As the end of the year approaches, it is always good to spend time reflecting on the passed year. My 2016 reflection helped me to reset for the coming year!
After our summer of traveling without an RV, it was time for a reset. In May, I thought I was “done” with the RV life and ready to move on to the next thing. Yet I didn’t feel like I was quite ready for international travel, and I didn’t feel that our old life “fit” us either.
I began to feel ready to buy a house, settle down, and hang up my travel hat…for awhile anyway. I was so determined to purchase a home, that we spent a week house hunting in Boise, Idaho, a city that we had fallen in love with while spending a month there this summer. While it wasn’t San Diego living, it also wasn’t California prices.
We could purchase a home very affordably, and still take great vacations. It has the mountains, beautiful outdoor parks, and is within a days drive to some breathtaking National Parks. There are many great opportunities for homeschoolers in Boise. We came thisclose to executing on this plan. The positives of living in Idaho were abundant, and the negatives were few. However, after much reflection, the unsettled feelings led us to conclude that we were not ready to make a move back to the conventional lifestyle…just yet.
Instead, it was time to go back to Chicago and see our family and friends, after being away for several months. We had a wonderful opportunity to join another traveling family for an adventure in Central America, but our hearts told us that the timing was wrong. Three intentional months of family time were just what we needed, and with clearer hearts, we decided to continue working toward our dreams of a travel lifestyle.
We purchased another RV – this time a Fifth Wheel. The realization hit that we greatly missed the RV lifestyle – being outdoors and surrounded by other people. Our intention is not to pull this RV, but to have it as a home base, stationed in sunny San Diego.
In reflection, 2016 was an amazing year! Attending our first ever Full-time Family Rally was wonderful. Having the opportunity to meet wonderful new families from across the country brought a fresh perspective and some fun play dates! Thanks to some relatives in San Diego, we ventured on a few weekend trips to Mexico. Finally, we sold our motorhome, and spent the summer traveling differently through the Pacific Northwest.
In late spring, we spent a month in the incredible state of Colorado. Checking out potential future homes, checking out the gorgeous sights, and participating in a family vacation was incredible. Next, we unexpectedly fell in love with Boise. We returned to Chicago to hang out with our family for 3 months. Once again, the ocean called, and we ended the year back in California, for the third winter in a row!
2016 was also significant because we worked on improving our diet, walking more, and I became a runner. I ran my first 5K in Portland. I took a cooking class, incorporated some awesome new curriculum for my kids, and did really well at keeping up with my blog during the first half of the year. 🙂
Our kids are extremely happy, living in an environment that allows them to play outside with friends that were anxiously waiting for them to return. They play every single day, for HOURS, and don’t come home until dark – just like we used to do (in the olden days…haha) when we were little!
We thought our travel bug was at bay for a bit now. We even talked about staying put in one location for the entire year. Ha! Well, if you know me at all, that feeling didn’t last for long. As soon as we got back to California, the dreaming began again. So, for now, I say, stay tuned for what’s to come…
Wishing you all a wonderful 2017, full of not only dreaming, but DOING!
Year in Review Highlights:
