It seems like people in the South like to talk about food as much as Minnesotans like to talk about the weather. Today Mark tried to sign Malia up for tennis lessons and the receptionist got so caught up in explaining the area restaurants when she found out we were new in town that she completely forgot about the tennis lessons and Mark had to bring her back to task several times. Tonight, we went to a small group dinner with a local church and the entire conversation revolved around “burger week” in Macon, how people should cook their grits (a question I brought up) and what constitutes a good sweet tea. That’s just fine by me. Let’s talk about food.
Easy Mealsfrom this week
Chicken Cacciatore
I do love this crockpot meal with simple and easy to find ingredients. It was served to us by Jenna Grigsby in Indiana and I had to get the recipe. I was pleased when it tasted just as good when I made it.
Sushi Bowls
This meal took some time, but was definitely worth it. Malia did all the research and pushed for this one, and I’m glad she persisted. Everyone topped their rice with the ingredients they liked. We had salmon, shrimp, and crab (but you could just choose one meat or go vegetarian). Veggies were cucumber, avocado, carrots, and dried sea weed. The sauce we used was called YumYum and we found it at Kroger’s. The recipe calls for a mixture of mayo and Siriacha sauce, but we couldn’t find Siriacha, so we opted for a premade sauce and it was perfect.
Eating Out
My favorite restaurant we have eaten at was probably Tony’s, an Italian restaurant in Chattanooga, but since I didn’t get any photos, I’ll share my 2nd favorite – First Watch. I was surprised to find out it was a chain because the food was so fresh and the service seemed more like something you would get in a small, locally owned business. I ordered the breakfast skillet, Mark got the quinoa bowl, Malia had avocado toast with eggs and Ivy got waffles.
Coffee
Last but not least, let’s talk about the most important meal of the day – Coffee! I do love a good cup of coffee and was happy when my friend Jen Levin thought ahead on this and gifted me an Aeropress coffeemaker for the trip.
Such an easy way to make a single cup of coffee on the go. I’m learning new things everyday.
If you’d like to keep up with my blog posts but don’t want to be on social media, I just send out one single email reminder each month with all the new posts. That’s it.
Does your curiosity lead you to ask more questions?
We were curious about the life of Harriet Tubman. We asked the children’s librarian for books and then were directed to visit the Tubman Museum to learn more.
Is your curiosity about other people, places and history strong enough for you to approach someone to ask a question or do you resort to asking Google? It’s so easy these days to find a quick answer on the Internet to the questions that pop into our heads. What would it take to go out of your way and ask another person your questions?
Reaching out to a real live person to ask a question is more rewarding because:
#1 – A person provides examples from their life and learned experience.
#2 – We are offered human connection and allow the person answering the question an opportunity to feel needed and knowledgable.
#3 – A conversation may lead to more questions and other rabbit trails that are just as important as the initial question.
Here are some examples of Living Curiously from our trip so far.
We found out that our airbnb host, Paul, also manages the Burke Mansion, a historic bed and breakfast in Macon, GA. Mark asked if he could show us around. Not only did he give us a tour, but also told us about his experiences living in Macon, gave us a list of places we should visit, gave the girls game tokens for the local arcade, and offered to bring us a few things that we were missing in our airbnb. This is an example of how a simple question, “Can you show us around where you work?” led to making a new friend and more.
Playing chess in The Burke Mansion.
Mark was curious about the history behind the band The Allman Brothers who lived and recorded their music in Macon. He was so curious that he took a deep dive into the history of the band, arranged personal tours, and has been talking to people in the area who knew the Allman Brothers. In the last week, Mark has toured the Big House where the band lived and worked and visited Duane Allman’s grave. The grave site led him on a rabbit trail when he noticed the angel statue at the foot of the grave with the name “Galadrielle”. He went to a local bookstore and found the autobiography Please Be With Me by Galadrielle Allman. Finally, he took the kids and I to H&H Restaurant where the Allman Brothers ate and became as close as family with Mama Louise, the owner of the restaurant, who they invited on tour with them as the band cook. Mama Louise just passed away the day we arrived in Macon. The restaurant continues in her memory.
I am particularly curious about the lives of other people. I tend to look to Instagram or Facebook to learn more about people instead of asking them directly to share about their lives. I want to get better at asking questions and have been looking for creative ways to do this and involve the kids. I created a board game called Story Hunt that will encourage the telling of life stories. Players will move around the board, asking each other questions and telling stories.
Examples of some of the questions are:
“Tell me about a time when you were surprised.”
“What was a day in history that stands out in your memory?”
“What makes a good friend?”
“Tell me about a time when you got lost”
I found a fabulous article called 38 Ways to Lead a More Curious Life by Ian Sanders. This article offers some great practical ideas for living curiously.
Here are a few more photos from our first week in Macon, Georgia. Thanks following our journey. Feel free to share this blog with others that you think might enjoy it!
In this post I will be answering some commonly asked questions we get about our 6 month road trip.
How can you be gone from home so long without an RV?
The way we get around not having an RV is by staying with people that we know. We sent out a letter to a bunch of people that we hoped would host us about 6 months before the trip started. Based on those who responded, we planned our route. We knew there would be a few places would settle for a longer time in an airbnb, but for the most part, we wanted to stay with people.
This was not only a financial decision, but also because it aligned with the vision of the trip. One of our goals was to step into peoples’ normal lives and to see friends and family we wouldn’t normally see.
How is this trip different than a vacation?
We are staying with people we know instead of in hotels. We keep eating out to a minimum and pack drinks and snacks in a cooler when we are on the road. We have a daily routine that includes school, work, and alone time. Each day, the kids and I do school in the morning while Mark does DJ work. In the afternoon we go exploring. It’s not constant excitement. There are plenty of boring days and quite ordinary days.
What does homeschooling look like?
I would say my homeschooling style is “eclectic”. I draw from a wide range of different resources and educational methods My comfort zone leans more towards unschooling, but my kids have come from traditional school and will return to traditional school after this year, so I’m trying to keep the subject content similar to what they are used to. I carry all our school books and supplies in this one bag. We started with a larger tote, but then realized it needed to be small enough to carry in and out of a the van, a library, or a coffee shop.
This bag was originally my piano teaching bag, but now has morphed into my homeschool bag. A normal day of homeschool includes
✍️grammar from a textbook
🟰math from a textbook
🇺🇸 study of the state we are traveling through (the girls love to guess the state bird, state tree, population, year of statehood, famous people, rivers, lakes, and mountain ranges)
📖read aloud
✍️Spanish.
🩻Science – the human body
If we do all these subjects it still only takes about 2 hours, so we have lots of time for exploring or visiting with friends we are staying with. Malia enjoys looking for tennis courts to play on and trying new recipes.
You must really like each other? This question cracks me up. It IS a lot of time together in tight spaces. By the grace of God, we are getting along so far. We have been bonding as a family in a way that we wouldn’t if we were back home. I’m grateful for this time to get to know my husband and kids in a new way.
What has been hardest so far? The kids have been complaining about missing their friends and schools (especially the first week). I worry about if we are doing the right thing and whether we will regret any of this year. I have felt like I am letting down my piano students by leaving them this year. Not having a regular community of friends and jumping from place to place can be challenging. Being away from our families and older kids, especially on holidays is hard.
What are you most looking forward to?
🌊Being by the ocean in Florida and California. 🏠Seeing friends we haven’t seen for a long time. 📚✍️Extra time for daily reading and writing
We stayed with Nate and Rachel Korhonen and their kids in Signal Mountain, TN for 2 nights. They live on the top of a literal mountain. We were told that if they get heavy rain or even a small amount of snow, they close the road. Thankfully, they rarely get snow. It was in the 70’s and sunny while we were there (in November)
Since we stayed on top of the mountain, we were given the tour of all the great overlooks. We even woke up early enough in the morning to go watch the sunrise.
We had the BEST food while we were with the Korhonen’s. Nate showed us how to make salsa and also the ins and outs of how to make the “perfect cup of coffee”.
We went into downtown Chattanooga, walked across the foot bridge, and ate pasta at Tony’s. It was an evening I will remember for a long time. The weather was perfect and the ravioli with sun dried tomato and artichoke cream sauce was impeccable. The laughter of our children as they enjoyed each others’ company warmed my heart.
