Yes!

I can't believe we did it! The house is clean and empty, the garage is almost empty😜, and although we only traveled 6 miles to the opposite side of Bozeman the new adventure has already begun. 

I have no idea where life will lead, I certainly never expected to be where we are now, but my heart is open and ready to accept whatever comes our way. 

P.S. A simple way to get rid of old ceramic plates so you can get new unbreakable metal plates is to load them into a shelf that tends to open up on corners. Guess who is buying new plates this week? 

The good news is we used those plates for 7 years and I never really liked them. So Mavel tov, this new adventure has been christened. 

Hopefully the HOA doesn't kick us out of this neighborhood this week. 

98 days on the Road

98 days on the road

When we started I had no idea what this trip would turn into. 50-90% of me figured we would make it a few weeks and say forget it, we are going to bear lake until our renters leave, or we would have massive mechanical issues and be unable to financially have this trip make sense. I certainly didn't think that I would gain as much perspective on life and grow as a human. 

Life is hard, and change is really hard. Sometimes though when the secret sauce is just right, life is just hard enough it starts to bend and change you. I feel that way about this trip. In no way was this an easy trip. It's complicated to travel for long periods of time and it takes a ridiculous amount of work to keep all of our life spheres revolving. I have to work, the kids need to be kids, Sarah needs to breath in nature and sometimes it felt like all of these were competing with one another. Eventually though all of our needs were meet. Maybe not everyday. Somedays work didn't get done, turns out maybe I was just doing busy work to be busy sometimes and I don't need to stress about work as much as I thought. Somedays the kids were basket cases because we didn't just let them explore and be kids. And Somedays we were cramped and camped out next to 50 year old rv's that hadn't moved in 20 years and Sarah could feel the walls closing in. The good thing was that usually all those terrible feelings happened on separate days and we made it through them separately. 

Some days everything was golden a and we were able to bask in the magnificence of seeing the world and meeting new friends. Just like life, Somedays were mundane, but the sweet ones were oh so sweet because of the struggle it took to achieve them. 

We are on our second to last night and are camped in a rV park in Yellowstone. And no, it is not as glamorous as it sounds. We are surrounded by 350 other campers and I can hear a police siren off in the distance, but we are doing it man. We saw the geyser, we went to the old faithful inn and it was hard and overcrowded but we did it and life is good. 

Not having internet is more of a drag then it really should be. Honestly that was one of the parts we struggled with the most. Having internet access keeps me connected to work, but it also distracts me from life happening around me. I struggle with that. I want and need to be connected, but life can continue whether there is internet access or not. Tonight there is no internet, so there will be no work emails and internet browsing, but I might finish reading my book and watching 3 men and a baby on VHS. ($0.50 in Joshua Tree). 

Kamloops BC

Right from the get go I knew it was going to be a hard day. Emory Creek was a bit short lived but we feel pressure to be somewhere that Ty can work. Provincial parks in Canada, although the most desirable to us, simply don't work. Ty needs his phone and computer to work so he can make his phone calls and respond to emails. Monday morning came around and we needed to get to a camp spot that offered Internet. Next on the map.... Kamloops BC. The drive there was long and we were all grumpy and tired. It was one of those days that we were all just happy to have survived. 

The plan was for Ty to take it easy with us on Tuesday, leave to work the norther portion of his BC territory on Wednesday, return to us on Friday and then as a family make our way towards Banff. The RV park was a bit run down but on the river, met all our needs and we were able to ride our bikes across a bridge and be downtown within 5 minutes. Not bad! Something bad was in the air though. We were all in such terrible moods and little things seemed to keep going wrong. After the kids and I returned home from riding the bucket bike to the farmers market and story hour at the library I saw a note on the table from Ty saying his phone basically started sparking and hissing and wouldn't turn back on. He was out on a bike ride to try and figure things out in his head. Oh no! 

So then the stupid cell phone fiasco began. Things went from bad to worse. Ty started by taking both our phones to a cell phone repair shop. The man thought it was possibly Tys battery so he disassembled both our phones to try my battery in his phone. Didn't work. His phone is fried. Second step, find an unlocked phone on Craigslist. Great! I find one and call to see if it is available only to find that the disassemblement of my phone caused it so I can't hear anything. But! The new phone ends up being available so Ty shows up at 7'11 with $200 and buys the iPhone 4. He tried to put his SIM card in it to make sure it was unlocked but his iPhone 6 SIM card was to big so he took a leap of faith and believed the seller when she promised it was unlocked. Turns out the damn thing isn't unlocked. So here we are! 3 phones that don't work, $200 pretty much thrown away, hundreds of miles from the US and Ty is supposed to work. He couldn't leave us to work without either of us having a working phone. Apparently it wasn't meant to be. All of this crap took a few days and before we knew it it was Thursday, we were still in Kamloops and not really liking the town at all. We needed to get the hell out of there with a quick change of plans. 

