365 Days In An RV — One Year Nomadiversary

We survived!  There was really never any doubt that we would, but that’s not to say that we never questioned our own sanity along the way once or twice {a week}!

Thanksgiving marked our official “One Year Nomadiversary” and we’ve spent some time reflecting on where the last year has taken us, figuratively as well as literally. It’s almost indescribable unless you have been there and are living it, and even then I think there is a very unique path for everyone that takes this journey.

One year ago, we pulled out of our very first campsite (in Camp Verde, AZ) and hit the road! Spoiler alert: Goodbyes are hard and we didn’t make it very far that first day!

When we started out, I remember being afraid. I was definitely excited, but I was also fearful. We were taking on a new adventure that not many people in our life understood and leaping into a life full of uncertainty. We clung to each other, trusting that we were doing the right thing for our family.

As I reflect on the last year, I can see those initial fears slip away and slowly be replaced by new ones – of familiar things. I’m now most afraid of our life that was just so busy that we couldn’t find a way to slow down and enjoy the simple things. We were always tired, rushing from one thing to the next. There wasn’t time to truly be in the moment and we were robbed of deep connections with each other and those around us because busyness stole it from us like a thief in the night.

I’m afraid to go back to a life that is speeding by so fast, with no chance to slow down and really take it all in. I’m afraid to go back to suffocating because there’s not enough time to come up for air. I need to be able to roam freely. I need to be able to climb to the tops of mountains and inhale huge deep breaths of fresh air, while in the company of those I love. I need to lay barefoot in the grass with my babies and soak up the sun simply because we can.

I need the extra good stuff that happens in marriage when you slow down enough to really BE together without the distractions of tv, video games, cell phones and too many commitments. We’re no longer ships passing in the night, exchanging necessary information while remaining too tired to really connect. Since we’ve been on the road we’ve had time for true heartfelt conversation.  The kind of conversations that slowly unfold, allowing your heart and soul enough time to unravel and dig deeper. Conversations with pauses and silences that we are in no rush to fill. Steady companionship. Enjoyment in just being together

This first year in our RV was a year of learning to change.
We learned to slow down.
We learned to wait.
We learned to let go of the idea that we can control our life.
We learned how to stop rushing through life.
We learned to embrace the moments we are thrust into.
We learned that we are always where we need to be.
We learned to choose, and sometimes seek out: peace. wonder. joy.

It wasn’t what we expected… but it didn’t need to be.

Over the next couple weeks, I’ll be recapping our first year more. Sharing what we’ve learned, where we’ve been, what we wish we’d known and what advice we have if you are setting out to live on the road.

One thing I hope to make more time for is blogging our journey. I’ve made little notes throughout the past year, and I can’t wait to share them. I hope to be more intentional about sharing what we learn on the road in the years to come. I also have a fantastic giveaway lined up, so be sure to check back for the big announcement!

What questions do YOU have about our first year on the road?