Off we go! I’m writing from the road near the Idaho-Montano border, north of Sandpoint. We just passed a street called Bent Twig road. We’re moving fast during these first couple days of our trip, heading for the south of Saskatchewan and our first Canadian national park reservation.

The last couple of weeks have been a bit of a rollercoaster. We had a great time with friends and family at our going away party, and spent many, many hours packing up our house, packing up our van, and making curtains for our big van window (priorities!). Everything took about four times longer than we expected, but we had a lot of help, and did manage to take off on July 8, if a few hours later than intended.

Despite the challenges and emotions of leaving home, it’s great to be on the road! Our long drive on day 1 went well, all the way to Sandpoint, Idaho, and our lovely stay with some Boondockers Welcome folks outside of town. Despite our late arrival, they graciously welcomed us this morning and exchanged stories of van life. On our way through Sandpoint, we stopped for a dip in the (quite cold!) lake. First swimming of the trip has been accomplished. Now we’re winding through the mountains on our way to Whitefish, Montana to see some family on the way through.

We’ll have more to share soon, but wanted to post since we’re ON THE ROAD at last! We love hearing from folks, so please say hi if you’re reading or following along.