Instead of Ty working norther BC right now and him taking a week off work so we could meander our way down through Banff we just need to get to the US as quickly as possible. It's unfortunate that we are so dependent on the Internet and phones. But Tys job is what allows us to travel. Without a phone and Internet his job isn't possible. We will figure all this out for the next time we come spend a long period of time in Canada but for now we just have to leave. I set the map to Kalispell Montana. It should take us 4 days. We will arrive back in the US on Memorial Day. Ty can go to an AT&T store on Tuesday, spend the rest of the week trying to get caught up and then work Montana the following week. We finally have a plan again! Phew! That alone changes our spirits and we are back in this! We plan to stay in Revelstoke tomorrow. 

Revelstoke BC a day to remember

After a long week we needed a day like today. We woke up with a whole new sense of direction and felt ready for whatever was in store for us. We loaded up right after breakfast with the plan of picking up our laundry (it got locked in the laundry room last night- whoops!), dumping real quick and hitting the road. On the walk to the laundry I spotted a sandy hill that lead straight down to the river. I couldn't stop myself. I had to run and jump in right then and there. Clothes and all. It was amazing. Ty went next and then both kids. Lu took her first two footed jump (ever) off the sandy bank into the water. She couldn't believe it. That she had actually jumped off something like that (she is little miss cautious. It was maybe a 1 foot jump. But huge for her! So exciting to see her grow!) and how much fun it was. She spent the next ten minutes running up and down the hill and jumping into the water. Aki is the complete opposite. He has no fear. He also enjoyed jumping in and splashing around. After trying to catch salmon fry we trudged up the hill, grabbed our laundry, dumped and hit the road. 

Up until today I have laid down with Aki on the bed while he sleeps when we are driving. I feel nervous leaving him back on the bed all by himself while we travel full speed down the highway. I had a feeling that the drive was going to beautiful today though and I didn't want to miss it so I tried something new and laid him down. I checked on him ever 15 minutes or so. Well, two and a half hours later he just walked up front like it was no big whoop. The look on his face was so cute. I was startled to see him. Not only is the bed really high, it takes a tremendous amount of balance to walk in the motorhome when we are moving. But there he was with his twinkling eyes, happy has an old man that just got himself up from a nap. 

I am so glad I didn't miss the drive. It was breath taking. The mountains were giant and rugged. The rivers were fierce. And the lakes in between were absolutely pristine. 

We arrived at the campground and just couldn't believe it. We are tucked right underneath the biggest and snowiest mountains I have ever seen. Oh and it's 85'! The sprinklers were on next to our campsite. You know, the big kind that tick tick tick around in a circle. Again, I couldn't help myself. Before I knew what I was doing I was out the door running through them. Lu and Aki followed me. Another first for both of them. Aki didn't like it to much but Lu! The little Lu that would rather detour around the block than risk being sprayed by a tiny little sprinkler came walking into the motorhome 30 minutes later dripping wet with a huge smile on her face. We had a quick lunch and headed back into Revelstoke. It is a ski town and reminded us much of Bozeman. There were lots of young families and people on bikes. We felt right at home. After walking around on Main Street, getting a few groceries and eating dinner from a Taco Truck we headed back to the motorhome so we could go for a quick swim in the mineral pool. After a full day, Ty and I hesitated going but boy! Are we glad we went! 

The mineral pool itself wasn't anything spectacular. A semi warm pool that felt, well, just like a regular old swimming pool. But with the mountains and trees towering over us, it felt like the most romantic pool you could ever dream of. 

There was something magic in the air today. Our kids came to life. Aki has always loved the water but today it was almost like he was part of the water. He has always loved to blow bubbles but has never really gone under. We couldn't keep the boy up. He was jumping in and going under the water for several seconds at a time. Every time he came up he asked to go under again. By the time we were done swimming he was a wobbly baby full of burps. Akis fearlessness really helps balance Lunas cautiousness. Seeing him go under encouraged her to try it. I showed her how to plug her nose and go under. AND SHE DID IT!!! After 4.5 years of her being absolutely terrified of going under the water she freaking did it all by herself! And then she couldn't stop. She kept practicing and practicing. By the time we were done swimming she was putting her face under the water without plugging her nose. She was so proud of herself. She kept hugging us and squeezing us really tight with the biggest smile on her face. I am telling you! This adventure is changing our family. Each of us as individuals and together as a whole. I am so extremely grateful we have the opportunity to do this. 

Tomorrow we head off to Radium Hot Springs and I can't wait to see these two in the water again. 

Emory Creek BC Canada

We pulled into Emory Creek in the late afternoon. After traveling and feeling exhausted from 10 fun filled days in the city we were ready for some soul cleansing with Mother Nature. We weren't at our spot for long when the thunder began to roll. Sid is terrified of thunder. She completely freaks out and is uncontrollable. She pants and paces and wants someone to hold all 180 pounds of her. As much as we all love a good beautiful thunder storm we were happy when it passed rather quickly so Sid could calm down. We enjoyed a lovely few peaceful minuets and then the fireworks started. Ty and I looked at each other both thinking the same thing. That we needed to get the hell out of this place. Sid started freaking out again. At this point in time we happened to be out on a walk and ran into someone who showed us a little path leading down to the river. Had we been at the motorhome we probably would have packed up right then and there. But we decided to take the path. Through the lush thick forest, over a little hill and down the other side lay one of the most roaring rivers we have ever seen. The Frasier River. It was vast and wide, moving at an astounding speed. Where the trail met the river was a nice little beach. The kids and Sid got straight to business throwing rocks in the water and playing in the sand. Sid went for a swim. Ty and I sat down to let the river help wash away the day. After a few minutes we saw a giant sturgeon. The way it moved the water and the sound it made, had we been near the ocean we would have thought it was a great white shark. It had to have been a thousand pounds. We couldn't believe it. Then we looked up to see two bald eagles fighting for a fish. They soared away as we sat there in awe knowing that we were exactly where we were supposed to be. In the wild. 

