Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Reflecting on Life on the Road

Well, I'd say this post is long overdue as it's been almost three months since we left behind our home in British Columbia to embark on life on the road. Over these two months I have had a lot of time to think about what this journey means to not only me, but also to our family. 


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Nolan loves being thrown in the air! {Washington - April)

When we first left BC I thought to myself, "what if we made a mistake?", but since that first time that question honestly hasn't crossed my mind since. There was some adjusting for me to things like showers in the trailer and sometimes at RV resorts (not always as nice as showering in your own home) and laundry at RV resorts (we've had some iffy incidents), but overall I adjusted better than I had expected. At the end of the day, the adventure and time together outweighs anything that we may perceive as a negative.


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Back in BC - May 2016

We're still working on living with less. I mean, we did sell the majority of our stuff, but some things didn't sell and some things we wanted to keep for when we do settle down in one place again. Since we're unsure of where we will end up, we've managed to fill a 5x10 storage unit until we find our home. 

As we go, things have left the trailer as well. Living with access only to a small closet, both Brett and I have realized we only wear a very curated collection of clothing. We definitely don't need as much as we had before. Out of season clothes are stored under our bed in suitcases and then our small selection of favourite seasonal clothes are in our closet. 

It's harder with children, we don't want to, nor can we force Halle to get rid of things that she loves, but considering she is only four she is very good at donating items she no longer loves or plays with. She got a lot of nice toys while we were in Florida, and once we got back to BC her and I went through all of her toys and she picked a lot to donate which lightened the load a little. This has also helped us to realize how little they need. Halle uses her imagination far more when we are just out in nature hiking and exploring the natural world around us. 


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Nolan loves finding sticks and rocks and just playing in the dirt

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We still have a long way to go before we are truly "minimalists". You can't just get rid of all of your stuff overnight, it takes time and effort but we'll get there since our focus at the moment is our family. 

To me the best part is the adventure, the unknown and the time spent together. As I have mentioned previously most days we start out and see where we end up. Brett drives and I keep my eyes on the Road Atlas to direct us to our next destination. 


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Halle had a blast fishing at the trout farm we camped at in Mission, BC back in early May

When I think of life before everything changed, I know that we were happy. Life had found a happy routine for the most part but Halle and I missed Brett on those long days that he was at work. Is that "normal"? Yes, for most people, but it's not the life we want to live anymore. In the months surrounding Brett leaving his job a lot happened to remind us just how short and precious life can be - so why aren't we together enjoying it and doing the things that we love? Will we spend the rest of our life on the road travelling? No, probably not. Will we find jobs we love that still give us plenty of time together and to see great places? YES! Will we spend money on travel and experiences instead of "things" and "stuff" that take up time and space! Absolutely! That will always remain our focus moving forward.


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Hiking at Rolley Lake Provincial Park in BC

Admittedly, not every day is perfect. Somedays we are tired and cranky, and somedays our children are a handful to deal with... just like any other kid. Our lives are still not "perfect", but we are all so much happier at the moment. We're exploring and seeing sights that some people may never see in their lifetime. For that, we are extremely thankful. 


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Rolley Lake Provincial Park in BC

The other day I said to Brett, "At the end of each year, I always wonder how the next year will top it! I really didn't think 2016 could be better than 2015, but look at this! How could 2017 possibly be any better?". Yes, we still have half a year ahead of us to enjoy and soak up... but I'm already intrigued to see how our future plays out after this. All I know, is we'll continue to live it to the fullest.

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