In the Beginning:
In 2010 our family took 6 and a half weeks to travel across Canada and back home through the northern States. At the time we said we would've made a great reality TV show as we set up the tent, took down the tent, blew up the air mattresses, and then packed them away again, over and over! We felt all we did was work and survive. Although we loved the experience of travelling and learning together as a family, my husband and I hated the incredible work that was involved. We decided that if we ever did this again, it would be in a travel trailer. Fast forward 5 years and two more children and here we are! In May we purchased a 3 year old fifth wheel trailer following the closing of our house sale. We downsized all our possessions and have gone from 2100 square feet to under 300. Well, we wanted an adventure and frankly, that was a big adventure right there! What an incredible task to decided what to keep, what to give and what to take. We are still taking things to storage months later (yes we do have some things stored for a house someday).
Our decision to travel as a family was based on a few main reasons. We have seen how short our time is with our children and we want to experience more of life with them before they are all grown up and have left home. We want them to create incredible memories together that will last their lifetime.
We want to live life without regrets. We can do this and so we are. I don't want to look back ten years from now and wish we had taken the time to have a family adventure. Our children are homeschooled and so there has been no transition from school to home. We are just continuing what we have done all along.
Another reason (a big reason) to pursue this lifestyle is to be debt free. I love the fact that we no longer have a mortgage and a large property and home to maintain. We have to maintain our vehicles and our trailer, but that is it. My husband can finally spend time with his family and not feel guilty that he should be doing some job around the house. (Why are there only 24 hours in a day, anyway?!) When sharing with a friend our idea, they said that what I described was freedom...and that is exactly right. It is freedom.
