Hi there! Writing you from the road to Florida!
When I was in college, Tyler and I would spend every spring break on a Florida road trip. Needless to say, the years since college have been a bit... busy — starting careers, buying a house, getting married, ya know.
So this year we decided to make it a priority again, and because we each own our own businesses, we were able to extend the trip a bit longer! We are so excited to be on the road again.
We try pretty hard to stick to a budget, especially because we extended the trip to eleven days… that can add up! But lucky for us, we LOVE to camp! Camping is so much cheaper than having to find hotels each night, and we’re tent campers at that, so campgrounds charge next to nothing!
Now don’t get me wrong, sitting in our tent and looking across the campground at the 40-foot RVs could spark a bit of envy, but there is something about roughing it that reminds you how important it is to be outside and to switch up your comfort zone!
Speaking of the “comfort” zone — last night was a test to comfortable. You see, when I packed for our trip, my mind was set on sunny Florida. I guess I forgot that we would be spending a night at a midway point. After not too many hours of driving yesterday, we settled on a campground in North Carolina. North Carolina is not Florida… and this gal forgot to pack sweatshirts for both me AND Tyler.
Now Tyler would love to sleep in 50 degree weather all night every night. I on the other hand was not so pleased, but as I mentioned, it’s a reminder. A reminder that when something is uncomfortable, it’s an opportunity to test your strength (Mind you, I am not claiming that a slightly chilly night is at all the worst of conditions, we are very fortunate to have the tent, the blankets, etc. It’s simply less comfortable than our typical king size warm bed at home.)
Despite a mostly sleepless night for me, I woke up this morning, unzipped the tent and straight ahead was the sunrise on the horizon. This will NEVER get old. A chilly walk to the bathhouse but a warm sun on my face reminded me that often discomfort or struggle is temporary and it sure does make what is comforting feel so darn good.
So we’re back on the road for today. We’ve got another 10 hours or so to Florida. Tonight we’ll spend the night with some family in Clearwater. No chilly night for us!
P.S. As I’m writing this, Tyler just announced that he had a wonderful night’s sleep. He is very happy.