Monday, December 14, 2015

We're Moving!!!

So many excited things are manifesting for me and my family. We are super excited to share these new adventures with you. Because our life will not just be full time RV any more I have created a general travel blog. All of our RV adventures will be posted there (I've already made the first post there actually) so please join us at http://brooksfamilytravel.blogspot.com/

We look forward to you joining us at our new blog and on our new adventure!

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Milestones toward Fulltiming

So much has happened in the last couple of months. We as a family have met many milestones as well as me as an individual. Tonight I finished my qualifying exams toward my PhD. This was a HUGE accomplishment for me but more than that it was a time marker. Months and months ago I knew that once I finished these exams I only had a month before on the road. 

We've been living in the RV mostly but in a month we will really be living in our Dammie Blue. We will set out on our cross country journey and become actual full time RVers. 

So now that the test is over let the packing and preparing the RV resume. 

See you on the road!

Sunday, September 20, 2015

Only Four Days!

Four days and counting. Four looooong days. That's 96 hours. 5,760 minutes. 

Not it's not 345,600 seconds until we launch but until we head back out on another short camping journey. Last weekend we took Sammie Blue out on her maiden camping voyage. It was absolutely amazing and I hated coming home. That was the longest drive back home that I have ever taken. 

The campground resort was spectacular (so wonderful that we ended up becoming members) but wasn't the resort that made the trip phenomenal. It was being in my element. You see, I'm nomadic. I was not meant to live and thrive in a single space and these last 30+ years have been hard for me. Being out with Sammie Blue and my kids just felt right. It wouldn't have mattered where we were to be honest. It just feels good being on the road and moving about with my house on my back. 

So in four days we will head back out...On the open road, our house on our back. This time we are taking our friends with us so they can enjoy the freedom of camping too. This will be a great time and a chance for us all to see how things will work when we launch in January. Did I mention that our friends are going on a part of that journey too?!? 

So just 335,600 seconds, only 5,760 minutes, a mere 96 hours, just  4 days until I'm back to being where I'm meant to be, where I find happiness. 


Friday, August 21, 2015

Meet Sammie Blue

I would like to introduce you to the newest member of our family... Sammie Blue. We got her a couple of weeks ago after what was supposed to be a trip to just "take a look". She kind of just fell in our lap. I had seen a model similar to her's a while back and fell in love with it. By the time I called to inquire that one had already been sold. I was disappointed but didn't think to much of it as we had no intention of getting back on the road at the time. When I came across Sammie Blue online I knew I wanted to see her in person. I left a message that night and called first thing in the morning to make sure she was still available and she was.

The salesman was good and almost got me when he came back from the finance office and informed me that my credit would allow me to walk off the lot with any camper I chose. We test drove a brand new Vegas and really really enjoyed it. The 30 mile test drive helped almost seal the deal. Right before we signed the papers for the Vegas the kids and I decided to at least test drive the camper we went to see. After that test drive the decision was made and it was quite simple... by the camper that I loved from the moment I saw it online and that I could pay cash for. So that's what we did. We drove Sammie Blue home that day.




Here she is (before some of our updates):


Photo from after we started updates:



Friday, August 14, 2015

We're Heading Out... It's Real This Time

It is with great pleasure (and much relief) that I announce that we are getting back on the road. If you remember from my last post that was many months ago I told you how things happened in such a way that forced us to stay put. Ironically, those same situations that forced us to stay are now allowing us to go. I won't bore you with all of the details but will say that we will have 20 months of pure, unadulterated freedom.

We will be on the road from January through at least March. We have it planned through March anyway, but unless we are forced to return to Charlotte due to unforeseen circumstances we will be rolling. This will be the longest time we have been on the road.


The kids and I have already mapped our route. The ultimate goal is to get to California, to go coast to coast. We plan to do that via Florida with a stop in the Keys for a week. From there we will push back up the gulf coast of Florida until we hit the I-10. We will ride the I-10 all the way west stoping to see some amazing things along the way.


I won't continue to ramble on now but stay tuned for more on our journey, coast to coast.