Freedom Begins

     Today was my last day at work. It ended with a bang, the chef quit and I almost walked out myself, considering yesterday was technically supposed to be my last day and he talked me into coming in today. Not to mention there was two new people there I was trying to train and my right hand man, the grill cook Skyler was scheduled off. It was crazy, and I was terribly angry over the whole situation,  but I decided to stay and get the kitchen through the night one last time. It turned out alright and at the end of the night the owners of the restaurant presented me with a cake and everyone said farewell and good luck and thanked me for my time there. I was a star employee for a year straight almost a year on the dot. Never called off, never even asked for time off, gave 6 days out every week of my life this last year to this restaurant. It's been hard stressful work, by far the most stressful job I've ever performed, but it's also been educational and challenging and for that I'm appreciative and reminded that it was not time wasted. However, I am so ready to get outside and paint my life with some color instead of slaving away in monotony to bring someone else's goal to fruition. They are still trying to bribe me into staying another week since the chef just walked out, they've offered me double the pay for the week to make it worth my while. A part of myself feels obligated, like I have always felt, hence the reason I've never even missed a day or requested a vacation. The money's not worth the prolonged sentence though, I'm free and I'm not turning back now.
    This week we'll be getting everything ready for a major yard sale. We're selling off nearly all our material burdens for some extra road cash. My dad is kind enough to let us store a few things at his place, but all the furniture, dishes, most the clothes, and all that riff raff is going. We just want to call it a wrap and roll outta town. Shit's about to get real, this is no longer just an idea or a dream, it's happening.

Peace Love and Road Dust

-Shawna

"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" - Mary Oliver

New Horizons

      Spring is right around the corner, the signs are everywhere. The rose bush has new green buds appearing, the birds are singing louder, and the trees are finally showing signs of life on their skeleton branches. Spring has always been my favorite season. It's a time for change, for birth and rebirth; the earth is coming alive again after the cold dormant winter. It feels like the right time for a new chapter, it's time to get this show on the road.
      We have taken the Jeep to our mechanic and and had it checked over for any potential problems that could hinder our explorations. One of the mechanics at the shop is a Jeep aficionado and was very impressed with the condition of our Jeep. He was quite jealous that we were able to find an all manual Cherokee in such good condition, especially being a 96. He assured us that if we ever want to sell it, he would love to take it off our hands. Like we told him, we don't plan on selling it for a long time. This vehicle is going to be our home and the vessel that will carry us on this soul journey. So, a grand later our Jeep has a clean bill of health and we have some peace of mind. Currently our Jeep is at a welding shop getting a custom built roof rack installed, so that we can maximize our cargo capacity; the finishing touch.
     Everything is being pushed into motion, we just gave our landlord our 30 day notice and that really finalized everything. We have to get everything moved out of our house by the 5th of April. We have decided to leave sooner rather than later and will be hitting the road around the beginning of April instead of the end. I just have to give my official notice at work, which I will be doing next week. There will be no turning back, at least not easily. Which we would have no desire to do anyways, everything's in forward motion now. We are jumping into the flow instead of sitting here as the river of life passes us by.
      Ty has been mastering his balloon artistry so that he can use this as a busking tool on the road and I have been making soap like a mad scientist, also to help fund our trip along the way, and cause we love our hobbies. We plan to be resourceful as we are leaving with only about $4, 000 in the bank account, aside from designated bill money and will be gone a very long time. Also we will not be returning, so we will be starting from scratch wherever we decide to plant our roots again. We  plan to master the art of living for less, but fuel will be a constant monetary burden that we must address if we want to maintain our nomadic freedom in the back country. I would like to learn to find free food, by asking or even scavenging, living off the perfectly good waste of America's glutenous society, at least when in the city's. When in the back country we will be using the awesome camp kitchen set up my dad got us, complete with grill, dutch oven, and spit to create some creative meals through foraging, fishing, and hunting small game. We will buy basic staple ingredients as well such as rice, pasta, potatoes, onions, garlic, etc. and cook it all over  a good old fashion fire. We will also be busking and even gas canning it if necessary. I am starting an Etsy shop for my soaps and plan on taking my soap stash with me on the road, in case you would like to contribute to our journey by purchasing a bar of my homemade natural soap. I also plan to sell what I can as opportunity arises along the way.

       So many last minute responsibilities to take care of and details to plan for. When really I know everything will fall into place, we just have to maintain an open mind and be proactive. Laziness and complacency will not get us by. We are thoroughly excited about the adventures that will unravel themselves as we venture into the unknown.