Did you know there is such thing as un-schooling? YES, UN-SCHOOLING. Sounds ridiculous right? Just the word sounds crazy. Wouldn't unschooling mean that you don't go to school? Not quite. Unschool means you don't force school on anyone, you let school come to them. According to a great article written by Earl Stevens, "A large component of unschooling is grounded in doing real things, not because we hope they will be good for us, but because they are intrinsically fascinating." Since we will ultimately be living on the road, with new and exciting things at our fingertips each and every day, the ability to un-school is at our doorstep. Of course, why wouldn't we?! In 2007, I graduated from CSUSB with a major in Liberal Studies, I was going to teach. I wanted to be in a classroom. I know the curriculum, I love writing lesson plans, I love teaching and watching little minds learn. I was in and out of the classroom for several years as a substitute teacher. Becoming a full-time teacher has yet to fall in the cards for me. So the idea of just un-schooling, blows my mind. There are standards for each grade and core subjects that each child just master for their grade level. How could un-schooling ever really work? My kids would be bored, they wouldn't be self motivated, I'd just fear they were missing out on long division and proper sentence structure and the definition of an idiom. Wouldn't they need a weekly spelling test? How would they keep up? And when we come back to school, how do they prove they have mastered the 2nd and 4th grades to move on with their friends? (That is if we return when we say we will).  So, un-schooling just doesn't sound like the best option for us, unless it is. Is it? People, this is where my mind is tonight at 10:13pm, while my husband and 3 boys are snoring upstairs.

So homeschooling seems like the best option. Yet, there is one holdup. Each student needs to meet with their assigned homeschool instructor every 21 days. (This is what is required via the program attached to my kids charter school). Nope, can't do that. And since FaceTime or Skype isn't an option either, there goes this homeschool program.

But wait! They offer virtual school? Online schooling for kids? Yes! I currently have the boys signed up for this program. I don't know much about it and Im hoping after spring break, I'll learn more. Only downside, internet won't always be an option for us. If this program requires internet at all times, we may be SOL. Which than means, I have to do some major research on homeschooling, unschooling and road schooling. Yes, ROAD SCHOOLING.

So, if anyone has any advice to throw my way, I'm ready and willing to take it! I am a worrier and a researcher and I always want to get it right the first time because I am terrified of failure. There you have it. 

On that note, I'm off to search out my bedtime essential oils and read myself to sleep. 

We've been planning this trip for 9 months now. 9 months of prep work. 9 months of day dreaming, minimalizing, renovating, 9 months seems like a good amount of time. Holy crap, it's gotten real really quick folks, let me tell you. We are officially out of this place we've called home in 26 days. We've had our enormous yard sale, which was a huge success, we moved a ton of things to storage and Travis is near complete with the trailer renovation. It's gotten real.

It's funny because in the early stages of sharing this adventure with our family and friends, telling them our plans and dreams, we were the ones convincing them as to why we were doing this. We reassured them that we would be gone only for 1 year and we convinced them we would survive for 1 year. We shared with them were we wanted to go and why, how the kids would adjust and how this would all around be healthier for our family. We have now completely switched roles. Our family and friends are excitedly asking us when we launch, what's our first stop and if we are beyond excited. Our answers are less enthusiastic each time. We are nervous, wondering if we have made the right choice and questioning our every move. Should we have waited longer? Should we have not sold all of that? Should we maybe keep this and should we be moving out of our comfort zone? Is homeschool the best option for our kids? Is it the best option for me and my sanity? Questioning it all. Every move we make. We are all on the edge right now. Our home is a mess, we eat our way too often, things that need to be stored but we may still need are piled up or strewn across the floor. Another 18 days is what I keep telling myself. Enjoy it, breathe it in because this is the home where we became a family. This is our home. 

When we watch other peoples adventures on social media, we are reminded as to why we are doing this. When each person we come across who hear about our plans say, "I wish I would have done that", we know we are doing the right thing. We ARE excited to get out. We are hoping it bring us all together. Slowing down.

So, as the trailer renovations continue, I cannot wait to get before and after shots together. Travis is working on clutter closets for the boys bunk beds. Each will have a space to store their stuff as well as a desk to go with it. He is building a hamper in the bathroom, as the toilets obnoxiously sits far away from the wall, leaving a huge empty space between the toilet and wall. He's built a laundry box to fill that space and will add shelves above it. It's all about the storage space people. Next project would be a small closet up front for us along with book shelves. Reading on this adventure is one of my many goals. After we put our mattress inside on our bed, he will then build the wall, operating the living space from our bedroom. It will also be the spot he hangs the TV. 

So, after typing that, Im once again excited for this adventure.

We have lots more to do and will continue to share it all on our instagram @ourlivelytribe.