We survived our first year!

CHEERS TO OUR FIRST YEAR ON THE ROAD! July 18th officially marked our first anniversary of nomad life. We are still married, we still like each other, and we are going to keep going!

When asked "How long do you think you'll do this?" our response is "Until we can't." Whatever that means is open to interpretation/circumstances/life events.

Cheers to a year!

Things we've learned:

• I really like living in a tiny space. We have approximately 375 square feet of living space. Downsizing from our 5000+ sf house was daunting, but freeing at the same time. I'm actually itching to do another purge of our stuff.

• We spend a lot of time together. We did before, but we really do now! Living with your best friend makes it work, though. It feels weird on the rare occasion we are apart. Maybe we need to work on our alone time?!?

• Our dog is aging and is having a great retirement. Jazmine has had more socialization this past year than the ten years prior. She is still kickin'! She is equal parts cute and pain in the ass. We have agreed that we will not be getting another dog, so I'm stating it here to keep us accountable. Ha! As we have learned from our previous excursions, we cannot "just go look" either!

• Switching to a motorhome was the right decision for us. It seemed really crazy after being on the road for only 3 months, but we are really happy with our condo on wheels.

• We definitely fit into the category of "glampers" aka "pedestal princesses". Full hookups are welcomed! To our defense, we aren't just camping for the weekend or the week. Can we live without sewer or water for a few days? Yes. Is it easier if you don't have to? Also, yes.

• Life on the road can be a little isolating. You are surrounded by people in campgrounds, but most people kind of stay to themselves. I've had to push myself to chat with other dog owners at the dog park or try to strike up conversation with one of our neighbors. I need to channel my inner Wendell more. (Those of you who had the pleasure of knowing my dad can imagine him LOVING to chat up new people.) I am also striving to reconnect with old friends and family along this journey. Hit us up on Facebook messenger sometime if we haven't gotten to you yet!

• Our top locations so far:

  • Paso Robles, California - we love the wine from this area and the town is really charming.

  • Coachella, California - I'm sure it was extra special because our kids were here with us for Christmas!

  • Fort Collins, Colorado - there's something about the mountains and low humidity that I just love!