Dream Big, Friends! Live Small.

Most of the people we’ve met who traveled the country and the globe aren’t trust fund yuppies. Some of them are. Mostly, they’re simply regular people who crafted a dream, and then made experiences rather than stuff a pressing priority. They were by no means born on third base. So whenever folks tell me that it’s nice to take time off and travel “if you can afford to” - it, as my Dad would say - really frosts me. I want to (gently) crush their disposable coffee cup against their head, punch some numbers into my nonexistent wrist calculator, and show them just how possible any dream can be if you’re stubborn and patient enough to make the sacrifices.

People write and ask how we manage to do so much travel, and admittedly, many of these blessings stem from chosen career paths that allow us to envision and then carve out experiences we never thought possible. Living in New Zealand also set the bar high. It taught us how little we needed, and that identity stuck with us like a globule of Gorilla glue in the sultry central Florida heat. Simplifying has become a daily challenge but a welcome one.

So this summer, in the spirit of travel and as a reward for saving our pennies, we’re hitting the road to spend time together as a new family. The itinerary will include bicycle touring the blue highways of America, visits to see family (Grandpa B has yet to meet little E), and perhaps even a detour back down to Nicaragua (not by bike).

Here’s how we have rationalized our sabbatical, and a set of free tips for the taking if and only if you share the same dream and need inspiration. There is no judgment here, only an explanation of how our family managed to make it work:

(1) If possible, and weather and your health permit, become a one-car family. Our little family has done so for 10 years both here and in New Zealand, and initial calculations reveal that we’ve saved over $30,000 on insurance, car payments, and maintenance alone. Carpooling and biking helped ease the pain of any inconvenience.

(2) Buy only what you need and you’ll throw away less. (Ladies: in the words of my good friend Liz, all we really need is a pair of nice fitting jeans). The Engineer and I thought after we had a baby we’d have to upgrade our trash service but it never happened. We’ve saved over $400 in the last 8 years by subscribing to a super tiny trash can service (which can still be seen with the unaided human eye).

(3) Always take your lunch to work. It’s less expensive, but more importantly, healthier and your chances of contracting parasites are substantially reduced. Why not save your parasitic experiences for traveling abroad to ….New Jersey?

(4) Never ever, ever, ever waste food. Our parents were correct. Have you seen statistics revealing that 25% of food is trashed each month? I’m grateful for a partner who will eat just about anything I make. He amazes.

(5) Finally, when people question your dream to say, take four weeks and walk part of the Appalachian Trail or to bicycle tour the California coast– and when they subsequently diagnose you with midlife crisis – store that bit of advice away as primary evidence that you’re on the right track. Naysayers, take a hike.

Happy Travel, Friends!