In high school I skipped school a few times throughout the year. But I didn’t go to a friend’s house or a party. I’d go alone, about 20 minutes from home, to Border’s Bookstore (remember those?!). At the time they had a large cafe where you could bring the unpurchased books to the tables while enjoying a tea. I’d browse the international section and pile up several travel guides, ready for a day of planning my future adventures.
Wanting to travel has been a part of my life for as long as I could remember. I’ve always been captivated by different cultures and languages, faraway places, and the people who have ventured far from home way before there were reliable maps and communication. The bravery and adventurous spirit of Marco Polo, Amelia Earhart, Pico Iyer, Teddy Roosevelt and so many others were characteristics I wanted to embody. They traveled to learn, to see, to experience the world because of a deep curiosity and a need to know what’s out there.
While I travel with more comfort and safety, the foundation for my itchy feet is a deep need to know. Our world has so much to offer, there are so many ways of living, so many beautiful places that have evolved over millennia – how can I live on this earth and only experience a small part of it?! Before I finished college I was off on my first big adventure alone – to South America to teach English. I lived in Chile for six months and visited several surrounding countries by bus and on foot. It was the adventure that I craved, and it did not quell my desire to travel (much to my parent’s dismay).
Now, fifteen years later, Elodie seems to have a similar spirit – at least for now – and when given the option she choose for us to continue traveling. I love that we get to experience so much of our country together. She’s learning history at the places where events actually happened, seeing geology right before her eyes, feeling the difference in a variety of ecosystems, and (her favorite) tasting many difference types of foods. We’re both learning the skills of self-sufficiency, meeting new people, taking care of our ‘home’ by having to do the things right alongside each other.
While we’re both looking forward to our future homestead, for now traveling offers so much:
An escape
Yes, it’s an escape in a way, but not in the way you’d expect. I’ve been told many times that those who travel full time are escaping responsibility, running away from “real life”, or doing a disservice to their children. These are such broad statements without actually understanding what life on the road is like. Yes, there is an aspect of ‘escaping’, but it’s an escape from the way of living that has become a rat race; one that prioritizes work, money, and materials over family, time together, and enjoying life. Everyone I have ever met in this lifestyle works while on the road, homeschools their kids, manages the “household”, cooks, cleans, etc. just like in a sticks-and-bricks home. The difference in the added priority to be together as a family, to have special experiences together, and to pull away from the normal work-to-pay-for-things lifestyle. I have always wanted get to spend a lot of time with Elodie throughout her childhood, and RVing allows us that opportunity.
Living with less convenience
Our society has become so convenient that it can become mind numbing. We literally don’t ever have to leave the house to get anything and everything we need or want. We have machines to do everything and people to call when something is not working.
This convenience can erode our ability to be self-sufficient. I noticed this during our first mother-daughter road trip. We were in the middle of nowhere South Dakota, with no cell service, when we pulled over to stretch. I suddenly felt so incapable. If one of us fell and got a bad cut or if we got a flat tire…I would not know what to do. It was then that I decided that I needed to gain self-sufficiency skills.
One of the ways we’re gaining skills is by learning alongside each other how to take care of things – when the water is acting weird, we learned where the pipes are and about common issues; when changing batteries (I called a RV tech for that) but we watched what he did so we can take better care of them; Elodie cooks for us and bakes quite often; we both took first aid to know how to help ourselves and each other, and so on. We started thess skills while still at home, but being in an RV does not have all the conveniences of a modern home so it’s easier to stay out of the complacency of convenience.
It’s actually less expensive
People always assume that you have to be wealthy to travel full time, but that is definitely not the case. Sure, there are $1 million dollar buses and campgrounds that cost the same as a hefty mortgage, but that is definitely not the norm. With our camping membership, free “boondocking” sites, and state parks, the cost-per-night is in the $15-20s (which includes utilities), plus the basics of gas, food, and internet. The cost of living is way cheaper than an apartment plus utilities, so I can actually save money for our future homestead and see the country.
We meet great people
Many of the campgrounds we visit are social places! There are activities and parks to meet people, impromptu bon fires, Church services, and more. The range of people that choose this lifestyle is impressive – there are other single child families, large families with multiple kids, retirees, just-married couples without kids, single people of all ages; people from every state and many different backgrounds. When we meet at a park, there’s always a genuine interest in each other, why we’re on the road, where we’ve been, and the inevitable “what’s your favorite place?” convo! (see ours here)
Even though we are often asked about our favorite places, it’s a difficult question to answer! In some way we enjoy everywhere we go, either because of beautiful outdoors or historical importance or just uniqueness from the rest of the country. But we have narrowed our experiences down to a few standout places:
Southern Utah – in and around the “big five” national parks (Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, Zion). In many cases, the State Parks near the National Parks are just as beautiful, much less crowded, and your dog can join us on hikes.
