Well, that’s that.

We know that every season comes to an end, but some seasons are just a little harder to leave behind than others. This is one of those seasons.

We’re finally home. I can NOT believe that five weeks ago we first set out for the Smoky Mountains! So much has happened (as you can see); it has been such an incredible journey! This past Friday night as we drove back into our familiar terrain, Rhyan and I passed by the antique store where we first found the vintage camper that inspired us to think “What if…” and “What’s stopping us anyway?” It was amazing to see that place where it all began, and to realize that we had really done it! Full circle.

This was the trip of a lifetime! We saw things we’ve never seen before, been to places we didn’t know existed, caught up with old friends, and made plenty of new ones. I can’t think of anything I would have changed or done differently.

One huge thing that we learned through this process is that with some planning and some saving and a whole lot of dreaming, you really can do something a little bit amazing. So if nothing else, it’s taught us that dreams and big ideas really can become realities. People – it’s (whatever “it” might be for you) doable!!

I think more than anything, more than the memories, more than all the pictures and all the stories that are now a part of our own bigger, personal stories, a great lesson we’ve learned is that it’s so important to dream a little bit big. And to find a way to follow through. That idea I’m sure looks very different for each person. But the point is that we all want our lives to be the most that they can be. It’s impossible to know what sort of future we’ll have but this is just a small scale example of dreaming, scheming, and finally just buckling down and “doing”. If you want it badly enough, figure out a way to make it happen. Have a little adventure, make some unique memories, make your story a story that you’re going to want to talk about. Explore. Experience. Do something you’ve never done before or something you’ve always dreamed of doing. Be a little bit smart, and maybe a little bit irresponsible, but take a chance. This isn’t the way that I’ve always lived, but it is the way I WANT to live. And after taking this trip, I hope that I continue to have this perspective. We won’t be taking road trips every week but it’s more about having a mindset that is always looking for something new, pushing ahead, being inspired and inspiring others.

What are the things that are important to you? What are the things that you aspire to be or do? What’s stopping you from doing them? Big or small, find out what they are and live them. We only have this one life and I for one want to look back and remember a life well lived. That’s all!

We’ve loved sharing our lives and travels and thoughts with you all! Thanks for reading : ) Love, Mel and Rhy.