I expected him to say “no” or to roll his eyes, sigh and go back to sleep, as are his usual reactions to my cockamamie schemes. But much to my delight, he said “okay” and sat up in bed and we proceeded to make plans as how we were going to pull it off for the next three hours.
Fast forward to now, early October, and I’ve decided to start keeping a blog to chronicle the process of how we’re going to make this happen and hopefully, after it does happen, it will become a journal of our travels.
We have certain things going for and against us in terms of achieving our dream. First of all, we’re young, which is both a pro and a con. We are both decades away from being able to collect social security or receive any type of government medical benefits but our youthfulness should open up a wider range of work opportunities on the road, especially in Paul’s case, being that he is a rather strapping lad. I’m not so into physical labor but I suppose I could do it if I had to.
Also, our family consists of me, Paul, our pug George, and out two cats Tilly and Iggy. No kids to worry about warping for life with our alternative lifestyle (although if we were to change our minds later, I’d probably just go ahead and warp them).
Growing up, my parents moved over twenty times before I reached the age of majority. They always seemed to be chasing a better life somewhere, a terminal case of “the grass is always greener”. On the one hand, I’ve been to (and lived in) more U.S. states than anyone I’ve ever known and I think I have an unusually broad understanding of different American classes and cultures. I can fit in just about anywhere but at the same time I’ve never really felt I belonged anywhere. I’ve lived in Chicago nearly all of my adult life and I still don’t feel I belong here. Conversely, my husband was born and raised in Chicago, leaving only to go to college in Indiana. But he has several close friends from missionary families who moved all around the world growing up, so it’s not an entirely alien concept to him.
Although it wasn’t easy growing up the way I did (especially the having to make new friends only to lose them again part) it’s pretty much instilled wanderlust in my nature as well as a profound appreciation for the vast and varied beauty of the country we live in. I long to revisit many of the places I knew as a kid and also have a list a mile long of new places I want to see. But if I a am being honest, my real ulterior motive is to be able to spend time with or far-flung friends and family without being obligated to return to some crappy job somewhere else the next Monday.
As to the practical aspects of living in a trailer, time will tell. However, I’ve always been drawn to the idea of small living quarters with a place for everything and everything in it’s place. The idea of having very little housework to do is highly appealing for sure.
Our biggest hurdle by a long shot is the fact that we are far from moneyed. We have a modest amount saved to buy a used trailer, and we will need to work and save quite a bit more before we can be fully kitted out and ready to hit the road. We have no tow vehicle either, so we will need to purchase one of those as well. Finally, we will need to work on the road in order to have money to live on and pay our bills. I have started a freelance writing business which has yet to be profitable and we both currently hold down day jobs. I work at a non-profit and Paul works at a bike shop as a mechanic. I imagine that we will have to take on various odd jobs while we are traveling to survive.
That is our story for now. I intend to update as often as possible with progress on our goals and I would absolutely love to hear from anyone who is currently planning for a life on the road or has already begun one.