I really loved this city and loved the Korhonen family. We will be back.
On day 5 of our road trip across the U.S., we arrived in Kentucky. This state boasts of impressive rock walls, waterfalls, caves, and the Appalachian mountains. We heard that Cumberland Falls was beautiful and found a campsite nearby after a quick search on Hipcamp.com.
Since we haven’t had much experience with camping and weren’t sure what to expect, we chose to stay in a cabin with a bathroom and electricity. The property was owned by a Kentucky native, Patrick. When we arrived, we were greeted enthusiastically by the neighbors, Alan and Linda, staying in the cabin next to us. Their granddaughter, Reagan, instantly grabbed onto Malia and Ivy, taking them down to the river to skip rocks. We learned that Patrick’s Point has 3 cabins as well as tent and hammock sites. In the summer, kayakers start their 14 mile paddle from there, through the Daniel Boone forest, to Cumberland Falls.
This video shows the view of the Cumberland river from our cabin.
We grilled burgers on Patrick’s grill, played ping pong, and visited with our neighbors until it got dark. We were fed sweet potatoes over the fire, introduced to rattler snake green beans, and asked to try fresh milk in a glass jar that was purchased from the Mennonite farmers down the road.
Malia was especially curious about the Mennonite children in their long dresses and head coverings, so we went and bought some strawberry jam and apple butter from their roadside stand.
Our sleep was on and off again in the cabin, since the air mattresses were horribly uncomfortable, and every time someone rolled over, the rubber made a loud squeaking sound. Mark finally decided sleeping in the van might be more comfortable. You’ll have to ask him to expound upon the lack of sleep situation in his own words. The next morning, Patrick explained to Mark that there was a short cut to Cumberland Falls. The directions were obviously misunderstood because we ended up on a narrow, gravel road on the top of a mountain leading to nowhere. When I started to panic, Mark finally agreed to turn around and backtrack to where we could get cell reception and follow google maps along a paved and well marked highway.
The Cumberland Falls are located in the Daniel Boone National Forest. The falls’ claim to fame is its moon bow which can be seen on a night of a full moon, when the light is falling just right onto the water.
Here is some video from Cumberland Falls.
And a few more photos of the area around the falls.
Here’s a rough run down of our first 4 days of traveling for those who have shown interest in “following along”.
DAY ONE – Wisconsin
We stayed in Madison, Wisconsin at Ben and Ellen’s apartment. Hannah came over for dinner and brought corn bread to go with the delicious chili. We know these friends from their years as students at Macalester College in St Paul. Mark also DJed their wedding. I loved how these friends took an interest in Malia and Ivy and asked them lots of questions. Hannah played banana-grams with the kids. Ben showed us his bagpipe and we admired Ellen’s needlepoint. It was a pleasant evening of conversation and a great first night.
DAY 2 – Illinois
On our way to our home stay tonight, we stopped in Mendota, Illinois at the farm of Ben and Esther Hagenbuch. This was a fun stop where we saw chickens, rode a go cart, and had some delicious coffee in pretty tea cups. Esther was someone I could see myself being really good friends with, so our time there passed way too quickly. Maybe we will return another time.
We carried on to Normal, Illinois, where my Uncle Larry and Aunt Marianne live. My cousin McLean and his wife Sandra joined us for dinner. We had chicken nachos and berry pie with whipped cream. Larry told some great stories about his childhood that I had never heard before, and we played a classic board game called Uncle Wiggily.
DAY 3 – Indiana
We took our time getting going today. It’s been an experiment of learning a balance between driving time, visiting time, and quiet alone time. We also don’t want to completely neglect the homeschool while we are on the road. Today we did some school work at a Starbucks before driving to Indianapolis where we stayed with my cousin Delci, her husband Chris, and their 3 kids. We also made a quick stop to have what Mark calls “life changing tacos” with friends and DJ clients, Ryan and Tori.
It was the perfect fall day at Delci’s house and the kids had fun making a huge leaf pile. Chris is a toy and game collector who has invented several board games. We oohed and ahhed over the arcade games and He-Man action figures housed in glass cases. We had fun playing one of Chris’ original board games called “Trick or Treat”.
