About Me
I've been a million things, or so it seems sometimes: Wife, mother, nurse, homeschooler, college professor, real estate agent, author, speaker, yogi, and small business owner. I've written 8 books, sold my photography, and tried my hand at breeding horses. Physically, I've done half-marathons, half-centuries and even a few duathalons. I've been an avid hiker, backpacker and bike-packer, but none of it even remotely prepared me for losing my dad to suicide.
On Nov 4, 2016, my world was shattered. At 53, of course, I wasn't living with, or financially dependent, on my dad. It's not that I needed him the way a much younger child would. But death by suicide always takes it's toll. If I'm honest, what I lost that day isn't just my father, it's everything he taught me.
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Work hard, spend wisely, and save for a rainy day...
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What's more, my dad taught me to be safe, be careful, don't trust and never lend money to anyone. I grew up in a fear-based household, complete with dobermans, guns, and alarms. Yet clearly, my father's greatest fear was hidden deep inside himself.
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Had I lost my dad when I was younger, perhaps there would have been time for my life to play out differently. But at 53, most of my values had already been shaped by my dad. My children were adults and they too had been taught to work hard, spend wisely and save for a rainy day.
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But on Nov 4, 2016, I realized it's raining now! Not only for me, but in someways, for all of us! Living in "bricks and sticks" has become unbearable for me. And while I've tried for the last 3 years to keep it together and look normal for my kids, I simply can't do it anymore.
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So yesterday, I bought a harness for my cat, a new phone, and Chrysler Pacifica van. I have no sense of direction, no mechanical ability, and no idea of where I'm headed. I'm also pretty sure the cat (who absolutely hates riding in the car), is currently plotting my demise.
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But providing I live long enough successfully transition him into van life - I hope you'll follow us our journey! And if you see us on the road, honk, wave or stop and say Hi!
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