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Self Care. Even saying those words makes me feel guilty. Is this just a new catchphrase that moms are throwing around to make them feel better about spending time away from their family to do something for themselves?
The truth is, I really thought this. It’s still new to me that taking time to do something for myself isn’t necessarily selfish. I’m not talking about taking an entire day to visit some fancy spa and spend hundreds on facials and massages…though that does sound amazing.
I’m talking about taking time to do something that feeds your soul. That makes you remember that you’re a person, not just a mom and a wife. Things like signing up for that pottery class, buying a plant that makes you smile every time you see it, doing some yoga, or going to a coffee shop alone and ordering your favorite spice chai drink that you don’t have to share with anyone!
Living in 220 sq. ft. as a family of six, as you can imagine...we are close. Physically. VERY. CLOSE. We spend nearly all day every day right next to each other, and we love it. But it's easy to get caught up in taking care of everyone else's needs, and it's even easier to forget that you, too, have needs.
In the last few months, Jonathan and I have been making it a priority to let each other have one day out of the Airstream alone. Yes, that usually involves us working, doing laundry, or going to the grocery store, but it’s a start right?
This week I took it a step further. I’ve gotten up each morning (I know it’s only Wednesday, but still…) to take a long walk. We’re visiting Saskatchewan this week and fall is here to stay.
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Okay friends, let’s talk.
If you’ve been around here any length of time you know our preferred method of camping is boondocking on public lands.
In fact, we love it so much we even made an in-depth video course to teach others how to do it!
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When asked what I wanted to do for my birthday this year, for once I already knew. I wanted to go to Theodore Roosevelt National Park!
Driving through South Dakota last year we threw around the idea of heading north for a weekend to ‘check off North Dakota’ on our state map. Little did I know that North Dakota would turn out to be one of the prettiest states we have visited so far!
After lots of research, we finally decided to make it happen. A 10 hour weekend drive got us there just in time for my birthday. But the party was just getting started!
We had a fun-filled week working with the adorable town of Medora, ND. We stayed at the Medora Campground which is unusual for us, but being a quick walk from all the activities in town was a huge bonus!
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It’s going to happen.
You’ll find yourself surrounded by natural beauty and you’ll feel trapped, or depressed, or irritated at the thought of looking at another canyon, mountain range, or waterfall. You’ll think to yourself… 'it looks just like all the other waterfalls I’ve seen over the last 4 years' or 'it’s just another canyon'. You’ll know in your head that it’s special and you should be enjoying it but you just can’t. That my friends, is travel burnout.
I’d venture to say that the last half of 2018 was like that for me. Nothing felt special. I didn’t care to see another mountain range and if I had to hike one more canyon I just might scream. So…what do you do when that happens to you?
First, let’s look at the root cause. Are you tired? Do you miss family and friends? Are you getting enough rest? Are you stressed about work or deadlines? Finding the root cause may help you understand how to adjust your travel lifestyle to better accommodate your needs.
Maybe you just need to slow down. Or you need to meet up with friends. Do you need to Skype with your family more often? Perhaps you need to adjust your work schedule.
But what if it comes out of nowhere? Maybe you just need a small break. There are several ways to get through a burnout period while traveling full-time. Here are some ways to change it up and hopefully avoid the dreaded burnout.
Have some alone time.
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I can hardly believe it! Last week, on May 2, we celebrated living on the road for FOUR YEARS! It’s so fun to look back at where we started and everything we’ve done. And how big that 5th wheel was! Geesh!! I'm so glad we decided to renovate this 47 year old Airstream!
We’ve seen some pretty incredible places, but seeing them with our kids by our side has made this journey the absolute best. And look how much they have grown!
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Ashley Longnecker / September 24, 2019
Jonathan Longnecker / July 09, 2019
We’re Jonathan & Ashley Longnecker. We love weird ideas, great food, travel, drawing, music, homeschool, tattoos, dreads, woodworking, design and our 4 amazing kids.