Alabama – the Civil Rights historical landmark sites in Montgomery and Birmingham, the Space Center in Huntsville and the gorgeous landscapes and lakes of Northern Alabama
When you’re following the warm winter weather in the US there are only so many places you can go – and Texas is one of those popular spots for traveling families. We came here because it is warm and because there are many of our membership campgrounds to choose from. However, honestly, I wasn’t exactly excited to travel to TX again because there are many other places I’d love to visit, but in a tiny trailer the warm weather is priority #1. So since we’re here for two months, we’re going to jump in and enjoy it! (see more below)
I was listening to The Rose Code until I foresaw a major tragedy and didn’t want to hear about it, so I stopped listening. It was an engaging story until that point!
After many years of traveling, I’ve realized that my ‘favorite’ places are usually those that took me by surprise. Likely that’s because I went in without expectations. I left my mind open to what was actually there instead of my looking for what I expected to find.
Texas is one of those places for me.
While I wouldn’t call it a favorite place, it is definitely a great place in many ways – most notably, everyone is so nice! From the friends we met at the campsites to cashiers to people we chatted with at the dog park…everyone was so, so friendly. Both of us were surprised by how welcomed we felt.
There’s also a lot of interesting history to learn about and many cool places to visit. Texas history is also distinct from the rest of the USA, filled with stories of cowboys, German/Czech/Polish immigrants in the 1800s, Native American “prehistory” from thousands of years ago. Since the 1500s the land has been claimed by six nations – Spain, France, Mexico, Texas as its own country, the Confederate states, and now the USA.
All of these cultures and events come together to create a diverse and unique part of the United States.
Highlights from our two months
About 1.5 hours outside of Houston is the rural town of Schulenburg with its local frontier life history museum. I love seeing these types of remnants of the past – when people had to do everything by hand instead of relying on large corporations for all of our modern conveniences. While it was a difficult and laborious lifestyle in many ways, I admire all the skills everyone had to learn just to survive. For women the skills revolved around growing and preserving food, daily scratch cooking, spooling/weaving/knitting/sewing, animal husbandry, first aid, medicine making, raising kids, creative uses for old things, and so much more.
In the same area are the Painted Churches, part of the National Register of Historic Places. These unassuming churches were built by Czech and German immigrants in the late 1800s – early 1900s as replicas of the churches they left behind in Europe. The grand ceilings, decorative paintwork, and stained glass windows are a delightful surprise after entering what seems to be just a simple stone or wooden church. My particular favorite has a vibrant blue ceiling covered in gold stars giving the room a whimsical, imaginative feeling.
Nearby, the quirky town of Round Top was a fun visit. The town is laid out with old-style buildings around a grassy area with seating and walkways. There are several shops and restaurants, but we couldn’t miss the pie shop (I had blueberry-lemon gluten free pie) and the cheese shop where I purchased the most delicious apple-ginger-lemon jelly to go with our cheese.
Round Top, TXWorlds smallest active catholic church.
While we’ve visited all of the major Texan cities, San Antonio was the one we were most excited about because of the history of the Alamo and the missions. Plus, it has a completely different feel that than the other cities because of its mix of Mexican, old Texas, and young modern families.
The AlamoBuffalo milk ice cream from a local farmer’s marketAlong the Mission TrailAlong the Mission Trail
About an hour outside of San Antonio the famous “Cowboy Capital of the World,” Bandera, was a fun visit. It was an original staging area of the cattle drives in the 18th and 19th centuries. The town holds onto its history as a frontier town with its original buildings, cowboy heritage, and many dude ranches nearby. The local Frontier Times Museum is filled with artifacts from the area – both historical and quirky!
Bandera, TXBandera, TXTree carving in BanderaFrontier Times MuseumHandmade frame with..deer parts
Surprisingly, there are some beautiful lakes that we camped alongside and had fun spotting the bluebells, and then pressing some for future crafts!
