We Bought a Zoo!!!
KUHL Weekly Musings
We dream of a life less ordinary, an adventure that grips our souls..one that calls out to our very being and says come, come out of the dark and into the light.
Journey can be defined as the passage from one place to another. From life to death but also, more significantly from death back to life..like an awakening of the soul..
Grabbing a hold of what was lost, what was taken in this world of consumption…..where we can sometimes spin around and around…choosing to live again and breath in the moments of this life that alter our existence. Choosing to live bravely….
We have loosely thrown around the expression “we bought a zoo” during the past few months of dreaming. No financial or physical ties and just a lot of outrageous ideas of shaking things up. The expression from that movie that sticks with us the most is:
“sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it.”
As of Apr 1 we step out into the unknown and out of our messy box, into uncertainty and instability in order to go after a dream of adventure with 3 kids in tow. The most liberating thought in all of this is going from a full 7 bedroom house to under 350 ft2….a lot can happen in 350 ft2 when you are face to face with those you do life with. No corners of the house to escape to…to isolate…alienate…raw emotion is unloaded on the floor for all to see and to clean up……together. In the end, what you have left is relationship…which is truly what matters.
To date this adventure has brought us from living in some very generous friends shop while we tied up loose ends…to overnight truck stops in Montana with hairy trucker balls (totally Jo’s rendition), hauling through Idaho to get to a location that was warm enough to de-winterize the trailer. The past week has been total bliss, in a canyon beside the Colorado River just outside of Moab. No distractions, no cell service, no Starbucks…and no running water (this one is not so blissful with 2 little boys).
Shari
20 seconds!! Here is to a lifetime of 20 second moments sandwiched together….fearless and beautiful
Love always always always!!
admin
Yes! Keep em coming….
Marcie
Whoa! These photos are awesome! Sounds like you are on a fun adventure!
admin
Thank you for taking the time to comment…we appreciate it 🙂
Travelgal Nicole
Great photos here. Looks like they’re really having fun.
admin
It really has been so much fun!
kallsy
Although at times it will be challenging I commend you for giving such a wonderful experience to share with your family. Your kids will never forget being so close together! We are RVing this summer and although it’s just my husband, dog, and I we have, in the past, gotten a bit testy at times with the lack of space. In the end, we always grow closer together! 🙂 Gorgeous photos too by the way.
admin
Thank you so much. I think the best part of this journey has been the growth in relationships. We are trying to figure out how to keep doing it 🙂
Adrenaline Romance
At first glance of the title, we thought you bought your pets. LOL!
The scenery in Moab is totally stunning and perfect for adventures. We are particularly interested in the boulders and rock formations considering that we are rock climbers. Are there rock climbing sites there?
Sand seems to be a great place for sandboarding. 🙂
admin
YES! Hwy 128 out of Moab is amazing for bouldering..it is along the Colorado River. We stayed at Big Bend Campground about 8-10 miles in and there were people all over the place bouldering. There was also a lot of activity at Garden of Eden in Arches NP. There are a lot of monuments and Arches that are protected so make sure to check before hand…. I am sure there is so much more. We didn’t get a chance to climb while we were there…the weather was very cold and rainy and snowing at times. PS sometimes I feel like I own a zoo…kids!!!
Lydia@LifeUntraveled
Although I can’t relate to living in an RV, I can certainly relate to selling everything and trading a ‘normal’ life with something much more spontaneous! I think this experience will enrich much more than anything material you can ever offer them.
admin
That is def our hope and we are already seeing some of the benefits with them. Love the spontaneity of this lifestyle!
Anja / Womanhattan
WOW these photos are beyond amazing! It looks like the ultimate fun
admin
Thank you so much..It has been amazing so far :}
Christina
Love that movie and that is the perfect quote! Your photos look great and it sounds like your having a great experience.
admin
Such a great, INSPIRING MOVIE!
Claire
Haha YES! Sometimes you just have to do something crazy/brave/stupid/whatever to find something amazing. It sounds like the gamble has paid off – apart from no running water 😉 It looks like the kids & you are all having a blast – well done!
admin
Lots of crazy/brave/stupid happening In the past year! Thank you…
Maria
Your photos are absolutely amazing. The scenery and the joy expressed by the kids is overwhelming. Great, great post!
admin
Thank you for the kind words. We are all loving the travel and being together.
Ling Ge
Love the photos that you captured here and looks like your family had quite the adventure! The landscape and scenery of Moab look spectacular. What I love about the post is being completely disconnected from the rest of the world and enjoying it with your family without distractions…though the water sounded like an issue! Great way to experience a trip
admin
We have loved the disconnecting part! Thanks for your comments 🙂
Sri
Hi fellow adventure seekers
My apologies if you get multiple copies of this message. I am writing to you from a tiny town in India where we are trotting now. But this is the spelling and grammar proofed version.
I found you through Instagram when u liked my posts @tgfchronicles. I am an educator and a mom of two (10 & 6). Our family of four hails from California and leads an unconventional life traveling the world. We have regular jobs, our kids do attend school, but we have an unconventional approach to how we handle our time and finances. My kids had a passport when they were only a couple of months old . As an example, my son has been to 16 countries (on vacations) and to some of those countries many times. This year alone we have been to 6 six countries in 3 continents when we took off from our house on 4 major trips n one minor trip to Mexico. So that gives you an idea of how much we travel.
Many times, I take the kids on my own when my husband cannot join us. Well, someone has to keep the insurance going. 😂 Just kidding. But my point is that I have never hesitated to trot the world with my kids and eventually when my husband joins us we act as his guide to get him caught up. 😀
I am currently trotting in India and my kids have been unenrolled from school cos the world is a school they shouldn’t miss on.
If you would like to feature us on your blog I will be glad to give you more information.
Thanks
Sri