Guest Takeover: Meet the Wanderpreneurs
Aaron and Lauren are full time RV travelers with their two children, Casen and Calista. This sweet family began their new style of living and traveling late last year. Known as the Wanderpreneurs on Instagram, they have documented their entire journey. They are here today with Truths and Gratitude, for our guest takeover!
I don’t know that we had confidence- we had never spent time in an RV or driven/towed anything large at all! But we tend to go after what we want, so you could say we’re bold! We knew we had an opportunity to try something new, since we were both self employed and wanted to take advantage of the situation, and hit the reset button on our busy lives! We realized we only have 18 years with our kids, and they were passing quickly! We wanted to make the best of those 18 years and grow closer as a family.
I don’t know if our marriage has changed- we worked from home together before we hit the road, so we were used to being together all the time, and knew we worked well together and loved it! We have seen lots of changes in our children though!They have grown so much closer to each other. They are each others best friend, and that’s so sweet to see! When they were younger, they were inseparable, but once they started school and started getting their own friends, they started growing apart. Another thing is they have gained a lot of confidence. They are so good at making new friends! We move pretty often- on average every week, so they’re always looking for new friends along the way, and have become more bold in asking other kids to play, and making new connections all the time. I feel like they have matured a lot in our time on the road! They spend so much time outdoors now- not one video game has been played in our RV- their mindset has changed and they want to explore and play outside more than ever!
What did your life look like before becoming a full-time traveling family?
We had a great life, but a very busy one. Both kids were in school and played sports. I worked many evenings, and the kids had practice and games, which meant family dinners and family time together were becoming scarce and rushed. We had VERY few moments that were unscheduled.
I think that could resonate with so many people. Life gets so busy and hectic, which can cut into what is most important. What lessons are you learning from living a "less is more" lifestyle, but also an adventurous one?
Oh man...I didn't realize how much unnecessary stuff we had, until we had to clear out our sticks and bricks house! So much time goes into having more stuff to manage too...more clothes means washing, folding and putting them away more. More toys means more time cleaning them up. A bigger house means a lot more cleaning! Having a tiny home means we spend a lot less time maintaining "things", and more time with each other! It's so refreshing to have less excess! Getting rid of unnecessary stuff was so liberating! All four of us are adventurous at heart, and going on outdoor adventures all the time has been so fulfilling for our spirits! We are less stressed and more happy and fulfilled by this lifestyle!
That makes me want to pack up everything right now and just GO! But a full-time traveling lifestyle isn't realistic for everyone. What would you recommend to families who want adventure, but cant do it full time?
Start where you are! Search for free, outdoor activities in your area. Look into and explore the parks and activities that might be right in your backyard, that you never knew existed!
And if you are interested in the RV/camping lifestyle or just for travel, what would you say is an absolute must (besides a truck used for towing)?
FLEXIBILITY! You have to be flexible. Things happen, plans change, you have to learn to roll with the punches!
That is great advice just for life in general. What has been the hardest thing for you and your family with this new way of life?
Definitely finding balance. We still have to work on the road, and we're homeschooling the kids now too. Finding the balance in continuing the things we need to do, and adventuring is hard! There is so much to do and see out there, but we have to be realistic and know we cant do it all. Being able to make our own schedule is awesome though. We don't ever have to be anywhere at a certain time, and that is so nice!
Thank you for being so honest, because I think sometimes we look at another persons life through social media and compare ourselves to others. But little do we know that at times it can be hard to find balance in life for EVERYONE! T+G is all about those good vibes, adventure, and most importantly gratitude. What are some ways you show gratitude? What are you most grateful for in this season of your life?
I'm grateful for the opportunity we have to all four live, work, and travel together. I'm grateful for our good health and able bodies that allow us to adventure, and for the amazing people we've met through our journey so far! I try and take time to reflect, count my blessings, meditate and pray, thanking God for everything. We also strive to encourage others to follow their passions, and take leaps of faith to do what their hearts true desire is!
Because of this amazing adventure that your family is on, what are some truths you would hope see blossom in your families lives?
