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The MAINE Goal

We have officially been on the road for over 4 1/2 months!  It’s hard to believe but when I look back it feels like we have been to so many wonderful places already. I am waaaaay behind on posting so bare with me playing catch up.

I had to take some time to post about the main (wink, wink) reason we made such quick time across the country:  Maine!  From the beginning stages of planning this trip, our family sat down and shared with each other places and things we wanted to do.  Number one on my husband’s list was Maine.  He had visited his father’s family’s home several times in Camden and had wonderful memories.  It was important for to him to share this special place with us and most importantly, get there before the cold weather hit.  So that was our goal get to Maine by September before summer quickly switched to fall.  That would also put us in New England for Fall foliage which I had never experienced and was very excited about – this was also one of the top things on my list!!

Our timing was perfect as we got the last two weeks of warm weather, and missed all the summer crowds after Veteren’s Day. We are so thankful to Aunt Wynne and Uncle John who hosted us for several days in their beautiful home.  I have heard for years about how special this house on the ocean is and it did not disappoint.  The town of Camden is quaint, gorgeous, and right on the water.  We could hear the waves from our rooms every night and were thankful to be near the ocean again.  Our first night we were treated to fireworks in the harbor and our first Maine lobstah dinner. It was delicious! Everything I had heard about it is true: mouthwatering!

Over the next few day we explored Camden by checking out the schooner festival, an exceptional farmers market (I purchased my now favorite, most gorgeous, pair of wooden hand-made cooking spoons from KarinaKSteele,) and walked the shops in the village. We loved spending time with family and exploring the Megunticook Lake and family camp.

We truly fell in love with Camden, enjoyed learning about its history, our family history, and eating fantastic food.  But after almost a week, it was time to move on to Acadia National Park.  Since the beginning stages of our planning I had heard what a magical place Acadia is.  It combines the ocean, the forest, mountains, and some of the greatest hiking we have experienced, all of our family’s favorite things about the outdoors!  For my husband some of the greatest memories he’s had on this trip was the hiking, and for me the campsite we had and the town of Bar Harbor will always hold a special place in my heart.  There are several places to camp in Acadia but with our big Rig we chose Schoodic Woods Campground. You can see our pictures below but the campground was wonderful.  It’s definitely secluded and the campsites are spread out, the National Park Service has done a great job with this campground. Here are just a few of the things we did and saw in Acadia!

Hiking:  There are a plethora of hiking trails in Acadia for every type of hiker.  The girls were rock stars and did some pretty tough hikes.  Our “baby”  even did the a very tough exposed rock hike called Beehive alone with her daddy!  The best part of all the trails are the killer views and breathtaking scenery.  Some of our favorites were Beehive, Cadillac Mountain, Precipice, and Bubble Mountain.

Oceans and Lakes:  Another really cool thing about Acadia is we spent several days at the ocean beach called Sand Beach.  We hiked and even swam along the shore where the overly aggressive seagulls stole the lobster roll right out of my hand!  I say “ocean” beach because we also spent several beautiful days at a lake beach called Echo Lake, a serene swimming area with slightly warmer water than the ocean. It was a great place to swim and play after long hikes.

Ranger talks:  One of the things we have learned to do on this road trip is sign up for the Ranger led talks and hikes that the National Parks Services offers for free.  They are a fantastic way to learn all about the park you are in and its history.  The girls now have their Junior Ranger badges from 5 different parks!  This is not an easy feat to say the least.  They have to read, learn, and study about the particular park we are in.  Then, they are usually required to participate in a Ranger talk in order to receive their badge (after which they are quizzed and sworn in!)  For Acadia we chose to do a Ranger talk on the Carriage Roads within the park and the Rockefeller bridges built by none other than John D. Rockefeller Jr. It was a phenomenal learning experience not only for the girls but for the adults as well!  I highly recommend signing up for a Ranger talk the next time you’re visiting a National Park.