Homeschooling by a pretty lakeLocal flowersPressing bluebells
Overall, we spent most of our time in rural Texas, which can be pleasantly summed up by this photo…
The seed for the RV lifestyle was planted around 2016 when I came across blogs run by “roadschooling” families. These families traveled around the USA, experiencing so many beautiful and special places while working online and schooling on the road.
We had just returned from a six month cross-country roadtrip, staying in AirBnb’s for a minimum of one week in each place. And I was not ready to settle down!
>>This was back when AirBnB was still inexpensive so this trip was cheaper than playing NJ rent. We stayed in Chicago for $80 per night in the downstairs apartment of another homeschooling family; we also spent $80 per night to stay right on the beach in Manhattan Beach, CA for two weeks over Christmas and New Years. Many other rates were $30-40 per night. I miss those AirBnB days! But I digress…<<
The cross-country trip was a bucket list journey that opened up an intense desire to see the rest of the country, especially with Elodie. Yet if we had an RV (or, in our case, a travel trailer) we could bring our home with us instead of packing things in an out of a rental every few weeks. We started to visit RV sellers, read books about the places we wanted to see, point on RVs on the highway, and camp (in the car) in campgrounds to get to know the lifestyle. Finally, in 2021 we took the plunge.
Our little camper…with our outdoor “room”
This is our little camper š It has everything we need – comfy bed, kitchen, bathroom, dinette, and even storage – all in a tiny package. Originally, I didn’t intend to buy such a small camper, but this one was an easy entry into the RVing world. It’s easy to tow (2,300lbs) without enhancements to my SUV, it’s easy to maintain and learn about the ins and outs of RV repair. I can easily get out of tight places, such as when I make a spontaneous turn down a narrow road or end up in a dead end where even a normal car would need to do a K turn (which tends to happen often!).
Also, one of the major reasons we live this lifestyle is to be outside more often. We do most of our daily activities outdoors – cooking, learning, my working, and relaxing. Plus we’re traveling to experience the country, not stay inside our RV. Although, Elodie would likely say that the small size makes it a perfect cozy fort that she never wants to leave š
Of course, there are challenges to being so small, and it’s mostly because of our books. And herbs. And spices. We’re book hoarders, and have too many crafts and board games. It’s hard to have a variety of clothes, games, books, herbs, spices, and food in general when there is so little space. We’ve had to be very selective in what we bring, but somehow that’s still too much! We’ve left items at thrift shop drop-off’s and books at The Little Library spots all over the country. It’s a constant lesson in learning to live with – and appreciating – the simplicity of less.
Life on the road
Life on the road is similar to life off the road, except that for part of the year we’re in different places every few weeks. We spend at least 10 days at each stop but usually closer to 2-3 weeks. Half of the week we spend at the campsite – working and schooling, cooking, exercising, walking Max, meeting with new friends, etc. Normal life.
Other days we’ll spend the day, or partial days, visiting somewhere new. Some days we’ll be in a city, a National or State Park, a quaint town, a museum, or maybe a random landmark in the middle of nowhere (like Mushroom Rock State Park in Kansas). I love being able to experience the country in this slow-paced way that allows us to visit places we would have never taken a vacation to see (such as Alabama), or we would have never known about with a quick fly-in type trip.
By far, the most frequent question we’re asked is – “what is a favorite place you’ve been?” It’s honestly a difficult question to answer because there are so many great places in the country that can’t be compared. What is better – Yellowstone National Park or being in the home of MLK? Hiking among the red rock formations of Utah or visiting the space museum in Huntsville, AL to see – and touch – rockets that have been to space? They’re all memorable, special, and important places to experience.
However, I know that’s not a satisfying answer š so we’ve narrowed down a few peak places that always come to mind first.
Vermont in AutumnVermont in the winterFife and drummers, Williamsburg, VAMLK’s home in AlabamaBandelier National Monument, New MexicoYellowstone National ParkBryce Canyon National Park, Utah
I’m writing this in the early morning hours of a cool January morning in Florida. Rain is pattering loudly on the metal roof of our RV but it’s supposed to stop soon – just in time for our morning walk. I actually love waking up to the rain; it’s a gentle transition from the sleep world to the world of life.
