Getting an early start on New Years Resolutions.

So as I prepare to say goodbye to 2011 and welcome 2012 Ihave began to think about New Years Resolutions, we all make them, but do we all keep them? New Years resolutions. New years eve, the dawn of a fresh, new year, its the perfect time to set a few goals you would like to achieve for the year. I make resolutions ever year but I dont always stick to them because they arent always goals that my "heart" is in on. They are generally fickle resolutions or vanity related (come on I'm a woman, we like those sorts of notions). So this year I've decided to focus my goals on out travel lifestyle, because lets face it - weight loss just doesnt seem to be happening for me and they say that when you "give up" and stop focussing on it, somtimes it happens in a natural progression.

So I want this years NY reso's to focus on internal growth, prolonging and refining our lifestyle and just general travel and family time. I also dont want to have too many because ultimately - it's too much to focus on. I have decided to make five new years resolutions. So here goes:

1) Find an inner peace with our lifestyle.

This may confuse some people because I am so open about my love of this life, but I feel like I must explain: The way we live is so different to our peers and when you take on such a different lifestyle (despite how much you love and advocate it) you can somtimes find yourself questioning yourself. I have found that alot of our peers have recently purchased their second homes (or their first) have setlled their children into day care, school etc and have very structured day to day lives. So when I see this, naturally I wonder if (despite how happy this life makes us) we could be making the wrong decisions and potentially "f**king up" our future.

Deep down I know this isnt the case but its hard not to question yourself when 'everyone else' seems to be doing the one thing and your life is so completely different. So this year I want to focus on the fact that 'yes, my life is different', but we love this life and it works for us and the lives of others work for them. I want to stop comparing my sons childhood and upbringing to those of our peers children and accept that the different experiences dont have to be detremental to his growth and development of things like social skills, strong relationships and feelings of security. I know how happy this lifestyle makes myself and my family so it's silly to question myself just because I am not part of a majority group for once in my life.

2) Sort out our financial situation.

I know that my husband (Brent) and I dont aim to be rich (and most likely never will) but I would like to develop a system or plan. At the moment our plans involve working for 6 - 9 months then having 6-9 months off travelling however nothing is ever regular. I would like for us to focus even more on penny pinching while we are staying in a town working - to optimise our savings success. I would like to leave each town knowing that we have saved as much as we possibly could have (NOT so we feel 'rich') so we can then live as frugal as possible, for as long as possible and prolong the time before my husband has to go back to work.

This was our initial focus when beginning this trip: the idea that we werent out to get rich, just to have fun. Which has been a good focus for us. But once again in regard to comparing ourselves to others in our peer group we have deiscovered that we dont maintain as much financial security as them and in our constant search for gratification and happiness we somtimes omit financial security from our priorities and be quite frivilous with our money. I'd like is to focus on being frugal and stretching our money further and not spending on things that dont matter. We are still solid consumerists but I can feel us getting better so I would like to focus on that over the next year and really refine our financial needs down to what we really do need to spend on.

3) Spend more time helping others and being charitable.

The lat few weeks in the lead up to Christmas we have absolutely torn the inside of our van apart in regard to getting rid of extra items and giving to the less fortunate. We even had our son go through his books and toys and donate a massive box of books he no longer needs to children whom may not be receiving anything for Christmas. We have donated moer stuff than we even realised could have fit into our van in the frist place and we have all felt really great about it. We are a family that love to help others and we would love to incorperate some volunteer work into our travels this year. I am hoping we can perhaps stay at an outback Aboriginal camp and help out with fixing their diesel machinery (Brent can) and I can perhaps do activities with the women or children. I have applied for a few different volunteer programs but we will just have to see what we can find and where we will be.

It does concern me alot that as an only child, Zac could grow up feeling privlidged, perhaps even 'spoilt' (I hate to use that word). So I would love to focus on teaching him compassion and how to be charitable. I hate the idea of living with a tonne of stuff and sitting ona  gold mine of money while people are out there struggling, so even though we dont have either of those, I want to help. I want my son to learn how to help and I think this adventure can really facilitate that for us and for him.

4) Continue to enjoy the simple pleasure in life and share them with others.

I love that our lifestyle allows us to enjoy the simple pleasure of life. I love being outside with my family exploring new places and experiencing nature. I love the way nature can foster healing and positivity and I love to promote and share that concept with others. I want to focus on that once again this year - I want to focus less on man made touristy attractions and more on the natural, amazing wonders that this country has to offer. I want to explore the outback, experience more sunrises and sunsets and the rest of the beauty this country has to offer. I

I also want to try and share that with others. When we go back to suburban areas to visit friends and family I would like to encourage them to take outdoor adventures with us, even just day trips or weekends camping, rather than going to theme parks or shopping centres. I want to encourage them to get outside and enjoy the fresh air and experience the beauty of nature with their children and friends. I want to have bbqs outside rather than eating at restaraunts and I want to do weekend activities like bushwalks with them. This lifestyle and being outdoors means everything to me and it would be unfair of me not to try and share that with the people I love.

5) Continue to push my comfort zones.

So far our trip around Australia has pushed ALOT of my boundaries and comfort zones. When we began this journey I only wanted to stick to the coast and actually drive right around the coast roads of Australia. When my mother heard this she was devistated as she has an intense love of the outback and cant say a single bad word about her adventures through the deserts of central Australia. Eventually I became convinced to go straight up the centre from Port Augusta, to Darwin with stops at Ayers rock and Alice Springs and I will forever be grateful that my mum and my husband took the time to 'convince' me to do this. I have turned a massive 'fear of the unknown' I had about these areas into a HUGE interest and now somthing I look forward to the absolute most.