Bar Harbor: Bar Harbor is the town Acadia surrounds.  It’s a quaint harbor village and we loved walking around the shops and eating yummy food.  Yes it’s touristy, but we were there in mid September so at least it wasn’t as crowded as we heard it gets.  Regardless, it was a great place to end our days, strolling about and taking it all in. By the way, if you ARE ever near Acadia or Bar Harbor make sure you visit this GUY for the greatest LOBSTER of your life!

Well, there you have it – our adventures in Maine!  I know my family will agree that two weeks just wasn’t enough, but the experience we shared in Camden and Acadia we will treasure forever!

 

The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful

The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful- How goes the road trip 10 weeks in.

When we originally told people back home about the RV journey we were getting ready to embark upon, we received a range of reactions. We heard everything from, “That’s incredible, what an awesome experience you’ll create for your family” all the way to “You guy are nuts. Good luck!” Now looking at both extremes, they were clearly both right.

“So how has it been so far,” you ask, “like for reals?”

Well, I’ve broken it down in some stream of consciousness bullet points below grouped into the “good, the bad, and the beautiful.”

The Good:

  • Freedom from the incessant schedule. Don’t get me wrong, I still have to block out days for work appointments and coordinating with my team, but the madness of getting up early to get kids off to school all suited up with packed lunches has stopped temporarily. We get to wake up and enjoy each other. Jess will often teach them while I work. Sometimes when we stay up late, we just sleep in. Going with the flow is fun.
  • The conversations that spark up. So as we go to different parks, monuments, or places of historical significance, we’ll often read up on wherever we’re going in the car to get the background so we can boil it down for the girls. Everything from Harriet Tubman, to the Boston Tea Party, to the rise and fall of the Vanderbilt fortune has provided for some incredible family discussions. Only the inappropriate is off limits. Everything else is fair game. The Hutch Girls are becoming little “road scholars” at a young age. Also, when you get to hear the perspective of a 9-year old, you realize just how complicated we have made things.
  • Regular hiking and enjoying the outdoors. When your whole family is dwelling in a 41′ RV it becomes a common practice to enjoy the outdoors. On our way East we purposely navigated to some of our nation’s most beautiful natural treasures (Arches, Rocky Mountain, Badlands, and Acadia National Parks were among the most notable). Now that we’ve settled in the Northeast for a month we’ve made it a point to do things like the freedom walk through old Boston or riding bikes in Cape Cod. Not everyday can be on an adventure, but thankfully our campground for the month has an enormous pillow-like trampoline thing jutting out of the ground (see pic). I have to admit; I love bouncing around with the girls once I have my morning coffee. What a way to start the day.
  • New food. We’ve had really good luck finding hidden gems eating out, and we owe a lot of it to Yelp. This is a bit embarrassing, but I am an avid Yelper. So much so that they nominated me to be part of the Yelp Elite Squad. I don’t know what I did to qualify, but I decided a couple years ago that since I often used Yelp to make my own choices, I may as well give back and post. Anyway, it has helped us find everything from the freshest Maine seafood served in a plastic trough on a park bench to the most authentic Mexican food in Eastern Colorado while waiting for an impromptu RV tire change.
  • Old Town USA. In Southern California, an old neighborhood is a set of stucco track homes from the 70’s. That’s the 1970’s. Out East you often feel like you’re in a time warp while driving through little towns with the steeples and Victorian houses, or when you see a year stamped into the side of an ornate rustic brick building that starts with the number 18. It’s very cool to imagine the evolution from colonial America in these little towns as well as the old section of our modern metropolises.

