For those of you who have come to this page, you must love us. A lot. After all, why else would you read about our journey? Why else would you care?
You may only know one of us, or perhaps you know the family. Perhaps you’ve stumbled upon this accidentally and are somehow compelled to read. But however you came to read our thoughts and stories, we welcome you.
Although it is late to get started, this blog is intended to share just a bit about our journey this year. It has all of our perspectives (although you can only read the kids’ passages if you actually know us). You may learn a little bit more about us and why we’re on this strange journey. After all, what would possess a family to sell their house, leave everything behind, and travel the country for a year in search of a new home?
I’ve been asked the question over and over again by people with varying curiosities. Some think it’s a bold move, big balled and brave. Some say they’re jealous – and wish they could summon the courage to do the same thing someday. Some say they can’t imagine. Some look at us as though we’re crazy.
The truth is, we’re probably a little bit of all of those things. Some days, we explore and see new parts of our country or cities we’ve lived in and we have a blast. And we say – out loud – what a great experience this is. But at least once a week, one of us will look at the other and ask why we’re doing this and will suggest that we end it all now. Just pick a damn spot to live already, buy a house, get a job, and return to “normal.” Ironically, when we leave the rig for extended periods of time, as we did just this week, I find myself anxious to return to it. It has become our home, albeit incredibly tiny and occasionally suffocating. Returning to it is starting to feel good – normal.
So then, why Journey Through 50?
Of course, we are traveling through the United States and while we may not get to all 50 this year, we certainly hope to do so eventually. In the rig? That remains to be seen. As many people have suspected, there is an element of Journey Through 50 that reflects this point.
But for me, Journey Through 50 is a much more personal endeavor. As my dad used to say on every birthday, “You’ve entered your ____th year!” He loved to say it as we headed toward a big one, i.e. “Welcome to your 40th year!” on my 39th birthday. He is no longer with us, but I could hear his voice welcoming me to my 50th year this July. And therefore, this year of travel is a journey through my 50th year. It is nothing to do with where we go, but almost exclusively about how we go. It is about finding our way again. Finding our way home.