Posted by Tagged with family, family memories, Family travel, family US roadtrip, familybonding, parenting Posted in Uncategorized

Daily Life on the Road

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

🙏🏽Time to focus on God with fewer distractions.

Join our Postcard Club
Posted by Tagged with family memories, Family travel, moving, roadtrip Posted in Uncategorized

The Road is Home

What is ”Home?”

Is it a place? A house? A feeling?

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?”

What makes a place feel like ”Home” for you?

Posted by Tagged with Faith, family, family memories, moving, Reflection, St Paul Posted in Uncategorized

How we came to St Paul

We moved to St Paul 8 years ago. I’ve been wanting to recount the story of how we ended up here. I need to be reminded of how God takes care of us.

Our first house in the Twin Cities was an upper duplex rental in South Minneapolis. It was home for 5 years. I slowly grew to love the city after living in a small town up until that point. My oldest announced as we drove onto the freeway into Minneapolis, “I was born to be a city girl!”

Driving on freeways was the biggest change. I found a job teaching piano lessons in St Paul and the short drive from Mpls to St Paul always left me with stiff shoulders and a sore back. I would clench the steering wheel and hold my breathe as I anticipated the dreaded lane changes. For a period of time, when we didn’t have a car and I learned to ride the metro transit, another experience that felt monumental at the time. The city began to feel like our new home. I loved meeting people with different cultures and beliefs than me. I loved trying foods from around the world, experiencing art through museums, theater, and the orchestra.

As we reached year 5 in Minneapolis, we began to run out of money. It was a confusing period in our marriage and job situation and it became clear that it was again time for a change . One thing I’ve realized is that I don’t usually gravitate toward change unless it is forced upon me. Hardships can be the catalyst for making necessary changes.

That whole decision to not renew our lease on the Minneapolis duplex is still a bit foggy to me. It was a very unsettling season that I never want to repeat. My three girls, ages 10, 8, and 1 and I, moved to Marshall, MN to live with my parents while Mark stayed in Minneapolis on a friend’s couch, working a new job in order to save enough money for us to rent a new place that fall.

That whole summer apart ended up being a blessing in disguise. Everyday, we would go on walks, to the pool, rummage sales, and Camden State Park. The extended time with my parents was just what my girls and I needed.

Our goal was to move to St Paul by September so that I could continue teaching piano and the kids could start school. August came and there was no housing in our price range. I spent my days feeling a rising sense of panic as I scoured the internet for affordable rentals for a family of 5.

Finally, near the end of August, I saw a 4 bedroom house for rent pop up on Craigslist. We looked at it and immediately felt a “Yes!” It was the only house I could find even close to what we were looking for. It felt like a miracle.

Looking back, I feel this house was hand-picked for us. The neighbors, the art house down the street, the theater experiences, the schools, and all the places that have become home.

First Easter in St Paul
And we added Ivy to our family
to make 6!

I know what uncertainty feels like. With Covid-19 looming over us, we don’t know what life will look like a month from now or 6 months from now. I’m glad I can look back on God’s faithfulness in our move to St Paul and all the little and big ways we have been taken care of since then. I have to keep believing the best. It’s the only way through.