The Bad:

  • RV maintenance. Right before we left when I was getting the generator fixed, I told the mechanic that we would probably save on living expenses residing in an RV. He just laughed at me. We’ve only been on the road just over two months and have had to fixed multiple things. We had the air brakes go out, changed a couple tires, the built in vacuum broke amongst other little odds and ends. It is a lot like a land yacht and “BOAT” does also stand for “Bust out another thousand.” With so many moving parts, it’s bound to happen. Hopefully the major stuff is behind us though. Fingers crossed.
  • Tight quarters. Well, we knew what we were getting into, the 5 of us sharing a bathroom and doing the do-se-do squeezing past each other in the sleeping quarters. But I have to say 10 weeks in, the space thing isn’t as bad as even I thought would be. Check with me in 10-more weeks and we’ll see if I change my tune. All I can say is “thank the Lord for pop-outs.” What a huge difference they make. I remember Jess telling me she thought I was overdoing it by getting a 41-footer, and that we just didn’t need something that big. How you like me now?
  • No babysitters…yet. What I underestimated, however, was being continually surrounded by these three, rambunctious, little, loud people that just won’t stop asking questions. Where do they get that from? Dads, I think we have to give moms across the nation credit for spending as much time as they do with our young. Of course we love them dearly, and after a long day of work we can’t wait to hang out with them before mom rushes them off to bed. “Hey, what’s the hurry?” I remember asking. Ok, I get it now. At this point I’m ready to try Craigslist, Care.com, anything for some alone time with my wife. She ain’t having it though. Something’s gotta’ give. Sitter suggestions anyone?
  • We miss the beach…the beach that’s way further South that is. So leaving in August and spending a lot of July prepping, we really didn’t get to enjoy much time at the beach before we left. We relished every stop that had a swimmable lake, and even a cool campground pool during those humid Midwestern summer days. We even jumped in the Atlantic Ocean and bodysurfed some small waves at the one sand beach in Acadia National Park in Maine. It was chilly but we got used to it rather quickly and were just happy to be frolicking in the surf.
  • The cold has just begun. The days of being able to throw on Rainbow Sandals to run outside and grab something are over. Now granted we’ll be slowly migrating South as Autumn turns to winter. But as we watch the leaves change around us, we’re not used to having to wear long pants every single day or even socks for that matter. I’m sure we’ll appreciate San Clemente that much more when we return.

The Beautiful

  • Seasons? What are those? So the clear benefit to giving up our perma-70-degree environment is something called Autumn. Wow! I remember seeing it in the Fall of 1994 when I lived for a brief stint in Concord, Hew Hampshire. It turns out I got out of dodge before Winter hit in December, and the same will prove to be true this time around. But we purposefully picked a central campground in Connecticut to use as a hub to bounce around the Northeast for our little Fall field trips. I’ve been carving up my work schedule and blocking and tackling so we can do 2-3 day trips per week around this pre-winter wonderland.
  • Stars. Jess loves the show Gilmore Girls, which is experiencing a bit of a revival with the new episodes on Netflix. Apparently the town is set in a fictitious town called “Stars Hollow” and that actually describes our campground setting perfectly. The campground itself is enveloped by tall trees that are just starting to turn, and our rig is parked in the middle of this huge clearing. So at night, it’s like we’re in an amphitheater of the constellations. The girls and I often bundle up and go out with an app called “Starlight” to identify the pictures in the sky. It’s cool because it shows all the stars but then draws a picture of what each constellation is depicting as you scroll across the different stars. Once we get a bearing on one, we can usually find some more.
  • Our nation’s treasures. Whether it’s Arches National park preserving some gorgeous oddities of nature or the decadent Guilded-Age mansions of Newport, Rhode Island, we’ve had a lot of moments of gratitude together as a family. Not just for having the opportunity to enjoy these times and places together, but also to be able to reside in this wondrous land with all its treasures. I’m continually reminded of Woodie Guthrie’s song “This Land Is Your Land.”

“As I went walking that ribbon of highway
I saw above me that endless skyway
Saw below me the golden valley
This land was made for you and me”

Regardless of what’s happening in your life or with your checkbook at the moment, please realize that just by living in the United States you really hit the human-being lottery. Undoubtedly, there are some of its natural and man-made treasures nearby for you to enjoy even if you can only carve out one day away. We hope to be an inspiration to many to do just that. Take just one day away and be grateful for where you are, what you can do, and who you can be right here in the US of A.