DAY 4 – Cincinatti
We woke up early and headed out to meet a friend of a friend, Kells, who offered to show us around Cincinatti. We had brunch at a delicious place called Yuka and did some window shopping. The girls wanted to find stickers for their water bottles. Our main destination for the day was a walk across the John Roebling suspension bridge. This beautiful structure crosses over the Ohio River (the Mason-Dixon Line) between Kentucky and Ohio. It was a gorgeous, sunny day and we were able to walk around downtown Cincinatti and see some historical markers and make some wishes in an impressive fountain.
After our walk in Cincinatti, the girls were ready for a long rest. They were hot, tired, sick of traveling and there was no hiding it anymore. It was melt down time! I figured it was bound to happen after 4 straight days of being polite and kind to new people in constantly changing surroundings and strange sleeping arrangements. We drove to our next home stay, hoping for the best, but expecting the worst. We didn’t know the family we were staying with and had no idea what we were walking into. Russell and Jenna were friends of friends who formerly lived in South Minneapolis, but are now pastoring a small Lutheran church in Greensdale, Illinois. I have to say, this stay was such a lovely surprise. I don’t know if I have ever felt so welcomed or cared for in someone else’s home. Jenna attended to so many details to make us feel comfortable and when we left the next morning we felt refreshed and ready to carry on to our next few days of camping in Kentucky.
I can’t believe how many lovely people we’ve been able to meet and spend time with in just 4 days. Do you have someone we should meet? Are you following along because you are interested in traveling in a similar way yourself someday? Or maybe you are just curious as to how long we will keep living the traveling life and what might come of it? Whatever the reason, we are happy to share our journey with you.
The countdown to travel is over. Today is the day of departure. It’s Time!
When I woke up this morning it felt very similar to the day I went into labor with each of my 4 children. When I was pregnant, I read about it, talked about it, and planned for it. I’ve done the same for this trip. I have been preparing for this day for over a year. Even after months of pregnancy, nothing can fully prepare a mother for the day of birth. The emotions I felt driving to the hospital during early labor were anticipation and uncertainty. As the labor progressed to the transition period, there were moments when I said, ”I can’t do this.” The word transition means movement, passage, or change from one stage to another. The transition phase during labor is known to be emotional. The woman giving birth may feel scared, overwhelmed, or uncertain.
Leaving our house and packing up all our belongings brought on similar feelings. This morning, we loaded up what we could fit into the back of our van, knowing we wouldn’t be returning to the comforts of home for 6 months.
Our two kids, Malia and Ivy, were feeling the birth pains. Mark had a videographer come to film or departure and the girls were NOT having it. After a fun night of trick or treating, they were sad to leave their friends and questioning the unknown. The last thing they wanted was to be filmed.
It didn’t take long for them to perk up. We pulled onto 94 on our way to our first stop, Madison, WI. Mark cranked the tunes and we rolled down the windows and felt the seasonably warm October air blowing in our hair. The sun was shining and a peace washed over me.
I’m excited to do a lot of writing on this trip. I was gifted several journals from friends who know me well. I’m taking a break from piano teaching and will be focusing on writing during these travel months.
I, Anna, did all the packing and then Mark arranged everything in the back of the van. We are a good team.
We would love to have you support my writing during this trip in a small way ($6 a month from Nov-May) If you don’t want to contribute, but would still like to receive a postcard, message us your address. (We even have a Patreon supporter from Sweden!)
My favorite spot in our last home and in my childhood home is looking out the window, especially when it’s raining or snowing.
As we have moved from our house of 10 years to the carriage house we are renting, I’ve pondered these questions of ”What is home?” What I’ve come to realize is that for me, home revolves more around feeling than place.
I associate home with relaxation, being able to kick my shoes off, say what I’m thinking, and be myself. It’s a place I don’t need to pretend to be anyone but me.
Home feels warm and inviting. It’s a place to rest after a busy day. Home can be a gathering place, but it can also be a place to be alone. It is where I sleep, recharge, and find shelter.