I had planned to get some work done this morning, but my attention changed course when I saw the frigid weather forecast for the next week. Multiple days in a row getting down into the low 30s! Plus rain. We’ve spent nights in the RV when it’s been high 30s. I’d bundle us in layers and warm blankets, and wake up several times throughout the night to check on Ellie. Always, however, she’d would be kicking off the blankets and socks and somehow still radiating so much warmth…meanwhile I’d be adding another layer and snuggling up next to her to stay warm! But those were only a rare cold nights before the temps rose again. Several nights in a row in our little uninsulated RV — brrrr. Off I go to find ways to keep us warm…
Making resolutions
This was the first year that I’ve made resolutions in a very long time. I used to make those typical losing weight, working out, eating no sugar declarations that would last exactly one day. These types of goals are disheartening and unmotivating..and of course unrealistic to expect yourself to go from one way of being to an entirely new way of being from one day to the next.
But I realized that I actually like having a few resolutions for year. I use them as guideposts to creating habits that I want to include in my life. My resolutions are things that enhance my life, instead of things I want to change about myself. I think that makes them more expansive and enjoyable.. and much more likely to become part of my everyday.
My resolutions this year are: to spend time with a creative practice every day; read for enjoyment; read/watch/listen to more enriching content (versus for solely for work or self development); create a clear boundary with my work time and our homeschooling / creative time.
I posted these resolutions in a prominent spot so I can constantly remind myself of them. The constant reminder will slowly train my brain to take different actions each day. They’ll remind me to break through my current routines to try something new – something that will feel enlivening.
Almost two weeks into the new year and our days mostly look the same, except for a few changes on some days – I’m getting up earlier to work; I’ve put work away earlier at night and picked up a knitting project I haven’t finished from last summer; Ellie and I play more board games and have been drawing together in our journals since I’m aiming to create that clear work boundary. To me, these are great changes already! With awareness and intention, these guideposts will gradually become part of our every day.
Projects Lately
Microgreens: When it comes to growing plants, you can’t get a faster harvest than with microgreens – they are ready to eat in just 10-14 days. They’re a great way to constantly have fresh greens and they’re a nice addition to lots of meals. I add them to soup, sandwiches, stews, and usually just grab a bunch and dip them in hummus. This month we have pea, broccoli, radish, and alfalfa sprouts coming up.
Knitting: I don’t know what it is about knitting – I love it, but I can’t bring myself to sit down and knit often. It’s probably because I’m very slow, so it doesn’t feel satisfying until close to the end of a project š . Either way, I have been forcing myself to do two rows a night so I can finish some projects that I’m excited about. First up is a beautiful leaf patterned tank top: Leafinity top https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/leafinity-top
Baking: Baking in less than 100sq ft is not enticing – no counter space and the heat! But we missed all the baking and roasting we usually do, so this year I invested in a decent toaster oven. It’s big enough for baking mini muffins, small loafs of bread, a small tray of veggies, a small chicken, and even a batch of cake pops! I set it up outside and enjoy a modern version of outdoor cooking. Elodie kicked off our baking with pao de queijo (Brazilian cheese bread) using a recipe from this kids baking book. They were really good!
Art Journaling: I have been taking several short classes by Alisa Burke. They are great for inspiring me to get drawing and for learning additional techniques for my journal. Plus, they’re really inexpensive so I have bought many of them!
Life in Florida
This month, and for the past two months, we’re in Central Florida enjoying the coldest Florida winter in 30 years (according my my uncle)! There have been nights in the low 30s, but overall it’s still warmer than up North! Our camping spot felt more like Vermont than Florida – under a large oak tree, next to a green field of cows and their calfs. It was a beautiful sight to wake up to each day!
One fun experience were the many natural springs around central Florida. These springs are a constant 72 degrees F, a refreshing temp during warm days. We had fun swimming at Wekiwa Springs State Park (below) – the clear water makes it possible to see the bottom even at the deepest spot (around 6 feet). However, I was constantly on guard for alligators because they are apparently in other parts of the spring and can roam anywhere. I feel like I’m constantly on the lookout for alligators everywhere we go because of our little dog…he’s perfect size for gator chow (Elodie’s words!).
Of course, seeing the unique animals is always fun … manatees, alligators, gopher turtles, and black swans!
The one thing I will never tire of seeing are the gorgeous old Oak trees that have been around for hundred of years. Imagine everything they’ve witnessed in the past few centuries…
So how did we keep warm during those freezing nights? A space heater and electric blanket! Plus, of course, warm coffee and hot chocolate to wake up to š
Hello! Iām Amy. This is my little spot on the internet where I share about travel, homeschooling, getting creative, food and healthy living. By day Iām a homeschooling mom and Certified Nutritionist..by night Iām a knitter, collage artist, and herbal remedy maker. Thanks for being here!
