Call me crazy, but I am living in a 19ft RV full time with two 60lb dogs and a husband for close to a year. A major downgrade in space from our 1,700 sq ft home but a major upgrade in EXPERIENCE.

I had mentally prepared myself for this adventure, but you know that old saying about practice and theory…. haha

We are embarking on an EPIC year long adventure traveling from Key West to Alaska, seeing friends, family, and exploring National Parks along the way that kicks off in March 2017.

I spent many hours visualizing the moment we would be living out our dream. 

I envisioned spending my days taking awesome photos that will decorate my future forever home, hike massive mountains, practice yoga outdoors, create art and dabbling building my online-based business. By night I would read auto-biographies, write my book, with the sounds of nature lulling me to sleep.

OK I wasn’t TOTALLY living in a fantasy world haha

I fully expected there to be challenges as well like: Transitioning the dogs from a large back yard where they could roam to walking them on a leash, unstable internet, fights about personal space etc.

The reality is FAR less romantic so far. My days are spent cleaning 5 times a day (have to in a small space), checking levels, driving around looking for working internet, making meals in what feels like a kitchen made for small children, walking the dogs and bathing 5 times a day to minimize dirt, carting them back and forth to dog parks and constantly finding new bruises on my body since I clearly have very little spacial awareness.

In less than 3 weeks we have battled frozen water lines, running out of heat (twice) in freezing temps, moved the RV to three different places, and a major thunderstorm.

I am used challenges and making something out of nothing in life or in business- having built two businesses bootstrap style (with no funding), and in Hawaii I lived in an apartment for two years with nothing but a record player from the 80’s.

For me, living a conscious life is much more fulfilling, even IF it’s more challenging some days.

Since moving to Virginia two years ago I felt further away from who I was and who I  was striving to be. Here I am far away from the places that gave me instant peace in Hawaii; the warm crystal waters, hiking to breathtaking views, a community that treated you like family, instant deep-rooted connections, living as a minimalist, and endless summer days. (This is why I still claim Hawaii Could Ruin Your Life!) I lived happily without the comforts of things like a microwave, couch, or the internet and spent my energy being outdoors, at social events or building empires. I also lived in Asia for 3 months with nothing but a carry on and I’ve spent 30 days in silence learning to strip myself down to my core through meditation and writing where the birth of this blog was created,

Living in Virginia has been depressing, and I over consumed in every sense of the word- and it shows on the extra pounds I put on! 

I didn’t have much knowledge or interest in the latest TV series, talking about kitchen renovations, chasing sales, or being surrounded by endless piles of THINGS, which seems to be the normal here.

When I surround myself with less I end up having MORE. 

Moving into a RV is an opportunity back to the life I thrive in: having less, EXPERIENCE more.

This is also a celebratory trip for my husband for when he gets out of the Navy after serving for nearly 9 years where he can feel a new sense of FREEDOM.

Keep posted as I share the good, bad and the ugliness of the RV life 🙂