Between February and August of this year I lived in nine foreign lands.  Yes, count em … nine separate countries!  Central America, Mexico, and all throughout Europe!

So if travel is my life, then why am I writing about Miami?

We had always planned on transitioning from world travel to building out a “Skoolie” and exploring the Americas in it.  And we had also always planned on doing the basic build up in Virginia and then finishing it in Miami.  Well that’s our current reality.  I’m figuring between 2-3 more weeks and we’ll be heading 1000 miles south to The Magic City and “home”, there to scramble to get this bus built and on the road for real.

But before I can give you those details … it’s time to look back on those seven glorious months!  Let’s checkout the highlight reels, behind the scenes style!

I think I had mentioned this in a video or two, but Central America was initially a “Geez, I suppose we’ll do this until we can get somewhere better” destination for me … at first.  And boy was I wrong!  Our initial weeks in Costa Rica were absolutely wonderful!  No where near “first world luxury living” by any means, but it was an experience that is tied for number one in my heart of hearts.  

I didn’t know it at the time but Puerto Viejo was far more than just beautiful beaches and monkeys prowling overhead in the trees.  It brought out something in me that had been hiding for many a year.  Life there is simple and slow.  People laugh and chat.  Sure there was no potable water and internet connections to the rest of the world were tenuous as best, but this was real, actual life.

I look back on those weeks now with a sense of longing.  When you take away all that we usually surround ourselves with you are left with this distilled and glorious sense of ease.  That is my hope for Skoolie Life, to recreate a casual and slow lifestyle.  

Only we’ll have to drive to the beach because there’s no room inside the bus to recreate it.  LOL!

While staying in Mexico we drove over to a beach town called Playa Progreso  (several times in fact) where we met these guys … Felix and Juan.  Now normally they would serenade you, then you would give them a few pesos in return and call it a day.  But these guys stayed with us for hours on end because … well because they were really nice guys.  And we all needed some time to make new friends.

They sang Spanish songs of fathers for Nikki’s dad who had died the year before.  They sang happy songs for her birthday (which is why were there that particular time).  But mostly they sang songs for fun.  Folks would come and go in our little circle and we were all swept up in the highs and lows that only Spanish music can bring.

So back to Miami we go, hopefully before I have to swap my hoodie for a parka here in Virginia’s approaching winter.  To take much of what we had surrounded ourselves with in the Miami house and somehow place it in our bus.  To say hello … and goodbye again to friends and family.

What’s after that?  Well … we honestly haven’t talked about it yet.  LOL!  I have zero idea, only that it will be on a line below the snow belt and quite possibly be in the direction of California (at first at least).

When I look back on the past decade I have been on so many adventures.  I have so many wonderful memories.  And I know that I have so many more to make.  Thanks for coming along with me.