Happy Trails,

John “Hutch” Hutchinson

 

 

The First Month Flew By

We have officially been on the road for 6 weeks! You know how time seems to fly-by as you get older?  I don’t know what it is, but especially after you have kids, one minute they’re tiny newborns and your knee-deep in changing diapers and feedings and the next second you blink, and poof they’re fourth graders!  Well, except for maybe the first week on the road which I mentioned before was a little daunting, the last few weeks have gone by in warp speed.  That could also be because we have been going so far, so quickly to get to Maine by September to see the fall foliage.  Don’t get me wrong, we have been relishing and truly enjoying the moments.  Despite the fact that it’s still a little nerve-wrecking to drive this ginormous RV and her hitched buddy (I haven’t actually done any of the driving yet but man, has my husband gotten good at maneuvering them) we really are settling into life on the road.  Let me also say these Hutch girls are AMAZING! Their ability to adapt, stay positive, and just see the JOY and excitement in EVERYTHING is truly contagious. It reminds us how special this time is AND how thankful we are to God for the opportunities.

And now for the latest stops:  CHICAGO!!!!! Dear Lord, do I absolutely LOVE this city and this stop, after some fun in Wisconsin, was EXACTLY what we needed.  I have been to Chicago a couple of times and I was so excited to share the city with the girls.  First of all Chicago has a FANTASTIC place to park your RV, 5th Wheel, etc. right in the heart of the city for bus parking and for 35 bucks a night you can boondock (no electricity, water, or sewage) but we were able to pop out the RV and had lots of room.  It’s a great option if you are considering traveling in a coach with your family and want to visit Chicago.    Now having said that, we only actually slept one night of our five nights in the RV but were able to keep it there for our 6 day visit.  3 nights we stayed at a BEAUTIFUL hotel in the Gold Coast district and one night we were hosted by our awesome friends the Hillebolds!  There are so many things to do in Chicago we really could have stayed another week and been perfectly content.

But before I share more on that let me share the other fabulous thing about Chicago.  We got to see Grandma (John’s mom) and one of my closest friends, Christa, her husband Ryan, and our buddy Jeane.  It felt soooo good to see family and friends even for a short time.  Life on the road is so exciting but the social butterfly in me can get a little lonely, so hanging with my peeps and also spending time with new friends was fantastic! Some of the highlights:

  • We took the architectural boat tour with Grandma where you hear the history of all the buildings on the river.  It’s breathtaking and a must do if you’re in Chicago.
  • We visited the Sears Tower, sorry it’s now called the Willis Tower (Whachu talkin’ about, Willis?) but no one really calls it that. You can ride all the way up to the Observation Deck (the building is 108 stories) and look out from the 103rd floor extending glass balconies.  It really does make you feel like you are floating over the city.
  • We did the Untouchables Bus Tour a great 90 min that takes you around Chicago and shows you some of the landmarks from the Prohibition Era and the Gang Wars from the time.
  • The girls and I walked from our hotel to the Lincoln Park Zoo (free) and Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum the where the have a giant butterfly garden.
  • One warm evening we took the girls down to Millennium Park and the girls ran around in the giant fountain after we listened to Purple Rain which was playing the parks open theatre.
  • Of course, one of the highlights of the trip was seeing our friends for Pearl Jam at Wrigley Field. Grandma was able to watch the girls and John and I got out for some fun!  It was an incredible experience and something we will never forget!
  • We visited the Money Museum at the Federal Reserve Bank in the Financial District

There are lots of other things we did.  The city is so beautiful and has so many things to see and places to explore.  I know for example the highlight for D was to ride the L and for me really, just walking everywhere and anywhere made me happy.  Well, that and all the delicious food we ate including, of course, Chicago style pizza.

