Kim's last vanbatical post

I had really good intentions coming back into the van to get the posts up and running again. I wrote that interview with Mike on the 3^rd night of being back on the road. But I just wasn’t as passionate about writing posts.  I started “vanlife then and now” and “yosemite to Joshua Tree”) and now they just sit unfinished on my lap top. Maybe I lost the interest to write about van life because really, I am not living in a van anymore, I am just visiting Mike. So given that the only blog post that is forming in my head is this one, it kind of tells me that it needs to be my last (at least last vanbatical post).    

So first off, I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who read the vanbatical blog. Whether you read all the posts or just a few, hearing about how you enjoyed reading it and just the fact that you wanted to know how we were doing and what we were up to warmed my heart.

Secondly, to update (and as I have mentioned in previous posts), I am spending the winter in Kenora and Mike is continuing his journey in the van with Dawson. Neither of us can say whether Mike will post more here or not but follow him on Facebook and you will at least get some pictures (usually of Dawson) and a short blurb about where he is. As for me, I would like to write more but am not sure if that becomes another separate blog or continuing to type draft blog posts on my lap top and saving them.

And lastly, although the long term van life wasn’t for me, I am so happy that I chose to take this year off, travel around with Mike and our dogs and then finish off the “sabbatical” back at home in Kenora. A year off work (or even 6 months off) really gave me new perspective on so many things. So if during any of your readings you had a thought of, wow I wonder if I/we could do that, I would really encourage you to think about it, talk about it and research it. We met a lot of people doing it. With kids, without kids, with dogs, with a cat, in RVs and cars and vans or on foot or on bikes. So you don’t even need to travel in a van (in fact you don’t even need to travel if you don’t want to) but I encourage you to at least entertain the possibility of the time off. I just don’t think it is something that people ever regret.

So signing off for now. Keep in touch via email (kimmowrey@yahoo.com).