Taking the plunge

If you have been following what we have been up to, you know that we have been making an intentional effort to simplify our lives and our home.  If you have not been following, you can catch up here and read through the links at the top (or put on a pot of coffee and start from the beginning of the blog!)

We have enjoyed taking the little steps towards a more simple lifestyle and downsizing the stuff that we have.  It is refreshing to find out what you can live without and not even miss.  I would love to say that all we have been doing throughout this process is to make ourselves more comfortable where we are at, but it's more than that.  As I said, we have been taking small steps, but dreaming big along the way.  This is the point where we start taking big steps.

This is the point where we sell our house.

We are downsizing our living accommodations, and not just in square footage, but in type of accommodation.  Our goal in this process is to move all 6 of us into an RV and travel about the country.

WHAT?!!!

You read that right.  This is an idea that we have been tossing around for 4 years now, and we are at a point where it can (and will!) become a reality.  Our plan is to have the house sold before the end of the school year, and then to seamlessly transition into a fifth wheel RV.

To answer a few of the big and initial questions:

Income:  I will be working electrical again.  There are a lot of jobs that hire 'roadies' to work on a short term basis.  The jobs average 6-8 weeks in length.  I have several sources for job sites, so work should not be hard to come by.  We will also supplement this income with some smaller and side items.  I plan on marketing my photography skills, doing odd jobs at campgrounds, and ad revenue and sponsors on this blog.

The kids:  They are almost as excited about this adventure as Stephanie and myself are (which is VERY).  Educationally, as an elementary teacher, Stephanie is more than capable of instructing them through homeschooling methods.  There will be plenty of space in the RV for them--we have been looking at some models with 4 bunks (I don't know why, since they like to sleep in the same beds with each other).

Storing stuff:  There really won't be much to store.  We have a few keepsakes and items that are important and will store longterm, but for the most part if it isn't coming with us, we don't need it. Most furniture and large items around our home will be sold.

Where to first:  My initial answer is where ever the wind blows us, but at first it will be dictated where the jobs are at.  The good thing is that I won't need to work full time, so we will be able to take some time to go places that we want.  We do plan on trying to cover the whole country, so our destinations may become more specific, but for the most part, we want to enjoy the journey and not be focused on a destination (which is a hard one for me).

How long: As long as it's the best thing for our family. Initially, we're thinking 3-5 years, to give ample time to see the country and experience life from coast to coast and everywhere in between. However, if we find we're done with the nomadic life sooner or later than that time, then that's when we'll come off the road.

There are a lot of factors to cover and questions to be answered.  We will try to go over most of them within the next few posts, but if you have a specific question, please send it to us or leave it in the comments.

We appreciate your support during this exciting time!

O yeah, if you know any one needing a great house or selling a truck or trailer...