Where the name My Wifes Adventure came from ...

Ever since I can remember I have dreamed of going on a real adventure. You know? The kind where you leave everything comfortable behind for an extended period of time and figure out a new way of life. 

When Ty and I met I was quick to let him know that our relationship could not get serious because I was joining the Peace Corps. He was even quicker to assure me that he would just come along with me. Well you see, you have to be married to go as a couple. So that is just what we did. We got married so we could go to the Peace Corps together as a couple. Unfortunately 10,000 other people applied that same year. The Peace Corps only accepted 3000. We were not one of them. My heart broke. But life went on. We fell in love (our love and marriage was in a non traditional order) Ty got a great job, I finished college, we moved a few times and then I surprisingly got pregnant with Luna. I was still holding on to my dream of joining the Peace Corps but that dream quickly died when my motherly instincts took over. 

I dove into motherhood head first and stuffed my dreams way down deep inside until I wasn't happy anymore. Then one day it hit me like a slap in the face. Wait?? That's crazy! My brain started spinning and I was determined to find some sort of "real adventure" that we could do right now, together as a family. The first idea I threw at Ty was that we save for a year, sell everything and then go live in the mountains of Peru. He wasn't having it. After throwing several ideas at him I finally came up with one that he could keep his job, we didn't have to sell anything and it wouldn't cost more than our normal life. Buy a motorhome and travel the west for a year while following his work route! At first he said "are you crazy? I am not going to rent out our house for a year!" He finally came around though and committed to four months. 

Here we are! Nearly two months into our great adventure. Or rather my adventure. The adventure that my heart lives for. The one that my dear husband agreed to do by my side because he loves me. Don't get me wrong, he is throughly enjoying himself but he would rather be at home. Hence the name; My Wife's Adventure. 

The first month was hard. Really hard. We all missed home and were absolutely exhausted. After that adjustment period though it has been better than I dreamed. It has brought clarity to our whole family. Being away from our day to day life has helped us find ourselves and each other in ways we didn't even know were possible. 

I am finally listening to my heart and doing what fulfills my adventurous spirit. It has relit the light in me. I am me again. The me that I haven't really known since our Peace Corps application got denied. All the sudden I see myself so clearly and I want to share myself with the world.  

We came on this adventure with the intent of it being just that. A four month adventure. But it has quickly become much more. So what is next you might ask? In another few months this adventure will end. But both Ty and I know that my heart will still yearn for more. More adventure to feed my soul. And that is where our commitment to one another shines clear. We are both wiling to compromise to find a balance. We aren't exactly sure what that looks like yet but we do know that it includes having a home and leaving that home for extended periods of time to find "real adventure". 

Natural remedies...

I have been asked by several people lately about our families natural health. While I am by no means a doctor I stand by myself 100%. If you need a doctor, go the doctor. But if you are looking for advice on how to help your family from home with natural remedies this is for you! Here are a few tips and tricks that have greatly benefited our family. Even Ty, my traditional western medicine believing husband has been amazed with how much his body has changed since incorporating my "crazy" ideas. I have not been paid to advertise these products. I just love them so much I want to share them with the world! Leave a comment and let me know some of your tricks or if you try one of these let me know how it works for you!

Prevention and supplements:

I recently decided to empty out our vitamin cabinet. I don't find any benefit in taking synthetic vitamins. Our bodies don't know how to digest them so I figure they probably do more harm than good. I replaced everything with organic superfood powders. Every morning our whole family takes 

Chlorella, Spiralina, Wheatgrass, Boabob and Acai. All of these together are extremely high in vitamin A, B, C, D, iron and protein. All of which are derived from plants. You see, vitamins are made from the earth. From soil and rocks etc. The plant absorbs all these vitamins and minerals and when we eat that plant our bodies absorb all that is needed. 

My mood and emotions:

Magnesium:

I unfortunately inherited very sensitive emotions. If I don't get enough sleep I am a total basket case. When my hormones shift I go from being perfectly sane to insane and out of control in a matter of minutes. Ever since my pregnancy with Lu I feel like my hormones are similar a roller coaster. I am still trying to figure this all out but one thing I have found that helps me is taking magnesium. It is very common for women to have low magnesium levels. 

Maca:

Maca powder is also very helpful in balancing hormones. Ever since I started I literally haven't felt my hormones swing like I usually do. 

Every night right before bed I drink my magic drink. Maca mixed with magnesium in a little warm water and lemon. I started this a few months ago and I can tell the nights that I accidentally forget. It has totally helped level out my emotions. I am more go with the flow than I have ever been. Even after a restless night! It feels great! Oh and yes, I am still nursing Aki. It is safe to take these supplements while pregnant and nursing. 