We could have stayed in Chicago for several weeks but we had to move on.  Again, we were on a fast track to Maine before it gets too cold.  Our next stop was Lake George which has one of the greatest privately owned RV Parks we’ve ever been too.  The area is gorgeous and so much fun and this campground has more to offer than any other we’ve been to.  Stay tuned for our next post on VERMONT and Maine!!!

This thing is REAL

Well, this thing is REAL. That’s for sure. We talked about it for so many years and planned it for the last 8 months, yet somehow the first few days seemed surreal. To be honest, I was so exhausted and emotional that I don’t remember much of those first few days at all. For the last 8 months everything had fallen into place: work, school, our house. Giant decision were easy. They took some work and lots of research but everything just seemed to flow. And then the end of July hit, and we seemed to hit bumps and glitches at every turn. I thought WHAT ARE WE DOING? Life is perfect, everything is perfect. The doubt started to creep in and I was losing faith that this was where we were supposed to be. But we pushed through, even though:
• The movers didn’t show
• The generator on the RV broke a week before we left
• The air breaks went out on our first night driving
We pushed through and dealt with it all in stride, then really starting to have fun. I think one of the best things so far about this trip is how much time we are spending TOGETHER. Which to be honest, seemed a little scary to me. 24 hours a day with my crazy crew with no breaks? Yet it has been wonderful to spend this time together. Yes, we have our moments of annoying each other but we have TIME now:
• Time to slow down and enjoy each other.
• Time to hear share all of our stories and perspectives (and there are a LOT of them between the 5 of us)
• Time to answer their gazillion questions instead of always feeling rushed.
Sometimes I will take one to help clean up or John will take the Curlies hiking, he and I will talk while we are driving and everyone is asleep. We are making it work, deepening our relationships, and we are working as a team which is priceless. The unity as a family we are starting to feel is precious and something I am truly grateful for.
The other thing I have done, which has made me very happy, is to start teaching the girls. After so many years of teaching 3rd and 4th grade, I’m thrilled to be doing what I love and sharing it with my girls. This has really filled me up and given me great purpose. Reading with them and teaching them as we go is a beautiful thing. I love hearing how smart and thoughtful they are about the things I’m teaching them and how they are applying it as we hike, walk, or even drive. It’s funny to see that their “school personalities” do not always match their “social personalities” and I’m thankful to see a whole new side to my girls. I am so proud to be their mommy AND their teacher.
The most stressful thing about this trip has been the learning curve on how to live in and drive the RV (which includes towing a car.) Holy wowzers has this been an undertaking. We knew it was going to be hard but the first week was some major learning. I will let John discuss that in greater detail but for me the unknown of “how does that work,” “how do you turn this on/off/,” or “when can we use that and when can we NOT use that???” We are definitely getting the hang of it, but I can only relate it to having a newborn and being a new parent. I feel like we are finally coming out of that newborn fog thinking, “Ok, yes, we can do this!”
At first we drove straight through California and Nevada to Utah where we ventured to Arches National Park. We stayed there for a couple days and got in some good, hot, hiking and then we were off to Rocky National Forest. We stayed there for 4 days which was great because it gave us a chance to finally get settled in and catch our breath. We had some beautiful hikes and spent a day just relaxing at one of the creeks by our campsite. Once of my favorite memories at RNP is that the girls earned their Jr. Ranger badges for Rocky. Let’s get this straight: it is not simple! You have to complete the entire Ranger book which teaches you all about the particular park, animals, and ecosystems. But, when you turn it in, the Ranger quizzes you on all the things you learned. It wasn’t easy but they did it and we were all super proud of them.
Next, it was off to Badlands National Park in South Dakota! We’ve had a great time here as well. One of the highlights has definitely been visiting Mount Rushmore National Memorial! I had heard mixed reviews but the girls were so excited to get there and when we finally did, well, it was truly breathtaking. We were in awe of the beauty and specialness of this great American site. They have done a great job of building a little hike around the mountain and have some great educational stops along the way to learn why and HOW this amazing site was built. We really fell in love with the surrounding area which is called Black Hills. We made a quick, but awesome, stop in Deadwood! I love Old West History and even though we arrived on a Sunday and couldn’t visit any of the museums, we stopped in at the old original Saloon 10, where Wild Bill Hickok was shot holding the infamous two pair of Aces and Eights. The town is really great and I highly recommend making a stop there.
Next we stopped for 3 nights in Plymouth and Kohler, Wisconsin where I spent my time homeschooling and John played amazing golf with some of our favorite buddies. Kohler is a GORGEOUS little town that I highly recommend visiting. The owner of Kohler faucets has reinvested a lot into this beautiful little village. I was able to go to the spa too and it was just the reset button I needed. Next stop is Chicago and I’m so excited to take the girls to one of my very favorite cities!!
I also wanted to say that we are so thankful to all of you for checking in on us; texting, calling, sending us messages! These and your good thoughts and prayers keep us going. We are truly grateful for all the support. We love you guys!
P.S.- If you haven’t seen it already, check out this YouTube compilation of our greatest moments of the first 14 days played to Tom Petty’s “Runnin Down a Dream,” our anthem of the trip so far:

Videos


or
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Utq6YvbPaI4

Dad’s Blog WWWWWH?

Who – Who is the Hutchinson family a.k.a. “Team Hutch?” Two 43 year-olds, Jessica and John (or “Hutch”), twin 9 year-old girls and their 8 year-old little sister.

  • Yes, it does seem like we have triplets sometimes.
  • Yes, we do have our hands full, and our work cut out for us.
  • Yes, as the only male in the family I’m a little afraid of the hormonal imbalance looming a few years out.

Other than that we are obviously all in love with life, up for adventure, and everyone is really comfortable expressing themselves in this family. That’s what happens when two extroverts have offspring. It can get pretty noisy wherever Team Hutch ends up.

What – What we are referring to by “Hutch Adventures?” Right now we’re talking about is a 10-12 month road trip around the US in a 40′ Diesel Pusher. Click here to check out our rig. Also, Hutch Adventures may continue to evolve as we do.

Why – “Why not” is more like it. Actually, long ago my wife and I discussed going around the USA in an RV “with our kids” before we even had kids. We even were so specific to say that the ideal time would be when our oldest kid was going into 4th grade. Careful what you put out into the universe, right?

The dream didn’t die, but life just kept getting busier and busier, and we eventually just stopped talking about it. Around Thanksgiving of 2015 I floated the idea back by Jess thinking she might not be into it anymore. Boy, was I wrong. She lit up at the prospect, and we both got really excited over that holiday weekend speculating about what could be. Hope was alive again.

We couldn’t fully commit on the spot because we needed to clear it by some key people. First of all, my business partner would need to support me working remotely, and only flying back a handful of times. Also, we needed to run it by our kids’ principal to make sure they could all get back into their amazing school without missing a beat. Needless to say, everything worked out on all fronts, so it was all systems go!

Honestly the main reason why is simply because life has been moving too darned fast, and time is just flying by. You take out the trash on Thursday and keep running through the rat maze. Next thing you know the trash man is back and It’s Thursday again. I remember someone telling me when the girls were babies, “Hutch, don’t blink.” These kids are growing up right before our eyes, and we decided that it’s time to grab our time back, and slow things down. When you’re driving a 40’ RV, everything seems to take a little longer and move a little slower. We’re definitely looking forward to it for the next 10 months!

When – We’re leaving July 30th, 2016 until at least June 1, 2017. We’ve toyed with the idea of going up the West Coast throughout the summer of 2017, even as far as Alaska possibly. We’ll see how it goes. First thing’s first.

Where – Around a lot of the US. From previous road trips that we have taken the last 2 summers, my kids have actually already been to every state in the West except for Colorado and New Mexico. We plan to hit those two throughout the trip.

