You may have noticed this before. Mommy blogs such as mine always look like everyone is having the greatest time, and all is golden. Obviously that’s not the case. Time to document all that goes wrong.

First of all, the preparation is a killer. Going away from your home for months is no piece of cake. Plenty can go wrong. Frozen pipes, vandalism, tree falling, earthquakes (ok, maybe not earthquakes!). But, you get the idea. Its not like leaving the house for a few days or even a month. Things have to be packed, cleared, put away, organized. The mail must be attended to. Bills have to be taken care of. So yes, a lot goes into leaving the house. In fact, this turned out to be so stressful that we almost didn’t want to leave.

Second, the school. So how does one convince the school to let their kids go? The easiest option is homeschooling. We didn’t want to go that route because the kids would need to be re-enrolled. Both are in alternative programs that we love and would like them to continue. So we had some angry administrators to deal with. Also, try getting your kids to work for you like the teachers do. It isn’t easy. The 16 year old does it. With my 11 year old, it is a continuous battle. Threats abound! Finally, finding internet in the boonies is not easy. Since the 16 year old needs internet for her schooling, this is a constant problem. We use Verizon’s Mifi. It works ok but not always. The last time, we went to local libraries a lot and used their Wifi. This is the better option if you plan to stay on the road for a longer time. It is very fun to check out local libraries and spend time in towns. We don’t have that kind of time in this trip.

Ok, so we took care of our houses and school. What next? Our mobile home! This is a small space. We are four people and two dogs packed like sardines in this little space. Thankfully chickens live in Elfie! This means tripping over each other, lack of privacy, and our space being constantly messy! Every time we visit a beach or sand dunes, there’s sand everywhere. We clear up the clutter and can try to not clutter the space up. But what about things that fall on their own while moving? The other day I put my bills in an overhead bin, only to see them come down later like snowflakes all over the bus while we were moving! So things fall over, can break if you are not careful.

Hmm, what else? Oh ya. We are in the West coast. This is the desert. So if you are imagining daily showers, its not going to happen. We are constantly looking for water wherever we go. The expectation is, of course, that you buy gallon jugs. But we don’t want to generate all that plastic waste. So we pick water as we can, and use and shower as and when possible. Sometimes we use the truck shower stations. Those work well if you can find one.

Of course, you will also have to attend to your toilet waste. There are many options such as having a blackwater tank, compostable toilets, incinolets etc. We use the simplest compostable system which allows us freedom to boondock without having to find campsite dump stations at regular intervals, or lots of energy needed for an incinolet. Not everyone’s cup of tea for sure.

A note on the shower. We use a recirculating shower that uses the same water over and over again after running through a filter for the period of the shower. With this system you can have a half hour shower with a couple of gallons of water.

Also, our beds are cramped. Don’t expect a king size bed. Or you may, in one of those big campers, but then don’t expect to go far into the boonies. Cooking healthy meals can be a challenge. Cooking at nights when our solar is not working is a no no. We cook on induction or on outside fire.

One last thing that I can think of right now. School’s expectations with regards to deadlines. In general, a homeschooling kid can get the whole day’s work done in a couple of hours. But while travelling, we hike a lot. We are tired and the work still needs to be done. Also, while the camper is moving, the kids find it hard to write. So a lot of time disappears with no tangible gain. I believe our kids are learning a lot more on the road than they would at home, but there are still people we are answerable to.

So yes, living on the road is not for everyone. But if you have a travel-lust like we do, its a no brainer. I could probably live like this forever!

Rosie the dog: Let me tell you all that can go wrong on a road trip. Your back will hurt more. You have to pay attention to all the strange noises at night. I have heard the coyotes howling on the previous trip. Nowadays, thanks to my poor hearing, I don’t hear all that much. The world has suddenly become a lot safer! Also, I miss snow. I am very much a snow gal. My hubby, Kylo, is also into snow. Yesterday we were at high elevations in Death Valley and finally there was snow. We both were so happy. Out here its always hot and there’s this awful cacti everywhere. I get it in my paw once in a while.

What else? My hubby and I don’t have much space. So when we get food, its a bit like war. We both try to eat each other’s food, and there’s growling and fighting. Its the same at home, but there we are far apart. So yes, this is not good for our long term relationship! And don’t even get me started on all the strays around here. They are downright dangerous, man! Some have tried to attack our humans while they were out biking. Our humans are now learning that not all dogs are benign like us. Hmph, I could have told them this at home and saved us all this aggravation. Regardless, my point is, home is best. Let’s hear it from the chicken.

Lazy Laurie the chicken: Well, I like it on the road for the most part. We got an early spring and I love the California sun. I do agree with the great Rosie dog that I have heard those coyotes too. Believe me, they send a shiver down my feathers when they howl. Luckily for the yellow bus, they can’t come near, but its scary nevertheless. Our living quarters are a bit cramped, and we all still hate the leash so those are definitely big minuses. But I love the treats that come once in a while when our humans leave their breakfast and we get the leftovers. Being at the top of the pecking order, I get all the biggest pieces! I even ate my own egg the other day. Its delicious y’all! One big plus about the road trip is that we get plenty of admiration. So yeah, I am good with the road!!