Early signs of a cold:

Whenever anyone in our family starts showing signs of a cold I go straight for the chlorella. It goes into your system and grabs onto any toxins and/or heavy metals and helps flush them out of your system through your pee and poop unlike other forms of detox which typically release toxins into your bloodstream. This makes it safe for children and breastfeeding and pregnant mothers. We take it in tablet form. I personally think the green flavor is overpowering so I prefer to swallow mine. Both of my kids chew theirs like candy. Another option would be to get it in powder form, mix it with 1tsp of water and give it to your child with a medicine syringe. We take this everyday as a preventive and I double the dose with and signs of a cold. 

Ear infection and/or earache: 

Garlic ear oil drops:

When Luna was a few months old she got RSV and a double ear infection. I knew I didn't want to put my infant on antibiotics but her doctor made me feel like I had no other options. I was a new mom and felt very conflicting emotions. My heart told me it was wrong but the dr. told me that if I didn't put her on antibiotics her ear infection would worsen and could cause her to need tubes. So I went against my better judgement and gave her antibiotics. After her first dose I noticed blood in her poop. It freaked me out. I threw the antibiotics away and headed straight to Whole Foods. I bought garlic ear oil drops and they worked like magic. I learned a few lessons from this experience. One, always listen to your heart. You know best! Two, these drops are magical! No one in our family has been on antioxidants since. We have all had numerous earaches but have been healed within hours of using the drops. They feel really good! But make sure to follow the instructions and warm them up under hot water. 

Essential oils:

I have an "earache" roller bottle that I made. It consists of 6 drops Melaleuca, 4 drops Lavender and 2 drops Frankincense mixed with 2 TBS fractionated coconut oil. I apply it at the base of the ear (never in the ear canal) and down the lymphatic line to the collarbone. I massage it in behind the earlobes and all the way down the lymphatic line to help release any pressure. It feels really good! 

Congestion: 

it's scare when your child can't breathe. I have found xylitol nose spray to be extremely helpful. I even used it on Aki when he was only a few months old. It goes into your nose and helps loosen up all the mucus. After I spray it I wait a few minutes and then use a freeta nose suction. I then spray one more spray in each nostril. This helps soooo much! I have also used this when I had a sinus headache. It helped equalize the pressure in my head and my headache went away. 

Athletes foot:

Little lu picked this up at gymnastics! I put coconut oil and melaleuca on her feet right before bed and then put socks on her feet. After a few days it was gone!!  

Upset tummies:

I give my kids Raw probiotics a few times a day when they complain of an upset tummy. 

Vaccines:

If you vaccinate your child I highly recommend giving them raw probiotics twice a day for a week before and a week after they receive their shots. I also recommend giving them chlorella. It will help flush out and heavy metals and toxins from the vaccine. It will also help boost their immune system. 

I hope you find this helpful! 

Coming soon.....

-Hygiene products and sunscreen! 

Work

I have never been particularly good at dividing my work and free time. In the past I have focused too much on work and neglected my physical and emotional well being. Everyday was focused around work, getting up to work, going to work, eating lunch with coworkers, leaving work and then talking about work when I got home. I didn't have hobbies any longer, although I attempted to do outdoor activities on the weekend like other Americans, but I didn't have any time dedicated to my personal growth. 

When we moved to Montana I really changed my outlook on work. I'm not sure that it was conscious, but several things happened. First, I learned that I didn't get any cerebral satisfaction from my job. I wasn't mentally engaged as I have been in past jobs. So I could do my job with little to no thought, as long as I was fairly diligent everything got done and bosses were happy with the growth in sales. 

Second I started riding my bike with a great group of guys. All professionals, with families, like myself and they seemed to find time to ride their bikes nearly everyday. Quickly I realized that a lot of the day to day stress of life can be worked out while on a bike. Having an hour or two to figure things out in my head was incredibly freeing. When I needed to vent about work or family I had guys who could relate. 

So now I find myself skewing the opposite way from work. Spending maybe too much time riding my bike, or exercising, or traveling with my family and now I need to come back to reality a bit. The life that Sarah and I have built doesn't really work if I don't have a goodpaying  job with loads of freedom and I know that those jobs don't really exist. I just got really lucky to land the one that I have. I don't know how to rank what's important, certainly work shouldn't be #1 and neither should riding a bike, but that shouldn't be too far below family time. 

I guess moderation in all things is probably the best advice. Who knows. 

Who's the weirdo now?

The weirdo is almost always defined by an outsider. "Those hippies are weird." "That guy with the face tattoo is weird." "Families that live in RV's are weird." I still find myself thinking that occasionally but we have been fortunate enough to meet some amazing traveling families who are changing my perspective on what is weird. 

We were in Prescott, AZ last week trying to avoid the heat of Phoenix and Teddy Roosevelt lake and finally meet up with some other traveling families at a campground there. 

These weren't down on their luck, hardship stories of foreclosure and exile to RV nomad land. These were successful independently employeed couples who made a conscious decision to do something different with their lives. I'm sure they were weird as well, but the were a good kind of weird. We spent a couple of really fun days getting to know them as individuals and as families and I really enjoyed their company. I know Sarah did as well. I'm still not sure about this whole living in an RV thing, but meeting cool people made it seem a little less weird and a bit more exciting. 

