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| 5 hour snow shoe adventure |
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| Morgan and Doug fishing in March |
Sunday, March 27, 2011
She has a name!
We have finally named our airstream, yes please be proud, it was a very hard thing to do. Morgan and I both had not come up with a name worthy enough for our airstream. We have started calling ourselves "trailer class" (only because Morgan didn't enjoy me calling us trailer trash). Yet a name for the little beaut just had not come upon us....
We were sitting in my parents loft talking and watching basketball when we both completed the sentence my father says most to us... live in the moment... All the sudden it hit us! We could name her nothing but "The Moment". This way every time my dad calls and asks us if we are living in the moment, we can always respond with no doubt that we are!
We were sitting in my parents loft talking and watching basketball when we both completed the sentence my father says most to us... live in the moment... All the sudden it hit us! We could name her nothing but "The Moment". This way every time my dad calls and asks us if we are living in the moment, we can always respond with no doubt that we are!
With that said, here are some long due pictures of "The Moment".
A step back
As news of our journey spreads, there seem to be a few common threads across all reactions. Family is the most worried; about finances, logistics, and safety. "I dont mean to offend you, or cross any lines, but can you afford this?", or "How is this really going to work", to "I think it would be wise to wait another day for the roads to improve." Strangers profess their jealousy and desire to attempt something similar themselves. But aside from family and strangers, most responses go something like this... "Wow. 6 months? Where are you going to go? That sounds so fun, but where did this come from?" Some say it fits, and others would never have picked us to set out on this trip. And so I thought I would take a step back and explain exactly where this came from.
I was blessed with parents who instilled in me a wonderful balance of adventure with caution. My mom boldly crosses police lines and walks straight up to Air Force One and asks if we can take a private tour. And my dad, whom we affectionately call Carl (another story), goes by the book and makes sure I remember to buckle up because safety never takes a vacation. And so formed a wild at heart little kid, who started planning for retirement before I enrolled in college. In fact I remember my dad telling me when I was young that if I saved $100 a month from that day until I was 40 I would have a million dollars, and so I set up to save save save. I started MoJo's golf balls, a company that sold golf balls lost on the golf course with my best friend Josh when I was in 4th grade. From that day until Feb 25th, 2011, I pretty much always had some sort of job.
But what never went away was that desire to adventure. I found myself a confused mix of planning and spontaneity, always wanting to take that leap, but having to know where I could land, safely. I could have cut loose from the norm after high school, but I would have spent about 3 weeks independently before having to sheepishly call my parents and ask if I could move back in because I was dead broke. Then after college I was going to go be a ski bum, take some time to myself, and then enter the real world. However God had some other plans. I met this girl, and she was living in Denver, 3 hours from where my bum life was to take place. To make matters worse, during my "test the waters" job hunt, I suddenly came to the conclusion that to get a job, I needed experience, and not experience as a ski tech. If I took a break from life now how far would it set me back? Would I ever be able to get a job.
Okay, so maybe I work for a 2 years, get some experience, and THEN have my adventure. My resume would be filled with experience, and it would be cake getting a job when I was ready to return to reality.
And finally the worlds economy decided to plummet. Fox News kept telling me that EVERYONE was unemployed. People with 500 years of experience were being turned down from the fry line at McD's. And so went my experience plan, I was never going to get to cut loose from the death grip of life.
So there I was, sitting in a grey cube, everyday, crunching and analyzing numbers, wondering what good this experience was doing me. Cels was managing a restaurant, again a good job, but nothing she had dreamt of doing. Not that we didnt like our jobs, but I knew I didnt want to be a fund analyst for the rest of my life. I started looking for a way out. I applied to some jobs that I thought were better, but all I found was more of the same. One thing I do have is an unquenchable, sometimes annoying thirst to learn more.
