Planning the Adventure...

Last fall, Tom and I planned a trip to see family in NW Indiana.  My mother is fighting Stage 4 Metastatic Breast Cancer, so it was more than just a trip to see family.  It was a trip to spend as much time with my parents as possible...to help bear the burdens of a hideous disease...and to allow our kids to build lasting memories.  But, it isn't easy to pick up and leave town when you run a small business, drive carpools, teach numerous classes a week, etc.  Work needed to be delegated, substitute teachers and substitute drivers had to be lined up.  Driving north, my shoulders were in knots, thinking of all I was leaving (and what would accumulate while I was away) and thinking of the needs I was driving to.  I was positively exhausted from the stress of it all.  Trying to stay on schedule, I passed every car that wasn't at or slightly above the speed limit.  As I passed a large RV, I happened to glance up at the driver.  He was an older gentleman and he looked serene.  He looked genuinely happy.  He looked as if he didn't have a care in the world. 

As I drove, I continued to think about the RV man.  What would it be like to get out of the rat race?  What would it be like to go to sleep when you're sleepy and wake up when you're well rested?  What would it be like to drink your morning coffee, not as a drug to stay awake, but as a treat while you watch the sun rise over a mountain top or listen to the birds sing?  What would it be like to take a morning hike, then snuggle up with your kids and read a book?  What kind of people would you meet along the way?  What kind of people could you help?  Could leaving the rat race become a new way of life?  Could living very simply create an atmosphere where moms could really be the moms they want to be (and dads could be the dads they want to be)?  Could thoughtful, meaningful conversations take place, rather than the "are your ballet shoes in your bag?", "Did you bring two sharpened pencils?", "Tuck in your shirt before we go inside." conversations that become the daily norm?  It was leading me to ask a lot of questions and it was sounding more and more wonderful as I thought about it.  So, I turned to Tom and said, "You know what we should do?  We should sell our house, buy an RV, and hit the road."  He thought quietly for about 2 minutes and said, "Let's do it!" 

Ever since that conversation, we've been researching.  We've met hundreds of families on the road via their blogs, facebook, etc.  We've learned all about the kinds of rigs you can buy. We've learned about domicile laws, boondocking, RV jobs, towing vehicles, memberships and more.  And, along the way, we've wondered if our day dreams were actually a mid-life crisis.  We've wondered if we were just getting lazy and trying to escape.  So, we've prayed and asked those who know us best and in the end, we feel this is something that God has actually put in our heads.  We feel that He is leading us to do this...quite possibly for reasons we don't even know yet.  We feel it will allow us to work through eight years of struggle, frustration, fear and pain...together.  And, we are fully aware that it won't be all serene and carefree.  After all, even the man in the RV I passed has to maintain his rig, pay the insurance, find hook-ups and maneuver through traffic.  But, we definitely feel God's leading in this and know that He will not abandon us when I knock the air conditioner off the RV's roof. 

To give you an example of the "confirmations" we've experienced, I'll share one.  On a particularly frustrating commute one morning, I discovered that one of the main roads that I needed to take to get to work was closed.  I had to take a detour.  I didn't know how far this detour would wind.  I didn't know if I'd get to work on time for classes.  I was not happy.  I began to daydream about not commuting...in an RV.  I began to pray about it.  I asked God, "Am I just trying to run away from stress?  Am I being irresponsible?  Could I just ask You to give me a sign that this is from You and not just me?  As I finished that prayer, I reached the top of a small hill where I could see a little church.  The church's sign had this saying on it: "Are you ignoring God's detour for your life?"  Just below the sign, an RV was sitting with a "for sale" sign in the window.  My jaw hit the floor board (or seemed to anyway).  Each time I have doubted, I have had experiences like this that continue to make me think that this is what God wants...for whatever reason.  Tom has had similar confirmations...and even the kids have shared similar happenings.

So, we've taken the first step.  Our house is for sale.  I've been granted permission to take a "leave" from The Music Playhouse and as soon as everything is in place, we will hit the road.  We hope that you will follow our blog and see what kind of adventure this ends up being.  And, if you know us, I'm sure you are eagerly anticipating hearing about our escapades and near-misses.  It seems there is never a dull moment with The Hoffman 5.