Day One, Not One Day

It's a weird thing, to leave your family home knowing you'll never return to it. To say goodbye to your friends and family and not know when you'll see them again. To leave your well established and very successful business, your jobs and the security they provide. It's something we never ever thought we would do, always thinking 'oh thats nice for them, but we couldn't do that'.

But we did it, and I thought I would write about it while its still fresh in my mind, maybe it will give an insight into the sacrifices involved in full time travel. Yes, we are on the adventure of a lifetime, but damn have we given up some stuff to get it!

By far the worst thing was saying goodbye to the kids grandparents (my parents), mainly because with our decision to take off travelling, they decided to move back to the U.K to be with my other two sisters. And so, we have no idea when we are going to see eachother again. Im approaching my mid-thirties and I have never lived far from my parents! Its the end of a huge era in my life, and also the end of my kids close relationships with them...for things can never be the same when you live halfway across the world. The guilt and regret I feel is quite profound.

A very close second would be saying goodbye to the only family home we've ever known. Our first home as a couple, the place we brought both our babies back to, where those babies took their first steps, said their first words, had their first days at school. Where we got our first family dog. The place that sheltered us and who's walls witnessed so many happy times, for 10 years. To think of someone else living in our home is quite gut-wrenching. In fact we barely mention our home to each other, its just too painful. We know with time this pain will ease, and our new life on the road will hold so many more happier times, but for now, burying our heads in the sand over the sale of our home is all thats getting us through.

On top of this, we said goodbye to our beloved cat - our first (fur)baby, all of our close friends, and sold most of our possessions - even some that were very important, like our motorbikes!

But do you know what? We are only one week in and the joys already far outweigh the sorrows. Here's but a few...

Every day we all rise together in the morning and share breakfast. Sometimes we walk together to the local cafe and have a coffee while watching the kids play at the park.

This may seem simple, but in our old life the kids would be up early to watch morning cartoons, they would make their own breakfasts. Then dad would be up and have his breakfast before rushing off to work. Then I would be last up, flying out of bed, slept in again because my life is too busy and hectic for me to keep normal sleep patterns. I would rarely eat breakfast, instead yelling at the kids to get dressed while trying to make sure they have a healthy, well balanced lunch box for school.

What a stark contrast!

How about shared parenting! How does that sound? How awesome it is to have the other parent here full time to take on half the parenting - half the joy, half the disciplining, half the feeding and taking to the toilet! It's amazing! We are even making the meals together and doing the washing together, such mundane and time consuming chores in our old life, are now an opportunity for shared work and bonding.

Theres no describing the 'joy of time' we have right now. To know this isn't coming to an end any time soon, like so many of our trips before, that end all too soon and back to work and school we go. This is life now, the days are ours to do what we wish, to go where we wish, and to just be together. That, to us is priceless and so worth the sacrifices it took to get here.

So how about you? Do you find yourself looking at full time travellers and thinking how lucky they are? Its not luck, its hard work and sacrifice.

Do you tell yourself its just not possible for you to do that? Its not an impossibility, just a mindset.

We can all buy out more time for each other, to cherish our kids and the huge responsibility we have as parents. Checking out of society and checking into life on the road is a huge move, some would even say a gamble or a risk. But its a risk that pays off with interest!