I don’t know if writing this now is getting me ahead in the publishing game or simply playing catch up for all the content we haven’t created this year. LOL! Either way I think it’s good to share our Life from The Road updates from time to time for a variety of reasons.

Where has this year gone already?

It just seems as we get older each year feels a lot shorter, while our body pain tends to last longer. I guess that’s one of the aspects of life we have to embrace. The good news is no matter our age or how quickly time passes, we still have a lot of opportunity in front of us if we make the most of it.

Living a life without regrets is the biggest reason Donetta and I choose to do the crazy things we do. We simply didn’t want to come to the end of our lives knowing we never risked pursuing our dreams. To us, life is way too short to not explore our passions or interests, whatever those might be — even if the results don’t end up as we expected.

So we want to take a moment to encourage you to start thinking about your own bold adventures for the year ahead.

What do you dream about doing or what have you wanted to pursue but were too scared to try? It doesn’t have to be related to traveling either. Maybe it’s a business idea, achieving a better body, finding a new career, or climbing a mountain. Regardless of what you want it, is time for you to try it. Stop worrying about the outcome and start living your dream.

The past couple of years has shown us all how fragile life is. We never know what will happen and every single day is a gift. So please, don’t die with having any regrets because that IS a tragedy.

2022 was bittersweet for us.

It’s hard to put into words how this year has been experience wise.

There were challenges in traveling to unexpected plans that have since changed again, leaving us in a perpetual state of confusion. We drove back to Oklahoma to see friends and family who kept telling us they wanted to see us, but have never made any effort to follow through. And we’ve struggled with the decision about our RV home base idea, investing in a Transit van and living like hippies, or simply doing the hotel life as we have been, all of which have their pros and cons.

In short this year has included a lot of frustrations.

However there have been a lot of great things as well. Like spending six weeks in Estes Park and tanning our buns in the sun. We got to live the lake life and be involved in a completely new business venture by managing a trucking company. Then there was our 7 1/2 hour hike to reach the summit of Twin Sisters Mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park and our trip to Zion National Park.

It’s not all perfect and happy when you get to pursue your dreams but it’s still a lot better than never getting the opportunity.

Accelerating quickly into 2023.

As we quickly approach the holidays and new year ahead, it’s time to plan ahead as best as we can. There’s a lot to appreciate about spontaneity and going with the flow, but there’s also benefits to setting goals and having a roadmap to follow. What are some of our objectives for 2023?

It’s time to leave the country.

Traveling overseas the past two years has been impossible due to vaccination requirements but now that they’ve all been lifted, our goal is to return to the Netherlands to see family and friends. We’d like to spend a couple of months in Europe, and since it’s so easy to travel between countries, we’d like to take short excursions to Germany, Belgium, Austria, France, and Switzerland.

It’s time for our 50th state.

We really wanted to reach Alaska this year for Donetta’s 50th birthday being it’s the only state we’ve never been to. But driving there was not an option for many reasons and all the cruises required Covid vaccinations. Now that those stupid regulations are no longer required, it looks like a summer trip to The Last Frontier will finally happen. Hopefully we’ll also get to see that elusive bear that never seems to be found.

What else is on the horizon?

Besides trying to figure out exactly what traveling looks like over the next year, we want to find ways to improve Life from The Road. While it’s fun to share our own experiences, we’d really love to help other couples interested in traveling to live their own amazing adventures.

We’ve also got some new online businesses we plan on launching.

Donetta has already started her health blog, something she’s incredibly passionate about. Then we’ve wanted to use our creative talents to sell artwork and photography inspired by our journey so far. Plus there’s a couple other ideas in the development stage. Having multiple revenue streams is essential to keeping the dream alive, especially when our economy is a complete mess right now.

Other than that it’s just making the most out of every day.

Regardless of what any of us plan, the past couple of years have taught us the importance of adapting and improvising because everything is constantly changing. I think this is the new “normal” for now until we all stabilize from the insane roller coaster ride we’ve been on.

Finally, my hope for you is 2023 will be even better than you expected and that you’ll have many positive and memorable moments. You deserve it too!

Thanks for reading. We appreciate all of you who keep up with us.