Here we go...

So…we are finally on our way! It is hard to believe that after all our planning and preparing; we have finally left home and are beginning our adventure. It was a very strange feeling to be leaving home for such a long journey and all of us were feeling a little overwhelmed as we finally locked up the house and got into the van to pull out of the driveway. Before leaving, the boys decided to kiss the house goodbye – it was a little emotional and we took advantage of the opportunity to take a unique picture of Day 1! After leaving home last night, we had an eventful start to the journey, with a very snowy drive from Newmarket to Brantford. Thankfully, even with a blizzard and very poor lane markings, the trailer handled well and we arrived to Kim and Kevin’s to a wonderful “speedy” dinner!

The last few weeks have been a little surreal. Two weeks ago, we spent a weekend at Shawn’s grandmother’s picking up the trailer and saying farewell. While we there, with the trailer still warmly tucked away in the barn, we were able to do some last minute upgrades and installed some shelving for our books, as well as some hooks in the kitchen and bathroom. Riley really enjoyed the opportunity to try out his new ultra-light bunk ladder built by his Papa (Thanks Dad!) and now installed in the trailer. It’ll be nice not to have to give him a boost every time he wants to go to his “room”! After arriving home from the farm, the real packing started. Thankfully, we have been organized and everything we need fit beautifully into the storage spaces and bins. There have been, however, lots of discussions about the difference between our “wants” and our “needs” and we have been amazed by the boys’ creativity in finding interesting ways to convince of what had to come and where it could be stored.

It is now 5:30pm (with a one-hour change in time!) and we have arrived in Jolliet, Illinois. The drive was uneventful, the weather fine, and with the addition of some great music, the time seemed to pass quite quickly. The boys spent the day happily installed in the backseats of the van enjoying endless games and movies and were pretty thrilled with the idea of 10 hours of uninterrupted screen time. By tomorrow, with another 8 hour drive ahead of us, we expect the novelty will have worn off!

Tammy & Shawn

Three weeks to go...

I can hardly believe how quickly time is passing! It feels like we have been waiting for this trip for an eternity and now, suddenly, it is almost time to get on the road. We are all getting very excited, but somehow, it still seems kind of impossible that our plans are real and that we are actually going on this adventure!

The children are counting down their last days of school. Riley has 16 more, but due to a vocal competition on Feb 25th, Braedon only has 15 (his brother, of course, thinks this is highly unfair!). They, too, seem a little unwilling to believe that we will soon experience all of the things that we have planned together and as the days get closer seem to be realizing that as exciting as our time away will be, it means leaving their home and friends behind for longer than they ever have before. We keep telling them that even the best adventurers get nervous every time they try something new and that this trip will provide us will stories to tell for many years to come.

The most challenging thing right now seems to be the packing. As our family can attest, I have been the Packing Police for months. Our thinking has been, the less we have, the less mess we make at each stop along the way, and the less set-up and tear-down time needed each time we move from place to place. In theory, this is a good plan, but when you take 5 years to plan a trip, the list of items you think you can’t live without grows exponentially! So far, we are doing pretty well. That is not to say that they aren’t piles all over the house waiting to be loaded into the trailer and the van, but at least they are small piles! The boys have each been given a small Rubbermaid bin for their Personal Items and are struggling to decide what they want to bring and what they can leave at home. I think they are actually enjoying the challenge.

This weekend is the last one at home before we make the trek to the Farm to pick up the trailer. I think once it lands in the driveway and we actually start loading up, this whole thing will become more real. I feel a bit like Dorothy…I’m still in Kansas, but the tornado is on it’s way and Oz is looking really good!

Tammy