When I tell people what we’re doing I usually get “Take me with you!” or “Have you lost your mind?”  The answer is, I lost my balance, but our family gained some much needed clarity.  Here’s how it happened.

It started in the summer of 2006.  I was an air traffic controller and my husband was a stay-at-home dad homeschooling our two boys.  I began having dizzy spells, which at first I blamed on being too tired or just not eating.  Healthy living is not one of my strengths.  In my world, there are very few things that 2 aspirin, a Snickers bar and a Diet Coke can’t cure.  Unfortunately, this time they didn’t help, despite my repeated efforts.  Instead, my dizziness got progressively worse.  In December, I finally gave in and went to the doctor.  That doctor sent me to another doctor who sent me to another and…you get the picture.  Lots of tests, no relief.  Nobody could figure out what was wrong.  In the meantime, my job was in jeopardy.  Controllers must maintain a medical clearance to keep working.  Mine had been revoked and unless I could prove that I had my “situation” under control and was getting better, I’d be forced out on what’s called a medical disability retirement.  As the reality set in that I might actually lose my job – remember that I was our sole source of income – and that there was something wrong with me that none of my doctors could pinpoint, I started thinking…What would I do if I had very little time left?

Most people that know me would say that I go overboard with everything I do.  It’s true.  I admit it.   We have big parties to celebrate things that many people take for granted.  For example – we had “Potty Parties” for both of our boys to celebrate freedom from the diaper!  And they weren’t small affairs.  PVC marshmallow shooters, camo face paint, an obstacle course for basic training and a rousing game of “Capture the Diaper”.  So you see, there was very little chance that my answer to the question would be simple.  In fact, I could see the fear in my husband’s eyes as soon as I mentioned it.

So, what would I do if I had very little time left?  It’s not easy to answer.  What would you do?

I thought about it a lot, and what kept coming to mind was spend time with my family and see my children learn and experience new things.  Remember that we homeschool our boys, which we consider a blessed privilege, and I am passionate about it.  I love to see them learn.  I love it when they really “get it”.  In 2008 we were slated to start American History (we study history in chronological order).  I began dreaming of traveling around the country, experiencing the things we were studying about together.  A yearlong history tour.  A family adventure – rafting where Louis and Clark canoed, riding in a covered wagon on the Oregon Trail, walking on Civil war battle grounds, racing dune buggies at Great Sand Dunes National Park (OK – some of it’s just for fun).  Now that’s living!  That was my answer to the question.

Well, by now you’ve probably figured out that I was indeed forced to retire.  It was official in October of 2007.  It was difficult for me to leave the job that I loved and the many good people that I had grown to love as well.  I have recently found some medication that seems to control my symptoms, for the most part.  They’re tolerable now.   So we decided, why wait?  I’ll be receiving a medical retirement pension that will cover most of our expenses, and we’ll find a way to pay for the rest.  All that’s left is planning and execution.  We’d love to have you come along with us!

If you’d like to join us, check our site often (or better yet, sign up for our RSS feed) where we’ll be posting information about:

•  What it takes to get ready for a trip like this
•  What it’s like to live in an RV fulltime on the road
•  How to roadschool, including lessons from the places we’ve been
•  Our testimony of what God has done for us

See you on the road,
Dan, Jennifer, Mason, and Griffin Taylor (and Priscilla)