Still Rolling: Reflections on a Decade of Life on the Road

Each year on this day, we pause to mark another year of life on the road.

Published on July 18, 2026 – Narrated by Jim

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Ten years ago today, July 18, 2016, we pulled onto the road to travel full-time — without deadlines, finish dates, or much sense of what might happen next.

We only knew the light had changed and it was time to go.

We couldn’t have imagined that, ten years later, we’d still be living this way, traveling in Beauty, and loving the view through the windshield.

We still feel vaguely unqualified for it sometimes, but we stopped being beginners without really noticing. The years just keep passing, one campground and back road at a time.

Remembering that first day, we’re struck by our naïveté — and how little it mattered, and how little we’ve suffered for it. We couldn’t know what we didn’t know, and it feels almost miraculous that being newbies never slowed us down the way we thought it would.

This blog has become part of the journey itself, though it took us a while to realize it.

When the Light Turned Green

That first day on the road could never have predicted where the next ten years would lead us. We were just rolling. There was no grand plan for 49 states, the long trek to Alaska, or the friendships we wish we’d found sooner. Those things simply found us. We discovered again and again the kindness of people across this country.

We left the familiar behind and began following warm weather and seasonal rhythms the way people once did out of necessity. Unlike them, their friends and family traveled with them. Ours stayed put.

We didn’t see ourselves as influencers. Some days it feels like we’re driving into the unknown with little more than a good-luck charm on the dashboard and a GPS searching for breweries.

Letting the Road Lead

We thought we needed a guide. Slowly, we realized the road would show us what we needed to learn. Along the way, it revealed wonders we never imagined.

Plans, it turns out, are a little like Play-Doh. You shape them carefully and hope they hold, but the road doesn’t give a dead skunk. Detours happen. A house wren decides your solar panel is prime real estate, and suddenly you’re helping incubate eggs for a month. 

We learned that signs reading: WATCH FOR FALLING ROCKS don’t mean: “Hey! WATCH FOR (a cute little town around the bend named) FALLING ROCKS!”

What began as simple record-keeping became part of how we experience this life — a way to reassure the people we loved that we were doing okay, and that if we were ever arrested for vagrancy, someone might post bail.

One night on a practice run before we officially began living in Beauty, we arrived to a desert campground in pitch darkness, without a flashlight. Noticing our struggle, a neighbor walked over with a portable floodlight, and guided us safely into the site.

Under a sky packed with stars, we learned an early lesson: rugged independence is mostly a fantasy. On the road, whether you like it or not, you become part of a mobile community.

Slowing Down

Journaling gives us a reason to stop long enough to notice what makes a day worth remembering.

We try to follow our 4-3-2 rule: drive no more than four hours, arrive by 3 p.m., and stay at least two weeks. We don’t always succeed, but the intention matters.

Slowing down changed our perspective. Early blog posts about conquering highways and living in open wilderness are a bit embarrassing now. RV adventure often means finding a large, level site with heated showers around the corner.

Weathering weeks of an atmospheric river in Alaska, clarified the meaning of “creature comforts.”

Researching destinations too thoroughly can be a spoiler. We’d rather arrive dumb and dazzled.

We no longer measure success by miles traveled. Staying somewhere long enough to feel its particular rhythm, notice its quirks, and imagine what it might be like to live there.

It isn’t just the places that stay with us.

We didn’t set out looking for more friends, but now we meet our Roadies whenever and wherever we can — mooch-camping in their driveways, backyards, and lawns, lingering over conversation, laughter, and shared meals.

Long-term life in a small space turns out to be calmer than we ever expected.

These days, we spend more time watching hummingbirds during morning coffee, learning the names of stars, and appreciating how lucky we are to still be living the dream.

Ten Years In

The unplanned moments and the last-minute changes are what we remember most. It’s still a little astonishing to realize how many of you have quietly been part of this story, month after month, year after year.

Living in Beauty hasn’t changed the world a whit — but it has changed us.

The biggest surprise is discovering that all the things we hold dear come bundled up into one unexpected way to live.

Considering how little we knew when we started, this life has been kinder to us than we had any right to expect.

Ten years later, it’s strange sometimes realizing this life feels less like an adventure and more like “just the way we live.”

We still don’t plan very far ahead. Some days that feels irresponsible. Other days it feels like freedom.

Tomorrow, we begin our 11th year on the road, curious to see what awaits us around the next bend.

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A Decade in Numbers

The memories blur together after a while, but the numbers still keep track of where we’ve been.

These are just a few of the numbers. Explore ten years of full-time travel through the numbers.

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10-Year Anniversary Crossword

Ten questions. Ten answers. Ten years of Living in Beauty.

Now it’s your turn. See how much you remember from our journey.

Solve all ten and enter our anniversary drawing for a chance to win a Living in Beauty $100 Amazon Gift Card. Some of you may even know the answers from memory, but every answer can also be discovered with the help of the intersecting letters, the hint buttons, or the linked posts.

Check puzzle Clear puzzle

Select a square or clue to begin.

Across

Down

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Prefer not to solve the crossword?

The crossword is simply one fun way to celebrate ten years of Living in Beauty. If you’d rather not solve it, we’d still love to have you join the anniversary drawing.

You can see our exact route on this map.

*Photos in this post, unless otherwise noted, were taken and copyrighted by Living in Beauty.

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