Finding Your Adventure

When I started Open Road I was not expecting it to end up as a platform to share other people’s adventures. I assumed I would share the road trips Justin and I experienced while we RVed across the country. We got bored talking about ourselves and saw an amazing opportunity to share other’s experiences. I love that I have all this information and knowledge from all the stories we have shared; Even if I have not experienced it I love sharing some of the funniest and incredible moments of RV life.

My point to this is, no matter what your dreams are, please don’t wait. Don’t expect to have things go the way you want them to and postpone that trip to Alaska you and your husband have been wanting to go on for years (Points to Mom and Dad). LIFE IS TO DAMN SHORT! I urge you if you can take anything form all the different stories that have been featured on Open Road Chronicles, please just go and find that adventure. Take that trip, try that hobby, travel the world, just stop waiting for the right time.

I think the best thing to do is to show you rather than tell you how to take this step. So, I will be sharing the many different ways these RVers took it upon themselves to live the life they knew they deserved, and what obstacles they overcame to be living in their greatest adventure.

A Walk Down Memory Lane

I enjoy going down memory lane with our stories on Open Road. It’s such a fun thing to see where people have gone, where they thought they would go next and what advice they stared vs. what they would share now.

The Life Of A Solo RVer

Let’s start off with Marcelle Phene. A solo RVer who took it upon herself to create the life she wanted while still having the structure she needed. She loves to cook and a nutrition coach. So for her, she really wanted easy transportation with a nice kitchen. She bought a Class C RV and works on the road as a transformational nutrition coach and works with clients 1-on-1 over the phone and maintains a weekly blog. She is a very organized person and I love how she has stepped out of her shell to enjoy the experienced RVing has given her.

I think Marcelle is a perfect example for those who are afraid to do things alone even though it will be an incredible experience.

Opportunities On The Road

Of course, RVing is a very freeing and adventurous life; but it also creates opportunities for people that would otherwise not have certain possibilities. A great example is Shannon and her two boys. The most enjoyable experience about traveling full time for Shannon is not a place, but the change in attitude and interactions between her sons and herself. Their anxiety levels have dropped tremendously. But she found that removing all of the overstimulation of public school and the anxiety of trying to perform at a certain level constantly has had a major positive impact on her boys. They are also no longer surrounded by people who do not understand their disorders. One of her boys who has Tourettes has always had difficulty with emotional regulation. Although most people don’t realize it, this is a common part of Tourrettes. He also has tics that are constantly changing. They can range for a simple hard blink to high pitched screams. His brother and she realize what is going on so he does not get in trouble for his tics as he used to in school sadly. It’s incredible the amount of misunderstanding we still have in the world. I enjoy talking about how Shannons family feels more connected to each other and have a chance at a life they love, rather than one they are constantly trying to fit into. She can work from home a few hours a day and take the rest of the time to enjoy the company of her two children.

Kids Thrive Around Adventure

I have so many people who have completely different opinions on what kids “need” for them to live a good life. I wholeheartedly believe that kids are not the ones scared to have long nights, unscheduled adventures, and endless inconsistency in their lives. Some people like to do the same things every day and that’s perfectly fine. But I have never seen a kid shy away from exploring the unknown.

Kate and Jason realize that they live unconventionally, even within the full-time community, because, their home is very full of people and maybe others would need a little more space. They respect that and have even looked at bigger models from time to time…mostly between the hours of 4 pm and 6 pm when nobody remembers their name or their manners. They don’t think that their way is the best or the right way. All they know is that, for now, it works for them and that gives Kate and Jason the confidence to encourage other families to find what works for them. There is no wrong way to do this. Honor your family, trust your gut, and roll on!

I love how encouraging the RV community is. Sure, no lifestyle is perfect but we adventures find joy in even the most complicated situations. With four kids and a dog, Kate and Jason have earned the right to speak about the good the bad and the crazy parts of RVing. I love following their family and, they have decided to start house hunting and finish up their RVing journey. I’m so happy they had all this time on the road with their beautiful family and share invaluable memories.

The Bigger Picture

On a daily basis, I think about how each person is the main character in their own life story. We see people in our lives as big or small characters and with that, decide how to go about making them fit into our “story” Now this is just how I personally see life, weird I know, but makes for a fun time in my mind. What my point is with this is, I try to remember that there are big moments in other people’s lives that may not seem as big to me as they do to them. Remembering how we all need each other to keep our stories going in some way.

Rodger and Jo have been such a joy to talk about because they made their adventure something Rodgers Grandfather could enjoy as well. Making this one of the greatest adventures he has probably been on. Not only are they RVing with him, they care for him as he needs assistance being in a wheelchair. I’m not done, they are taking him on an endless road trip to all the places he wants to visit. Just some incredibly outstanding people if I do say so myself.

Roger and Jo had talked about an RV for several years before their Grandpa came to live with them, but something had always come up that got in the way of their plans. This time they decided, to just do it! They knew it wouldn’t be easy and are going to have to make some serious adjustments, but why not do it with their Grandpa, instead of waiting until he’s not with them anymore. The beauty of taking their Grandpa is that it’s not just about them and what they want. They didn’t want to be selfish, and this way they are making his life so much more fulfilling too.

Go Find Your Adventure

With all these examples of people taking life into their own hands, I hope someone, somewhere out there finds the courage to live the life you want to brag about.