Living in a Van Down by the River

For those of you not fortunate enough to get the Chris Farley reference it’s worth the few minutes on You Tube to watch. We’ve been camped out here for a few weeks, parked along the wonderful Boise River. I can hear the crickets and frogs right now, and we wake up to the sound of geese. A peregrine falcon was perched on one of the trees the other day, we watched some ferrets play along the rocks. Someone saw a beaver as well. A 25 mile greenbelt bike trail shadows this river and serves as both a recreational outlet and a highway for those seeking the most fuel efficient commutes. We have enjoyed having this as our backyard fence, and take the kids there to splash and throw bread to the ducks after dinner.

We’ve used the stationary time to catch up on some chores and to start the kids homeschool. Nikki has enjoyed this time. I think there are a number of people currently wondering about their personal school situation, so I will make a short plug for homeschool. My opinion on it has radically changed since observing my brother’s children and several others in Hawaii take part in it. I see the value of being able to give each child the education that’s best for them along with the flexibility it afford. In short, I’m a big fan. While the kids are at school, I have been working on some career related things in both consulting and fitness. I’m not trying to fill my calendar, but I am moving the ball forward on a few initiatives. We were also able to knock out a refi the other  day, probably the first notarization in an RV park.

In line with one of the main values of this trip, we have reconnected with  more family and friends. My cousin Caleb is starting his career as a lineman here in Boise, and has already put on some muscle from carrying his tools and climbing up 50 foot towers. He also just got his commercial drivers license— these are things I just never would have fully grasped had we not been here in person. Additionally, I had lunch with a buddy I last saw when we graduated from SEAL training. Holy cow, it has been about 19 years! The dude is crushing it, doing incredible safaris that most would only dream of. Finally, we were able to meet the best neighbors of all time, our friends from Hawaii. The Price Ohana holds a special place in our hearts– in Hawaii, we shared a dilapidated fenceline and countless memories. To have the opportunity to see them has been, well, “price”less (no pun intended).

Allie’s enjoyed her new bike, she insists on taking the trash out since it means she gets to ride over there. She also has started to get more daring, testing her skills on two of the bike parks here including one with a decent 10 foot drop….her “woohoo!” is heard throughout the park. Daniel is content to let mom drive him around in the buggy, and has started to learn how to fly my drone. Today at Lake Cascade he assembled the controller on his own and got a decent video. All in all, it has just been incredible to watch them soak up everything. Yes, they still argue and squabble, but that’s ok, so do I. Furthermore, we’ve had some of the best laughs and unstructured fun that money can’t but. This trip has never been about perfection, but rather it has been about perspective and to that end it has exceeded expectations.

We’ll be here for another 15 days and look forward to every minute of it. Thanks for joining us along the journey,

Aloha,

Loco and Nani