Square Peg dreams

Ahhh the American Dream! Keeping up with those Jones', the house in suburbia, 1.5 children, the job with benefits and a retirement account....

And maybe a bit of "rat race" and consumerism thrown in there for good measure.

It might be my issues with authority and conformity, or maybe the base lies in my general disdain for doing what is expected of me, but the above doesn't seem to hold the pull for me that is expected.

So, we homeschool our kids, and any career I might have is pretty much on hold. We have chickens and ducks in the back yard. We have a rotating cast of furry critters that we foster. We place creativity over information regurgitation. We spend our money more on activities ( Zoo pass! Museum Pass! Piano Lessons!) than stuff. My kids have no idea that the Nick/Disney tween programs even exist let alone do they care to watch them. We are not exactly fashion forward. My children are decidedly themselves, and maybe a little quirky, and most likely very square pegs. And thats fine with me.

On Matt and my bucket list was building a "Skoolie". This is a old school bus turned into a camper that would allow us to travel and explore, taking advantage of the fact that Matt can do his job anywhere and school is flexible. Through the course of conversation, we have decided that there is no time like the present. Might as well add another punch to the Quirky card.




Through all the research I have done ( and if you know me at all, you know that there is a lot!) I have discovered that we are really not so odd after all. There are all kinds of families who consider themselves "Fulltimers". They have sold all the crap that they owned (and owned them!) and chosen a life that is sustainable with a smaller income giving more space for things that matter, like time with family, adventure and learning new things.

Now that is commitment!

We are not quite to the "sell all our crap" stage, but we are in line with the thinking that we don't just want to be a family who life happens to. I don't want my kids to think that a bigger, fancier home leads to more happiness. I want to do adventure as a family way of life. I want them to understand that learning isn't a school thing, but a life journey. I have such respect for families who make the choice to go all in.

Don't be surprised that if in the next 24 months you see pictures of an airstream/school bus that we are building out. Its ok to think we are a little crazy, we don't mind, and you won't be the first or last.