Well, this is way overdue!

I'm not even going to try to catch things up. It would be impossible. We have had a couple of months of straight up crazy adventures and big cities. I've really enjoyed myself. And now? The kids are at camp! It's the type of camp that actually has me pretty jealous. They have bunnies and horses and chickens, a zipline and a top-of-the-trees rope course. They have a climbing wall and archery and, best of all, someone else makes your meals for you!  They have been there for a week with a week remaining. We were able to visit them yesterday and here is what I have learned:

Camp away from your parents at this age (12 and 13) is making my children MORE of who they already were and are going to be as adults. Erin LOVES it and doesn't want to leave. In fact, she sort of shooed us out of there after about 35 minutes so that she could have adventure time.  Yes, mom and dad, great to see you - you can go now!  Ethan, on the other hand, would have come home with us yesterday. A true homebody, he is acutely aware of his lack of privacy and missing his "stuff".  Full disclosure, he doesn't miss US at all. He too was ready for us to pack up and go after about half an hour.  So, yeah, nothing like a camp visit to make a parent feel unwanted.

A pirate ship offering cruises out of Bar Harbor, Maine

But you know what?  That's what we are doing here, right? We're raising adults. I don't want my kids to need me. I want them to start venturing out, exploring the world and becoming independent.  To that end, there will be some changes made when they return.

When we first started this adventure, we made them go on hikes and we all got a lot of exercise. Now, granted, part of that was that we were in the Pacific Northwest. There's nothing but beautiful hiking out there. Then we got to Texas and things became more urban. And now, on the East Coast, it's been all about Washington D.C. and New York City.  It's not really an excuse. We've let things slide.  I'll be the first to admit that whining absolutely works. If you tell me one thousand times that you don't want to go and do something and THEN complaining the entire time you're doing it?  I'm probably going to stop asking you. This separation is like pushing the "reset" button on all of that. We will be going back to exercise, outdoor fun and family time.

Henry and I have taken advantage of the kids' absence to eat clean and take longer walks. It's been incredibly quiet. I have missed silence.  I crave it, and I revel in it when I find it. Also, he does not whine...much.

Meanwhile, we have officially turned the corner! We made it as far north and east as we're going by visiting Bar Harbor, Maine. Everything from this point forward is about moving south and west to land in Corpus Christi. We will be there from October to the end of January of next year. And then? 

Then...

We are back to NO plan at all.  We don't have a "then".  We have ideas, but no decisions have been made. It's all about the stopping right now.  I'm kind of mostly maybe okay with that. I do love a good plan! But there are too many variables and 6 months is a long time.  Boat or no boat?  Condo or house?  Or should we stay in the RV for another year and take a couple of bigger trips to far off destinations?  These are good "problems" to have and I remain ever grateful to have them.