Prescott by the way is a tremendous town. I can't wait to go there again with a mountain bike and someone who can either read a trail map or knows where to ride because from what I saw the mountain biking is pretty endless. 

They also have a costco and Indian food, so that right there gets some bonus points. 

I was in Phoenx for a few days seeing some customers and was able to import some spectacular vegan desserts from Nami back to Prescott, but I could have used a few more sweet treats. 

A letter to NPR

This is what I said...

Hello,

As many people are, I am very concerned about the drought we are facing. I am a big fan and listen to NPR religiously. As I was listening today I was shocked to find that the biggest contributor to the drought was not mentioned. I heard you go over how much water it takes to grow one pound of blueberries, one walnut, one almond etc. which, yes, I agree is absolutely shocking to hear. But in comparison to the 660 gallons of water it takes to make 1 hamburger and 1000 gallons of water it takes to produce 1 gallon of milk it is minuscule. If you are interested I can share resources that are full of facts about how large the animal agriculture industry footprint is. If we want to move forward with addressing climate change, reducing the industry is our best bet. 

I am a young mother of two traveling across the west to learn more about the issue. I have raised my two children on a plant based diet since utero. My pregnancy and birth were absolutely amazing with both of them. I want to empower women and families. You can live a strong and healthy life on a plant based diet. My husband is an avid competitive cyclist who is also thriving on a plant based diet. 

By living off of plants our carbon footprint is much less than that of a person who consumes meat and dairy. Did you know that the meat and dairy industry use nearly 1/3 (29%) of all the fresh water in the world today. 55% of the water in the US is used for animal agriculture while only 5% is used by private homes. 

Feel free to contact me anytime. I look forward to hopefully hearing back from you or at least hearing more about this side of the issue on the radio. 

Sincerely,

Sarah Bennett 

In a rhythm

It almost feel like I am in a rhythm. I say almost because I'm in an RV park about a mile from Disney Land and 2 miles from Angels Stadium and that's just not normal, but still there seems to be a rhythm to life that I am getting into. 

Last Saturday I had no rhythm, I was ready to quit and go home. Luckily there was no home to go to or I would have been gone. 

The details are boring, but the jist of things was we were camped at Theodore Roosevelt Lake northeast of Phoenix and it was hot. I didn't realize how unaccustomed to heat I had become, but it was 90 degrees and it may as well been a thousand. We kinda were boondocking kinda just not paying to park at a dry camp next to the marina. I didn't feel bad not paying because it was disgustingly filthy, but Sarah  wanted to be by the water and the state park was about a mile from the receding lake water, so in the filthy dust hole we were. I hate to give the impression that TR lake is disgusting and terrible and not worth visiting, but I also don't want to lie. 

So while i sweltered in the heat Sarahtoolk the kids down to the water only to quickly return letting me know of the dead fish and need for shoes at the beach. I just needed a nap and fired up the AC and then only darkness. It was clear that there was an electrical problem preventing the generator from getting juice to the lights and AC but my English degree didn't prepare me for fixing a problem like that. 

After looking at fuses and breakers like a monkey using a computer I pronounced it broken and that we had to get the hell out of this ridiculous heat. We planned to stay the night then get to Prescott where the altitude would get us away from the heat and hopefully we would find a decent mechanic to help with the electrica issues. I needed to clear my head so we agreed to leave after I went on A bike ride the following morning. 

I went for a ride and lost the keys. Yes, I lost the keys. The only keys we had to the Honda and they were somewhere on a dirt road out in the desert. 

I was a broken man. My spirits were trampled, I just wanted to burn it all and leave. But then a miracle happened. After screaming at the gods and a delicious sandwich I went back out and actually found the keys. They were smashed up and looked like hell, but I found them. Quickly the heat didn't seem as stifling, the beach didn't seem quite as disgusting and we spent the remainder of the day trying to have a fun day instead of hating our situation. 

Here is the lesson, we can make anywhere seem terrible, but with the right attitude, we can make a terrible place not so bad. 

Manic adventure.

I have to clear my head. Ty has done all the blog posts thus far but tonight, I just need to write to cleanse my bad energy. 

So far the one word that I can think of to summarize our adventure is manic. Days are either really really good or really really long and hard. Today was terrible. It started earlier than normal and after a long sleepless night.

