The End Is Just The Beginning
Posted on Jan 8, 2013 | 24 comments
1062 days. That's how long it has taken us to get here. 25,488 hours of planning, working, dreaming and doubting. Needless to say, it has been a long and bumpy road.
This weekend we will pack all of our possessions into our little 4-door and set out on a 15,000 mile road trip around North America. Our plans are wide open. We have no reservations. We're just going with it. It feels great!
25,488 hours in . . .
and the adventure is just beginning!
The Quest For Freedom
We have a ton of work to do. This website, and our pursuit of location independence, have been sorely neglected over the past few months. We never imagined that this "great escape" of ours would be so demanding, but now that the seemingly endless stages of prepping and planning have actually reached an end, we are very excited to get back to work.
I suppose it seems a bit weird, huh? I mean, here we are with the world stretched out before us, and we are thinking about work?
We have no debt, and some money has been put aside. We have no commitments. The world is ours for the taking. Come Sunday, we could fly off to Thailand and sit on a beach for a year if we wanted. That sounds real nice . . . but it's not what we want.
Freedom is a funny thing. When you're living a lifestyle that is filled with demanding and unsatisfying chores, all you can think about is getting a few moments to get away from it all. When life isn't how you want it to be, you'll happily take freedom the easy way. A quick vacation. A movie. A couple extra glasses of wine. Anything that will get you away from what you've had to do all day, and week, and year. I'll admit, when we started this adventure, this is how we felt about freedom, too. We just wanted to be done, if only for a moment.
But now freedom represents something different for us. Now that we have freedom, we see it more as an opportunity, rather than an escape. All those demanding and unsatisfying things we used to be surrounded by are gone. No more "job", debt, routine, or bills. No more meetings. No more rush. Life is calm. And when life is calm, it's amazing how much more you want to do.
We chose to take a shot at traveling forever because we thought it was the only way we could capture real freedom. We were tired of temporary escapes that didn't work. We didn't want money, or a high-profile job, or a big house. We tried that stuff as well, and it didn't make us happy. What made us happy was our kids, and time, and choice, and flexibility, and travel, and clear heads. What made us happy was freedom. Real freedom. The kind of freedom that doesn't stop after spring break or when the mortgage payment is due. The kind of freedom that doesn't end when the alarm goes off on Monday morning. And to get the kind of freedom we really wanted, we had to go all in. We had to say,
This is how we want to live our lives. Now . . . what do we have to do to get this.
The key to succeeding in anything big is persistence. Just go, and go, and go, until you find your "this". It will come.
25,488 hours is a very long time, but it's also worth it. 100,000 hours would have been worth it. There is nothing better than this freedom. The comfort of your favorite chair, the security of your job, the peace of mind that comes with all things familiar - everything falls short in comparison to the endless opportunities freedom presents.
And you won't know what this freedom feels like 'til you get it. It's just one of those things you have to experience for yourself in order to understand. It's simply great. I'm glad we gave ourselves a chance to get here.
Find your freedom. Go get it.
Don't settle for the scraps.
Don't worry about what's going to happen next, just think about what you're doing now.
Work smart. Study hard. Don't quit.
Know that something big is going to happen.
Wait patiently.
And once your day comes . . .
be happy you were right.
That's it for now. We've got a lot of work to do. We can't wait to get started on our next 25,488 hour adventure.
Thanks for all your amazing help and support!
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Congratulations - looking forward to your posts - would love to read more about America
Natalie recently posted..The Mesopotamian Ruins of Dara Near the Syrian Border
Thanks, Natalie. There will be plenty of America here. We have a lot of time now to explore.
So excited for you and the family! We will be watching, asking and learning during your adventure and plan to be only 8,568 hours behind you! Thank you for the continued inspiration and your willingness to share and teach.
Tiffany Fite recently posted..Merry (cough) Christmas!
8,568 hours is nothing. You'll be finished before you know it!
We'll be watching and learning as well.
Just stumbled on this and am so excited for you. We've always had visions of an 8-week cross-country American history road trip. Reading Mark Twain as we go ... I hope you inspire us to do it! (p.s. We have a little teardrop trailer
Ashley Steel recently posted..Teen Travel: South Africa!
Thanks! American History road trip sounds great! Do it! Do it! Do it!
WOO HOO!!!!! I am SO HAPPY that you've made it to the "other side!!" There are no words! Just pure delight for your family!! I can't wait to watch the adventure unfold!
Jenn Miller recently posted..Bridging the Language & Culture Gap: The Importance of English Education
Words are tough! Thanks for all constant support. It really makes a huge difference.
I just printed this out and am making it a homeschool assignment for my 8yo. Absolutely love the sense of happiness and accomplishment in this. My first question on his assignment- how did this make you feel?
WOW! That's really great! I would love to know what he says. Thanks, David!
My husband just shared your site with me. We are just in the brainstorming phase of doing this sort of adventure. Leaving the rat race in NYC, putting our 3 kids in our little civic and going on a big adventure. We need to iron out a lot of details first, but we've been living frugally for our whole marriage (10 yrs) and hope to make this happen in the next few months.
You are an inspiration and will most likely be our greatest guide in our next adventure.
That's great! Honestly, if you stay committed to the idea, the pieces fall into place. Do it for the right reasons, and all will be well. Let us know how we can help!
Justin,
So exciting! My family lived in Europe for 5 months and enjoyed 5 home swaps in 2000. Our son was 12 & daughter was 8. It was the best family bonding experience of our lives. You will never regret this. Bon voyage!
Shelley recently posted..7 Useful Travel Resolutions For A Better Vacation
Thanks, Shelley! What a great way to get out there and see the world. We might have to have you do a guest post and tell us "how to". Thanks!
WOW.. Congratulations on getting there! I love your resolve as well as your willingness to put your dreams out for the universe and know that it will all work itself out as you go. We still have a couple of years before we'll be debt free, once again, and off on our lifelong journey rather than just our 1yr RTW journey and we can't wait. Enjoy the TIME most of all...that is what we found is the most valuable commodity around that the average American just doesn't seem to understand in their quest for more and bigger.
Rhonda recently posted..Foto Friday
Thanks Rhonda! At one point we were years away as well! You'll get there if you just stick to it. Way to go for the gold!
I know we will...lol..baby steps. Enjoy the new adventure!
Rhonda recently posted..Foto Friday
Well done! Can't wait to see what you do with your freedom. Thanks for sharing the journey.
April recently posted..The boat
I like that April. "What you do with your freedom." That's a keeper!
Thank you!
SO EXCITING!! If you are coming through Kansas City, PLEASE come visit us! We'd love to meet you guys and would even offer you a place to crash for a few days
Jenny Solar recently posted..The Portrait Project {Week 50}
Will do! And thanks so much for the offer! That would be great!
We've been on the road from Australia via South Africa and now in Europe for just over 2 months now! You won't look back, enjoy every minute!
Your family-life-work philosphy sounds very much like ours. Have a look at http://www.therollingsteyns.com and be in touch!
Best wishes
Will do! Thanks, Sonja. Would love to see more on Europe!
I am excited to just follow your journey online, I can't imagine how exciting it must be for you all. Safe travels. I can't wait to see what you discover and learn,