In the era of snake person word-of-the-year choices, I succumbed and had a word for 2019 (Courage) and chose to focus on one in 2020 – Clarity.
Nothing is clearer through a windshield
Bouncing from state to state is fun. There are huge advantages. However, we thought when we got into our Home on Wheels in November 2018, that by June we’d have it all figured out. We’d know what we want to do (nope) and where we wanted to move long-term (not really) and that we’d be well on our way to spending time in Alaska before settling down (definitely not.)
This year, our goal is to find some clarity in our travels. We have adventurous spirits, but the more we travel, the more I fear just a random wandering life. That doesn’t interest me; wandering for wandering sake does not fulfill me. This ABSOLUTELY fits some lifestyles; there are times when I am slightly envious of people that are capable of doing this. I know it is not who I am.
Floating from place to place without a specific goal is hard for me – ask any of my old coworkers or bosses. (Specifically Kelly who probably still thinks I’m out of my gourd for living on the road after having seen how important “goals” were for me.)
Looking further down the road
So what does clarity really mean for us? I want to continue to write – but I also understand that if I’m not getting funding from it, it might have to fall to the back burner for a “real” job. I know, real jobs, schmeal jobs.
I also want to have an idea of what the next six months or six years might hold for us. We’re REALLY good at playing things by ear now. But that means while we’re prepared for anything, we don’t really look that far down the road. We keep asking one another, “What is our ten-year plan? Our thirty-year plan?”
And our answers fall to a handful of things; we want to be financially in a place where we can help support dog shelters more than we do (this has always been our goal) and we want some land so we can have plenty of animals. We also want to continue to travel and have space for a shop and garden. I know, it kinda sounds like we gave all that up a little over a year ago… sometimes life is funny that way.
Where’s the community we heard about?
Staying in California the last 3 weeks has really made me miss my friends a lot as well – I have gotten to spend so much time with our good friend’s baby… and she can even say my name now. Saying goodbye to that is hard.
Do we want to live in California? No. However, it makes me realize how important a community is and we haven’t totally found that while RVing.
So, how do we remedy that? How do we find a community on the road, if that’s what we want to continue doing? I’ve talked a lot online with people who heard that the RV community was strong and real but then when they hit the road, they realized it was for bigger families with kids. Maybe that’s true. Maybe I’m very very very picky with my friends. (This is absolutely what it is.)
Seeking purpose
What IS our calling?
We thought clarity would come to us like a giant sweeping thunderstorm – but it hasn’t. 14 months on the road, and we’re happy, but we’re looking to have some focus on clarity and purpose.
So, here’s where we’d love some help. If you’re in a place in your life where you’ve struggled with clarity or purpose or focus, and you’re on the other side – how did you figure that out? What thing made you realize what you needed, what you wanted, and what you could do without?
As we continue to search for clarity, we’ll keep you updated on what we find out. Also – if you chose a word for 2020, what is it? Let us know!