We left Flagstaff on Tuesday with the plan of staying in Sedona. We didn't plan ahead far enough and all the rv parks were full by the time I called them at 10:00 am on Wednesday. We are kind of flying by the seat of our pants. Just going wherever we want on a whim when it feels right. Up until Sedona that had worked out fine. With no where to stay in Sedona we continued on to the town of Cottonwood. I am sure there are nice parts of the town but unfortunately we were no where near them. We stayed at the Turquoise Triangle Rv Park and I am positive that we were the only ones who did not live in the park full time. We tried to go on a bike ride only to realize all our tires were flat. After patching them we headed out of the rv park to find a very busy road with uncaring drivers. We went for a few miles and found a beautiful gem in the mud. A lovely raw foods yoga studio. We shared some delicious cacao banana nice-cream and went back to Rosie Donna for some wholesome homemade lentil tacos. A few of the neighbors were extremely friendly and all came over, knocked on our door and gave us a friendly welcome. The kids all asked if our kids could play. It was humbling. And a beautiful reminder that no matter what your situation you can always be kind to others. A few of the other neighbors made us feel a tad bit uncomfortable. Like the one directly next to us who's windows were blacked out with black garbage bags and had a note hung on the door said DO NOT DISTURB. We could hear him moving around in there but never saw him. Needless to say, we weren't very interested in hanging around there for too long. Thursday morning we jumped in the Pilot for a day in Sedona. The kids and I went on a trolly tour while Ty made a few phone calls for work. We met back up, bought a delicious loaf of Rosemary bread from Wildflower and headed up the canyon for Slide Rock. It was beautiful and fun. The water was freezing and I cut my bum going down the slide but all in all it was worth it. By the time we left we were all starving. We went to the Chocolatree. It was amazing! The spiced pie was divine. Then headed back to Rosie Donna in Cottonwood. We were all pooped! I couldn't keep the kids up any longer and they fell asleep at 6. Usually that is a very good thing and they sleep pretty sound until morning. But not this particular night, which was last night. It was long and sleepless. The kind of night where you can't wait for it to be over but nothing sounds worse than getting up. Morning finally came and Ty and I were ready to concur the day.  

Once we were all packed up, which is a very big job, we realized that Ty's wallet had been misplaced. After an hour of looking he found it in his bike helmet. Then we were off to get gas. We nearly got stuck in the parking lot while trying to get propane. It all worked out fine but took a tremendous amount of time. Aki fell asleep, Lu had an exhausted meltdown which woke Aki up and well, the day just went down hill from there. While inside Rosie Donna, the day was going down a steep hill, outside the winding road took us up and down and around on a narrow hilly road that would be exhausting in a car. Ty chugged Rosie Donna forward and we eventually made it to our destination. Theodore Roosevelt Lake. 

We have learned that moving is exhausting. Physically and mentally. We need to stay put in one place for at least a few days. The idea was to come to a nice forest service run rv park. After enjoying a relaxing weekend, the kids and I would play here for a few days next week while Ty goes to do some work in Phoenix. We came to a lake because we wanted to be near water. Who would have guessed that lakeshore campgrounds are actually nowhere near the water. We drove around the lake until we found a little spot right on the lake. Woohoo we thought. And our spirits were lifted. Ty was fried and I could tell he needed a quiet minute to himself. So I took Sid and the kids to the water. I wanted to cry. There were rotting fish everywhere, beer cans and garbage. Not the beach I had imagined. 

When we got back to the motorhome we noticed the window covering in the bedroom for some reason tore out of the wall. Handy man Ty put it back up no biggie. Well it had a light wired into it that also got pulled out and when we went to turn in the air conditioning all the electricity went out. No fuses appear to be blown and the breaker looks good but the generator all the sudden won't power anything. Here we are in the Arizona dessert with a Saint Bernard and no AC. Hopefully Ty can fix it tomorrow morning. Until then, I'm off to bed with the hopes of a restful and rejuvenating night. But first I must say, as badly as I want to be home right now, I am happy to be here. It is a true test of our love, patience, strength and perseverance. Thank you, Ty, for being my partner in this. 

Living in a Camper

Nine years ago if someone had said that if I don't clean up my act I'll end up living in a camper somewhere down by the river I probably would have agreed with them. I was a broken mess of a person. I had kinda given up on the possibly that my life would be anything more then the shit pile it had become. 

Nine years ago if someone said that I would uproot my family and take them on the road traveling in a RV for three and a half months I would have said they were full of shit. Not just that I would have a family, but that I would just pick up and go somewhere, anywhere. 

For me addiction created a sense of extreme panic and anxiety. I struggled with answering the phone, having confrontations that were anything other then extreme anger and fear of simple things like being away from my apartment for the night. I hated not knowing what my plan was and when where and how I would be able to drink enough to keep from being sick. I used to sleep in the floor of the tennis club on days I had to open the office so I could get drunk and not have to worry about being late to work. Life was really hard and really unpleasant. 

Today I am in Cortonwood Arizona in a dingy run down Trailer park and life is pretty good. We were in Flagstaff the last two nights and enjoyed the cool weather, but we were all ready for some nice desert warmth. 

We tried to stay in Sedona but that is a hard town to drive a 50 foot motorhome through while looking for RV parks. Our plans are to head back there tomorrow in the car and celebrate my 9 year anniversary. 

Life happens and I am so happy that now I am part of life instead of drunk on the sidewalk watching it pass me by. 

Cheers. 

The Weekend is here!

I can't believe we made it a week! If we can make it a week we can make it a month. Who am I kidding, I still have no idea how this whole thing will play out, but we made it a freaking week! If all weeks cost as much though we will spend approximately 20k on this trip. Just kidding, it really shouldn't cost that much. 

