We are a family of three + pup from Oklahoma who is always looking for adventure. Mars is the dad, husband, and musician. Ashley is the mom, wife and spokesmodel. Everly is the tiny human, animal loving comedian. We can't forget our dog Beirut, the big lap dog who still thinks he is a puppy.
Though our story began on 11/11/11 when we first began dating, the real adventure started one fateful night in 2015 when Lamar came home with a proposal, much different than the first, which changed our lives forever.
He presented a challenging adventure to travel the 48-contiguous United States at some point in our lifetime. Now, you will come to learn that we live by a few different mottos. One of them is to do things NOW. We are only guaranteed this moment. So, we made the decision to travel the 48-states and began planning immediately.
Though our story began on 11/11/11 when we first began dating, the real adventure started one fateful night in 2015 when Lamar came home with a proposal, much different than the first, which changed our lives forever.
He presented a challenging adventure to travel the 48-contiguous United States at some point in our lifetime. Now, you will come to learn that we live by a few different mottos. One of them is to do things NOW. We are only guaranteed this moment. So, we made the decision to travel the 48-states and began planning immediately.
Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller. "
– Ibn Battuta
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We didn't have many resources to work with, but we had heart and determination. After brainstorming how we would pull off this seemingly incredible task, we decided to rent out the extra rooms in our house to cover our mortgage, and that our Honda Civic Hybrid would do just fine as our adventure-mobile.
We allowed ourselves until the summer to make a blueprint for the trip, estimating that it would take about three months to complete. We decided upon a route that featured a national park or landmark in every state. To avoid pricy hotel rooms over the 77-day journey we would camp, Couchsurf or stay with family and friends along the way. On June 06, 2016 we left our home in Oklahoma City and took off for the open road. Filled with excitement, and no real idea of what was to come, we had taken our first step toward coming alive. We were exploring a new way of living, and discovering day after day a kind of happiness that we had never really tapped into before. With all of the beautiful sights and amazing people we met along the way, this trip led us to discover that, for us, less is more and experiences bring more value than things. |