Even though our tentative departure date is April 20th, having our new trailer in the driveway is so exciting. It brings us one step closer to a dream.
Originally we wanted to travel for a year however right now we are only able to go for 4 1/2 months for this maiden voyage, but it will be so amazing! And this will only be the first major trip... I am positive there will be more...
Since we have two young children ages 3 and 4 we spent a lot of time looking for a trailer that would accommodate all of our families needs. We needed a bunk room and not just bunk beds for the girls. In our house their belongings take up more room then ours do!
Our 4 year old will take over the main bunk, our 3 year old will sleep on the pull out bed/couch and we will use the above bunk (currently holding folding chairs) for bin storage of toys, clothes and art supplies on our journey. We also want to find a slim, folding table to secure to the wall or entertainment unit so they will have a workspace in their room as well.
Yes that space is for a TV and they will have their own TV. There will be many adventures for them during our Operation Explorations. Places to see, explore, climb; where their curiosity and sense of wonder will guide them on many adventures, but lets face it...there will be times WE will need their TV as much as they do!
Here's our floor plan:
We had been researching our options for about a year and had decided on an Open Range Roamer. We loved that it had lots of exterior storage and a door from the outside to the bathroom. We went to an RV show for one last look before making the commitment to buy and we took one look at this lounge and all our thoughts about the Roamer went out the window...our those lovely panoramic windows!
After seeing this model which had only been on the market for a couple months we knew that we could live without the extra door to the bathroom! Since we will spend alot of time in this trailer (4 1/2 months on the first big trip with the possibility of living in it more long term down the road) we chose to take this living space that IS sooOOooo wonderful! The open lounge is so comfortable, so roomy and I love the large panoramic windows. We were sold! It looks great, is livable and has lots of storage.
We gave up our second outside entrance to the bathroom. I will miss that feature as we park near beaches and our living space becomes a sandpit but heck...a little sand will just make it feel homey right? And that's what vacuums are for right?
(Anyone have a suggestion on a good, compact vacuum to purchase for the trailer?)
We do have what they call an outside shower which is more like an outside hose in our outside kitchen that can be used to hose them down if they are really dirty; before they entre!
In the Roamer we liked, this area was storage for bikes etc which we will also miss but then I look at the lounge area again...and we will find a way to pack it in...at the very least we will learn to be selective in what we bring and learn to thin out and we will make good use of this outside kitchen!Our tiny bathroom has a very small bathtub which you step down into with a sky light. Just the right size for the girls.
And last but not least...our bedroom. Very compact, and it could use more closet storage but we will get creative on how to best use the space we have.
To some it may sound crazy, picking up and leaving for a life on the road with kids (even if only for 4 1/2 months). What are we thinking? Are we really considering selling off everything in the future for a life of travel? How can you? What about the girls school? This first 4 1/2 month trip will be the test trip and if all goes as well as we hope who knows what the future could hold for us!
Selling off our businesses a few months ago has given us the freedom to follow our dreams and to live life how we want instead of running around in the rat race. It is so liberating! I know that the life lessons my girls will learn on the road will give them the tools to succeed in life. The hardest part of our 4 1/2 month trip I am sure will be waiting a full year while my husband finishes his degree, before we can take off again!
Check back often to see our preparations for Operation Explorations to begin. This blog will detail our preparations for the trips, our paths we take and all our daily explorations!
A sneak peek to our travel plans... we hope to depart April 20th (my husbands birthday) as he finishes this term at UBC on April 19th and we can't wait any longer then that! We'll head to Vegas to meet up with some friends who are there for Easter weekend (neither of us have been to Vegas before). We will explore the Grand Canyon and other nearby marvels, visit Taos to see some Earthships (click HERE to learn about Earthships) as this is our eventual dream...to build and live in an Earthship. Then we head towards the Texas coast, Louisiana, Florida and have our fill of all those fabulous beaches along the way. Then we head North to visit Family and friends in Nova Scotia and Ontario, before starting our trek back to British Columbia via Mt Rushmore and Yellowstone! A busy 4 1/2 months which I am sure will leave us wanting more!