The exact date of when we decided to chase the RV lifestyle eludes me - though I can look back over the past 20 years - and the reason ‘why’ is explicitly clear.

Brandon (AKA B from this point forward) and I met 24 years ago, while working at Applebee's (sexy I know). If you’ve ever seen the movie Waiting, I would compare my (then) future husband’s personality to that of Ryan Reynold’s character; outgoing, humorous, goofy to a fault, and extremely handsome. I was the younger, quiet, shy ballerina with a crush on the young man who reenacted Mr. Peepers on top of the bar after closing time. I’ll save you the young love details, but I will hold claim to our first kiss being behind the dumpster during a ‘smoke break’ (ironically, neither of us smoked). 

After the dating turned to commitment, I explained that I could never be in a relationship with anyone in the military. Having grown up with an F-14 pilot father and Captain of the Blue Angels grandfather - I had an extreme respect for our men and women serving - though the deployments and time away from family was a lifestyle I did not wish to experience again. Well, as the saying goes “Tell God your plan, and you’re sure to make him laugh.”

While visiting me at the University of Utah, we were out for a walk, when B casually asked “What would you do if I joined the Navy?” 

I just giggled cautiously, then turned around to see why he had stopped walking. 

“I already signed the papers” he said. “If I am going to keep a quality woman like you, I need to do something with my life.”

Long story short; I married him and had his babies. 

So what does this have to do with RVing? 

Stay with me… 

After seven years of military service, marriage and two beautiful children - you can sprinkle in the typical good, bad and ugly that life threw our way - graduations, degrees, corporate careers, promotions, entrepreneurship, world travel, lay-offs, debt, a cancer diagnosis and various surgeries. 

The days with young children were long, but the years have flown by. 

I had been ‘let go’ from my position as a Financial Analyst in 2019, which drove us to downsize from 2,500 sq ft to 1,500 sq ft in order to give our family more room for travel and experiences. Little did we know that this dangled carrot of simplicity would lead to something more. 

2020 brought us all to our knees for various reasons. I hit my breaking point last July, when the kids had been home full-time from the never-ending Spring Break. I could now add “Circus Director” to my resume. Primary responsibilities have included a sick mixture of IT support, tutoring, mac and cheese extraordinaire, and one that no longer cares about wearing a bra in front of 2nd and 3rd grade zoom meetings. 

So, last August, we purchased our first Travel Trailer. As the wife who NEVER camped, B was shocked that I even suggested it. He didn’t fight me and practically ran to the dealership when our model became available. Kids initially cried, imagining the stereotype of “trailer park living”. FYI - I was dumbfounded to realize a TT ‘slide’ did not equate to a vertical projectile found at our neighborhood park. Mind. Blown. We’ve all come a long way since then.

Fast forward, a half dozen weekend warrior trips later, and we are completely hooked. Campground departure day is a bit depressing, we get better sleep while on the road, connect with each other, disconnect with technology, and experience the beauty God created (outside AND inside our new home on wheels). It makes my mom heart happy, to see our kids make new friends, bring them over to play, and run around campgrounds exploring and skinning their knees (without masks for the most part).

Anyone who has spent more than 5 minutes with me, knows that following rules isn’t my strength. So, after a year of “doing our best” with pandemic stipulations... we are taking our power back, getting rid of our house and most of our belongings, and hitting the road for at least 6 months starting February 15th, 2021!

Who knows what the future holds - but the next 6 months will be the beginning of a beautiful book with colorful and adventurous chapters for our family! Or, maybe we’ll want to kill each other after a few weeks on the road and will head home to show up on my parent’s doorstep unannounced. In that case, this blog shall end abruptly, and you shall know why.

Laugh with us, cry with us, and please follow us. 

See you on the road!

Cheers, 
Cara Holmes