I started reading up on grad school. It was something I had always talked about but those plans were coming to fruition about as quickly as my plans to cut free from life. Unfortunately, grad schools dont admit people straight off a 6 month adventure at the beach and it began to look like i would go straight from school, to work, back to school, and then again back to work. Then came my revelation. If I apply to grad school, I could be admitted as early as February, and then not have to report to school until August. They would never know I wasnt still sitting in my cube everyday, crunching all those numbers.
I had found it, an adventure with a safe landing. And even better I had a wife that was not only willing but excited to accompany me on my path to being a gypsy. We can go straight from school to a job when my degree will have its highest value, and we can cut free for a bit.
So can we afford it? Kinda. Is it scary? Oh Hell Yes! Do we have all the logistics figured out? Not even close. But is it something I have been dreaming about since I was twelve? Yup.
Thats where this all came from.
I was blessed with parents who instilled in me a wonderful balance of adventure with caution. My mom boldly crosses police lines and walks straight up to Air Force One and asks if we can take a private tour. And my dad, whom we affectionately call Carl (another story), goes by the book and makes sure I remember to buckle up because safety never takes a vacation. And so formed a wild at heart little kid, who started planning for retirement before I enrolled in college. In fact I remember my dad telling me when I was young that if I saved $100 a month from that day until I was 40 I would have a million dollars, and so I set up to save save save. I started MoJo's golf balls, a company that sold golf balls lost on the golf course with my best friend Josh when I was in 4th grade. From that day until Feb 25th, 2011, I pretty much always had some sort of job.
But what never went away was that desire to adventure. I found myself a confused mix of planning and spontaneity, always wanting to take that leap, but having to know where I could land, safely. I could have cut loose from the norm after high school, but I would have spent about 3 weeks independently before having to sheepishly call my parents and ask if I could move back in because I was dead broke. Then after college I was going to go be a ski bum, take some time to myself, and then enter the real world. However God had some other plans. I met this girl, and she was living in Denver, 3 hours from where my bum life was to take place. To make matters worse, during my "test the waters" job hunt, I suddenly came to the conclusion that to get a job, I needed experience, and not experience as a ski tech. If I took a break from life now how far would it set me back? Would I ever be able to get a job.
Okay, so maybe I work for a 2 years, get some experience, and THEN have my adventure. My resume would be filled with experience, and it would be cake getting a job when I was ready to return to reality.
And finally the worlds economy decided to plummet. Fox News kept telling me that EVERYONE was unemployed. People with 500 years of experience were being turned down from the fry line at McD's. And so went my experience plan, I was never going to get to cut loose from the death grip of life.
So there I was, sitting in a grey cube, everyday, crunching and analyzing numbers, wondering what good this experience was doing me. Cels was managing a restaurant, again a good job, but nothing she had dreamt of doing. Not that we didnt like our jobs, but I knew I didnt want to be a fund analyst for the rest of my life. I started looking for a way out. I applied to some jobs that I thought were better, but all I found was more of the same. One thing I do have is an unquenchable, sometimes annoying thirst to learn more.
I started reading up on grad school. It was something I had always talked about but those plans were coming to fruition about as quickly as my plans to cut free from life. Unfortunately, grad schools dont admit people straight off a 6 month adventure at the beach and it began to look like i would go straight from school, to work, back to school, and then again back to work. Then came my revelation. If I apply to grad school, I could be admitted as early as February, and then not have to report to school until August. They would never know I wasnt still sitting in my cube everyday, crunching all those numbers.
I had found it, an adventure with a safe landing. And even better I had a wife that was not only willing but excited to accompany me on my path to being a gypsy. We can go straight from school to a job when my degree will have its highest value, and we can cut free for a bit.
So can we afford it? Kinda. Is it scary? Oh Hell Yes! Do we have all the logistics figured out? Not even close. But is it something I have been dreaming about since I was twelve? Yup.
