I am going to become an astronaut.
Or maybe I am going to law school.
Or maybe I will open a juice stand on the corner of Michigan and Wacker in downtown Chicago.
We are home in one week and everyone wants to know…what’s next?
It is the number one question we get, and every time our answer is a long pause, a quick uncomfortable smile and a simple we aren’t sure.
Our honest answer? We plan to make money. Catch up with friends and family. And keep writing about our travels on this blog.
If you’ve followed us throughout the year you know that our long-term goal is to create a business and become location independent. We are setting out on an entrepreneurial journey that is both scary and exciting.
We want to be able to tell you what our health benefits will look like and where we will rent an apartment and exactly how much money we will make in the first 6 months of being back in the USA…but we can’t.
We have been living on the road making plans a week at a time. We have enjoyed the flexibility and accepted the uncertainty that comes with the unknown. We are excited and confident that we will be successful, but we can’t tell you what the success will look like exactly…yet.
Our plans involve catching up on the moments we have missed such as friday afternoon happy hours and sunday sushi dates with our friends. We plan to spend time with our families and babysit our two nephews more next year. We plan to work…a lot.
With all the plans we are making, we are promising ourselves to stay flexible and keep exploring. We might not be flying to Thailand (ok, we might if we have time), but we have trips to Hawaii, Portland, Key West and Toronto already planned. After seeing the world (at least a part of it), we want to see our own country. I want to go to the Grand Canyon and explore Zion National Park. I want to make a trip to Georgia to visit my family I haven’t seen in way too long.
There are lots of plans, we just can’t tell you when they will happen – or what other exciting opportunities will pop up along the way. One of our goals of 2012 was to become comfortable with being uncomfortable. We are working to satisfy our wanderlust and continue to build a community around the friends and family we have spent the year away from.
In the mean time, if you ask me what my plans are… expect to hear about my venture to walk on the moon…
“We are home in one week” YAY. Stop there. That’s all I care about.
“We plan to spend time with our families and babysit our two nephews…” That made me think, you have a nephew on Josh’s side? What’d I miss? Oh, WAIT.
Nope, you are supplying all of the nephews in this family… keep them coming 🙂
OMG, a year has passed already? Can’t believe how time flies!
Guys you rock 🙂 I wish you all the best in your future plans, whatever those are 🙂
Right? I can’t believe how fast the year went.
The adventures of the past year have gotten us to keep asking what’s next – I anticipate another interesting year in 2013 🙂
I totally feel you – the minute Jim and I got back from 5 months in Italy, everyone just had to ask us “what’s next??”, when we really just wanted to settle in for a bit and decide for ourselves! Congrats on having some time to relax at home though, enjoy it!
Thanks Allie. We’re quite comfortable with the uncertainty and have to get used to the fact that most people aren’t!
Juice stand sounds good… Or, just remember what a wise man once said: “There’s always money in the banana stand!”
Fireman: Somebody wanted this place to go.
Michael: Yeah? What do you mean, arson?
Fireman: Oh, definitely the work of a flamer.
But seriously, coconut juice.
Keep the momentum going in 2013! Definitely explore your own country (having seen a fair bit of the states, I can see why so many don’t leave the US) – often things on your doorstep can be as exciting as those across seas.
There’s so much of the U.S. we still want to explore, and we’ll be headed to Canada for the first time too! (We’ve been to Easter Island, and not Canada….?)
All I can do when I read your posts and just think how inspirational the two of you are! 🙂 Thank you for sharing your experiences and thank you for allowing me to share with you even if it was only cancun! 🙂 Miss you both!
You forgot a very important stop in the next year…Greenville, SC! (That’s South, not North – seems to be hard for some people :)) Cannot even put into words how much I’ve missed you! See you soon!! XOXO
I am always keeping an eye on flights to both SC or NC :)… I don’t discriminate against either!
Keep the post coming!!! Good luck and thanks for my mini spiritual instant vacation.
countdown: 9 DAYS til you come play with me 🙂
Just as I discover your blog you have finished your RTW trip. Doh! Glad to hear that you will continue to write though and I am looking forward to following you journey from now on.
It’s been a great year, but we aren’t done traveling yet 🙂 Keep following along!