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Hi there! We are the Curren Family. We traveled full time in our Airstream from 2013-2017 and now split our time between our small condo in Teton Valley, ID and the road.

As avid, outdoor, travel and adventure enthusiasts we are here to provide tips, advice, and inspiration to help you develop healthier and stronger family relationships.

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Category Archives: Thoughts on Life

Doing Hard Things

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about how I was not a Pinterest worthy mom. There are just so many crafty, cooking things I can’t do well and that’s what seems to be all over Pinterest. What interested me most about the post, however,  were the comments I received. I was definitely not…

Are We Damaging Our Children With Travel?

In the past few months, we’ve had a number of family and friends share their concern that our travel will cause long-term emotional and psychological damage to our children. The concerns shared with us include the difficulty of making friends (especially long term friends), and a sense of ‘not belonging’ caused by not having a single place…

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  • I think the fact that you are doing it because you saw that it was drawing your family closer together is a good thing. The opportunity for your kids to learn to make friends quickly is a skill that will bless them all their lives. I also really like that you don’t have a predetermined date for when you will be done traveling. This allows you to continue to travel until it is right for your family to change to something else that serves you all better when that time comes.ReplyCancel

  • I moved a lot as a kid. I went to three different schools in the third grade. My struggles weren’t from the changing schools, but the instability at home. My parents were divorced and my mom moved around to get work. She married again and divorced and married again for the last time. All my parents, step and biological, struggled with their own major emotional issues that affected us.
    That’s the difference. You and Jess are creating stability through your healthy marriage. You have routine and habits and rules. Your children feel a deep sense of belonging to you instead of something more ephemeral like friends or location. I think I would have preferred a stable family than a stable location.ReplyCancel

    • Sam

      Thanks for sharing this Cassie. Your sweet girl is in good hands!ReplyCancel

    • Sam

      Thanks for the links! Both your posts are well written and insightful.ReplyCancel

  • Karen Bourne

    You shared your thoughts into words beautifully. These are good reminders as we may move around a lot.ReplyCancel

    • Sam

      If you can turn a move into family-strengthening event, then everybody wins!ReplyCancel

  • Thanks for writing this. We also get these questions and your response is exactly how we feel.ReplyCancel

    • Sam

      It is comforting to know we are in good company! Your travels have inspired us.ReplyCancel

  • Kristen Crockett

    Tyler and I wonder if we’re damaging our children by NOT traveling. Do they live in a bubble? Do they have any sense of the world? Then we think, they’re little–there’s plenty of time for that. Your kids are young, they aren’t in a friend-dominated stage of life yet. We are so jealous of all the adventures (just the good ones) you’re having. I think this will be nothing but good for them. And like you point out, if it stops being good for them, you’ll be the first to notice.ReplyCancel

    • Sam

      Thanks for the note Kristen – I actually laughed out loud at this one. Though we love Lehi, Jess and I are in part motivated by the bubble effect that exists.
      It’s all about what your kids need and when, and I’m sure you’ll find the right thing at the right time for them.ReplyCancel

  • We never had anyone express concerns to us, only supportive comments like, “What a great gift to give your kids! They will never forget this.” However, we were only at it for a year. Now that we are finished I can honestly say it truly did give us a stronger sense of family identity and drew us even closer together. I can echo what you said about how quickly kids make friends in a campground and how much more attentive we became as parents. There is just something about being all crammed into 360 square feet for twelve months…ReplyCancel

    • Jess

      Thanks Jenni!! Yes, most people don’t bat an eye when you tell them you are taking a year off to travel the country. Its the undetermined end date that gets us. We’ve seriously considering just not bringing it up at times. 🙂 How’s re-entry going for you guys?ReplyCancel

  • Celeste Orr

    Thank you so much for sharing this! We too have had concerns from friends and family members, and you put it so well that I’m going to refer them to your post for answers 🙂 ReplyCancel

  • Eve Loshinina

    Every time we travel with kids we get so much closer to each other, more peaceful, happier, and so in-tune with each other. Once we are home – gosh – so many distractions! I absolutely agree with you that traveling creates a very strong family bong and everything else that was mentioned in this post.ReplyCancel

    • Jess

      Eve – thanks so much for your comment!ReplyCancel

Intentional Living Requires Courage

Several months ago, in the middle of research and planning the basic logistics of this adventure, The Lord reminded us to have courage. There are many things about this adventure that were unknown to us before we started. I’d never owned a truck, and though I’d driven a few, I had never, ever attempted to…

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Zero Motivation Kind of a Day

Today is an icky, blah kind of day. I know everyone gets those, but when I have no personal space, its cold outside, and my kids are jumpy I really struggle. A lot. I can’t just send my kids off to school and curl up with a book and a cup of hot chocolate. As…

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  • Jamie

    THESE are the days I wonder about. I really want a post tomorrow telling us IN DETAIL how the day went. Did you get over it? Did you stay in it all day? Did you get your personal space and if so how?ReplyCancel

  • Karen Bourne

    I love all the photos. What a great idea! I hope it helped your mood. I loved seeing the Omaha Zoo one (I’m missing Omaha lately)!! Oh, and I think one of them is from the Baltimore Aquarium…am I right? We just went there a couple weeks ago…very cool. You take beautiful pictures.ReplyCancel

  • mica

    Well they cheered me up. Hope it worked for you too. .. Thanks for sharing. 🙂ReplyCancel

We Never Walk Alone

In the midst of the trials and tribulations this life has to offer us, sometimes it is difficult to remember that we are never alone. Always we have a loving Father in Heaven who guides, directs, comforts, and inspires us along our path in life. He is waiting for us to turn to Him in…

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  • Karen Bourne

    Another Omaha picture!!! I LOVE the Winter Quarters Temple…so beautiful.ReplyCancel

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