2018 In Review.
How it started, and how we got to be where we are today (and how much all this is costing us!)

January - April, 2018

The year started with Aaron looking for a job and not really knowing what direction he wanted to go. After some prayer, soul searching, and help from our friend Kene, Aaron decided to start his own company, which was a stepping-stone decision that eventually led us to this amazing journey!

May - July, 2018

Just another Spring / Summer in the Grijalva house. Aaron was slowly building up his website clientele through referrals, Lauren was much busier in year two of her photography business, the kids were in school and playing sports. Life was busy, fun, exciting, hectic, fulfilling….we were enjoying the new experiences and freedoms of having two entrepreneurs in the house. 

August - October, 2018

Hanging out in the neighborhood pool with some friends, the thought of full-time RV travel came up again (we always thought it would be a great experience thanks to our friends @thewanderfulway, @microadventurefamily). This time, the idea stuck. We had the right jobs, enough funds, and were getting a little burned out from the busy summer schedule (kids go to school, kids come home, snack/rest/homework/, quick dinner rushing out the door to practice, Lauren heads to a photoshoot, come home, shower the kids off before bedtime, go to sleep, repeat). 

The thought of full time travel and hitting the reset button on our daily routine became too appealing to ignore. We officially made the big decision in August, found the Truck, RV, and a renter for our home in September, renovated the RV and got rid of 90% of our things in October, moved out of the house, into the RV, and ….

November - December, 2018

…..hit the road November 5th!

So far it has been nothing but great times, great memories, and smooth sailing (we feel very fortunate that we haven't had any major issues)! We drove from Atlanta to Southern California in 6 weeks, with 17 stops in-between. They ranged from week long stays near National Parks to overnight stays at small-town breweries. 

Now that we are no longer on a mad rush to get to California by Christmas, we have the freedom to stay weeks at a time at our locations. We ideally want to start staying in places for 7-14 days, giving us enough time to settle in, explore, and get enough work and homeschooling done. We’ve already talked about modifying our trip due to us wanting to slow down but still wanting to see so much while we’re out West (more about that later when some plans become more clear). 

What we want to do better in 2019

We really want to make videos! While we do post daily videos on our Instagram Stories, we have yet to post a single Youtube video while on the road. With all the new responsibilities, new places, and frequent travel, we didn’t have the time or energy to spend hours and hours every week to produce a weekly video. With a slower travel schedule and better scheduling of our time, we hope to start putting out videos on a consistent basis. 

It has been really fun sharing our experiences with you thus far.
We have had friends and family share that it has become a nightly ritual to check out our social media before they go to bed! We love that! It encourages us to keep sharing and documenting everything that we can. 

As we start a new year, we encourage you to take a quick look back at 2018 and think about the wishes and aspirations you had. If they didn’t happen, make them happen! Take that first step in the first couple weeks of January to ensure it happens THIS year!