Challenging Changes

After having traveled through this country with my family for over a year I thought I would write about some of the highlights of our adventure.

However after thinking about what I would write I realized that it would be a very extensive article since we have been able to do so many awesome things this past year.  I also realized that our website is filled with articles about the amazing places we have been and you could easily go to anyone of those to read about some cool places we have traveled to.  Instead I decided I would highlight some of the difficulties we have encountered after a year of living full time on the road.  Because we all know that it can’t always be like a vacation when it’s our life.  So let me tell you about some of the challenges we have faced that were unexpected and some of the things we dislike about life on the road.



The Trailer-

We spent many hours picking out the travel trailer.  Knowing we would be living in it we wanted to get one we really liked and fortunately we did.  There are still some things about it we don’t like and while they are not major issues they can be irritating in our daily lives.  The one thing that really bothers me about this trailer is that the glass tray in the microwave moves around when we travel so that every time I go to use it the thing is all wobbly and doesn’t spin properly.  It is set up a little high for me so I can’t see in to adjust it without getting out the stool or asking my wonderful husband for help.  Not a big deal but just an annoyance.

The other thing that is a nuisance about this trailer is the stereo.  The speakers can be set so that they are heard outside, in the main area, and in the front bedroom (our bedroom) or any combination of the three.  That is pretty cool the bad thing is that they are too loud for us to turn on at night in our room.  Even at the lowest setting it is still too loud and keeps the kids awake at night and any parent knows that we need the kids asleep at night!

The Car-

We are in our car all the time; it is practically another living room for us.  The Armada itself is great; the mess that accumulates in it is not.  It is very difficult to keep it clean when we are constantly in it.  We have tried many different organizational items for the kids stuff, but nothing seems to work.  There always seems to be trash, books, discarded drawings, and writing utensils strewn across the floor no matter what we do.  I do not think this is ever something I will get used to or be happy about, but it is part of life on the road. Keeping the car maintained is another thing that can be difficult.  We have to get our oil changed frequently because we put a lot of miles on it.  We never know what to expect because each place is a little different.  The way we choose a place is by how close it is to where we are staying and how good the ratings are then we just hope they do a good job.  It can be hard to fit it in because we would rather be doing cool stuff, but it’s got to be done.

 

The Relationships-

We miss our friends and family.  Making friends when we are constantly moving is hard.  At every place we go we meet people, some really great people, but then we leave or they go home and we will probably never see each other again.  It has been great getting to meet or reconnect with many people as we have traveled, but then we say good-by and travel on.  Though it is hard not to be able to see them again soon when we just met.  It is great to be able to call them, but not the same as a visit. Visiting family has been one of the best things about this adventure, but it is hard after we leave because we miss them and won’t get to see them again for awhile.

The Traveling-

Seeing places we never thought we would see and making some amazing memories with our children is great.  The hard part is that we can’t see it all.  Every place we go big or small has some really cool things to see and do.  People will tell us about something we have just got to do while we are in an area and we already have a list of things we want to fit in and there is just no way we can fit it all in.  We have to miss out on some really cool places sometimes (ok I don’t know they’re really cool because we didn’t go, but they sound really cool!).  This is a giant country with a ton of amazing things to experience.  It would be great if we could spend weeks, months or even longer exploring each place, but there is just too much to see.  We have already been traveling for a year and only been to 22 of the 50 state capitols.

(For every magnet on our fridge,there was five other things we could have done but missed)

 

The Family-

Living together in a small space is surprisingly not the most challenging part of family life on the road.  The part about the family I find most challenging is when someone is sick.  This can be difficult because we have nowhere to go so that the sick person can have some quiet time to rest.  If a child gets sick in their bed we can’t just wash the bedding. Also If we are supposed to have a travel day and someone doesn’t feel well sometimes we have to travel anyway.  Or if we are camped somewhere primitive with no hook-ups we might have to move.  Being sick anywhere is no fun, but it can be extra challenging when we are always on the move.

There are many challenges to face when traveling full time in a trailer.

There are many challenges to face in daily life no matter where you are.  Some of the challenges we expected to encounter during our travels.  These are just some of the thing we didn’t plan for.  Who knew there would be so many amazing things to do even when you’re in the middle of nowhere?  We thought we would only be traveling for a year so we would see our family and friends, but it has been over a year already and there is a lot more to explore.

The car being a mess constantly is something I should have expected, but hey nobody’s perfect.  Of course the trailer isn’t perfect and I honestly thought it would be bigger problems we would have after being in it constantly for a year.  So while living in our trailer full time does have its challenges I would not trade this time in our lives for anything.  We have experienced so much just in this last year that it would be worth so many more challenges to me.  I know that we will always have these memories and that we have them together as a family, I can’t think of anything better!

 

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One Comment

  1. Wow, I am sure it can be super challenging when someone isn’t feeling well as you mentioned! I am a huge baby when I am not feeling well and just want to lay up in a bed until I am better! That must be rough on the road. It’s refreshing to see the real side of travel – yes it’s glorious but it’s not always easy!

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