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.
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| Walden, 2 1/2 |
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.
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.
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?
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| January 2015 |
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
Sending love and support for this thoughtful and exciting adventure!
ReplyDeleteIt's so exciting to see your family take the chance on an adventure like this! Looking forward to your updates and pictures. Would love to see you if you pass thru NC. Highly recommend the Outer Banks and the mountains around Asheville and Boone. Best of Luck, and stay safe.
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