Friday, July 30, 2010

Week 3 Review- Part 2-Roswell NM



Very interesting museum. The US government is hiding whatever happened there...whether it was aliens, who knows!




Even Wal*Mart is in on it!

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Week 3 Review-Part 1






Davis Mountain State Park was lovely.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Week 2 Review-Part 2

On the way to the Davis Mountains we stopped for a ride down the sandhills...


Looks like fun, huh? Benjamin was much braver then me, hitting the big hill.

I went down the smaller ones but I shouldn't have feared...it wasn't very fast, hardly moved at all really. Neither of us had much of a ride to brag about.

We enjoyed the experience though.

And it sure was pretty!

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Week 2 Review-part 1

After leaving Abilene we started heading West in order to hit up Roswell on our way to CO for a visit with Benjamin's Dad (which is where we are now).

We stopped here for a couple days. It was on a lake and if we had a jet ski, it would've been fun but we don't so it was a little boring.
It wasn't the best campground/park. The showers didn't have doors or curtains....I know, weird! We left after not too long there.


We hiked a trail one day and saw lots of these pretty dragon flies. Isn't the blue just SO vibrant?

The terrain was lots different then what we're used to but it's been neat seeing how it changes from place to place. See Benjamin? It's almost like a Where's Waldo picture...almost.

Heading out we pasted lots of oil rig things. Why the gas prices aren't cheap out here, we don't understand!

The land is pretty but SO flat and with a tree only every few miles. Much too flat and treeless for our liking. When you come from trees and mountains everywhere...the flat bareness makes you feel vulnerable and unprotected almost.

~Jessi

Friday, July 23, 2010

Week 1 Review

After leaving my sisters house in AR we headed through OK and stopped off at a couple different campgrounds. We stayed for a few days once we found one we liked. It was in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. It's a really pretty place. I recommend visiting it if you're ever in southwest OK.

They're are wild animals that wander around and even go through the campsites sometimes!

Our just hang out on the side of the road like this guy was. I though bison/buffalo traveled together but maybe not?

They also had lots of cattle roaming around...and if you know me (or maybe it's a secret) I LOVE looking at./watching cows. I don't know why. but seriously, I make Benjamin slow down if we're driving by cows.

I really liked this guy. Aren't his colors just so pretty?


We passed SO many of these windmills...or whatever they're called...after leaving Doris Campground heading south to TX to hang out with Benjamin's grandma...which you can read about here. They are all about wind power out here! So cool. We want one of our own someday...but not likely with how much they cost! Never hurts to dream though.

~Jessi

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Pueblo

Hey friends,

We're hanging out in Pueblo, CO at Benjamin's Dad's house for now. We'll be here for a few days 'til Benjamin's his bro and sis-in-law come out and we all hit some national parks together.

It's been a good visit so far. Pueblo is a nice town/city...not sure what it should be called...but anyway, it's nice. We enjoyed a trip to a raptor/nature center today and are working on some projects on Benjamin's Dad's house. It's a nice little break in our journey...cooking in a real kitchen and showering in a real bathroom! It's almost like a vacation :)

I'll update soon with where we've been up to this point but while I've got internet right now, I've got some research to do on National Parks and a rodeo going on in town!


~Jessi

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Home


Growing up there was this heart that hung in our house that said, “Home is Where Your Heart Is.” I've seen and heard the saying many times since then, as I'm sure you have. Before our journey even began people were calling us homeless. To which we would smile and reply, “No, she's our home,” pointing to our Scamp. It's funny how now, we refer to whatever campsite were at as “home” in our conversations.

Part of the reason we came on this trip was to figure out where home will be. We will probably head back to Murfreesboro...or somewhere on the outskirts of Nashville but we're not commiting to it right now. I'll admit, I have a sort of fear of settling down somewhere. Maybe because my family moved so much growing up, maybe because it feels so permanent...whatever the reason, I needed to travel first. To be free to go wherever and not feel like I belong to a certain place. I've wanted to journey like this for so long and to now be doing it...it's overwhelming but oh so exciting.

We've barely scratched the surface of a trip that will likely end around Christmas...but we make no promises. Part of me would love to jump ahead and see where we are, who we are, how we've changed...if we've changed. But I'm content to wait out the journey and am practicing patience as we figure out this new camping life of ours.

We're in a town now that both of us love. The mountains are beautiful, the town small, the trees big and green. Whether it's that we actually love this place or that we were just overjoyed to finally see green grasses, mountains and trees again I'm not sure but we're loving this area. It's highly doubtful we'll ever call it home permanently but for now...the campsite in the woods, where the little scamp with the green curtains sits is our home...and we're happy here.