Long story short, here’s our tentative itinerary:

  • We’re going coast to coast in the first 5 weeks via Arches, Rocky Mountain National Park, Mt. Rushmore, Badlands, Whistling Straights golf complex, Chicago, Cleveland, Niagra Falls, Vermont, New Hampshire, and eventually Maine
  • Enjoying Maine and Acadia National Park for much of September
  • Hanging around the Northeast throughout Fall Foliage
  • Halloween with our friends in New York
  • Zig-Zagging slowly south between the Appalachians and the Atlantic as the weather dictates during Nov-Dec
  • Jan and Feb all around Florida
  • Crawl back up into the South during March
  • Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado in April-May
  • Maybe continuing up and down the California-Oregon Coast in June and July
  • Kids go back to school in August all the wiser.

How – Many have asked us how we’re able to do this logistically with our careers. Well, Jessica is a 4th grade teacher by trade. So it’s actually perfect the fact that we have twins going into 4th grade. We’ll lose the income and benefits that her job contributes, but this experience will be invaluable.

I am fortunate to be part owner in a company where we show people how to build their own banks using overfunded life-insurance. The motto of www.BankingTruths.com is “Don’t do what banks say, do what they do” because the two biggest banks in America have invested over 30 Billion Dollars of their Tier-1 Capital into overfunded life insurance policies. Thankfully, we already work with clients remotely all over the country using GotoMeeting. Being the freedom junkie that I am, we’ve already been making a big push with technology to automate our systems. In preparation for this trip, I’ve also created a collection of online video and blog content that people can digest at their leisure, reducing the need for my direct involvement until my expertise for plan personalization is desired. I have my business partner manning our brick and mortar office in San Clemente, and I can always patch in via GotoMeeting on the road. I also plan to rent office space by the day wherever I may be when I need to hunker down and focus.

There’s a good chance I may grow my business while on the road by meeting people I wouldn’t have otherwise met, but that’s not the purpose of this trip. As stated before, we’re looking to slow down the tempo of life, meet new people, and explore our great country. The experiences we’ll create as a family will be cherished for life

-Hutch

 

THE reasons

When John “Hutch” and I got married almost 13 years ago we both LOVED to travel.  We had done it separately in our 20’s and then together after we were 26.  We were both passionate about it.  I hope John will write  a book about his experiences some day.  He loves to be on the road.  I call him “Traveling John.” He is in his element and the possibility of adventure lights him up.  Me? Well, I grew up in the most beautiful little city in the world, a block away from the ocean.  What else could a kid want?  Raised by a single mom I realized later we could never afford to travel anywhere but living where we did, we didn’t need to.  In middle school my mom and I took a trip to Vegas, back when you had to dress up to go anywhere.  I couldn’t believe there was so much to see.  In high school I visited colleges with my best friends and then at UCLA I went to Mexico and Europe.  There was a WHOLE WORLD out there for me to experience and I was blessed to have the opportunities to see it.

Then John and I started dating and road trips were the greatest times of our lives.  I have albums full of all the places we have been and I am thankful that God blessed me with a partner who lead us through so many adventures.  John has been to 49 states and only needs Alaska to have seen them all.  After we were married I took a part time job with the U.S. Dept. of Ed and traveled around the states and I think it was around this time that we came up with THE IDEA.

“Wouldn’t it be cool if ‘someday,’ after we had kids we traveled around the United States with them in an RV?”  We talked about it so many times.  Since I’m a 4th grade teacher I could home school them.  We could show them how amazing the country they live in, is.

