program. Unlike Calvert, once I become secure enough in the process, I can deviate and design a program best suited to my kids, if I so desire. And, looking to the future, if we decide to RV for years beyond what we anticipate or even do decide to continue homeschooling after we once again have a fixed residence, Sonlight can take us all the way through the senior year (Calvert only goes to the eighth grade).
I’m in love with this program. Finding it makes me feel nothing but promise and excitement about homeschooling, as opposed to being overwhelmed and daunted like I was before. Sonlight appears to be everything I hoped and more.
Now to discuss with the husband, who listened attentively to all the great things I had to say about Calvert and has since become a great fan of that program…!
It’s a pretty traditional program, but literature-rich, which is right up our book-loving kids’ alley. It combines all the best things about regular school with homeschool and appears to meld them together beautifully for the optimal experience. The only downside (and I’m not sure this is a total downside) is that there aren’t traditional tests throughout the program. Sonlight feels you delve so completely into each subject that you immediately know how well the kids grasp the concepts and testing would be just an extra exercise with no benefit. I don’t necessarily disagree, but it does make me worry about the challenge of smoothly assimilating our children back into conventional school someday.
On the plus side, Sonlight seems to make school an exploration, almost like an expedition of learning for kids. The emphasis is on learning through literature, yet it has all the usual subjects. And as an added bonus, it has a strong basis in ethics and values and family connection. It’s everything I wanted.
Here’s the most bizarre part to me: Sonlight makes me want to start now. It makes me yearn to pull Erika out of the kindergarten class she’s scheduled to start in the fall and start homeschooling even before our RV adventure. It also makes me want to homeschool long after we put roots down somewhere. This is coming from someone who never wanted to homeschool in the first place!
Another plus: like Calvert, Sonlight has pre-packaged curricula “in a box” for preschool through fifth grade. This is designed for newcomers, people like me who are just starting out and not yet confident enough in their homeschooling skills to design their own program. Unlike Calvert, once I become secure enough in the process, I can deviate and design a program best suited to my kids, if I so desire. And, looking to the future, if we decide to RV for years beyond what we anticipate or even do decide to continue homeschooling after we once again have a fixed residence, Sonlight can take us all the way through the senior year (Calvert only goes to the eighth grade).
I’m in love with this program. Finding it makes me feel nothing but promise and excitement about homeschooling, as opposed to being overwhelmed and daunted like I was before. Sonlight appears to be everything I hoped and more.
Now to discuss with the husband, who listened attentively to all the great things I had to say about Calvert and has since become a great fan of that program…!
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Bluegrass take two...
OK, so we had a little time to kill, no where to be and a strange happenstance to be on the Northside of town... So - what better to do than go look at the floorplans that I've seen but Jill had not. I specifically wanted her to see the quad bunk and loft Wildcat trailers. They are a little small for us, but at least now when we talk about that type of layout, we both have a visual - and really - the girls like looking at 'houses'. Even the kind with wheels that don't go anywhere (yet). ;)Anyway - this trip confirmed two things (and accomplished a third):
- The guys at Bluegrass SUCK. Its such a total used-car lot. Once again, it was about what he could do for me today, with no care about the future (even though it was my second time on the lot) or trying to keep the sale. He actually took us to the back to see the third model, and then said - make sure to close the door on your way up front (walking). Oh, don't worry about putting the stairs in... LOL. Oh well, I got what I needed out of them, and now I don't have to go back - I actually threw the card away because even if we ended up buying that model of trailer I'd go somewhere else. I've been twice and both times it seemed like they weren't planning on being around in a month.
- We can make a layout like either of these work, though it'd be nice to have it in a little larger format. 33 feet is just a little too small, and I don't plan on having a problem with weight, which seems to be what the entire plan for the wildcat setup is about. The loft was particularly friendly for the office space and having the master bed with the bath, but Jill was worried about how it would function with a 6YO and 4YO up top. The loft is high, but I think I could find a way to make it feel safe. Even the bunks are going to be a little tough, but somehow we'll figure it all out. the thing I like about a loft is that it basically gives you full use of a room, with a couch and full wardrobe.. but I can see maintenance (bedding, potty nights, etc.) will be more difficult.
- Accomplished - Jill got to see how these things look 'slid-in'. It showed that while they are sorta ok for 'if I have to', they are in no way livable in a slid in condition. The one we looked at was an incredibly spacious model slid-out, but in it was impossible to enjoy, let alone live in. I guess anywhere we stop will allow us to slide it out - at least I hope.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
CLASS
Jill's Journal: Another of my top picks for homeschool curriculum was CLASS, or Christian Liberty Academy School System. Notice I say “was.” I received the brochure, which sadly told me virtually nothing about their program!
I have no doubt CLASS gives a Christ-centered education, but I can’t be sure what that education is as they specifically “do not send samples of CLASS materials or review copies of books” or do any sort of curriculum preview. How can I make an intelligent, informed decision without that?
I’m afraid they just eliminated themselves from consideration for our family.
I have no doubt CLASS gives a Christ-centered education, but I can’t be sure what that education is as they specifically “do not send samples of CLASS materials or review copies of books” or do any sort of curriculum preview. How can I make an intelligent, informed decision without that?
I’m afraid they just eliminated themselves from consideration for our family.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Calvert School
Jill's Journal: The first of my top three homeschooling programs to get their brochure in my mailbox was the Calvert School. It’s an extensive, 40-page brochure (!), but I’ve now read it from cover to cover. The length of it was actually appreciated, as it certainly educated me about their program and answered virtually all of my questions.
I’ve heard about Calvert before, as has Rob, and from all appearances it seems to be an outstanding program, quite close to a perfect fit for us. My only reservation about it is that it is completely secular. And that, unfortunately, is a big drawback for me. I really, really want a Biblically-based program.
My other two top picks are both Protestant-based, so this is a testament to how academically exceptional Calvert looks to be for it to remain in my top three. If we decide to go with Calvert, I’ll find what is called a “unit study” program and at least add a Bible class to our homeschooling. What a pain though – I’d so prefer for it all to be melded together and not to have to make a judgment call every time things like evolution are taught. I mean, of course my kids need to learn about evolution as a theory, but I don’t want them taught that as fact. Perhaps a better way to say it is that I’d really like a Christian perspective rather than a worldly approach. If Calvert wasn’t secular, I’d probably be signed up already – it looks that good in every other way.
I’ve heard about Calvert before, as has Rob, and from all appearances it seems to be an outstanding program, quite close to a perfect fit for us. My only reservation about it is that it is completely secular. And that, unfortunately, is a big drawback for me. I really, really want a Biblically-based program.
My other two top picks are both Protestant-based, so this is a testament to how academically exceptional Calvert looks to be for it to remain in my top three. If we decide to go with Calvert, I’ll find what is called a “unit study” program and at least add a Bible class to our homeschooling. What a pain though – I’d so prefer for it all to be melded together and not to have to make a judgment call every time things like evolution are taught. I mean, of course my kids need to learn about evolution as a theory, but I don’t want them taught that as fact. Perhaps a better way to say it is that I’d really like a Christian perspective rather than a worldly approach. If Calvert wasn’t secular, I’d probably be signed up already – it looks that good in every other way.
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