When we tell people we're going to sell our house and travel the country for a year, it usually earns a few questions. What follows are the most common questions and our answers.
What will you do with the house?
Sell it.
We thought about renting, AirBNB, Traveling Nurses, and all kinds of arrangements, but at the end of the day we had the most peace with selling the house. We're after freedom…and renting doesn't provide as much as selling our home when the time is right and it's a seller's market.
What is your timeline?
We're leaving as soon as we sell the house. We'll be on the road for a year most likely, but shorter or longer if necessary. Work has to work, and if it does, we might need more time to see everything and travel sufficiently. We're playing it by ear.
What about Mail?
We use a service called traveling mailbox that allows us to rent a mailbox where we send mail. If we choose, mail can be scanned or forwarded to an address we specify. They can also forward checks to your bank account. It's very cool.
How do your kids feel about it?
They're on board. It's been a process. The youngest were excited immediately and have pretty much been excited since the beginning. Our oldest had more trouble with it. Having kids is great because they wear their hearts on their sleeves, so you know how they're feeling. We tend to internalize, process, then discuss…so it's been a good experience as we can all discuss where we are today with the process.
How can you afford it?
We're independently wealthy. Not really. Joseph's work is remote, and since we're selling the house, we'll use the money that did go to a mortgage and utilities to pay for our monthly travel cost. We'll still have to budget — probably even more so, but we'll have an income since we'll still be working.
Where are you going?
Everywhere. But mostly West — at least for now. We live on the East coast, so it's not hard to go north or south, going west, then north or south is much more difficult. We're really trying to get to the point where we're central, then go from there. The RV will be our home base for several day trips once we're settled in an RV Park, so we're trying to maximize our exploring time.
Why not just shorter trips?
They're really time consuming to pack & unpack, and transition to and from. Also, when we're on the road for a long time, we can't watch the house mow the yard, clean the gutters, or do any of the things that a home requires.
Why would you want to do this?
The better question is Why Not? There are several reasons why. But fewer reasons why not. It's doubtful we'll look back and say, “Man, I wish we wouldn't have taken that year and spent it traveling and spending time with our kids.” — the converse of that is true though. It's very possible we'll always wonder what it would've been like if we did.
And we can. That's a HUGE why. The very fact that it's possible puts into perspective how blessed we are to have this opportunity.
Why an RV? Why not Airbnb?
If you have an RV, you understand. It's home. When you open the door and walk in — you're home. You can have a very stressful day driving, but arrive at your destination, and you're home. You sleep in your own bed, pack your own groceries, use your own kitchen, bathroom and shower. It's YOUR home. Plus, with a family of 5, it's somewhat cheaper for what we'd need.
What about school?
We homeschool. Joseph was homeschooled growing up and loved the way it made the transition to college / real life so easy. We have been homeschooling for years and it was already part of our rhythm, so that's not really much of a change. The big change is doing it IN THE CAMPER. Which goes better some days than others.
Where will you end up?
Home. We're coming home.
Either because we come back to Lynchburg, or some other place wins our hearts and souls such that we want to make it home (doubtful).
We are not planning to settle anywhere else.
