So, it looks like I have omitted some very KEY details that might serve to illustrate better the trip ahead! Let me fill in some blanks...
Alan will still be working and recieving benefits on the road. He is fortunate enough to work virtually so we will be getting a satellite card that he will use to do his night shift work from the RV. We will all be covered (Very well!) under his insurance for health, dental and vision. (And don't forget the mental health benefits, they may come in VERY HANDY!)I will continue to recieve a paycheck until August and all my coverage is under Alan as well. I will not be contributing to a retirement fund but the way it's going now, there won't be much of one by the time I retire anyway!!! When we get off the road I will boost my retirment stuff.
I am still struggling with the idea that I won't be bringing in any income but all of the research I have been doing indicates there are lots of unskilled labor jobs to be had on the road if we need to boost our income. There are also possibilities I can do some work with an e-school. Jacob will be enrolled in the Douglas County E-School to supplement his education.
The budget we have worked out seems to fit nicely with what we expect but I would feel better working a little now and then to pay for the museums, attractions, etc on the road. There are also lots of places that we can stay that give us free hookups with electricity and water for very little actual "work". We plan to boondock (Dry Camping: parking anywhere without or with limited amenities) about a quarter of the time to save on money and really enjoy the wilderness areas.
We will also have two cell phones, one for Alan's work and one to serve as a "HOME" phone so we will be available all the time. We will be including the kids in our blogging so that everyone will be able to see how they are doing on the road and hopefully watch Jacob's writing skills progress. We feel like SKYPE will be an invaluable resource in keeping the kids as well as ourselves grounded in their current communities.
The nice part about not having a house to worry about back here in Colorado also means that if this whole thing isn't working out we have a million options to choose from when coming back "off" the road. We can re-establish ourselves in our home community, or try a new one nearer to family we haven't seen in awhile.
I am so glad that loved ones are letting us know about their concerns, we understand that an important part of this decision is that everyone feels comfortable about it to some extent. We welcome your concerns, maybe you'll think of something we haven't considered yet! Please know too that we have spent a million hours researching the mundane details of this adventure but also examining our motivations and the reprecussions of this trip. We're happy to share our thoughts on these issues with you! Now, off to read my weekly RV newsletter!!!!nullnullnull