Preparations

There has been a wealth of tasks to complete in order to make this trip a reality. One of the first included copious of amounts of paperwork and several meetings for Jim. He had to create conditions that would allow him to take a leave of absence from his job, teaching responsibilities, and professional obligations. Arrangements had to be made to ensure we would not lose our health insurance coverage or other benefits we have through Jim’s job at UW-Stevens Point. After many months of persistence, final approval was granted and we could share our plans with our family and friends.

Trial run with a Burro - September 2014

Next we debated long and hard on how we would travel. Jim’s ideal was living light and tenting it for the duration of the trip. Sunshine suggested we might want to consider having a place to escape the weather, cook, and sleep at a moment’s notice. We researched numerous options from tear drop trailers to pop-up campers. With the vehicle we have our towing capacity limits us 1500 lbs. Our budget put us out the realm of a brand-new high-fangled camper. We were determined to maximize our fuel efficiency and work within our means. Luckily, Sunshine’s Dad (Dick) has a collection of camping trailers so we were able to select one to use for two in-state camping trips in late summer and early fall. We needed to find out how our vehicle performed and family functioned with these new conditions. One cold and rainy weekend helped make the decision clear – we were getting a camper (although Jim still prefers the "tenting" option!).

In our planning, we identified two additional areas that needed attention: gear and logistics. We’ve had some lively discussions on what we want to bring versus what we need to bring. Our gear is limited by space, weight, and budget. After the weight of the camper itself is accounted for, there is a limited amount we can add to that so as not to exceed our towing capacity. As tempting as it is to cram every nook and cranny full that is just not a safe option. That leaves the back of the CR-V and a car top carrier for clothing, food, camping and hiking supplies, entertainment, and personal affects. 

The logistics for a trip of this duration include many hours of discussions. There are the fun ones like what route we’ll take, what we want to see, and who want to visit. There are also the important decisions about accessing our mail, turning the water off, and what services we can eliminate while we are away to save money. We’ve researched the best credit card for gas rewards, will make arrangements to have the lawn mowed, and are downloading music. We’ve got numerous check lists and every day we try to take at least one step toward our preparations.

A Dream

The Idea

You know those ideas that get you excited but seem too outside of reality to pursue? They are the ideas that you talk about with your closest confidant but don’t dare share with others because they might leave you with doubts. Well, we’ve had one of those ideas for a long time. It wasn’t something we talked about daily or even monthly. But it has always been there lingering in our shared love of the outdoors and travel.

Wouldn’t it be amazing to have lots of time to wander, to explore, to see the beauty of the country? To travel and have adventures outdoors. To rid ourselves of the time constraints of a vacation. To meander where curiosity bloomed.

We had an agreement early in our relationship that we wouldn’t wait until we retired to travel and do the things we longed to do. We would live within our means so that we could experience new places together while we were young and healthy.

Walden, 2 1/2

We’ve been fortunate to share many explorations together but realized there was a void. We wanted to share these experiences with someone else. Turns out it was a little man named Walden that would be our traveling companion.

While we let our big idea simmer we made choices that put us in position for the day it could be reality. We’ve never had a “to do” list or goal chart to keep us on track. We just lived in a way that supported the idea. When we traveled we noted places we’d like to go back to (or not). When we had extra money at the end of the month we put it toward paying off the bills that would lead to greater financial freedom. When we camped we discussed what kind of gear would be ideal for long-term use.

The Adventure

So what will we be doing? We have decided to take a 6-month road trip around the country to experience the natural and cultural treasures that are so integral to our lives. Just the three of us: a husband and dad, a wife and mom, and an almost 3-year old boy. We are calling it our Life Journey. It is our walkabout, a spiritual pilgrimage, a chance to escape the routine of everyday life and experience the world with a fresh set of eyes.

Enos Mills, a naturalist who founded Rocky Mountain National Park, once wrote: "The essence is to travel gracefully, rather than to arrive." Our journey doesn't have a destination, although we have many places, friends, and family that we hope to visit. Instead, it is a journey of discovery. It is a chance to discover the core values of being a family. It is an opportunity to immerse ourselves in places and landscapes without the overwhelming pressure of time restraints and external expectations. It is, ultimately, a time to explore the essence of being truly alive. A Life Journey.

Jim will be taking a leave-of-absence from his position at UW-Stevens Point. Some might consider this trip a reaction to some dissatisfaction in the job place. On the contrary, Jim has a very fulfilling job and will miss it terribly. He thoroughly enjoys his position managing a natural area, teaching university students, and developing interpretive plans and media. However, he can't avoid the deep call of wilderness and this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend time with his family.

Sunshine cannot take a leave-of-absence from her role as full-time mother, but she welcomes having another member of the team available for support 24-7. When people ask about the inevitable challenges of bringing a 3-year-old on a 6-month road trip, she is quick to point out that we would have the same problems at home. Might as well have a temper tantrum in the middle of a beautiful forest!

We will definitely miss the family and friends who we are leaving behind; you have all been so supportive and encouraging in our lives. We hope this blog will be a small but important way of keeping in touch and sharing our experiences. And we look forward to spending time with family and friends in other parts of the country who we rarely get to visit.

Why Now?

Henry David Thoreau (who wrote Walden) sums it up well: I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. We want to live fully and deeply while seeing the natural beauty of this country.

There are many reasons the stars have aligned so we could do this now.

Jim was able to take a leave of absence from his position with the amazing support of his supervisor, Ron, and other administrators in the College of Natural Resources who understood the importance of this professional development opportunity. This is a chance for Jim to visit numerous interpretive sites and bring back a wealth of information to share with students and colleagues. 

Only one of us has to take a leave of absence from their job. Logistically and financially it would be more challenging to do something like this if we were both working.

Walden is not yet in school so we are not constrained by vacation days and summer break. Yes, we’ve questioned the practicality of traveling with a three year old. We recognize he will not remember the details of this trip. He will however, be shaped by spending copious amounts of quality time with his family, immersion in natural places, and the flexibility required for an adventure like this.

Those that know us recognize we have both been pretty good at saving our pennies ever since we were kids. And we sometimes ask ourselves, why do we save this money? To buy things? We're pretty simple and don't need much. For retirement? Sure, but what if (God forbid) we aren't able to travel when we retire? We decided that what we love most is traveling and experiencing new places... what better way to spend our pennies?

January 2015

The Details

Who: Jim (36), Sunshine (40), Walden (2) - we'll each have a birthday shortly after leaving

What: A Life Journey (road trip)

When: March 1 – August 31

Where: Anywhere we want. Generally we will head south, follow the border of the country west, head north along the west coast, and return to Wisconsin through the middle of the country.

Why: To experience life more deeply, to bond as a family, to see beautiful natural places, to take a respite from the day-to-day existence at home and rejuvenate our souls.

How: Honda CR-V and 13’ Burro camping trailer