Can I find home on this 6 month roadtrip where our home will change from month to month, and sometimes even from day to day? A few wise friends have suggested having certain things that don’t change like taking a morning walk each day, writing in a journal, an evening reading/prayer time as a family, and set times each week to check in with loved ones.
For those who have moved a lot or travel for work, how do you find ”Home on the road?”
I wanted to give you a quick update on our trip. It’s really happening, and after a year of this being an idea, it’s coming up in just 3 weeks! We leave November 1st.
Here are some of your most asked questions answered:
Did you buy an RV? Nope. Our vehicle is a Honda Pilot. We are traveling light.
Where will you go first?
We plan to take about 9 days to get to Macon, Georgia where we will stay in an airbnb for a month. On the way to Macon, we intend to stay in 🏠Madison, WI 🏠Normal, IL 🏠Indianapolis, IN 🏠Cincinatti, OH 🏕Cumberland Falls State Park and 🏠Chatanooga, TN
We have planned the trip intentionally so we only drive about 4 hours in a day. (This is a marathon, not a sprint 😁) If you want to know if we are coming through your state in the next 6 months, send me a personal message.
I’m not going to list the whole trip’s itinerary in this one post. You’ll have to follow this blog (or personal emails and texts are always welcome) if you want to keep up with us. You can also sign up for our Postcard Club. It’s a simple way to support our adventure in a small way with $6 a month and we will send you postcards from the road.
(If you can’t swing the $6, but still want to get postcards, just send me a message with your mailing address)
What do the kids think about the trip?
“I feel more and more everyday that this is the best decision for our family, but what if I can’t get the kids to see it?”
Both girls have struggled with switching to homeschooling this year and all of the life changes we’ve made (including having both older siblings move away to college). We have had some great days and some really hard days. I have seen our relationships grow closer these last few months and we have made so many memories together through simplifying our life and routine. Its amazing how much time was spent doing homework, packing lunches, and rushing to get to school in the mornings. Now, our days feel unhurried and more restful. Our older two kids, Elliot and Tabby, are practicing their ”adulting skills” at college in Massachusetts and NYC. They just spent their fall break together which made me very happy.
Will Mark be DJing on the trip? Will you be teaching piano lessons?
Mark will be booking weddings and events for summer of 2023 and 2024 and overseeing his other DJs from the road. He will be flying home for 3 weddings during the trip. I will be taking a complete break from teaching, but hope to connect with some piano teachers in other states during the trip.
What are you most looking forward to?
ANNA –
I’m looking forward to seeing new parts of the country, especially National Parks. I look forward to being near the ocean in December and missing out on the MN winter.
I’m also really excited to meet new people and bring attention to seemingly “ordinary faces” who don’t get noticed, but are really quite extraordinary. I want to inspire others to become Story Hunters looking for great stories from people in their everyday lives who have been overlooked.
MARK –
I’m looking forward to walking about the United States to discover fresh purpose for the 2nd half of my life.
Making memories with Anna and the kids.
MALIA – I’m not looking forward to the trip much at all, but if I had to say something –
the dogs and
the ocean.
(if we could send her home with a dog (or a bunny), it would all be worth it 😂)
Ivy is the one who is always saying, ”Take a picture of me!!”
IVY –
I’m looking forward to eating Asian food.
I’m excited to play in the ocean, see dolphins and dogs, ride horses, see cactus, and hike in mountains.
What are you hoping to gain personally from this trip?
I want this trip to stretch and challenge me (Anna) to grow in several areas.
#1. My willingness to ask for help.
#2. Boldness and confidence in speaking to people I am meeting for the first time.
#3. Courage to speak up about things I care about that may be controversial.
A few more thoughts
Do you have a dream of trying something out of the traditional box that scares you? Do you hold back because you are afraid of what people will think? Maybe its not travel, but a business idea or a new life direction, a parenting idea, or even something that seems small to most people, but is really a big change for you.
Encourage your Midlife Creative self today to see how far you’ve come and ask yourself, ”What small changes can I make to become more fully myself”
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.
Moving boxes to our storage unit Friends and family helping us move. A glimpse into ”the carriage house” – our rental for the next 2 months. We LOVE it. 1st day of homeschooling
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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