45: And We're Off! Maybe.

After two-and-a-half months of docking our beloved RV, Bae, behind Jason’s parents’ barn, we’re back on the road tomorrow to start another adventure! Probably tomorrow. Maybe tomorrow. There’s a plausible chance it’ll be tomorrow. Questionably, we’ll leave tomorrow. It could happen. Possibly not. It’s debatable that we are leaving Hermiston, Oregon tomorrow. Actually, tomorrow isn’t good at all. Undoubtedly not tomorrow. We, in fact, will NOT be saying goodbye tomorrow. But the day is coming!

A quick summation of our last couple of months…  We came home to Hermiston in early December and just in time to celebrate Jason’s 46th birthday. It was a whirlwind month after that with Christmas and New Year’s activities, parties, foods, and get togethers. January was AWFUL! What made it awful? The cold. The below-freezing, single digits, RV-heaters-aren’t-enough-to-stay-warm cold. Downright miserable. Thankfully, Jason’s birthday gave me the opportunity to gift him a trip to the Dominican Republic right in the midst of that hellacious cold. So, Jason and I were able to fly away with Jason’s sister and her husband for a week of thawing and sun tanning in the Caribbean. We came back with snow on the ground – which the boys loved, and I hunkered down by a heater or two.

There were friends’ parties, youth group outings, and family dinners that we were so grateful to be back for. I organized, reorganized, and reorganized again every cabinet of Bae. We scoured the internet for another house to flip, but without success. We walked through vacant buildings with the hopes of starting a new business idea we had – but the space just wasn’t there. We had movie nights and game nights. We enjoyed the local business and restaurant favorites. We fell complacent.

Soaking up family time as well as familiar faces and places has been good for our family of five throughout the Christmas and New Year, but we’re getting restless. At least Jason and I are. Our three boys: Ryan (16yo), Barrett (aka Bear, 11yo), and Cord (10yo) have rather enjoyed the conveniences of living on Grandma and Popa’s property (what grandchild wouldn’t?!) But like I was just telling my mom the other day, we need to keep poking the bear, or that bear is going into hibernation, and we’ll never get it moving again!

Jason and I frequently discuss how incredible it is to be in the position we are. Never have we been so open-minded, responsibility-free, and standing with open arms proverbially screaming, “Send us! Pick us! Give us the wild-haired idea to run with!” Yet, here we are, sitting on our hands, itchy to sink our teeth into another project house, business venture, travel opportunity, something! Since none of those options have made themselves prevalently known or viable, Jason and I went to dinner and plotted our next moves, but vowing to continue to be open to anything else that comes along.

First and foremost, I NEED to get to some warm sunshine, like yesterday. Pronto. Stat. ASAP. This body has been in the cold for too long, and I’ve decided I’m simply not made for temperatures under 65 degrees – and if I’m truly being honest, I don’t want to be in anything less than 80 degrees, but I digress.

Arizona has warm sunshine. It also has family and life-long friends. Arizona is our first stop. Our tentative plan is to find an RV resort for the month of March in the heat of Arizona. Perhaps the Yuma area, or maybe more towards Apache Junction? Or perchance we’ll find ourselves spending four weeks in four separate locations within that sunshine I’ve been dreaming about. Any way it pans out, March should be filled with soul-filling, core-thawing sunbeams.

There are milestones at the end of March and mid-April that will pull us back home to Hermiston for a few days here and there so we can properly celebrate an impressive 70th birthday with my dad, and an honored 60-year anniversary for Jason’s parents. We’ll also sneak in a couple doctors’ appointments while we’re local before flying back to Bae and continuing our summer-long excursion.

Ultimately, after Arizona, our target is the east coast. 

We want to see the history of where this country started. We want to feel the history, walk through the memorials, read the tributes and memorials. Having the first-hand experience will be undeniably more impactful than what the boys are simply reading through in our Social Studies homeschool curriculum. We’re going to hit all the quintessential tourist spots: White House, Lincoln Memorial, Pentagon, Gettysburg, Statue of Liberty, Washington Monument, Freedom Trail, Charleston, etc. We are donning our fanny packs, lanyards, cameras, and bucket hats. I can’t wait! Jason is planning on a three-to-four month round-trip on this one. Plenty of time to soak it all in.

When I sat down to write this blog, after dragging my feet for months getting to it, I still wasn’t sure what I would write. I don’t know our plans, we’ve only been home, so no grandiose family adventures to write about, and frankly, I didn’t want to waste my time with nothing. But after putting this blog together, I guess I have a newfound appreciation for “the waiting”. It’s frustrating to wait for something to happen – especially when you don’t know what that “something” is. It’s brutal on a gal’s attitude not having a project or action plan for these idle hands to work on.

Although we can’t leave tomorrow, and with the severe wind warning stating “all high profile vehicles should not travel” will keep us from leaving in the next few days as well, it feels really good to have a set course in mind. As unsure and provisional as it may be, we have a goal to move towards. But you know what I really love? That I love NOW, but would have driven me INSANE five years ago? It’s all subject to change. We might not leave at all! A long-lost uncle could gift us 5 billion dollars, or a mansion in Malibu that needs renovating. Or one of our boys could be presented with an opportunity of a lifetime, so we all follow and support that dream. I could break my back while I sleep (seems that easy these days) and be bed ridden for months. Someone could approach us with a business idea that we can’t resist. Truly, anything is possible! If the last three years have shown us anything, it’s that no schedule goes without a hitch, a fork in the road, or a hard brick wall smacking you square in the face. We are lucky to be in this position. We are lucky to have the option to stay or go. We are lucky to have family that help support our lifestyle. We. Are. Lucky.

So here’s to buttoning up plans, to keeping our options open, and to appreciating the circumstances.