5 Reasons We’re Retiring and Adventuring Now
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Here are the five reasons why it is important that we do this epic adventure now as a family:
1. We Can Still Influence Our Kids’ Worldview
At ages 13 and 15 when we embark on the Great Loop, our kids are still under our roof and are at important ages where our experiences will influence their worldview. Traveling and seeing other parts of the world is an important part in shaping how they see the world as they proceed through their remaining high school years and beyond.
2. We’ve Earned It
We’ve been a hard working, frugal family since we learned about getting out of debt and becoming serious about money on Dave Ramsey’s baby steps. We’ve been debt free and saving those payments for years to have earned the ability to do this trip debt free. Although we may not be able to 100% walk away from work for the rest of our lives, we can certainly pull off a year off (and probably much more if we’re frugal). If this isn’t what we’ve been saving that long for, I don’t know what is.
3. Nobody Knows What the Future Holds For Our Health
As a cancer and back surgery survivor, I never know what the future holds. These may be the most healthy years I have remaining. Too many times in the news I read about tech executives who work too long and their health declines, or, God forbid, they pass away suddenly leaving unfulfilled retirement dreams. We’re choosing to go for it while our health is good.
4. It’s a Part of Their Education
As we’ve chosen to homeschool our kids. One of the things that is important to us is epic field trips to actually see, hear, feel the history they’ve learned about. This trip isn’t just a vacation, but a way to further their education.
5. We Like Each Other (maybe that won’t always be the case)
For now, our family likes each other, and unfortunately, statistics say that that isn’t always the case in families. For us, we have a solid marriage, amazing well-rounded kids, and we genuinely enjoy spending time together. Although we have some teen years on the road that lies ahead, we want to do this while we have a good thing going and nobody is wanting to isolate themselves from our family as part of their growing up process. Now seems a better time than later for this to be the case.
There are many other considerations, of course, but these are five that come up frequently as we talk about this adventure as a family.
What’s your dream and what are you waiting for? Maybe now is a good time for you as well!
