Michael and I had a chance to get away for a couple of days, just the two of us. Aunt Emily, Uncle Jonathan, and Grandpa Richard graciously agreed to keep an eye on Lucas and Henry for us while we went to a little cabin about an hour away in the North Carolina Mountains. This was our first overnight trip…
We took advantage of a warm-weather day and did some hiking in our new temporary backyard at Pilot Mountain, North Carolina. It is only about 20 miles from where we are staying. Pilot Mountain is a state park with hiking trails, rock climbing, water activities, and campsites. Pilot Mountain may look familiar to you even if you have never been…
We were going to stay in North Carolina for two weeks. It has now been 2.5 months. We will be staying here at least through the end of the year. We have stopped trying to make any sort of travel plans. We are still helping my dad and stepmom. Also, COVID is so bad right now that travel for us…
This year, Thanksgiving will not be the Thanksgiving we had imagined, but that is true for many families this year. We planned a large Thanksgiving with family. My brother in California was going to fly to North Carolina with his family. He was going to get to see our Stepmother who is very ill. Cousins were going to see each…
When we quit our jobs last year, we lost our health insurance. When we went to Central America we did not have health insurance that worked there or travel insurance. We did not have any major health issues while we were there. Any medicine we needed was easily accessible and affordable. A big misconception we found out was that our…
We have not had a smooth road heading out on our long term travel journey. Last year our plans were sidelined while Michael battled cancer. Earlier this year our plans were altered because of COVID. Now our plans are shifting again because my stepmother is battling cancer. We came back from Nicaragua at the end of August so that we…
Our Halloween did not involve trick or treating at other houses, but the kids completed a scavenger hunt with their cousins and got to trick or treat around grandma and grandpa’s house. Michael and I are not normally the creative scavenger hunt-creating type of people. With help from my sister, Emily, and her husband, Jonathan, we were able to put…
Now that we are traveling full-time we have to think differently about how we travel. We used to spend a lot of money on vacations because we only had a couple of weeks a year and we felt like we couldn’t leave much to chance. Now we think about travel differently since we are more flexible and we have been…
This day has been looming over me for a while. Once you enter into your mid-30s, 40 is the next big milestone. Destination 40th birthdays have been a thing for a while now. I have friends that have gone to Vegas, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic to celebrate their 40th birthdays. When we were first planning our travel adventure, I…
Since we have been in North Carolina I (Judy) have developed a routine of walking when I wake up in the morning. Sometimes I will listen to an audiobook or music. Other times I will use that time to reflect on the previous day or think about the day ahead. It is 40 minutes a day that is mine. It…