Today we spent our Sunday unlike ones in the past. We literally sat, and existed. I sat in the sun and read a book. The kids roamed inside and out between legos, scooters, Octonauts and their tablets. Adam relaxed and chatted with old friends. Gavin came outside and we talked about the compass and found East from the point of the sun in the sky, we then went through “Never Eat Soggy Waffles”. We talked about the birds flying around us and had moments of peace together sitting outside in the lawn. There was zero to do and literally no expectation.
Back in Kansas, or Tacoma, or Tahoe, or Denver, or S. Carolina or Florida… there was ALWAYS a list. That list of chores; housekeeping, cleaning, laundry, yard work. grocery shopping, painting, staining, fixing something, sorting through this, clearing out that, put together this, pick up that. And our kids weren’t even in sports!
We could sit down for a moment, have our coffee and then get to it; as it’s the weekend, the time we have to get stuff done.
By renting short term, in fully furnished places, we literally have NOTHING to do. We were able to just be. To enjoy ourselves and be together, or not. We did have a nice BBQ dinner, with charcoal BBQ burgers, fruit salad and veggies… we sat together and rode scooters together. We had our mini dance party, bath and the kids in bed by 7:30. The important things didn’t change, but what’s more important; the things we thought and we placed as super important at the time, no longer have a place in our days (at least for now).
We are our important. Our mental health, our physical health, our relationships.
I know these are the things that most people look forward to on vacation, but what makes this all so very special to us, is this is now our day. This is another one of the reasons of WHY this trip, this lifestyle is so important to us.
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The short answer is structure. Work hours need to be protected even when you are in a beautiful place. Kids need to understand when parents are available and when they are working. It is not always clean but families who do it long-term find rhythms that work for their specific setup.
Grounding in some ways and disorienting in others. Kids become adaptable, curious, and comfortable with uncertainty in a way that is hard to replicate in a more stable environment. They also miss things. Friends. Routines. The familiar. Both things are true at the same time.
Slow almost always. Moving every few days with kids is exhausting. Staying in one place for weeks or months gives kids time to actually feel somewhere rather than just pass through it. The depth of experience is entirely different and the family stress level drops significantly when you stop rushing.
Better than most parents expect, especially with video calls and social media. Young kids adapt quickly and form new friendships. Older kids feel the absence more but often develop a tolerance for distance in friendships that serves them well. Staying in one place long enough to form real friendships helps.
That it is slower than you expect to find your rhythm. That the hard days feel harder when there is no familiar home to return to. That the good days are extraordinary. And that the decision changes you in ways that are difficult to describe to people who have not done it.
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