Do you approach life like it’s an adventure? Does exploring unknown places and being on the move appeal to you? I’ve always felt like I was born for adventure. This summer definitely verified that sentiment as my family and I traveled over 5000 miles through 15 states. From July until mid-October, I practically lived out of my backpack which housed my toiletries, bath towels, baby wipes (just in case!), a change of clothes and of course, my shower shoes because I never knew where I’d end up showering. I’ve had the luxury of sleeping in my own bed, a few Walmart parking lots, some surprisingly cool campgrounds spanning New York to the Midwest, over 15 different planet fitness parking lots, noisy rest areas and a handful of festival parking lots. We crashed at my sister-in-law‘s house, my parents’ house and a friend’s Airbnb. Is it any wonder I still wake up and for a few seconds have no clue where I am? Throughout it all, I realized that my mindset is key to either enjoying the chaos or drowning in it.
There were definitely a few mornings when I woke up, slung my pack over my shoulder to venture to the bathroom and sighed, questioning if I was truly cut out for this. Fortunately those doubts were fleeting. We knew what we were getting into and understood the challenges that accompanied touring and moving. The most valuable thing we did was regularly remind ourselves that it was an adventure we GET to be on and that turned out to be a very valuable tool. We reframed the chaos as a once in a lifetime opportunity to add some spice to our lives. Not only am I grateful for the experience, I kind of miss it.
My husband and I have always been drawn to adventure. When we first got married, we had a blast traveling. Trips out west exploring national parks on mountain bikes or by trail running were our thing. Tent camping, downhill mountain biking, snowshoeing, triathlons, and playing disc golf occupied our free time, and if long distance drives were required, then it just added to the fun. Having kids didn’t extinguish our spirit — we just naturally brought them along for the ride. Seeing our favorite places through the eyes of our kids was priceless. Places were suddenly magical and more vibrant. Many of our family’s treasured memories are of camping trips all over the country that took place first in our tent (that leaked on us), then a pop-up camper (that was infested with ants) and finally our RV (which has had its fair share of problems). So even though being on the move can be slightly exhausting with potential problems around every corner, there’s nothing quite like driving around the country exploring and experiencing God‘s creation as a family.
I love the thrill of living in and exploring a new environment, even if it’s only for a short period of time. Researching new destinations to discover cool vegan restaurants and of course beautiful running routes is so gratifying. Discovering nearby bike paths and trails has often left me giddy with excitement. We’ve witnessed breathtaking views of lakes, rivers, mountains, and colorful forests simply by running. It’s my favorite way to explore an area!
I love how living in an RV simplifies life. We aren’t weighed down by tons of stuff because we only have room for essentials. We have no TV in our room, so nature and the stillness of the woods (or the occasional train whistle, highway noise, or idling semi!) lulled us to sleep. Without a TV in our bedroom and no cable or streaming services, we savored bundling up in bed, snuggling with the dog and reading instead of mindlessly staring at the TV or our phones every night. Family vacations and touring have been staples of our summer for the past 20 years so we’ve mastered the art of being on the road for 4 to 6 weeks. This year however, Paul and I were faced with a new adventure. One that, if we focused too much on the potential problems before hand, we never would’ve signed up for.
For the months of September and October, we lived in our RV in a campground for seven weeks. That’s the longest stretch we’ve ever stayed in the RV or at a single campground, so we were slightly anxious about how it would go. Despite our initial reservations, it ended up being a wonderful part of the adventure. I learned to appreciate so many things like walking the dog. Instead of letting our dog out the back door like we used to, long walks around the campground at dusk became a ritual. I loved watching the sun set while savoring the peace and quiet that surrounded us. Since it was fall, and we were there during the week, we basically had the place to ourselves. We played tennis for the first time in decades, explored every inch of the property while trying to steer clear of the dumpster diving bear that frequented our loop, and toward the end of our stay we discovered a rail trail system that we explored on afternoon runs. Exhilarating runs through the woods as the leaves changed colors were an unexpected gift. During a cold spell, the walks to and from the showers in my shower shoes were uncomfortable, but also invigorating. I no longer take for granted the luxury of showering without shoes and getting dressed in a warm bathroom.
Morning runs around the campground rewarded us with beautiful sunrises, and the occasional full moon sighting above the lake. Sitting outside at a picnic table with a mug of hot tea while reading and writing were sacred moments. Watching people from all walks of life come and go as the days passed entertained us. I learned to bundle up and spend more time outdoors because besides the RVs limited space, there was nowhere else to go.
Now that we are officially in our new house, and for the most part settled, I look back fondly on these moments and am filled with gratitude. The challenges (limited space, cold weather, frozen pipes, a refrigerator that constantly froze our vegetables, figuring out where to do laundry, snakes trying to bunk with us) forced us to think outside the box, to live in the moment and laugh things off. When it was cold in the morning, we accepted our reality and learned to appreciate mountains of blankets and getting into a warm car. Without all of the noise and distractions of the world I felt closer to God, especially when I centered on the beauty surrounding me. The harmony of nature blew my mind and left me in awe of His creation. There’s no doubt I have to continue to seek out these moments because it’s so easy to get caught up in the rat race and forget how incredible our world is.
I’m so glad we chose adventure over comfort. The experience reminded me of how crucial it is to my well-being to challenge myself by trying something new, even in the face of fear and uncertainty. Instead of fixating on worst case scenarios, I focused on the opportunities. All of the lessons I learned have helped me grow and inspired me to live life to the fullest.
When I reframe a challenge as an adventure, I’m more likely to:
Try something new.
Face my fears.
Step out of my comfort zone.
Be adventurous and explore — which almost always leads to beautiful moments.
Spend time in nature.
Appreciate the majesty of everything God created.
Live with a posture of gratitude.
Live with no regrets.