The second half of our trip is upon us, which I can hardly even believe. We are taking it up and over the 6th month hump by ditching Spud for 6 weeks(ish) and hopping on a plane. Where to, you ask? To the palm tree laiden, shave ice devouring, bikini clad state of HAWAII, of course! Cue joke about taking a vacation from the vacation now.

November 1st hit and for the 30 days that followed we were lucky enough to spend it surrounded by friends and family all throughout and around California. The timing couldn't have been more perfect with the holidays on our heals. Our hearts were definitely aching for familiar faces and familiar bear hugs. Our route this month took us from San Luis Obispo to see Chip's bro/gf to Long Beach to see Durango friends to Anaheim to see Chip's immediate family then finally, to Newport Beach to see aunts and uncles. We are so grateful to have had all this quality one on one time with the great people you'll see below. It was priceless.

This section of California is hands down the best part of inland California. Perhaps the WHOLE state (of what we've seen, anyway). That's a tall order, I know. But since Oregon already won best coastline, we were seeking some new scenery that might win us over in the heartland of CA. And this area did just that!

We were awestruck by the energy and beauty during our travels through the California Redwood parks, we decided they deserve a post devoted solely to them. The Redwoods have been sitting in my bucket list for over a decade waiting patiently for me to make the trip. I always heard people speak of these grand trees and couldn't wait to be standing at the base of them peering (way!) up. Driving down the California coast we were lucky enough to visit three different redwood areas: Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, Avenue of the Giants, and Humboldt Redwoods State Park.

Well, here we are. I can hardly believe what I'm about to write, but we have officially spent a third of the year on the road. Crazy to think we drove away from Durango on June 15th with knots in our stomachs but excitement in our hearts. All in a short amount of time has been everything we hoped it would be, and sometimes more. Sure, we have rocky moments with kids in tow but at the end of the day we wouldn't want to be anywhere else. With the constant change we've surely had many opportunities for growth over the last few months. So we compiled a list. You know I love me a good list! Behold the list of: 10 Things We've Learned on the Road...

Since we decided to take this journey a year and a half ago, we've had the good fortune to talk with a massive amount of people.  We get a lot of questions, but, far and away, people want to know about money.  Some will disguise it a bit and ask us what we "do". Others are more forthright and just ask how we can afford to take what they perceive to be a perpetual vacation. Most are just honestly curious about how we'll make ends meet. Good questions, everyone. They're ones we worried ourselves with at the beginning.

As you can imagine, living in 80 square feet presents some challenges in terms of space. At 20 square feet per person, we've necessarily streamlined our lives getting rid of both our cars, furniture items, clothing we didn't wear, and junk that had no meaning or regular use (goodbye, food dehydrator). What didn't come with us needed to be stored in a ~6x12ft space. But, perhaps unsurprisingly, three weeks into our trip we've found that the less we have, the better we feel. A couple outfits each, cooking basics, a little toy box filled with books and artsy activities, one dump truck, two bikes, and a beach bag filled with cars, collapsible buckets, and shovels is about all we need to keep us going. Luckily, every place we have parked Spud so far has offered us an incredible backyard with lakes for swimming, dirt for digging, ducks for feeding, fireflies (aka "lightning flies") for catching, and paths for biking.

I'm sitting in the passenger seat of our '86 Westy staring out the window at the endless wheat fields, towering windmills, and straight, flat roads of Kansas. It is dead silent in Spud (well, as silent as he gets at 65 mph), which is rare with jabbering twin boys. But it's naptime. Hallelujah! I unbuckle my seatbelt and like a flight attendant head to the back and sneak out two M&M ice cream bars from our mini freezer. I deliver one to Chip, then we cackle while waving them in the air at the boys' sleeping faces and scarf them down in celebration of quiet time. If only they knew what we did when they were asleep. I digress...

Some of you think this idea is crazy. Some of you might think it's crazy awesome. It's a mixed bag and we totally get that. We are still surprised we both had the guts to say 'let's go for it' and then actually make it happen. It's definitely dramatically easier when both people in a relationship are on the same page. We have been answering a lot of very legitimate questions about why we are doing this. To get inside our heads a bit, we have compiled six reasons why we decided to quit our day jobs, rent out our house, and travel for the next year (or two?):

As I write this, I'm staring out our front window watching snowflakes fall on budding trees and green grass sprinkled with bright yellow dandelions.  My eyes and mind are playing tricks on me though. It can't be winter anymore.  I'm in denial that in one day it will be May 1st.  It feels like just yesterday, on a random December evening, that we were eagerly waiting for Chip to come home from work.

Two months in Hawaii served as a delightful respite from "Spudlife." Here, we were able to have a bit of a routine which we will admit to craving after 5 1/2 months on the road. Some habits and routines were welcomed back in our life, while others were a reminder (and at times a struggle) of the white noise we did not want to re-introduce back into our life. Those are the type of distractions we've worked so hard to let go of during this journey. Looking back though, we found ourselves contentedly entertained much of the days at the beach, exploring the island in a variety of ways often with visitors by our sides. This was the perfect place to chase warm weather and among all the places we've been, could be a contender with Oregon and Island Lake, Canada for "favorite spot." When the feeling of sorrow rushes over me when we're about to leave a place as special as this, Chip reminds me it's best to move on wanting more. I suppose I can agree with that.

