Published
Time to Settle Down – Just Kidding 🤣
The kids are only young once.
In the first 10 years of our marriage, we had lived in 5 different houses, 3 of which we purchased. When God called me to ministry and opened doors for us to move to where we are now I was convinced it was finally time to settle down and stay put for a very long time.
Now less than 4 years later I look back and have to laugh.
Table of contents
Looking Back
Brian has always wanted to move out of Pennsylvania. It has taken me a lot longer to come to have that same desire.
I was attached to what I knew and the community of people, family, and church family that I had always known. The idea of leaving the known for the unknown gave me a lot of anxiety.
But in 2022 we went through a lot of changes to our community of people. We lost friendships and a church community and it was at this point the stirring in my heart to move started. The idea started to be talked about but nothing really ever came of it.
An Extended Stay in Florida
Fast forward to February 2024. We booked an Airbnb in Florida for a month to escape some of the Pennsylvania winter.
The experience was amazing.
The sun was almost always shining which just makes everyone happier. There was so much to do! Within an hour or two you could be at the beach, Disney, a museum, an amusement park, a zoo, and so much more!
Our lifestyle has always been one that loves to experience things and be able to do things so Florida was perfect for us.
We loved it so much we decided to book a different Airbnb for another 6 weeks. While down there we started to talk about living there. Everyone was on board so we started doing our research and even looking at a couple houses.
By the time we left Florida, the plan was in motion to come home and get things ready to move South.
#rvlife
When we left Florida we headed to South Carolina for a month in my aunt’s RV. While we were there we started to talk about getting our own RV and traveling.
We love to travel as a family. Why not take the time between selling our home in PA and moving to FL to see some of the country that we haven’t had the opportunity to see?
I started doing research on RVS, vehicles that could tow, and campgrounds. It was exciting but it also seemed daunting.
During this time we came across a Nissan NV 3500 12-passenger van for sale in Florida. I’ve had my eye on these for a while but could never convince Brian we needed one but if we were going to be pulling an RV he decided it would be a good idea to invest in one. However, ask Brian how he felt about the process of buying one sight unseen. 😂
Still in South Carolina and still in the RV, I was starting to get stressed with the idea of buying an RV and pulling it across the country while having absolutely zero experience or knowledge about maintenance and upkeep. We were also pretty limited in our RV options because we didn’t want to buy a truck and have to drive two vehicles across the country either.
Traveling, Airbnb Style
At this point, Brian mentioned that he had a coworker who started traveling the country with his family but they are doing it staying in Airbnbs.
Usually, you can get a pretty decent discount if you stay in an Airbnb for a month at a time.
This idea seemed better fitted to us as it gives us some space and we don’t have to worry about traveling with multiple vehicles or the maintenance and expense of an RV. Luckily for me our 12-passenger van still fits this lifestyle so Brian isn’t upset we went and purchased one. 😉
So as we left South Carolina in May we were dreaming about a life of travel. Now it’s been a month since we have been home and we are making that dream a reality!
Going Our Own Way
People have a lot of opinions about our decisions, whether we decide to have 5 kids, homeschool, or sell everything and travel the country. But, we have had to learn that we know what is best for our family, and with God’s guidance, we are moving forward despite the comments and skepticism.
We have a unique life with Brian working from home and us homeschooling which allows us this opportunity. But even if that is not possible for you, I encourage you to take the trip, any trip.
Make memories with your kids. They are only young once.
I’ve had people tell me that my kids won’t remember it. Even if they don’t (which I believe they remember more and at a younger age than we give them credit for) we as their parents will remember. We will remember the awe in their eyes, the excitement in their voice, and the smiles on their faces.
