As you are aware, our family has been pining and planning for big changes. We've gone from thinking about moving to The Berkshires to Italy to Northern California to one of the Carolinas to staying here and downsizing and living in a minimalist haven to planning a commune (let's do it Erika!) and eventually putting it all on the back burner- because, let's be honest, once winter is over we forget how miserable we are here in New England.
After a few weeks of taking life one day at a time, we realized how quickly life is going to pass us by if we don't spring into action. In the last year we've spent countless hours thinking about the way life should be. We both feel that this way of life is emotionally unsustainable. Financially, we could stay here indefinitely, but how much sense does it make to live a completely unsatisfying life just because you feel secure? None, thankyouverymuch.
So, without further ado, the plan:
For those of you who are afraid for us and think we've gone batshit crazy and that this is a bad idea to say the least... I say this: A) We've been batshit crazy for a long time... this is not a new thing. B) This is not a spur-of-the-moment-throw-caution-to-the-wind-who-cares-about-jobs-and-school kinda thing. We are planning this trip as logically as possible with our family's best interest at heart. We would never put ourselves or our children in harm's way. C) Although this is a HUGE decision, I don't feel that there is very much risk involved (compared to picking up and moving away) At any point during this plan, from the purchase of the bus until we're halfway across the country, we can "come home." We feel that the most likely chance of "failure" would be mechanical problems draining our savings, in which case we cut our losses and get home. Would we have to start all over financially from there: jobs, housing, etc? Yes. But we're willing to take that chance for a once in a lifetime experience for our children and for an opportunity to become a closer knit family.
We don't plan on being ready to go until sometime next year. In the meantime, we will be saving our pennies, scouting out a bus, and then converting the bus into an RV. Why not just buy an RV, you ask? RV's and their parts are expensive. They're considered a luxury item like boats, so the prices and labor are insane. School buses, on the other hand, are relatively inexpensive. Because many schools have strict guidelines for routine maintenance and will only allow a bus to be used for a specific amount of mileage/ years, they are in really good shape when you buy them used. There are only a handful of companies that make them across the entire country, so parts are pretty easy to get on the road and much cheaper than RV maintenance. In addition a school bus has a steel frame, making it very safe to have your family driving in full time. RV's? Not so much.
I will still be crafting like a madwoman. This blog isn't turning into a bus blog anytime soon, but I will occasionally update about any progress that we're making. I will definitely be blogging the entire conversion... converting a bus into an RV fit for a family of five will be the biggest and longest DIY project I've ever done and who wouldn't want to laugh their asses off at all the impending FAILS I will encounter!
Stay tuned for more about our "Fantastic Voyage"