Going on the road FAQ

To help answer some questions and expound upon what we have already posted about, we will do a type of FAQ. 


When will you leave? 
As soon as we can. Jason's contract is up June 30, so we will try to have the first job lined up and be ready to head to it by that time. We are hoping to have the house sold by that point so that all of us can head out together. If the house is not sold by then, Stephanie and the kids may stay behind until it is sold. 


When will you get your truck and fifth wheel? 
We are actively looking for them both. At the same time, we will be selling Jason's motorcycle and our car. We hope that the two of them will be enough to pay a sizable chunk toward the truck. We hope to find a fifth wheel soon, but we may have to wait until after the house is sold to buy it. We are just looking at one big juggling act, and hoping to have as little debt/loans as possible with the transactions. 


How much furniture are you storing? 
Not much. Once the house sells, we will be putting up most of our furnishings for sale. We have only kept them for staging purposes. We plan on storing our bedroom furniture and dining room furniture. Pretty much everything else will be sold, so keep an eye out for the house clearance sale. 


What state will you claim residency in? 
Indiana. All of our vehicles are registered here and this is where our records are. The company that I plan on working for is based in Indiana. Stephanie is already familiar with the state requirements for education, so that will make homeschooling easier. 


What about a mailing address? 
We have not settled on this one yet. We are between renting a mailbox with someplace such as UPS or working with someone that we know to use their address. Either way, we will be able to have our mail forwarded to us at our leisure.


How will you access the internet to give us these sweet updates?
We plan on several ways to access the internet.  We plan on adding mobile hotspot to our cellular plans so that we can have something with us, provided we are in range.  Most campgrounds offer some type of access, whether it is wireless across the campground or something at the main lodge.  Many restaurants and establishments offer free wifi, such as Starbucks and Panera (think two birds with one stone).


Exactly how much are you taking with you?
Not much.  Once the house sells, we will be clearing out most items.  We plan on taking just enough clothes, linens, dishes, etc. for the 6 of us.  Each person will have an allowance of a few small items.  Jason will have his tools for electrical, but no big power tools will be going.  Some toys, a computer, the cameras.  We are not trying to pack out the 400-500 square feet that we are moving into, so we really are trying to pare everything down and get rid of the rest.


What will you eat?  We know you like wholesome food.
No more stocking up for us, the refrigerator and freezer space will be at a premium. Goodbye 12'x23' organic vegetable garden, hello small container herb garden! We will do our best to find local growers and stores that sell responsibly grown food.  We look forward to seeking out new places and connecting with new people.  


How long have you been preparing for this move?
Mentally, about 4 years.  Practically, close to one year.  This is not a decision that we made overnight.  It does take a lot of planning and preparation to dramatically downsize on this scale.


Please ask any other questions that may have been missed.


Update:


Thoughts about Doctors and medical insurance?
We are fortunate (knock on wood) that none of us have any kind of pre-existing medical conditions.  We see our Drs. for physicals, but that's about it.  We plan to keep the same Drs. and still see them for our physicals as we swing through town and utilize MedCheck-type facilities for acute illnesses, like ear infections, etc. as anyone else would when traveling.  We're still deciding about insurance, if we'll COBRA for awhile, pick up insurance through Jason's construction employer when he's eligible late-summer, or get private insurance.  We haven't weighed all of those options yet.