Every nine months or so, this soul of mine gets fidgety and like a wild horse wants to just run. I drive by the RV and camper lot and look with a yearning.

I’ll just take the boy and a RV and we’ll go explore for a year. See all the national parks. Travel the open road. Avoid current life issues like autism, aging dogs, aging grandparents, marriage ending.

No more work stress.

And yet I know there’d be a whole different level of stress, primarily that I don’t have the level of savings required to just up and run at such a time. That I do believe in education and wanting my son to nail the basics so he has no down-the-road setbacks.

But exploring calls to my heart. Secret woods filled with quiet beauty, roaring waves and sandy beaches, crystal blue lakes asking me to swim in them now before they may be over developed and disappear.

So we’re taking a small step this weekend. A little overnight journey as I attempt to “camp” with son and dog in tow. Not far but different. Open night sky, blue lake, and camp fire to build. I’m excited but nervous as I’m the “adult” in charge and really the only one who’ll know if I hit my own expectations or not. So I’m trying to not have expectations. Preparations, yes. Goals, indeed. But the ultimate goal is to allow my soul and my son’s soul to roam a little… to have one moment seeing the vast sky and being grateful. To just breathe… breathe…. breathe.