The big road trip unveil – here’s our plan for the next two years.
Road Trip Goals
Goal #1 – Chasing the Sun, Escaping the Cold
After spending most of my life in a climate where it starts snowing in October/November and doesn’t let up until April or May – I couldn’t care less if I ever see another snowflake so long as I live. And if I do, I want it to be by choice… I’ll drive to a higher elevation to get a snow fix – at least then I know I can come back down to sunshine and warmth.
With a neck full of metal and a failed cervical neck fusion, cold temperatures rarely do Gary any favors. By staying where the weather is above freezing, we hope to make his life easier.
Me? I’ve always loathed winter. I commuted to work in treacherous conditions for decades. I’m so over white-knuckle gripping the steering wheel, driving 20mph, and praying to all that’s holy to get me to work in one piece.
I want to forget what it’s like to get “bundled up” for a snowy drive into the office.
I never want to walk outside and have my nostrils freeze shut again.
Hiking boots are the only boots I ever want to own from here on out.
I want to go where the lakes never freeze, shovels are for gardening, ice is for drinks, and the locals wear winter parkas when it drops below 60 degrees.
Now, here are a few disclosures about the map above—much of it estimates where we want to be and when. We are fully aware that life will create detours. That’s the whole point of mobility—we’re going to go where the universe calls us to go.
Some of these stops are simply to estimate our destination and visualize the whole trip’s layout.
Goal #2 – A Road Trip for Discovery
Although I traveled a lot in my professional career, as a couple, we haven’t done nearly enough exploring. We lived most of our lives sheltered in small-town Iowa, only breaking free of the Midwest about ten years ago. We want to see what we’ve missed, and we want to explore the countryside together.
After selling our house, we have money to invest elsewhere. However, this time around, we’re taking our time.
When we moved to our home in Colorado, we did so under duress. We had been living in a terrible neighborhood, and we were ready for anything to get us out of that dreadful apartment complex. We jumped into our house, going from offer to closing in just 16 days.
But here’s where we screwed up… we didn’t explore the community more. We figured we would be living in the middle of nowhere, so who cares about the vibe in town? Boy… were we wrong. We didn’t take long to learn that we had “moved into enemy territory.”
I wish we had spent more time getting to know the people here – if we had, we never would’ve moved here in the first place. In terms of “community,” this was one of the least hospitable, least welcoming places we’ve ever been.
We know good people exist – we want to go find our people.
Goal #3 – Healthy Transformation
Although we’ve both aged beyond the half-century mark, we’ve actively worked on improving our health for the last decade. We have done a lot to change the way we live, eat, exercise, and approach health and wellness. But much like a weight loss journey, sometimes you hit a plateau, and it helps to shake things up.
So, as we transition to RV life, we’re taking this opportunity to revamp our diets, learn new ways to eat on the go, and incorporate more fresh fruits and veggies into campfire-style cooking and recipes designed for small kitchens.
Additionally, we are rewriting our priority list. Work schedules will be strategically placed behind exercise, self-care, and exploration. Yes, I’m going to be freelancing along the way, but I’m putting myself first this time. When I am nurtured, cared for, and healthy, I’ll have more creative energy for content creation.
I believe the key to aging is staying active. That being said, we’ll deliberately block time every day for exploration, hiking, disc golfing, and doing something that keeps us moving.
Goal #4 – Financial Stress Reduction
We did all the “grown-up” stuff.
Over the next two years, we’ve secured a financial plan to cover the majority of our expenses. Our insurance premiums are fully paid, all debts have been cleared, and investment funds have been set up for our children’s future. Additionally, we capitalized on market opportunities by investing during a downturn and ensured our wills are up to date.
The goal for the next two years is to live life—explore, travel, hike, and play while our money works for us.
Don’t get me wrong—I’m a workaholic. I’m going to work, write, continue to freelance, and work on side gigs and projects. Who knows, I may even get a few “real jobs” along the way in hospitality. Gary will be looking for opportunities to build disc golf courses. But I want working to be a choice, not an obligation.
Then, when our journey is over, we will need to decide—do we want to continue traveling? Do we want to choose a location (or locations) to reinvest in land or do we just want to find a quiet job a small coffee shop? Do we want to purchase a bed and breakfast in one of our favorite places? Will Gary build another disc golf course? We’ll have choices.
Goal #5 – While We’re Still Young…
Let’s face it… for being in our early 50s, we are blessed with good health and vitality. Everything we did in our 40s to improve our health, worked. We are in better shape and better health now than ever. But there’s no guarantee that we’ll feel this way in another ten or twenty years. For us, it really became a statement of “it’s now or never.”
Here’s the brutal truth – you can’t avoid aging. It’s going to happen. No matter how many Botox shots you get, eventually, we all get old. But here’s the kicker – when we talk about getting old, most of us envision little, old, gray-haired ladies with a walker. The reality is that most of us will not see that mental image of “old.”
My parents barely made it into their 70s when they died.
Gary’s father was just 69 years old when he passed.
My sister was just 53 when cancer took her life.
There are no guarantees in life. You either live with reckless abandon or risk leaving your bucket list unchecked.
Road Trip Goal #6 – Friends & Family
Do you know what happens when you move to the middle of nowhere? No one wants to visit you. Your friendship comes with a distance barrier. Factor in poor cellular signal and crappy satellite internet – you get excommunicated from everything.
We’ve realized that when you live in seclusion, that’s what happens: you become secluded and excluded.
We also know that we’re in a better position to be mobile than our family is. So rather than expect our friends and family to spend their hard-earned money to travel to us – we’re just going to show up in their driveway, camper in tow – like Cousin Eddie in Christmas Vacation – but the cloud of smoke billowing from our RV won’t be exhaust. <wink>