We made it out of Utah today and are at the Wahweap campground at Lake Powell. It's early March so there isn't anyone here, it's actually really nice. We walked down to the water with Sid and the kids and dipped our toes in the water and of course the Lake Powell mud. I am not sure the last time I was here. I have driven by once or twice for work in the last few years, but I think it was 15 years or more since I was down here with a boat. It's crazy how fast time passes when you aren't paying attention. I was telling Sarah and the kids about all the trips I made down here with my family as a kid and Sarah asked how many weeks out of the year we traveled as a kid. It's an interesting question because in my mind we were always visiting cool and exciting places, but I can't imagine we were gone all that often. I think there were a lot more long weekends then anything.

 I didn't really realize how lucky I was as a kid to go everywhere my parents took me and my sisters. It must have been an incredible amount of work taking 4 kids anywhere and the cost seems just crazy. 

Sarah didn't have the chance to see as many places as I did growing up. Add that to the list of things that divorce takes from a family. Holidays, vacations are all taken up transferring kids between homes instead of seeing the world.

I'm trying to make this blog more then just a travel log. You can get the jist of where we are through the photos on Instagram. What I hope to use this for is the things we talk about and learn along the way. 

Tom Mccollum called me yesterday as I was getting ready to go for a bike ride. I hadn't talked to him in such a long time it was awesome to get a phone call from him. Of course when you start a conversation with your interventionist you inevitably begin with "I'm still clean and sober." He asked me a question that really gets to the heart of being sober. He said "ya, but are you happy?" 

If I could draw a graph with happiness on the y axis and time on the x axis the graph would have a steady uphill slant for the first 2-4 years then a long plateau with a big spike over the last 2 years. 

The last two years I feel like I have really become the man that I have always wanted to be. I'm more patient and understanding, at least I hope I am. And I finally feel confident enough in myself to be as outgoing as I always wanted to be. I owe a lot of that to my amazing wife. I also owe it to my kids, I really want to show them that life is exciting and there are so many opportunities out there but we have to be willing to say yes to try them. 

Anyways, it's getting late, we are getting up a bit early tomorrow to go see antelope canyon. Adios. 

Day 6: Did you know that AAA will only help you four times a year?

I learned that this week as well as make sure you open all boxes you purchase with RV parts. The photos don't always tell the true story. 

I was not at all hesitant for Sarah to get AAA for our trip. I knew that at some point we would need it and just having the peace of mind that we weren't out here all alone made me happy to pay for the premium RV membership. 

We had to call AAA Wednesday night, just 5 days into our trip. We had pulled over in Kanarraville, Utah to register at an RV park for the night and when I went to start the RV again there was nothing. No click, no grumbling starter, nothing. After calling AAA and trying to get this sucker jumped we realized the issue was bigger then the battery. I also learned that you only get 4 incidents a year. That was an unpleasant surprise. 

The best part of the whole ordeal when we finally got the RV towed the .2 miles to the supposed wonderful RV mechanic I was flashed and flagged down at midnight by a local farmer to let me know that the Madsen was partially obscuring my tail lights. Man, talk about a forest for the trees. I'm driving behind a semi tow truck hauling a 33 ft motorhome with no lights whatsoever and I'm the nuisance you spend your time to flash and yell at.

The next morning we woke to a new day and positive vibes that the RV would be quickly fixed and I would be off to get some work done. The curmudgeon at RKS auto had other plans and he quickly let me know he didn't work in RV's and definitely not electrical stuff on RV's. 

We made our second call to AAA in 12 hours and were towed back to Cedar City to a new mechanic who had time to squeez us in. 

Roy was a sweet old man of 72 and took incredible care of us. He managed his mechanics with a soft hand and you could tell they appreciated him for that bee spent 4 hours hanging out with Roy and learning about his life. Met his wife and heard about their 8 kids! We were able to escape with a clean bill of health after getting a new starter and a through going over by Roy and only $400 dollars. 

We finally made it back to the park in Kanarraville 24 hours after initially arriving and were able to get a decent night sleep. 

One thing I have to say about this entire first breakdown was the positive energy that helped us get through. I don't think Sarah or I thought it was going to be a huge repair, but we also had absolutely no idea. Roy could have said he charged $150 an hour and we would have been super bummed, but we would have paid. I hope that we are reaping some rewards for the positive life we try to live. I am far from a saint, but I am trying my best. I look forward to opening up my heart more to the world and the people around me. 

Day 1: I lost the Madsen on the Interstate

Today was a really long day. We spent our first night ever in the RV last night parked in front of the house. Although it certainly doesn't have the space as our home, it wasn't terribly crowded or uncomfortable. We decided to switch out a nicer mattress for the one that come with the RV. I am about to head to bed and I'm hoping to get a better nights sleep then last night. 

There was no reason to not sleep last night, but the heady mix of anxiety and anticipation had me looking for new bikes on the Internet instead of sleeping. Maybe subconsciously I was hoping to ride my bike away from the charred remains of the RV. 

Daylight finally arrived and I cooked up our usual breakfast of oatmeal. I mix mine with brown sugar, peanut butter, salt, hemp seeds, flax and some coconut milk. We quickly ate and hooked lu up with the kindle so we could hammer out the last odds and ends of the house and clean up before the tenants came over to do a walk through at 10am. How I ever thought we would be in Butte to pick up a car dolly by 1pm is s mystery but that's what I set up. 

