If you know me or read this blog, you will know that I LOVE to travel. Like love, love, love it. I has been my dream for our family to sell everything and travel full time or at least move to another place for a while. It’s not that I don’t love Calgary, I do, but I also love seeing and experiencing new places. I have been in Calgary since 2004 and I need a change of scenery. Unfortunately, doing this doesn’t work for our family. Dewey has a great job that he loves here. The last few years we have been at an impasse….me wanting to go and Dewey wanting to stay. Finally, we have settled on a compromise. Dewey will stay in Calgary and Evan, Cooper and I will head out on Road Trip USA!
Yep, yesterday we brought my new camper home. (She has been dubbed Daisy for now.) Over the summer, I will be learning all about towing, maintaining, setting up and living in a trailer. Then in October, Evan and I will be setting off to the US. We will make a few stops in the North but we will be heading south relatively fast to run from the snow. From there we will toodle along seeing the sights making our way to Pensacola Beach by Thanksgiving.
Since we will be gone from Calgary for an extended time, I will be home schooling Evan for Grade 5. We are excited to visit lots of National Parks and do some deep dives into different subjects while we travel.
And before you ask…we aren’t running AWAY from anything on this trip.
- Dewey and I are fine.
- Evan continues to do really well at his new school and loves it.
- Okay…maybe we are running away from the snow.
Instead, we are running TOWARD the happy. We want to travel more. I want Evan to know a bit more about my home country and his heritage. Plus it gives us a chance to see some friends we miss along the way and spend some time in Alabama with my family. We can go where we want and take our time. We don’t have to be in a hurry or drive 10 hours a day. Plus we can see as many quirky roadside attractions as humanly possible. World’s Largest Ball of Twine…here we come! BTW, we’re using the site RoadTrippers and it is so awesome for planning (see the pic above).
I am also excited about learning to live with a bit less. Learning to say yes a bit more.
“Why yes, we can go East so we can see the giant beaver made of dental floss! Let’s do it!”
Evan is so excited to be camping again. He has missed it since we stopped a few years ago. Plus he is really glad we bought a camper that is his favourite colour. He is excited to help choose our route and where all we will visit.
Oh, and if we hate it, we can always come back, sell the trailer and re-enroll Evan in school. Got to love a good safety net. I hope you are as excited as we are and will follow along on our adventure. Through the summer, I will blog about our preparations and then, once we are on the road, I will blog our travel and homeschool adventures (or misadventures).
Over the last few weeks, I’ve realized that those of you that visit MerryAboutTown often want to hear more about what my family and I are doing, experiencing, feeling and less generic content. I am listening and I will strive to write more of that content going forward.
So please leave me your burning questions about our adventure in the comments. I will answer what I can. I would also love to hear about your favourite places in the US to visit!
Jen says
Love the camper, its my son’s favourite colour too!
Robin says
So excited for you. And Daisy is awesome!
Delisa Brown says
From a girl who pulled up and moved herself and her family to Japan at age 40 I LOVE ❤️ everything about this! I’ll be stalking your blog every day! And I expect to see you down Soith?
Merry Kuchle says
We will be in your neck of the woods the week or so before thanksgiving for sure.
Heather Lynne says
SO COOL! I’m very excited for your new adventure & can’t wait to hear more about it!
Merry Kuchle says
Thank you! I am excited too.
Brooke says
I love the camper and can’t wait to read all about your adventures – good and bad! I want to run from the snow too.
Debbie White Beattie says
Your trailer is beautiful and the colour is awesome ! I’m totally jealous and I wish I could travel like that. You’ve got to see Texas, that’s always been a dream of mine.
Evan will definitely benefit from this, I know this because my mother bought a trailer when I was young and although we didn’t travel like you intend to do(I wish we did), we did go all over Ontario in the summer months and I have some of my best memories from that time. Good luck and I hope you have an awesome time seeing some of the world !
Merry Kuchle says
I lived in Austin for 5 years. I love Texas!
Leslie says
This is just incredible and inspiring! I love you lust for travel
Bernice says
I totally get it. That was a huge reason we moved our family to Australia. Just to get out of the ordinary. Mix it up. Live life!
Have fun!
Misty says
I can’t even pretend not to be jealous. Everything about this is really awesome!
Merry Kuchle says
You and Max should come join us!
Charlene says
Sounds amazing. This will definitely be something you cherish with you and your son. Good luck!
Melissa says
Very exciting! I want to road trip across the US too but I haven’t convinced my husband yet!
Jo-Anna says
Merry! This is amazing and brave and SO fantastic! I’m hopelessly jealous, but in a good way! I can’t wait to see what you get up to…what a learning experience it will be for all of you…I am rooting for you!!
Merry Kuchle says
Thank you! I am so excited! Plus it came pre-prettied so I can feel like I have great taste without having to pick anything. ????
Michelle says
Merry this is so great! Proud to know this is something you’ve made happen! Exciting times for you and Evan! Way to grab what you love and take off with it. Life is most definitely for living:) learning all the traitor things is great! God knows I might not be able to look after that shizz on my own! Loving the independence! (And inside joke, no one will tell u how to drive or park or turn or or or!!)
Merry Kuchle says
Hahahaha! Exactly!
Michael aurzada says
That sounds like so much fun!
Nicole says
So excited (AND jealous) for this new adventure of yours!
Tiffany @ myDIRT says
How exciting Merry! You 2 will have a blast! I can’t wait to follow along on all your adventures.
Maryanne says
We did an extended roadtrip when I was on mat leave and my husband lost his job. Maybe not the best money wise to go but when do you have the time? A loose idea of where we wanted to go and no set timeline saw us do 19 states, 12,000km in 42 days. Would do it again in a heartbeat.
Nice to know homeschooling is an option if it happens when my son is in school.
Jill says
My gosh we may be on the same roads at the same time. I am definitely taking pics of the 3 of us if we cross paths.
Have a fantastic time! I look forward to reading all about it. Lucky boy Evan to have such a cool Mum.
Merry Kuchle says
That would be AWESOME! I will try to stay in touch so we can determine if we will be!
Theresa McLeod says
Have a great time Merry! Can I trust Dewey to pass along some jams to take away with you??
Merry Kuchle says
You can and YAY!!!