And then life happened.  We got pregnant with twins.  Our beautiful miracles and then a year later, SURPRISE, pregnant with another amazing little girl.  We were in the depths of parenthood for many years.  3 bottles, diaper changes x3, and nap schedules.  But when our baby turned one we rented an RV and did a 10 trip up the coast.  We.  Were. Back.  At least for 10 days and little by little as they’ve gotten older we have traveled more and more with them. We’ve done several trips to Sedona and 2 weeks to Hawaii when they were 6, 6, and 4.  Then a 2 1/2  week driving trip up the coast to Seattle and back.  Then a 3 week trip to Utah, Wyoming, and Montana and back and several trips to Mexico City to visit my family.  These girls are AMAZING!!  Yes, they get annoying.  Yes, they fight.  And COMPLAIN.  But they also LIGHT UP  when they’re traveling and love each other and us so much.  We have so much fun on our trips.  We laugh, giggle, and learn, and we always have inside jokes and stories we love to share when we get home.  They have all 3 inherited their parents’ love of adventure

So, this year we had several things happen that got us to revisit THE IDEA. One, I have been sharing a contract at my school and my partner was going back to work full time so I needed to find a new partner or go back to work full time.  Our lease was up and we needed to decide if we were going to renew or buy a new home.  So many questions to answer and then the old idea kept creeping back….. what if we went on the road for a year.  Well, long story short, thanks to our friends Christa and Ryan and one fun dinner night with our 6 girls, we started to really consider doing this.  And so things started falling into place.

We’ve decide to leave our wonderful little neighborhood, I will home school the girls who will be in 4th, 4th, and 3rd (my favorite grade levels to teach.)  John will run his business from the road and don’t worry, we will be back in a year.  In the last 4 months since we’ve made this decision we have had so much support.  We are thankful to our family and friends who at every step have said, “Yes! Do this!”

The QUESTIONS

The last few months have been a whirlwind.  So many questions to answers, so many things to figure out.  Should we get an RV or a 5th wheel?  Where should we get a storage unit? How much is it?  But slowly,  little by little we have been answering all these questions. I’m not going to lie and say there haven’t been nights that I wake up thinking, “WHAT ARE WE DOING?” But most days I picture us, driving on the open road, in our new home, off to a new destination, and it fills me with joy and excitement.  So for now, here are the things we know.

WHEN ARE YOU LEAVING?

Sometime towards the end of July.  We live in the best place to spend summer so the idea is to enjoy our summer here and be back around the same time next year.

ARE YOU CAMPING THE WHOLE TIME?

We have purchased our beautiful RV with the idea that most of the time on the road will be spent living in it.  However, we are towing a car because there will be times when we plan on staying in hotels or VRBOs.  In big cities, such as Chicago, Boston, New York, and Washington DC we will most likely store the rig to explore.

DO YOU HAVE EVERYTHING MAPPED OUT?

NO. We are leaving in late July off to Utah, then Colorado.  We will stay in South Dakota to see Mount Rushmore and then we will cruise through different stops in August to get to Maine before it gets cold and through the northeast for the fall foliage.  We really want to see the leaves and the colors we’ve heard so much about and spend time at John “Hutch’s” family’s cabin.  We will also be cruising through Boston in September to hang with my best friend and college roommate Sun and her awesome crew and we are planning to spend Halloween in New York with Aimee and her family.  We will then zig-zag our way through the Appalachian mountains and the Atlantic Coast as winter progresses.  Eventually, all the way down to the Florida Keys.  That’s pretty much as far as we’ve gotten.  We will keep you posted as plans are unfolding.  We would love for friends and family to meet us along the way.

ARE YOU GOING TO HOME SCHOOL THE KIDS?

YES. I will be leaving my position at Kinoshita and taking a leave of absence from my job.  I have been at Kino for 16 years and that will be a very emotional good bye for me.  As most of you know I teach 4th grade and the twins will be in 4th grade next year.  So, we thought it would be a perfect time for me to home school them.  Our “baby” will be in 3rd grade, which I have also taught, so while the idea of teaching my own kids frightens me – I know at least, I’ve got the curriculum part down.

IS JOHN TAKING TIME OFF FROM HIS BUSINESS?

NO.  If you know my husband you know he is passionate about his business and he will continue to work from the road.  He has clients and colleagues all over the country and will often fly home to see clients and his business partner Ben.  Ben will maintain the office and activity in SC.  It’s because of his hard work and ability to help clients wherever he is that we are fortunate enough to take this trip.