EARLY BEGINNINGS...Jill has always liked the idea of being a nomad--seeing new places, meeting new people, experiencing all that traveling can offer. She thrives on change and new experiences. Randy, on the other hand, prefers to be rooted. He enjoys vacation travel, but soon is thinking about getting back to the comforts and familiar routines of HOME. Throughout our marriage, we have looked at property in various locations and have talked often about living somewhere other than Ohio. But...the time was never right, the finances weren't right, the job situation or our children's interests or schooling prohibited extended travel, and on and on the excuses (reasons?) went. OUR LIVES ARE SHAKEN UP...In late April, 2007 our lives were shaken up with a diagnosis of "CANCER" for Randy. Eight months of tests, surgeries, treatments, and upheaval followed. Because the melanoma had metastasized, the prognosis of recurrence is very high (even after treatment). Suddenly, all of us had to face the prospect that our family might be in for radical changes if Randy were to die at such a young age. So far, God has been gracious, and Randy remains cancer-free. YAY! OUR LIVES ARE TURNED UPSIDE-DOWN... In April, 2008 we were beginning to feel that life was getting back on track. Randy had started working again, at least part-time. But then came April 8th...when our almost 16 year old son, James, died very unexpectedly. (For more on his story and how his loss is effecting us, see www.jotto2wonder.org) It was bad enough trying to sort through our own mortality. But how do you ever work through the death of a child? That is NOT "supposed to" happen. Our lives and our world-views have been very deeply shaken. Which indirectly brought us to... WE RADICALLY CHANGE OUR LIVES...(at least for now)So...by mid summer we pulled back out a dream we had been too "responsible" to follow before. We joked about buying an RV and wandering the country--building family memories together (rather than splintering into individuals splintered and separated by pain and grieving). Next thing we knew, we were researching RV options, choosing a model we felt was livable for the four of us, finding a truck to tow the 5th wheel RV, and more. The fall was spent trying to get "stuff" sorted through--financially, emotionally and physically. It takes a LOT of effort to decide what would travel with us, what would be stored, and what needed to be gotten rid of. (In fact, we are still sorting through some of this, even though we are already on the road! Anyone want to buy a house in Cleveland???!!) So...we said goodbye to friends and family in mid-December and hit the road in our new RV. We headed to Denver to spend Christmas with Randy's brother and family. Our plan was to head south after Christmas...but we are staying at a beautiful RV park in Golden, CO for the next few months. More about that story another time... |