I know some people need a place they call home. A place that is theirs, a place for their stuff, for their memories...a place they feel they belong. I'm not saying I don't need that in a way too...I guess I just know that stuff will not make me happy. That nothing here really ever is mine and that what I want isn't here at all. This earth isn't my home. Will never be my home. I'm beginning to believe that this longing for travel and freedom, this fear or hesitance of being somewhere permanent...is my spirit crying out, “this world is not where I want to be!” I believe the deep longing for a place, a safe haven, something more...is our soul crying out to be at home with God. To know Him more deeply, trust Him more completely, to be filled with Him...and as I keep trudging along on this journey of life, I pray that I will be able to focus on filling my souls desires for a permanent home with Him.

~Jessi

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Work, Work, Work


First off, thanks to everyone for keeping up with us.It has been a lot of fun driving around and seeing everything.

So far this trip has been a definitive test. A test on both of us to make sure this is really what we want to be doing for the next few months. There has been frustration over dishes, flies, bugs, shower houses, sleeping/sunburns, deciding what to down-size AGAIN, and what things we need to buy for this journey. Don't get me wrong, I love being able to do this, but I guess I had more of an idealistic idea of what things would be like.

Even with those frustrations however, it has been great. Right now we are in this state park in Texas and we love it. I think we kept traveling until we found a place we really liked. No chance to really have our "Sabbatical" just yet. No time for anything. I guess the first few weeks are supposed to be like this. But once we get our routine down, things will get even better.

It is weird not working. I think I have usually been so defined by what I do. It is nice to no longer have all the stresses of a business. That being said, I still do have some stresses I have to deal with, but they are no where near as bad as hoping to get the next client, etc.

But then again I am working! Apple decided to come out with their new iphone OS 4 and now I have to update over 40 apps so the audios work! My older apps had a different kind of media player and no longer work. : ( So I will be spending the next few days updating all of those. This update will be made in a way where I don't ever have to update them again (I hope).

So as I am definitely enjoying this trip so far, right now I have to work but at least I get a great view.

For those of you that don't know, I have to work every Tuesday and Thursday for most of the day in order for us to be out here like this. Our apps and Christian Hypnosis programs support us but they need lots of attention.

If you're wondering what apps I have out on the itunes store you'll have to go check them out because I have lots but I will direct you to my Ultimate Hypnosis App. It is probably my best app and has the best value and it is only .99 cents. You can also check out my apps on Windows, BlackBerry and Andriod.

-Benjamin

Grandma

While camping in OK we realized how close (4.5hrs) to Abilene, TX we were and since Benjamin's Grandma lives there, we headed in for a visit. Thinking we'd stop at a campground that night and visit the next day, we left later than planned but also arrived later then planned. With nowhere to stay, we experienced our first night of boondocking.

If you're new to the camping/rv-ing thing (as we were) this means you park your camper and stay for free. Generally there are no hook-ups but at least there's a free spot to stop and sleep. We arrived at Wal*Mart around 11 and settled in for the night. Yes, Wal*Mart allows boondockers. Ever notice RV's and big rigs parked on the sides or at the back of the parking lot?...now you know why they are there. After some initial fear and worry, I fell asleep and slept 'til morning (I think). Then it was off to Grandma's!

Benjamin hadn't seen her since he was 13 so it was a happy reunion! We enjoyed lots of old family photo albums and stories of her life as a military wife living in Vienna after the war and moving around with six kids. We had dinner with her in the cafeteria where she lives and headed out after that.

It was a great visit! We plan on stopping back in again and staying for longer next time.


~Jessi

Thursday, July 8, 2010

The Makeover

Let's get right down to business here, friends! We present...


~*~The Makeover~*~

~Before~
the kitchen area

~After~
the kitchen area

~Before~
the bedroom/dinning area

~After~
the bedroom/dinning area

~After~
ditto of above

~Before~
entrance/couch/bunk beds

~After~
entrance/couch/bunk beds
(and our portable AC that may be leaving us soon
due to major hogging of space)

And here we are, posing for you this morning.
Sorry if we look a little sleepy. After an awesome time at the lake with the family, we are both suffering from major sunburns and sleeping just isn't working out too well lately.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

...oh, by the way.

After traveling near and far...we found it! OUR camper. Our home for the next few months. And we love it! It was love at first site really...

exactly what we were looking for. A Scamp. We've had fun fixing it up and getting it ready...well, it was camp-ready but NOT cute inside. So with a few touch ups of paint, new floors, new cushion covers, and curtains...she's now officially cute. I don't have pictures yet though, sorry...haven't gotten the after shots and I can't fully show her off without her make-over.

We started our journey a week ago today. Stopped off at my sisters in AR for a visit. LOVED seeing my family. My mom is visiting from Honduras and my brother came in from OK City for the weekend. It was wonderful. My nieces are growing and oh.SO.cute. See...
And I guess that about sums it up for now. We're in OK now (decided against the beach and are heading West already!). We'll be staying around Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge for a few days then will continue on to wherever the road takes us!

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