Maybe you already know us, or even if you don’t (you can learn more “About Us” HERE), maybe you’re really curious about whether there’s something in the blog that will interest you. We’re often asked (and sometimes question, ourselves…!), “Why write a blog?” “Isn’t it a lot of work?” “What inspires your blog/travel/adventures?” and related questions. If you’re wondering, read on, to get answers.
We are travelling because we want to (and still CAN!) explore the world right outside our door. Because we believe that real wealth is measured in experiences, and NEW experiences have the highest currency. When we’re out in search of adventure, Mike particularly likes to observe the cultural differences from what we’re used to. So he loves driving through neighborhoods, visiting places like ethnic grocery stores, and trying out things we can’t/don’t do at home. Janine loves to hike/trail run and ride her bike in new places, participate in local races and events and also just interacting with ‘locals’ we encounter, especially those with similar interests, like other cyclists, hikers and runners.
We both prioritize being out in nature, so we favor “boondocking” entirely off-grid or camping in lightly-used “dry campgrounds” without amenities like electricity and even running water. We rarely stay in RV parks where can we feel too crowded. Another goal is to maximize our adventures while minimizing our driving, so we try to group up multiple adventures/destinations into bigger trips, and we’ve found that we really prefer finding a place we want to explore and staying there for a minimum of 2 weeks. And so far, we seem to start gravitating around returning “home” to northern CA after about 3-4 months. We also love house-sitting! We are finding that we really prefer to be in warmer winter locations where we can maximize our outdoor time. We’re always looking for weather that encourages us to get out in nature and explore under our own power. Lastly, we also are ‘joyfully struggling’ with the questions of what the future holds for us, and hope that being on the road will lend some clarity – if only in eliminating places we would NOT want to be/live in!!! We generally have a pretty solid travel plan for 6 to 12 months out, at any time.
So OK, who wouldn’t want to do all that, right? But why bother with the blog? We have a number of reasons… including:
1) We want to have a record for ourselves! It is quite incredible how the days, weeks, months can blur together without the memory-assist of photos and recorded stories. The blog is a permanent, organized record of our adventures that we can hopefully look back on, someday!
2) We want to let all our friends know where we are and what we are up to. Also to encourage you to come out and join us if/when the opportunity arises! And if you do, or if we come see you, rest assured, you’ll get a mention!
3) It’s a way to share our knowledge/experience with anyone it might help.
4) We may be retired, but we’re not dead YET!! Even if we are not ‘working’, blogging gives our travels a greater sense of purpose on a daily basis. Even if just recording our experiences, thoughts, dreams, frustrations and joys, we’re finding the blog deepens our experience and engagement through the actual process of documenting (and thinking about) our adventures!
5) If we’ve learned ANYTHING, it’s that what we’re doing won’t last forever. So we hope the blogging about our travels will help us clarify the process of figuring out (and being prepared for) whatever comes next. We recognize how important it is to have a plan… even if we don’t end up exactly following it!
So, our posts will surely evolve over time (and with your suggestions/requests!). But we’ll continue to make it a priority to keep things organized, and label posts clearly so you can easily decide your interest level. And you should feel free to pick and choose what posts interest you. We promise, our feelings won’t be hurt if you don’t read every word… Or even if you just look at the photos! Enjoy in whatever way works for you – and we’ll do the same!