This is Where the Story Begins

It was the summer of 2017, and life was changing for our family. 

Our children who occupied so much of our time over the last 21 years were all young adults preparing to leave home and set out on their own adventures.  I was planning on transitioning from one career to another and was busier than ever in the constant battle of juggling everything.  

Andrea, well, she was feeling lost, a bit empty, and uncertain as to the future.  The kids she had devoted so much of her time to over the years, no longer needed her every day. 

The family meals happened less as schedules constantly conflicted, and she was alone much of the day.   It was on one of these lonely days, that she took the fateful trip up to her “thinking rock” along the Poudre River. 

It was a place we had been many times before to have conversations, daydream, and genuinely enjoy the power of nature on the river.  This day was different though, not in the weather or river flow, but in the idea, Andrea came up with.   Andrea wanted to travel.  To see our country and the world, something she did not get to do much of since we had our family so young. 

She had fallen in love with the idea of traveling and living full time out of an Airstream travel trailer. 

Andrea started manifesting this as a possibility for our lives and doing what she loves to do, creating lists and researching all the options. 

A few weeks passed before I heard anything of her new idea. 

It was another weekend, and another trip for just the two of us up to our familiar rock.  I could tell, Andrea, had something on her mind and we were going to be talking more than usual.  She started the conversation with telling me about her feelings as the family was transitioning, loneliness, sadness, a bit depressed, and most importantly, wanting more from her life. 

Then she hit me with the idea, sell everything, buy an Airstream and a truck, travel the country and live anywhere we chose for as long as we chose to stay there. 

She had clearly researched the idea, was committed to it, and even planned her sales pitch by reminding me of how much I like moving.

Andrea even brought back conversations from years ago reminding me of how I never really felt like I was from anywhere, so why not be from everywhere.