Ten years ago today we quit our perfectly good jobs and drove off into the sunset.
Or something like that...
March 25, 2011 was our last day at work in Denton County. We drove away on April 1, by May 1 we were leaving Oklahoma westbound on I-40. We've been a lot of places since then. We've seen the tallest trees, massive canyons, vast lakes, high waterfalls, and countless birds, animals, RV parks, people, airports and border crossings. Seven countries, dozens of states, and hours and hours in cars, RVs, planes and buses. Our ability to capture photos and video has far surpassed our ability to store and share them. And yet there are whole continents we have not yet been able to explore. Many miles and years to go.
We still can't believe it has been TEN YEARS! Time flies, I guess? Speaking of time, here's a quick timeline of our last decade:
2011 - we lived in a pop-up camper for seven months, from Texas to California to Seattle to Michigan and back home.
2012 - we moved to Mexico! We lived in Ajijic and then traveled by bus across the country, landing in the mountains of Chiapas.
2013 - we continued living in Chiapas and also visited Guatemala, and Belize.
2014 - we visited Costa Rica and Nicaragua, returned to Chiapas, then returned to Ajijic.
2015 - we returned to Texas - lived and worked in Austin until Glenn vested in his pension and Bryn began receiving hers.
2016 - Became vegan! One vacation to Ajijic, revisited Big Bend, got back into rock climbing in the gym.
2017 - Finally retired! Back to Ajijic. Lots of dancing and drinking with friends.
2018 - Visited Monarch butterfly reserve, Mexico City, Guanajuato, Aguascalientes, Zacatecas and took some friends to San Cristobal de las Casas.
2019 - Moved to Zacatecas. Hiked the hills above 8,000 feet. Visited San Luis Potosi. Traveled across Mexico separately: visited San Miguel de Allende, Mexico City/Puebla, Oaxaca City, San Mateo Rio Hondo. Reunited and returned by bus.
2020 - Pandemic. Lockdown. Sold or gifted everything we couldn't carry and rented a car in June, drove across Mexico, crossed by foot back into Texas at Harlingen. Picked up a car and an RV. Traveled from Texas to Seattle to south of L.A. and back to Texas.
2021 - Escaped winter by driving to the Florida Keys. Now official residents of Florida! Got our first COVID vaccine shots in South Carolina. Currently headed for Maine.