Transitioning from “Normal Life” to ”Roadtrip Life”
We are about 6 weeks away from hitting the road and spending the rest of this school year traveling the United States.
These photos show a few snapshots of sending our oldest two kids off to college and saying goodbye to our neighborhood – moving from one season to the next.
Here are a few more BIG changes we have made in the past month.
- Got rid of over half of our possessions and moved collectibles, memories and other items not needed for the trip into a storage unit.
- Moved out of the house we have been renting (as our lease was ending) and into our friends’ carriage house for 2 months.
- Pulled our kids out of their schools and started homeschooling in preparation for schooling on the trip.
- Began contacting friends and acquaintances in other states and asking if they would be willing to host us for anywhere between 1 night – 2 weeks.
- Bought a new Honda Pilot and luggage topper. (No, much to everyone’s surprise, we are NOT traveling in an RV)
- Hired new DJs to work for Mark Haugen DJs back in MN while we are traveling.
- Told Anna’s piano student families that she will be taking a break from teaching starting in November.
My favorite parts of homeschooling so far is journaling and reading alongside my kids and our Friday field-trips.
Where and Why are We Traveling?
Our route will take us through Iowa, Illinois, Ohio, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas. The 2nd half of the trip is still ”under construction” and will depend on who we can find to host us on our way West to California. Our route and plans are flexible, so if you know of someone you think we ”must meet, a church we should visit, a moms group or piano teacher group Anna should visit, a community, event, historical site, you name it, we would love to hear about it. Our hope is to travel until May and then return to MN to rent or buy a new house.
Why, Why, Why ??
Why would we disrupt our predictable life in such a dramatic way? Why would we do something that seems risky or irresponsible to some? Why would we rock the boat and rely on others to help us along the way?
That’s a great question but maybe a better question may be, ”Why not?”
What if we could step away and try a different path for awhile? What if stepping outside of our normal routine could actually help us discover what our purpose truly is and why we were made? Many young people are doing this the year after they graduate from highschool. They call it a gap year. Others travel right after getting married for a few months and we call this a honeymoon. Others travel after retiring when their kids are grown and there is no longer a job to keep them in one place. I realize there are very good reasons why most families stay in one place while their children are young. It does make logical sense, but just because it is the norm doesn’t mean that everyone needs to do it the same way.
Mark and I are hoping this journey will help us determine what is truly important to us as a family and see the world through different lenses than we ordinarily would standing in one place.
We are both gifted at connecting people who don’t yet know each other and bringing people together in joyful celebrations. We hope both of those things will happen on this trip.
We are excited to meet new people, hear and learn from them, and be an encouragement to the people we stay with.
I’m calling the trip A STORY HUNT and I’m planning to write about it. You can follow along on Instagram @midlifecreativetravels and on Facebook at Anna Haugen. We would would also love for you to join the Postcard Club. We will send you a Postcard from wherever we are that month for your gift of $6 a month.
Are you curious about how this family travel experiment will turn out? Will it make others consider doing something ”outside of their own normal” in the future?
I’m just as curious as you are. We’ve never done anything like this before. It’s new and scary and exciting.
Whatever happens, its going to make a great chapter in our life story and I’m really excited to start living that chapter.
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