We made a last minute decision to take the Honda Pilot instead of the Kia. I'm not sure if we made the right decision or not yet, it's nice to have a little extra space though. We managed to pack a mountain bike, a cross bike, and a road bike for me and the madsen bucket bike for Sarah and Lu's bike. 

Since we were meeting someone from Craigslist in butte to pick up a new car dolly lu, Sid and I loaded into the RV and headed out. Sarah finished cleaning up the house with Aki and Pele and left a few minutes after us. We quickly rendezvoused however because Sarah didn't have any gas or a credit card to get money for the car dolly. We finally got on the highway and were immediately hit by 20-40 mph side winds. Although I tried to keep my cool for Lu I was super freaked out. I hadn't driven this thing more then 50 miles before and wasn't truly equipped to handle the stress of the wind. I nearly gave up at several points and pulled over but couldn't fathom the thought of spending the night in a gas station parking lot. And we still had to get the freaking car dolly!!!

I white knuckled it while yelling back and forth to lu over the howling wind about doc mc stuffins and other important issues in the life of a 4 year old. After being unsuccessful at getting the kindle to work while also driving a giant motor home I gave up and got lu to sit shot gun so we could talk and I could tell her about the continental divide as we drive over the top of it. Of course that didn't last long. We eventually made it to Butte and I was able to let the sweat dry from my drenched shirt. Sarah beat us there and already had the Honda on the dolly. I gave it a half-hearted once over and quickly paid the man. Our options were nil and we needed that dolly. We also needed a trailer hitch with a 6" drop instead of a 2" drop so I left everyone in the RV at a flying J and headed into town for a new hitch. 

The Honda was loaded with all the bikes and after purchasing the hitch and getting a free diet Pepsi I was heading back to the Flying J. I went over an underpass and though, "hum, that's a weird noise." And glanced in my rear view mirror to see the Madsen spinning effortlessly from the fast lane off to the shoulder. I immediately panicked and then thought about just giving up and driving on. I'm glad I stopped. All caution aside I reversed on the shoulder against traffic and quickly got the bike out of the way. 

Those of you who know me know this isn't the first item I have lost on the freeway. I also lost a brand new fridge from RC Willey and the fear and panic from that situation was about double for this. Sarah freaking loves this bike. 

Unbelievably the bike wasn't in terrible shape. Definitely has some scuffs, dings and dents but it's rideable. What a freaking awful part of a day that still wasn't over. 

We eventually got over the tears from the near disaster and managed to haul our exhausted asses to Fairmont Hot Springs just 10 miles outside Butte. It was the first time we were all together with everything we would have with us for the next  three and a half months. 

The rest of the day unfolded beautifully and we made it to bed ready to fight for a better day tomorrow. 

Day 2: I emptied the toilet tank

Today I finally decided to have a go at getting the black(poop) and gray(sinks) water tanks emptied. This was one of the least technical parts of the motorhome to learn about, but one that had been weighing on my mind. The whole thing is just so disgusting. I had kinda fiddled with it before we left and managed to spill a few cups of gray or black water on to the street in front of the house and througly gross myself out. 

We were in Idaho falls at a little free overnight spot on the Snake River, not nearly as glamorous as it sounds, and we ran out of water so I pulled the rig up to the water and sewer area. Unfortunately because it's not tourist season yet the water was still turned off. So besides putting off showering in the tiny shower for one more day we weren't able to get any water. Sarah said "you may as well dump the sewer while we are here." I had officially been called out. I took off my slippers and while lacing my shoes asked her to get a box of latex gloves from here friend Danny.  I knew this was going to be messy, it did not disappoint. 

I got out and started hooking up the sewer hose. I knew it was filthy, but I got over my queasiness and grabbed it firmly with my two bare hands, just kidding. 

It wasn't really all that exciting after the initial terror. Of course I didn't do the order of operations right and had to pull the cap off of the hose that was fully pressurized with pee and poop but I managed to stay out of the worst of it. 

It was really shocking the amount of water we had gone through in just a couple of days. It was tremendous! I can only imagine it heads down a pipe straight into the snake river, hopefully that's just my dark thoughts. 

Mark that off the list of new things I now know how to do. 

Today  was a pretty great day. No big disasters or real struggles. We swam at Farimont hot springs after breakfast, the kids napped while I drove. I got to listen to some of the book on tape I got at the library and I got to go on a bike ride.

 

It was a full house at the fairmont rv park. 

-Ty

Welcome!

Welcome to our blog. We are a family of four - Ty, Sarah, Luna (4) and Lachlan (1) plus our giant Sidney girl (8) - getting ready to hit the road for what I like to call "a real adventure". You know, the kind where you leave your comfortable place for an extended period of time. With an open heart ready to live simply with the universe. 

Both Ty and I will contribute to this blog. We will use it as our journal notes towards what will eventually turn into a book. One that we plan on writing together. Where we each tell our side of the story. Two people can experience the exact same thing but have two very different stories. That is pretty much the two of us with every single thing we do.

Thanks for following along. We are getting close!!! And if you can believe it, everything is falling into place perfectly. We bought a motorhome, signed a rental agreement for our house, found the perfect bike rack so we are able to bring our beloved Madsen bike along and bigger than everything else we are all totally on board.