Ready or Not, Here We Come: A Year of Traveling with our two kids

Blog Title: Ready or Not, Here We Come: A Year of Traveling in the Big Blue Beast

Are you ready for an adventure? My family and I sure are. We just left Virginia Beach for a year of traveling the country in our travel trailer, the Big Blue Beast. It’s been a long road getting to this point, from renting out our house, learning about homeschool options, to finding the perfect truck to tow our home on wheels. And let’s not forget the countless hours prepping, packing, and organizing everything for the road. All of this while still dealing with our kids’ busy schedules and end of the year events. But despite the chaos, we are excited to embark on this journey and see where the road takes us.

The decision to travel for a year was not made lightly. We originally thought we’d do this when they were in middle school, but as we traveled more with them the past few years, we realized we didn’t want to wait.  Life had already become too hectic, rushing from one thing to the next.  After lots of conversations, we made the decision to do it, and haven’t looked back, even thought the prep and planning were no joke.  We will both still be working and will be homeschooling the kids, so in addition to these major factors, we had to find a new truck, and rent our house.  

The car market is insane, from the pricing and lack of cars available, so finding the perfect truck to tow Big Blue was not easy.  We decided to get a new half ton truck – used trucks cost just as much, if not more than a new truck.  We started looking in the fall of 2022, knowing we didn’t need the big truck until the spring.  After much research and test-driving, we finally built a Ford 250 in November, in hopes it would arrive by May.  Well, in March, they still hadn’t begun building our Ford, so we bought a Chevy Silverado 2500 in Maryland!  We loved (more on that in a bit) Black Betty!

Packing for a year of travel was no small feat either. We had to determine what we really needed versus what we could live without in our travel trailer. The packing process was a rollercoaster of emotions, from excitement to frustration to anxiety. We had to be very mindful space, juggling what we wanted and making sure we had all the essentials for our family of four.  Keely and Ryder were excellent helpers and truly learned the difference between a want and a need.  They helped prepare for two garage sales and way too many trips to Goodwill.

Preparing our house for rent was a daunting task. From painting and minor repairs to decluttering and minimizing our personal belongings, it was a challenging process. We painted the walls, gave it a deep clean, and made all necessary repairs. We even invested in landscaping and mulched the yard to give it a fresh look. Finally, our house was ready to hit the market, and we were eagerly waiting for showings to begin. However, fate had other plans for us.  

On April 30, the night before our first showings, an EF3 tornado hit our area, devastating everything in its path, including my parents’ house. My whole family was there, celebrating Ryder’s birthday, luckily, no one was hurt, but their home was destroyed, along with both of our cars and my brother’s truck. Amidst the chaos and destruction, we were safe!  My parents came to live with us, and we quickly realized their home would need to be rebuilt, so we found the perfect renters before we even had one showing, my parents!  Luckily our realtors were amazing and as soon as the house went on the market, we took it off.

We spent the next few weeks helping my parents get back on their feet, organizing their belongings, and doing whatever we could to make their transition smoother, prepping for our trip became secondary.  It was a reminder that life is unpredictable and that things can change in an instant. 

Ok, so back to Black Betty, our month-old Chevy Silverado was a total loss due to the tornado.  We loved Black Betty and were very stressed to find another truck that we liked since the car market for half ton trucks hadn’t improved.  We stalked the internet and called dealerships daily, wondering if the in-transit trucks would ever be delivered.  Finally, we found a GMC Sierra HD that fit our needs (and wants) in New Jersey just two weeks before departure!

As we hit the road, we know that there’s still so much to learn and experience. We are excited to travel to new places, try new foods, and meet new people. It’s going to be a year of learning and growth for all of us. While we know there will be challenges along the way, we are confident that with Big Blue Beast, and each other, we can face anything that comes our way. Keep following us on our journey and who knows, maybe we’ll inspire you to take that leap and go on an adventure of your own.