The parents of three teenagers have shared how they traded their suburban home for life on the road and more than four years later have no regrets.
Geoff and Dawn Smith had a 3,000 square foot home in suburban Georgia, but they decided to take their two sons and daughter on a cross-country adventure when they were still quite young.
In an episode of the popular YouTube show Short house toursthe couple explain how they sold all their possessions and bought a 43ft Newmar motorhome.
Giving a tour of their home on wheels, Dawn showcases the master suite with a king size bed, a large bathroom with a rain shower, and a kitchen with a spacious residential refrigerator, convection microwave, microwave dishwasher, a removable hob and an espresso machine.
Parents of three teenagers have told how they traded their suburban home for life on the road and more than four years later have no regrets
Geoff and Dawn Smith had a 3,000 square foot home in suburban Georgia, but decided to take their two sons and daughter on a cross-country adventure when they were still young
As they tour their home on wheels, Dawn showcases a kitchen with a spacious fridge, convection microwave, dishwasher, removable cooktop and espresso machine
The mum-of-five explains that her eldest son Aiden – who is now 20 – is sleeping in the living room on the sofa
Next to Aiden’s sofa bed is a dining table, which can extend out so the family of five can enjoy meals together
The mum-of-three explains that her eldest son Aiden – who is now 20 – sleeps in the living room on the sofa, while her two other children – Gavin and Camille – sleep in a corner bunk bed.
Next to Aiden’s sofa bed is a dining table, which can extend out so the family of five can enjoy meals together.
For convenience, the motorhome has another toilet with storage space, where children store their clothes.
There is also a washer and dryer in the main bathroom, so the family can do their own laundry instead of visiting a laundromat.
Later in the video, the Smiths sit together and talk about life on the road.
Dawn says she got the idea to take more trips after a friend sent her a photo of Crater Lake in Oregon and she had no idea what or where it was.
However, her son was able to identify the area of natural beauty as he spent nights browsing the internet and “travelling” through the photos he found.
Eager to introduce her children to places in real life, she had the idea of getting a motorhome.
She said when she first told the kids about buying an RV “they were all thrilled until we told them we had to sell the house”.
However, the children slowly got used to the idea of abandoning their brick-and-mortar base, and the Smiths staged an estate sale with the help of friends and family.
Gavin and Camille sleep in a bunk bed area, with the top and bottom bunk beds adorned with curtains
On Instagram, where they use the handle @sojourning_smiths, the Smith clan regularly share images of their motorhome adventures
Originally, the Smiths had the idea of being on the road for a year, but Dawn later said that “once we got out, we realized we had barely scratched the surface”.
Offering his advice to others considering hitting the road, dad Geoff says to ‘just do it’
The family plan is to check off all the national parks in the United States. With 424 in total, they could roll across the country for a little longer
The Smiths tow a GMC Acadia SUV behind their RV so they can use it for errands and shorter trips.
Father Geoff, says with ‘with the bikes and all…we’re like 68 feet long on the road…so it’s like driving a train.’
On Instagram – where they use the handle @sojourning_smiths – the family regularly share images of their motorhome adventures.
Some of the destinations they have visited to date include Florida, New York, Utah and Mexico and most recently they were in Georgia.
In terms of schooling, the children are taking distance learning lessons online and Gavin (the middle child) says it makes learning “super fun”.
Now I never want to go back. I love the freedom we experience as a family, I love bonding
Meanwhile, Aiden says he’s actually going to places he’s discovered and Camille says she’s meeting “all these different people that you wouldn’t meet at your school.”
The Smiths originally had the idea of being on the road for a year, but once they got out, “we realized we had barely scratched the surface, there was so much more to see. and to do”.
The family plan is to check off all the national parks in the United States. With 424 in total, they could roll across the country for a little longer.
Offering his advice to others considering hitting the road, dad Geoff says “just do it”.
He explains: “I was the guy who liked structure, having a routine, so I had to step out of my comfort zone and it was totally worth it.
“There are definitely bad days, but there are bad days no matter what life you are in. I just encourage you to try it.
“What really helped me was knowing that we’re going to do it for a year and if we don’t like it we’ll just come back and go back to what we were comfortable doing.
“Now I never want to go back there again. I love the freedom we experience as a family, I love bonding, I love seeing new places and if we get tired of traveling we just park the RV for a while and settle in.
