Staying connected...

We started van life almost one year ago. 57,000 miles later we've seen and learned a lot.

First and foremost, all we (& by we, I mean ALL of us) really need is food, clothing, and each other. All of the other stuff is just stuff. The world is such a beautiful place and offers so much more than a screen or fancy things can provide us. I am constantly amazed at God's pallette - the wide range of colors, textures & terrain that are so freely accessible. The living creatures, winding roads, and the kindness of people of all cultures which keeps our hearts full and our minds at peace.

My husband, Kam, and I drive for days without turning on the radio and sometimes we are in complete silence as we each soak in our own version of the greatness surrounding us. Me, I am a sunset chaser, and Kam knows wherever we are at that time he better find a spot to pull over. Growing up with crayons in my hand and ultimately working in graphic design, COLOR truly gives me a high. Kam, on the other hand, is color blind, go figure. Kam is overly cautious while I am a risk taker. We balance each other in that way and keep each other in check (Kam stopping me when I get too close to the edge, Me pulling him a little closer to it... YingYang).

I am also in awe seeing the miles of power lines that stretch across the US and Canada, keeping us all connected with one another. However, when we do lose service from time to time it's actually nice being completely unplugged and at peace with our surroundings. Though being off the grid does tend to make cautious Kam a little worried, those stays often result in the most beautiful sunrises, sunsets, and pitch black skies filled with stars (often shooting) that are priceless. That being said, the main take away from our recent trip was that staying connected is important in the case of emergencies. Kam broke his knee on a national park beach and our cell phones did not have service. Luckily, some very kind folks had a different service provider and were able to call 911 to get us help. *Lesson learned for vanlife - if possible, carry phones with different providers, because you just never know.

Traveling the US & Canada together in our Travato has given us the best years of our marriage and memories to last a lifetime. We are not done yet, and hope you continue to join us via www.drznme.com or on the road in a van of your own! #vanlife #lifeisshortliveit