Thats where this all came from.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
We Are Coming Into Town
Hey guys,
We will be in Littleton this coming weekend, so come hang out with us one last time before we are off for good! We are doing dinner at Merle's on Saturday March 26th at 7:00 P.M. Please give one of us a call if you are planning on stopping by so that we can know how many to get a table for. If weather permits maybe we will do a fire at my parents afterwards! We would love to see you all!!!!
The Browns
We will be in Littleton this coming weekend, so come hang out with us one last time before we are off for good! We are doing dinner at Merle's on Saturday March 26th at 7:00 P.M. Please give one of us a call if you are planning on stopping by so that we can know how many to get a table for. If weather permits maybe we will do a fire at my parents afterwards! We would love to see you all!!!!
The Browns
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Breckenridge
After a few extra days in Littleton prepping our airstream, and nursing a sick husband back to health, we finally made it to Breckenridge, CO on March 10th. Our time here so far has been great, and we are getting good at this whole "trailer living thing". We have not quite ventured to try our water systems yet, meaning there are many mid night walks to the facility bathrooms. I am getting good at doing dishes in a bowl with water boiled on our stove, and paper plates are my new best friend! Besides the water situation our place is starting to feel like home! Morgan and I wake up sweating most nights because I anticipated cold, which we really have not had.
We have had many beautiful sunny Colorado ski days, and unfortunately are starting to get the unwanted goggle tan (even with lots of sunscreen). I would say that Morgan and I are feeling very comfortable in our ski's and are starting to push ourselves to the next level. It's fun to watch Morgan as he has turned into an entirely different skier. Snow shoeing has been quite the adventure as the warm sun has melted the snow causing many different "sinking" experiences. We have had many laughs over one or the other getting stuck. Today we went on a 5 hour snow shoe adventure, and I truly thought I might not make it out before dark. After pushing through, we made it and it was oh so glorious to see our truck! Maybe we will take it a little lighter on our next adventure out.
Relaxation has truly hit, and we are both just "enjoying the moment" as my father advised us to do numerous times! Our evening pass times have consisted of board games, television (a new introduction in our lives), and hangin with Doug, Lind's, and their Frisco friends.
We will be back in Littleton for a few days starting Friday the 25th, so if you are free we want to see you!!!
oh and thanks for putting up with my horrible writing skills/ lack of voice. I promise to make Morgan write the majority of these! Also, pictures to come, but our computer is down and we are having to use the library computer for now.
So long for now!
We have had many beautiful sunny Colorado ski days, and unfortunately are starting to get the unwanted goggle tan (even with lots of sunscreen). I would say that Morgan and I are feeling very comfortable in our ski's and are starting to push ourselves to the next level. It's fun to watch Morgan as he has turned into an entirely different skier. Snow shoeing has been quite the adventure as the warm sun has melted the snow causing many different "sinking" experiences. We have had many laughs over one or the other getting stuck. Today we went on a 5 hour snow shoe adventure, and I truly thought I might not make it out before dark. After pushing through, we made it and it was oh so glorious to see our truck! Maybe we will take it a little lighter on our next adventure out.
Relaxation has truly hit, and we are both just "enjoying the moment" as my father advised us to do numerous times! Our evening pass times have consisted of board games, television (a new introduction in our lives), and hangin with Doug, Lind's, and their Frisco friends.
We will be back in Littleton for a few days starting Friday the 25th, so if you are free we want to see you!!!
oh and thanks for putting up with my horrible writing skills/ lack of voice. I promise to make Morgan write the majority of these! Also, pictures to come, but our computer is down and we are having to use the library computer for now.
So long for now!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Bon Voyage
After returning home from Steamboat, Morgan and I cleaned, repaired and packed the airstream so that we could set off on our adventure! Morgan learned how to make screens and fix out plumbing, while I scrubbed every surface of our new home.
After a long day of work, we headed off to Merle's to get some grub. Much to my surprise, there was a Bon Voyage Party awaiting us! Thank you to everyone who came, it was great seeing you all!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
The first of many...
