We woke up today in Site 65 in Saint Andrews State Park, just outside Panama City, Florida. Quite notably, this is the exact place we were two years ago, December 10th, 2013.

In 2013, we were headed west, ultimately to Southern California. We had just enjoyed Thanksgiving with friends in Tampa, and spent the next few months traveling West. Now, in 2015, we are heading east, making our way to the Florida Keys where we will spend Christmas.

Being here, on the same day, forces me to remember my former self, and recall our plans, emotions, goals, and fears. What were we thinking!?! How could we possibly travel full-time, exploring as we go? How can we live in such a small space? Will this really work? Will home-school work out? Can we really afford to do this?

Since then, our little family has enjoyed countless adventures, just a few of which I’ll highlight, in no particular order:

• Baking freshly picked blackberry desserts on the North Coast of California.
• Exploring the unknown Chiricahua National Monument in South-Eastern Arizona.
• Spending days in beautiful view of the Grand Tetons.
• Meeting countless friends around the country.
• Backpacking in a Canadian National Park.
• Riding Slickrock in Moab, UT.
• Waking up to hot air balloons in Sedona, Arizona.
• Exploring the USS Midway aircraft carrier.
• Backpacking for Thanksgiving.
• Visiting the McIlhenny Tabasco Sauce Factory in Louisiana.
• Installing solar panels, upgrading the batteries, and adding an inverter.
• Parallel parking the Airstream in Joshua Tree National Park, Jumbo Rocks Campground.
• Mountain biking in Minnesota.
• Enjoying sea-urchins in San Diego.
• Seeking out local pizza all over the country.
• Driving on the Bonneville Speedway on the Salt Flats in Utah.
• Exploring numerous caves.
• Shoe-skiing down glaciers.
• Backpacking on the Apostle Islands
• Exploring the Olympic Peninsula.
• Selling our sticks-and-bricks house.
• Canadian Poutine.
• Crabbing on the Oregon Coast.
• Helping Cara hike 4 10+ mile hikes before she turned 5.
• Numerous desert Sunsets.
• Swimming on the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf Coasts.
• Touring the Hoover Dam.
• Driving into Mexico for a beach day.
• Eating ice-cream at Mount Rushmore.
• Demolishing the Pig Trough pie platter at Betty’s Pies in Minnesota. Twice.
• Enjoying the city library on Mackinac Island.
• Andrew’s first 25 mile bike ride, before he turned 8.
• Seeing Spanish Moss for the first time.

Have faith, former selves. Your next two years will be amazing, challenging, rejuvenating, exhausting, wonderful, and frustrating. And ENTIRELY worth it.