Brynna We’re not doing the popular thing right now. Choosing to travel across the county during a time when you have no steady income is not exactly something that comes highly recommended.
Yet people keep telling me that they wish they could do what we’re doing.
Pretty much anyone CAN do what we’re doing. We’re not rich! We’ve lived solely off of a paramedic income (without benefits, so technically it comes out to even less) and are used to budgeting tightly. God has certainly blessed us with the finances to make this happen when we sold our RV so quickly and easily, and He’s provided in other ways as well. But no, we’re not raking in big bucks every month. In fact, we’re not raking in ANY bucks currently. 😅
We have a set amount of money in savings we’re going to stretch for as long as possible, and if God doesn’t open any doors for us to stay longer at anywhere along our route, our intent is to end up back home and “begin again” with work and resume building our home…preferably when lumber is actually affordable.
But, we’ve also been convicted to simplify and downsize over the last few years. You all know we sold our house two years ago to live in an RV. That alone was pretty unorthodox. From there, our belongings became fewer and fewer, what we deemed necessary for living space became smaller and smaller, and our perspective changed…a lot. God’s obviously been preparing us for SOMETHING. I don’t know what, exactly, but something. We’re to the point where we are VERY unattached to “stuff” and we now have the ability to go wherever He moves us. And what I DO know is happening is that we’re getting unmatched time with our children, time together as a couple, memories that we may never again get the chance to make, objectivity and perspective on our life back at home, and time to just be grateful and worship the God who’s given us every single breath we have in our lungs.
My point is that we’ve made choices- unpopular ones- that have brought us to where we’re at, and every step of the way have prayed that we’re doing God’s Will. Are we nuts? Probably a little, and I’m sure some people have pretty strong opinions on that. 😏 But we had an opportunity, and it didn’t come out of the blue…it was several years in the works (probably moreso actually, and we just didn’t know it), and it required things of us that many people probably aren’t willing to do.
I guess what I really would want people to know is that what we’re doing isn’t, in any way, exclusive to US. If you wish you could do the same thing, it may not be as impossible as it feels, nor is it necessarily unwise. The “American Dream” is not usually the same as the life God has planned for you. Don’t feel trapped working just so you can keep working, or bringing in a paycheck for children and a spouse you never see BECAUSE you’re working, or trying to maintain an image that matters only to people that we probably shouldn’t hand over so much control to. Don’t stay in a job that is destroying you or your family, or a toxic environment that leaves you constantly stressed and depressed. There’s so much MORE to this life than all of that!!! And if you need out, I can guarantee you that God’s waiting for you to trust Him when it comes to stepping into the unknown and being willing to make BIG changes. Having a blank slate for your future is intimidating and can feel overwhelming, but the possibilities are endless and knowing God is completely in control (because you CAN’T be) is actually very exciting.
