8 Years of Unbridled Boy

I can't believe that my baby is 8. His body is stretching, lengthening and broadening. And I just can't believe that this witty and athletic young man was once my chubby bumbling baby.

His walk around the sun had to be a walk around 

the camper-kitchen due to high winds outside.

He is constantly testing his independence (and my patience), but still wakes early every morning to snuggle with me. I cherish every morning snuggle, knowing that at any time this can end.

Trying and mastering his new Ripstik he got 

for his birthday.

(almost)

On this, your eighth birthday, you have floppy hair, a short temper, a big heart and lots and lots of energy. You love Harry Potter, Minecraft, Playmobil and sketching. You play guitar like a rock star, and write lyrics for your band (that currently includes only you and me).

Luke and Laurel decorated the camper for the party.

Laurel surprised him with a Minecraft Birthday, 

complete with Creeper cake that she made herself.

He wanted a salad bar for his birthday dinner.

You picked Florida for your birthday because you wanted to see Winter the dolphin again. I know that before long you will be grown, and those things won't be so awesome anymore. (And I'm so very glad that you aren't quite there yet.)

Happy Birthday my sweet baby.

Alafia River State Park

I made the reservation for this park a year ago, and honestly couldn't remember what was supposed to be special about it. (every park seems to have something it's known for) On day one we set out for a quick trip to the store...and came back 8 hours later. 

So it wasn't until the next day when we took the bikes out to see what was around that I remembered...it's popular for it's mountain bike trails! We spent the next few days testing our biking abilities on the easier trails in the park. 

We also saw an alligator, and watched a turtle lay eggs. So all in all...it was a pretty awesome week. (We also got to watch the new Star Wars movie, so, yeah...we were pretty happy folks)

Stone Mountain Christmas

We actually stayed at Stone Mountain twice in December. It was our very first stop with our camper. That being the case, we didn't want to be far away from my parents, Wal-mart and a camper place. (You never know, right?) We nearly hit a tree, we were able to mostly level the camper, and it was really cold...so we learned we needed a space heater. All in all, we did ok I think.

About a week after our first stay, we came back. This time it was much warmer, we did not almost hit a tree and we were able to completely level it, despite being in a very unlevel spot. What a difference a week makes. (It was also the first time we had to dump the camper...that was it's own experience.)

This time we did the Christmas package, which allows you to do almost everything in Stone Mountain Park for one price. We did EVERYTHING. We took the skyride up to the top of the mountain, we toured the plantation, we went to the Christmas Village and played and ate and bought candy at the old fashioned candy store. You'd think the train or the 4D theater would have been the favorites, but no, not my kids. They preferred the plantation. In particular, the barnyard on the plantation. They got to tour the antebellum homes, do some antebellum era holiday crafts, pet the animals in the working farm, see the garden (still growing, thanks to Georgia and it's warm winters).

The only thing we skipped was Snow Mountain, which is where they turn the big grassy slope from the summer laser show into a sledding course. The cost was not worth it. The reviews were AWFUL. Look it up online, it's a wonder it's even in business still! But everything else was great, and we had a blast, and we went on a Friday avoiding most of the crowds that came on Saturday. And boy did they come...the front gate was 20-30 cars deep all day long.

At night you can go back to the Christmas Village and see the thousands of lights, including Snowflake Lane that you can drive through. It really was lovely. The campground was ok, thankfully we went at an off time. If it was busy, I can't even imagine how crammed in you would feel. But we were right on the lake, and it was quiet and peaceful.

Edisto Beach

I love State Parks. 

I do. 

I don't think I've ever been at one I didn't like. They're small, well managed, quiet and unique. 

 

Edisto Beach State Park in South Carolina was no exception.

We pulled in at dusk and had a hard time getting into our campsite...this is when we said we'd never set up in the dark again. After some struggling, we got it in and set up. We knew we must be close to the beach because we could hear the surf crashing, but all we could see behind us was wetlands. In the morning when we woke up and went exploring to find the sea, it turns out we were right next to it. Long gorgeous empty beach with crashing waves, soft sand, sand dollars, big whelk shells...we spent hours every single day just walking and exploring the beach. (and I will add we found something new each time)

The kids were amazed by the palm trees and large moss covered oaks, and it fit right into Laurel's very first Oak Meadow school lesson. We even found some clay deposits in the sand and collected some to try our hand at making some homemade pottery.

