Letting Go
Culturally speaking, we've just done something incredibly stupid...
You know that sense of security that comes from a job with a steady paycheck? The feeling of peace you get when you've paid your last bill for the month? Perhaps a sense of accomplishment after you stock your kitchen full of food that could literally last you months (but will probably 'need' re-stocking next week)...
The security and peace of mind feel good, but I've found that they often come at a price: some people work a job they hate, others work far too much. And then there are some who have dreams and aspirations who want to take a chance and try something new, but they have become a slave to the paycheck. Security and peace of mind begin to look like monotony...loneliness...an unending cage.
SO...Chris and I quit our jobs!
Yeah, I know...stupid. Maybe even more so than you think, because we actually really liked our jobs. We have been working at a very large youth camp in the mountains of Arizona, and there were many good things about the past 9 years that have made it easy to stay for so long. But more recently, in the past few years, there have been a growing list of reasons to move on. One of the biggest reasons is time with our kids in the summer. Our oldest became a 2nd grader this past week, and our middle is starting Kindergarten. And rather than having kids who look forward to summer break, our kids see summer as lonely and boring while mom works her 'part-time' job way too much, and dad is constantly gone 7 days a week, tending to the thousands of campers who come through in a 10-week period.
Last summer Harper, our oldest, laid down in the parking lot of the dining hall, crying her eyes out, when she had to say goodbye to her dad again as he went back to work after dinner. Neither of us will ever forget it.
So on April 24th, with quite a bit of fear, Chris and I met with our boss to resign. We went in a pile of nerves, but we walked out with this overwhelming sense of peace! More peace than we ever found in those paychecks. That night my husband slept better than he has in a long time, and it gave me so much joy to see.
Who knew? We both really thought we would wake up the next morning full of regret and feeling sick over an irreversible mistake, rather than being excited and talking extensively about our stored up dreams. A few days later we started shopping around for a camper and planning an epic family summer road trip that will begin this Sunday!
We've been gearing up for this trip for several weeks now, and many of our friends have heard our plans and seen the changes we've been making to the camper. And while we are very excited to have you read along while we trek across the states, this trip is just a paragraph in the new chapter we are starting. At the end of the summer, we will have decisions to make...not the least of these being where our kids are going to school. As stoked as we are about our future, there is much uncertainty.
Our hope for this blog is that it may inspire you and your friends to follow your dreams and let go of anything that may be holding you back. You can also play a role in this story by helping us along in any or all of the following ways:
We would love your comments, encouragement, and advice as we figure out how to keep moving forward.
Take a few minutes and check out the awesome merch Chris has been designing in our store. This will help us keep our gas tank full, and we truly appreciate the support!
Share! The more you can share our posts on social media, the better.
Please be praying for safe travels and guidance as we spend valuable time with our kids and plan our next steps.
Lastly, if you happen to know the owner of any sunscreen manufacturer, we could sure use a sponsorship.
Thanks so much for reading and tagging along with us virtually as we take off! Looking forward to seeing some of you on the road this summer!