This vagabond life as The Graveswolds isn’t without its ups and downs. (*For those just tuning in, we sold our house, sold or gave away half our possessions, put the rest in storage, all a week and a half before Thanksgiving, and have been without a home, not homeless as there is a difference, ever since…THIS lasting for however long God leads, but also likely at least a year or so…and for those who are practical, we are basing out of my Dad’s house but traveling when opportunities arise.)
So, yeah, we are homeless, yet we homeschool.
And then there’s the part where we don’t currently have a home, but Jason works from home.
Let’s be honest…”homeless” in a first-world country when one of the adults in the household holds a steady job isn’t the stereotype one may assume. We are not without a roof, food, income, or the ability to rent space. We had some dreams, God opened the doors, and we have chosen this for a season.
So where are we and what are we doing? Please understand that I don’t think our lives are any more interesting or blog “worthy” than the next guy, it’s just that there are some people who have asked, so writing about this season of living without a home is a practical way to share, as well as allow others to learn from our mistakes, get some good laughs at our expense, and perhaps inspire anyone to step out and dare to do something you’ve always longed to do but it was so against the grain, you didn’t even know where to start.
I have to say, I’m grateful to be asked to share about this season. Since my Mom died last June, I haven’t wanted to write much of anything. You see, I wrote this blog mainly TO her. She was my reader. Originally, when she was out of town while Noah was hospitalized, I’d write for her and other family members. In the years since, she continued to read and cheered me on, calling or emailing after a post, encouraging me to write…always challenging me to continue writing truth, and with all my heart.
Well, the truth is, I wanted to share THIS SEASON with her. Not only did I want her to read about our adventures, I wanted her to join in them with us. So, hang with me while I wrestle into a new season of writing, if you don’t mind…I’ve flailed a bit. Amidst the dreaming and excitement and reality of what we’ve just bitten off, my Mom would be an anchor for me when everything else is unknown, swirling about. I miss her terribly, but even in our current season, she told me ahead of time she knew it was how I was created, so, in a way, her cheers before she died are still heard loud and clear in my heart…it’s just the putting one foot in front of the other part…
One practical thing we did today, which was really kind of exciting, was register to be official “house sitters.” There are sites with screening and background checks and references where people register their homes and pet sitting opportunities and others register as house and pet sitters, and then the rest is up to the calendar and personal preferences. I am excited to see where this leads as staying in a home rather than a hotel is our preference for travel. Hotels are fun once in a while, but four of us in one bedroom doesn’t lead to the most awesome *ahem* well, you know…plus, Em isn’t a fan that the whole room has to go to bed at 8pm when Ryan does, so either we keep him up a bit, or Em just lives with being a ‘tween with a lame-o bed time.
Honestly, hotel living isn’t like Eloise or Zak and Cody or when you are on a trip for a week. Those guys are actors and millionaires and vacations are full of adrenaline for a week and then end. Hotels have their perks, like tag teaming time in the gym, free breakfasts, a pool for the kids to exhaust themselves in for hours, but one of the last hotels we had didn’t even have a lock on the bathroom door and that’s no bueno.
So, on our house sitter registration I shared how our desire is to travel the world together, but rather more like locals than tourists. Jason and I have rented houses on vacations in the past and it’s so nice to have a kitchen and space to spread out. I want to teach our kids about the beauty of stories and allow them glimpses into the lives of real people in real communities, not just seeing sights and staying in hotels.
So, as we wrap up our Christmas break here in Colorado and head back to South Dakota for a bit, I guess the calendar and the map are a bit open. We’ll see what house sitting opportunities are out there, and then, I guess we’ll keep you posted.
*I’ll post more about the ups and downs this week. It’s taken a week to write this freaking post b/c of them, and if I don’t hit “post” now, it’ll just be a draft forever 😉
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