First of all, we were created to be FREE! We are free to make our own decisions, and live a life we desire-not one that someone else thinks we should live. Secondly, we live in an amazingly beautiful world. There is so much to see and do, and we should take advantage of experiencing it, appreciating it, and protecting it whenever we can. Last but not least, LOVE should be the foundation of everything we do. Love others fiercely and fully, in word and in deed. Let everything you do be done in love!
What did your life look like before becoming a full-time traveling family?
We had a great life, but a very busy one. Both kids were in school and played sports. I worked many evenings, and the kids had practice and games, which meant family dinners and family time together were becoming scarce and rushed. We had VERY few moments that were unscheduled.
I think that could resonate with so many people. Life gets so busy and hectic, which can cut into what is most important. What lessons are you learning from living a "less is more" lifestyle, but also an adventurous one?
Oh man...I didn't realize how much unnecessary stuff we had, until we had to clear out our sticks and bricks house! So much time goes into having more stuff to manage too...more clothes means washing, folding and putting them away more. More toys means more time cleaning them up. A bigger house means a lot more cleaning! Having a tiny home means we spend a lot less time maintaining "things", and more time with each other! It's so refreshing to have less excess! Getting rid of unnecessary stuff was so liberating! All four of us are adventurous at heart, and going on outdoor adventures all the time has been so fulfilling for our spirits! We are less stressed and more happy and fulfilled by this lifestyle!
That makes me want to pack up everything right now and just GO! But a full-time traveling lifestyle isn't realistic for everyone. What would you recommend to families who want adventure, but cant do it full time?
Start where you are! Search for free, outdoor activities in your area. Look into and explore the parks and activities that might be right in your backyard, that you never knew existed!
And if you are interested in the RV/camping lifestyle or just for travel, what would you say is an absolute must (besides a truck used for towing)?
FLEXIBILITY! You have to be flexible. Things happen, plans change, you have to learn to roll with the punches!
That is great advice just for life in general. What has been the hardest thing for you and your family with this new way of life?
Definitely finding balance. We still have to work on the road, and we're homeschooling the kids now too. Finding the balance in continuing the things we need to do, and adventuring is hard! There is so much to do and see out there, but we have to be realistic and know we cant do it all. Being able to make our own schedule is awesome though. We don't ever have to be anywhere at a certain time, and that is so nice!
Thank you for being so honest, because I think sometimes we look at another persons life through social media and compare ourselves to others. But little do we know that at times it can be hard to find balance in life for EVERYONE! T+G is all about those good vibes, adventure, and most importantly gratitude. What are some ways you show gratitude? What are you most grateful for in this season of your life?
I'm grateful for the opportunity we have to all four live, work, and travel together. I'm grateful for our good health and able bodies that allow us to adventure, and for the amazing people we've met through our journey so far! I try and take time to reflect, count my blessings, meditate and pray, thanking God for everything. We also strive to encourage others to follow their passions, and take leaps of faith to do what their hearts true desire is!
Because of this amazing adventure that your family is on, what are some truths you would hope see blossom in your families lives?
First of all, we were created to be FREE! We are free to make our own decisions, and live a life we desire-not one that someone else thinks we should live. Secondly, we live in an amazingly beautiful world. There is so much to see and do, and we should take advantage of experiencing it, appreciating it, and protecting it whenever we can. Last but not least, LOVE should be the foundation of everything we do. Love others fiercely and fully, in word and in deed. Let everything you do be done in love!
The "T+G" snapshot with the Wanderpreneurs:
Favorite thing to do at the campsite: campfire with friends
Best adventure so far: hiking into the Grand Canyon
Number of states crossed off: In the RV, 9 states
Number of journals you own: The kids each have one, and mine is basically our family Instagram account where I document my thoughts and feelings on everything we do!
Music or Podcast: music
Tea or Coffee: Tea for me, Coffee for the hubs!
Beach or Mountains: BOTH!
Open toed shoes or closed toed shoes: Most of the hikes we've done lately are safer with closed toe shoes, so to save my toes I'll go with those.
One word to describe your family: FUN!
***Be sure to follow this sweet family on Instagram @thewanderpreneurs***