It's official. Honolulu has stolen our hearts. All four of them. The whole island of Oahu, really. But there is just something special about this city. The energy of the people, the crescent shaped beach lined with elegant older hotels, the hustle and bustle of a city with the laid-back lifestyle of a beach destination, the most delicious tasting food, the numerous activities in water and out, and last but not least the inviting and mesmerizing turquoise ocean. Then there's Diamond Head, a prominant dormant volcano standing proud (and remarkable) over her city. Close your eyes, reach for that invisible mai tai, and envision yourself on the beach. Queue the Hawaiian music...now. 

I had been dying to take the family on a kayak ride since before our plane even landed on Oahu. One of my favorite memories when we'd come to Hawaii would be our kayak day in Kailua. So naturally I had visions in my head of being able to provide that same memory for the boys (I know, they're only three but...). Finally though, on that 24th day of December we accomplished that memorable kayak ride together.

We decided not to send out Christmas cards this year. Wait now. Just hear me out. There were a myriad of reasons, but ultimately I didn't feel my card was going to reach all of the people I needed it to in the way I wanted it to. I hope no one feels short-changed and that this will serve somewhat as a personal note to you.

I warned you that it wouldn't be long before we were throwing surf, sun, and sea stoke your way. I tried to hold off for as long as possible but with snow in the forecast (on the mainland, of course), now seems like an appropriate time. So turn your space heater on high, throw on that tank top that's been collecting dust since August, and envision yourself seated at the base of a palm tree with a coconut drink in your right hand and some sunscreen in your left.

We are coming off a huge high after spending time in the midwest. When we first got serious about taking this trip, we excitedly spoke about seeing family and friends we hadn't seen in awhile, about making it a goal to reconnect with family and friends who were once part of our everyday lives. And, boy, were we ever surprised by the amount of you that offered up a driveway or home to sleep in. Leaving our home, friends, and neighborhood in Durango was difficult. But having welcoming hugs and familiar faces greet us along the way has been so refreshing and made the transition to life on the road much easier. We are humbled and grateful for the generosity that you all have shown us.

Michigan snuck up on us like a cool summer breeze. One minute we were seeing family and friends in Ohio and the next we were relaxing poolside at a vacation rental in Mirror Lake with Chip's family. We spent six lazy days here going on bike rides, hunting for mulberries with grandpa, swimming in the pool, fishing, and plumping ourselves up with a lot of wonderful food. But, as always, all good things must come to an end and after a week we had to say goodbye to the comforts of a big, cozy home and help from family. We hopped back in Spud and ugly-cried out of the vacation rental driveway. It is always hard leaving family but after giving my cheek a swift slap of the hand, I snapped out of it and immediately grew eager to explore the rest of Michigan. 

Since we decided to take this journey a year and a half ago, we've had the good fortune to talk with a massive amount of people.  We get a lot of questions, but, far and away, people want to know about money.  Some will disguise it a bit and ask us what we "do". Others are more forthright and just ask how we can afford to take what they perceive to be a perpetual vacation. Most are just honestly curious about how we'll make ends meet. Good questions, everyone. They're ones we worried ourselves with at the beginning.

About a week into our road trip I started having nagging thoughts indicating something wasn't quite right. The intrusive feeling would hit me like an ocean wave, take hold of my brain for a few seconds, and then wash ashore as I'd forget about it for awhile. I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was that was making me feel a little uneasy. Finally, though, on our last morning at a random Missouri State Park I was able to connect the dots. 

Oh Glacier. Our diminishing Glacier National Park. Filled with so much beauty, yet my heart aches as the years pass and the glaciers continue to disappear. Do you know there are only 25 left? With global warming continuing to have a huge impact on these survivors, it is estimated there will be none remaining after 2030. You heard me right. None. Geez, what will they do...change the name?! I

I am still having a hard time processing our time in Oregon. It is hard to come up with new words and phrases to describe yet ANOTHER place that we've been to that is so remarkable. This one, however, blew our socks off. So far off that they're still in the trees dangling somewhere. Maybe that means part of my heart is still there. I think it might always be. 

Well, here we are. I can hardly believe what I'm about to write, but we have officially spent a third of the year on the road. Crazy to think we drove away from Durango on June 15th with knots in our stomachs but excitement in our hearts. All in a short amount of time has been everything we hoped it would be, and sometimes more. Sure, we have rocky moments with kids in tow but at the end of the day we wouldn't want to be anywhere else. With the constant change we've surely had many opportunities for growth over the last few months. So we compiled a list. You know I love me a good list! Behold the list of: 10 Things We've Learned on the Road...

To our faithful readers (eh um, that's you friends & family!!)  :-) ,

For those of you that know me, then you know how much I enjoy blogging about life, adventures, people, and places. I pour my heart and time into a blog post. And anyone who has done something similar knows the time and energy it takes to keep up with it. I'm afraid with Washington though, I am unable to devote much time (for now). You see, the sun, sand, and sea have been calling my name ever since we hit the beautiful West coast last month. I'm finding it harder and harder to pull myself away from time with family and am doing my best to soak it all up, so to speak.

Some of you think this idea is crazy. Some of you might think it's crazy awesome. It's a mixed bag and we totally get that. We are still surprised we both had the guts to say 'let's go for it' and then actually make it happen. It's definitely dramatically easier when both people in a relationship are on the same page. We have been answering a lot of very legitimate questions about why we are doing this. To get inside our heads a bit, we have compiled six reasons why we decided to quit our day jobs, rent out our house, and travel for the next year (or two?):