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!

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!

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. 

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:

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.

6 months later...

So it's been about 6 months since my last post and I'm sad to say NO, we are NOT on the road. When we returned to Charlotte we settle back into the groove of living at home a bit to easily, however we remained motivated to get back on the road. It wasn't until August when all of that went out of the window when my graduate program informed me I HAD to complete a final course to continue moving through the PhD program. So plans changed and I stayed to finish that class. At the same time my job expectations changed and my schedule was not only not going to work for RVing but it required me on campus more than ever before. Plus, I met a guy that I was interested in getting to know (and he was not interested in RVing, so I had to make a choice). Anyway, enough of the excuses!

The kids and I are now sitting patiently at home figuring out our next move to get back on the road. I have started a massive debt payoff so when we hit the road that burden will not be so great. This kids are still working on minimizing their belongings. I'm trying to convince my guy to travel with us a little. But overall, we are all eager to hit the road again. We probably won't be full time anytime soon (I'm thinking 2016 before we can even begin really considering it), but we will be on the road from April through August (those are the months I'm done teaching) of every year from here on out until we do reach full time status.

As eager as we were to be on the road, it was really unfortunate that we did not get to follow our dream (yet). I just wanted to update those who were keeping up with us that our plans might have changed but our goal to be on the road has not. We'll see you out there soon!

Home Sweet Home... No Not Charlotte!

We made it home to Tennessee.  I don't think I've ever been so excited to see that Welcome to Tennessee sign as we crossed the boarder. We came in off of Hwy 81 so we avoided the mountains. I'm not sure I could've handled more mountain after driving through West Virginia.

We made it to aunt Marsha's house just as she was pulling in and we were parking. She gave us a ride up the hill and the kids were excited to see their cousins. The very first thing I did was head to the shower. That shower was amazing.  After two and a half days of driving with no showers (I probably shouldn't have admitted that... but let me just say I couldn't figure out the logistics of us showering in truck stops since there was NO WAY I was leaving my kids unattended) that shower was the best. After I bathed and got the kids cleaned it was nice to sit and chat with my aunt Marsha.

We left her house right before rush hour to head to my dad's house about 30 minutes away in Oak Ridge. After we maneuvered Honey to the back we were all glad to see each other.

The next few days were spent chatting, relaxing, going to the shooting range, visiting the science museum, playing games, eating, and just generally enjoyed my dad and his wife. Those days together made me really excited abut our decision to truly full time. Full timing means we can come visit for weeks at a time, anytime!

Averie enjoying a ride down granddad's street

Averie shooting with her granddad

Joshua shooting with his grandad

Nay wishing he could shoot... this was a smile I got in between pouts that he couldn't shoot too

Nay at the American Museum of Science and Energy

Replica of the Little Boy dropped on Japan

All three working together on an exhibit at the museum

We left my dad's house and heading back to Aunt Marsha's. Over the next several days the kids played, fought, laughed and loved with their cousins and they couldn't be happier. Knowing they were gonna visit their cousins is the only reason the kids left our friends farm in Mass.



We also got to spend time with my great Aunt Ann. She turned 96 in April so I am so grateful for every chance I get to visit. Even at 96 she wants to take care of me :-) She insisted on cooking me dinner and got up and did just that. That dinner was AMAZING. Her cooking is still dynamic.



Speaking of cooking I was able to stick to my vegetarianism and resist my aunt Marsha's fried chicken.  Talk about a difficult task!

The kids and I also starting hunting for RV's. We visited all of the RV dealers in the area. On the way back I realized we were passing the cemetery that my granny is buried at. It just so happened that not only were we passing her gravesite but also it was the 12th anniversary of her death. I went to the office and they helped me locate her and I was able to spend some time with my granny.

 



Overall we had a wonderful time and are all sad to be packing up to leave. Neither the kids nor I are ready to go.  It's gonna be a long drive back to Charlotte, that's for sure. We'll be back on the road in a few weeks though so we have that to look forward to. We'll spend this time taking care of business in and around Charlotte (camps, doctors appointments, selling stuff, and searching for a bigger RV).

Continue to keep up with us as this is not the end of our adventure. I will continue to blog throughout our journey. Until the next post... peace, love, and safe travels!