Time Well Spent

 

It has been a bit over 3 weeks since we left Seattle and I still cannot believe how many amazing people we have met and how much we have seen and done. If you haven’t noticed by now, David and I are not ones to just sit around, drive around and look at the scenery from afar. Don’t get me wrong, we have down days and lazy days and days when we need to do laundry and chores, but those days are far less common. We started off with a stop in Portland to see my brother and nieces before hitting the road. Then, it was off to Cannon Beach which was absolutely breath taking. From there we drove down the coast to our first big stop, Jedidiah Smith Redwood State Park. We spent a few days there for some mountain biking and trail running. The trees are really magnificent and the biking, hiking and running were top notch.

                                                

Next big stop was in Napa to see an old friend of David’s. We had a great time visiting with Jason Holman and his family. Jason is a winemaker,  http://www.holmancellars.com/, who is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about his craft. We both got a crash course about wines with a private wine tasting. While we were there we were able to get in some biking and had the pleasure of running with the Vinerunners group which meet at the Napa Running Company on Thursday evening and Saturday morning. From Napa we went to San Luis Obispo where we had amazing weather and a found a great outdoor 50 meter pool. After a few days in SLO we headed inland to Palm Springs/Palm Desert and Joshua Tree National Park.  We spent time relaxing in the sunshine, swimming in a amazing outdoor pool, running, hiking and biking. We loved this area so much that we spent over a week exploring.

                    

We then headed back to the coast to spend a few days with family in Encinitas. Janet and Ken opened their home to us and were so incredibly welcoming. We feel blessed to be able to spend time with family that we rarely get to see. Then it was on to the Los Angeles area for a family wedding. Again, we were able to spend time with family we rarely see. We were also able to meet up with some of my Hyland’s teammates for an amazing morning run through Griffith Park.

                         

These past weeks have been so filled with adventure, exploration and family. It has really reinforced and reconfirmed that we made the right decision, to leave stable jobs and a comfortable lifestyle, for life on the road. ” Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing the lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain” -Jack Kerouac

Leap of Faith

As I sit here on a beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon while both David and Mira nap after a fun filled morning, I can’t help but think about the week we have had since leaving Seattle. How fortunate I am to be sitting here with my 2 favorite companions enjoying my life.  It has been days filled with training, chasing the sun, meeting some really cool people and of course chores. Van life is not without its up and downs. We spend quite a lot of time researching the places we are going and if the sun will be shining, looking for a safe and quiet place to sleep, a place to run/bike/swim, dog parks for Mira to run around and be free, grocery stores and the all important bathroom. It is a never ending task list when your location and sleeping arrangements change on a nightly basis but right now I would not trade this for anything else. I loved my job as a Physician Assistant, but after 18 years, I felt I needed to step back and re-evaluate. My priorities have changed over the years and spending time with my husband, my dog and my family is on the top of the list. I felt my time at work far exceeded the time I was getting with the people I love, doing the things I am most passionate about. This took a lot of planning and a huge leap of faith. Faith that it will all work out, faith that we will make it work financially and faith that we will actually enjoy this thing called van life. What we did know was that we would never regret trying and we would always wonder what if.

Life is filled with unknowns, so “take a risk. Be spontaneous. The suffering that might come from a mistake is usually less intense and less enduring than the suffering of asking What if?”