The campground had people, but was not nearly full, which made it feel homey without feeling overcrowded. The bathrooms were nice, the staff was helpful. The only two downsides, which just come with the territory;are that the drinking water was salt water (I had salt water coffee for 4 days...just FYI...not good) and there are no laundry facilities in the park, or on the island. In fact the closest laundry was nearly an hour away. (Therefore we skipped laundry and decided to go beach chic...which basically meant re-wearing clothes, or skipping certain layers...who REALLY needs underpants?!?!) 

Hey, when in Rome, right?

I gotta tell you, I love a winter beach. That summer sun and vacation crowds...you can keep them. I prefer quiet solitude and a gray sky. 

Ferry Time

I realize we've been...off the grid...since we left Alaska.

Sorry.

Partly I think it was emotional space that I needed as we transitioned from one life to another, and partly I just didn't have technology and/or internet at the same time. (Plus I'm having to use the kids' cameras and Jon's computer...so nothing seems simple right now!)

First things first.

The ferry.

I have never had such a traumatic/wonderful/emotional/difficult goodbye as the day we got on the ferry. Our friends came and met us and there was playing, hugging, crying and laughing simultaneously. Then there was that last few minutes, standing on top of the ferry, watching Ketchikan (and our friends) slip away.

Talk about emotionally exhausting.

Thank goodness there is absolutely NOTHING TO DO on the ferry.

When there is nothing to do, we do nothing. We played games, slept, ate, watched a documentary about the Alaska Marine Highway and generally just hung out.

It was wonderful, and exactly what we needed after the hectic, emotionally charged and physically exhausting last couple of weeks we had in Alaska.

Since then we have traveled across the country, picked up the camper, had Thanksgiving with family, and started testing out our camping skills in Georgia and South Carolina. I will try to catch up with pictures and posts, and with any luck I will catch up to our current location soon. (I'll give you a hint though, there are loud waves and large shells...

A love letter to Alaska

Dear Alaska,

I love you.

I love your beauty, your wildness, your sense of adventure and your people. I love that I don't have to be anyone but myself here.  You don't care what kind of car I drive, what kind of shoes I wear, or whether my hair is in a ponytail.  Because of you I stopped trying to hide behind makeup and found contentment with how I really look.

Holi Festival, Bugges Beach

You have shown my children so many amazing things that they might never have seen. The beauty of this place is awe-inspiring, but equally awesome is the sense of community. There are so many events, classes, clubs and things-to-do that one can only be bored if they choose to be.

Christmas Tree Hunting, Tongass National Forest

Log-rolling Boys, Alaskan Lumber Jack Show

Blueberry Pie Eating Contest, Blueberry Festival

99 Nails Earthday Beach Clean Up, Bugges Beach

You have spoiled me for all others. I learned from you that I should bask in the beauty of nature every single day.  I learned from you that when there is nothing to do your trees, rocks and sea provide all the fun we could need.

Black Sands Beach

I will never forget you, even if I never see you again...though I hope that isn't the case.  My heart is always yours.

Love,
Me

Answering the BIG Questions

I do get asked some basic questions over and over about our travel plans, so for the sake of clearing things up (and maybe help others along the same path) I will answer them here.

What are we doing?

Why are we doing it?

How did we manage it?

Each question deserves it's own post, so I will focus on the easy one first.

What are we doing?  

We are going to travel full time, across the country, in a camper.

A family of four in a camper may sound cramped...but considering most campers have MORE square footage than our boat did...it's gonna feel pretty spacious to us. (Jon and I get our own bedroom again! Yaaayyyy!) Originally the plan was to travel for one year, until we find some place that we want to settle down for good.  But over the last couple of years of planning we have altered our goals...realizing that maybe we won't be done traveling after a year. Maybe we won't be done for two years...and maybe we might love it so much we hop the pond and do some international travel as well.

One step at a time.

We saved a certain amount of money, and budgeted it out for a year of travel.  Our plan is to travel slowly, staying at most places for a least few days, but possibly even up to a few weeks if we love it. The purpose of the trip is about slowing down; enjoying our time, connecting with each other and communing with nature. While we have no specific plans or timelines, we will be under a budget...that means hopefully we will be able to boondock at least a third of the time. That also means cooking instead of going out, and trying to stay away from the normal pitfalls of "vacation" spending.  This isn't a vacation, it's our life...so we can't buy fudge, ice cream and post cards from every city we visit.  (However, being donut lovers, we do have a small fund for the nations best donut joints...purely for educational purposes of course!)

If we find that we love travel and want to continue...we will. However, if we find that one amazing place that we want to put down roots again, then we will. There is no plan beyond exploring the world, connecting with each other and learning to LOVE this one life we have.