And so its done. The first, and easily most luxurious, stage of our adventure has already drawn to a close. Although I am not sure that living in 4 star accommodations with maid service, king size beds, hot tub, steam room, and ski in ski out location was the wisest place to begin before tromping from state park to rv park across the nation in 220 square feet enclosed aluminum tube. Shoot we even had heat, carpet, and glassware! But oh man what a relaxing start.
While there were a few adventures worth sharing with the world, there is one in particular I wish i could have better documented. I promised many of you a weekly section in the blog with a picture of the most redneck, white trash, hillbilly individual I ran into that week. Unfortunately, staying slope side and hot tubing with the rich and famous tends to put a damper on finding someone with a monster truck tattooed between their shoulder blades. However, we did come across something nearly as rare: The National Brotherhood of Skiers. Over 1,200 members descended on Steamboat for the 2011 NBS summit and it was easily the best thing to ever happen to an uptight hoity toity ski town. Steamboat suddenly lost its "old sleepy" personality and came alive with SOUL! Countless numbers of scrapbook worthy ski getups cascaded down the hill, and for the first time in my memory I was a minority on the slopes.
Aside from a few near death experiences in the backcountry with Doug, and some extreme sledding with a toddler and her entourage, it was an otherwise fairly calm week. And thankfully so, as we are in a little "transition" phase when it comes to health insurance.
With Celsey's dad (David) still cooped up with a broken leg, and an almost 2 year old (Naomi) demanding the attention of whoever she could, we spent the rest of our time soaking up family for one last time before waving goodbye. I am ashamed to admit, but against my wishes, and on more than one occasion, the tv MAY have been changed from baseball to Barney.
So now its off to work on the Airstream. Celsey is busy cleaning and nesting in our home on wheels and I am doing my best to make sure everything from the stereo down to the pooper are in living and working condition. If all goes as planned and the weather cooperates we should be pulling out by Tuesday for our first temporary home! If you find yourself in Breck give us a call and come grab a hot beverage (if we really like you an alcoholic one at that!) in our very own portable dwelling!!
While there were a few adventures worth sharing with the world, there is one in particular I wish i could have better documented. I promised many of you a weekly section in the blog with a picture of the most redneck, white trash, hillbilly individual I ran into that week. Unfortunately, staying slope side and hot tubing with the rich and famous tends to put a damper on finding someone with a monster truck tattooed between their shoulder blades. However, we did come across something nearly as rare: The National Brotherhood of Skiers. Over 1,200 members descended on Steamboat for the 2011 NBS summit and it was easily the best thing to ever happen to an uptight hoity toity ski town. Steamboat suddenly lost its "old sleepy" personality and came alive with SOUL! Countless numbers of scrapbook worthy ski getups cascaded down the hill, and for the first time in my memory I was a minority on the slopes.
Aside from a few near death experiences in the backcountry with Doug, and some extreme sledding with a toddler and her entourage, it was an otherwise fairly calm week. And thankfully so, as we are in a little "transition" phase when it comes to health insurance.
With Celsey's dad (David) still cooped up with a broken leg, and an almost 2 year old (Naomi) demanding the attention of whoever she could, we spent the rest of our time soaking up family for one last time before waving goodbye. I am ashamed to admit, but against my wishes, and on more than one occasion, the tv MAY have been changed from baseball to Barney.
So now its off to work on the Airstream. Celsey is busy cleaning and nesting in our home on wheels and I am doing my best to make sure everything from the stereo down to the pooper are in living and working condition. If all goes as planned and the weather cooperates we should be pulling out by Tuesday for our first temporary home! If you find yourself in Breck give us a call and come grab a hot beverage (if we really like you an alcoholic one at that!) in our very own portable dwelling!!
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Steamboat, the start to our adventure!
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| Naomi's First Sledding Adventure |
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| She is Finally Getting Hair! |
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| Precious Time with Naomi Lynn |
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