I have pushed many of my comfort zones on this trip because before I leaving I was an extremely nervous person with a lot of little anxieties and fears. I have an intense fear of lizards but at the reptile centre at alice springs I was surrounded by them and did my best to stay near them. I am intensly afraid of going undergrouns but at Cutta Cutta Caves I want underground (not for as long as I should have, but it was progress, none the less). I have been close to snakes and crocodiles in the wild and have let go of alot of the boundaries that heavily inhibited my life. I now crave adventure and simplicity and am not afraid to forgo homely comforts in order to chase them. I want to focus this year on pushing even more of my boundaries by taking opportunities that are offered to me and searchinf for some of my own.

So these are my travel/lifestyle related New Years Resolutions and after reading them back I can see that all I have to gain from achieving them is even more fun and happiness and adventure. I hope that this year I can focus on them and achieve them and really 'live it up'.

What are your resolutions?

"Oh I could never do that"

I hear those words all the time "Oh I/we could never do what you are doing, I wish we could". Well, I want to tell you that you CAN. You just have to work toward it like everything else in your life you have worked towards. I know when you start to consider somthing new and unknown there are bound to be reservations, what can you do about them?


There are many ways
There are so many options, just because you cant afford one or it doesnt seem "functional" enough for your family it doesnt mean you have no other choices. People travel Australia under many different budgets and levels of comfort. It all just depends on what "Creature comforts" you ARE willing to sacrifice to make this dream happen -  so here are some of your options:


- caravan - this is what we use
- camper trailer - they take a little more setting up but can go ALOT more remote than our van!
- swag - simple but cost effective and if all you have is a swag and a capable FWD... Oh the options.
- motorhome - want luxury? Google "motorhome" WOW!
- fifth wheeler - similar comfort and space of a motorhome but without the engine. You generally need a car with a faily big tow capacity.
- a tent - yep, a tent! Where there is a will there is a way!
- a minivan/campervan - Another cost effective solution (this also makes fuel a bit cheaper as towing really takes its toll on your fuel bill.
- private jet? - just joking ;-)
- convert a bus! this was our original plan but we were in too much of a hurry. I think its a winner idea!
- pushbikes - Ive seen MANY push bike travellers along the way! Brave people! Think of the fuel savings, the environment... Your poor legs? hehe
- a boat - buy a livable boat and travel around (literally) Australia. You can stop at most places for $0.00 (seriously). You can go nuts around the whitsunday islands, eat fish and other seafood and when you REALLY want to - you can jump on land and explor with a pushbike or a hire car.


So if you cant afford a caravan or dont want to wait the amount of time it takes to save for one - try a camper trailer (you will see SO much more as they can go so much rougher than the van). If you cant handle the thought of giving up your creature comforts, but you want this lifestyle - trade in the massive home motgage for a decdent sized, luxurious, motorhome. Or build one yourself? Dont want to commit too much money upfront - tent/swag to begin with, until you are certain. Your options are endless and there is a way that will suit everyone.


I met some people not long ago whom had just begun a journey around Australia, when I asked them if they were enjoying it they said "not really" and started to explain. They said that living in a van was extremely difficult, they were finding it hard with their children and they werent sure how they would do it. They asked me what I thought of that and what I think they should do? So here is my "two bob" on introducing yourself to the caravanning life.


Give yourself time to adapt


Like every new experience or opportunity in life it takes time to adapt to it. Dont expect that when you move into a van/camper trailer/bus etc life will be the same as it was at home. There will be vast differences but give yourself TIME to adapt to them also your children. You will find a new routine that works for you. You will find a way that everyone can get a good nights sleep in the van. It just takes time.


If you have children


Remember that this is a HUGE change for them and it will take time for them to get used to it so if they are not sleeping well at the beginning and everyone is getting to that point of exhaustion and frustration... give it time. Try to focus on picking up the things they have lost from leaving their old, more structured life. Add in a few things or family "rituals" you can take part in every week even if its just a sunday BBQ or roast or a fmaily game of cricket every Tuesday morning. This can give them a sense of structure and make them feel a little less overwhelmed. Also remember - relaxing can be VERY exhausting. We found that we were so exhausted every afternoon we were ont he road. You fit so much into a day and it really takes its toll on you so try and get to bed earlier, make time to relax at "home" some days, give the kids a chance for some downtime.


Accentuate the positives


Focus on all the positives this lifestyle has brought into your life and encourage the kids to aswell. For every negative aspect you come up with point out its positive counterpart. In many of the most wonderful experiences in life we have to be sacrificing somthing else at the same time to be experiencing them, so focus on that. Encourage your kids to talk abou thow different their life is from the other kids and remind them of how lucky they are to get to live this way.


But how do you survive without time alone?


We are asked this all the time. We DO have time alone. Our son naps for 2-3 hours a day (luckily) but you could always put the kids inside on their beds with a quiet book to wind down and sit on the beach with hubby (if your camped at/on the beach) or you could wait until night time. Rather than switching on a TV, sit outside in your chairs with a glass of wine and simply connect. Lay a blanket under the stars and relax together until your ready for bed.


But what about not having our friends around?


if your camped somewhere you are able to have a camp fire, chances are once the kids are all tucked into bed if you sit outside and spark it up - before you know it everyone will have come to join you. Instant socialising - no babysitters or makeup required. Its a wonderful, relaxed environment and it will make up for any amount of "missing" of your friends. Same goes for your kids. I was at the pool yesterday for all of 3 minutes before a 7 year old girl was swimming around with my son playing a game that was making them both crease up laughing.


Anyone can live like this. There are housing options, work options (see this post I wrote about making money on the road). You have more options, more choice and more room for change than in any other lifestyle so dont feel afraid to search and mould it until you find the way it works for you and your family. If all else fails and you need some reassuring, travelling families are always willing to encourage and support others, seek them out - online, in person, however you can, we are all in this together!

frugalise it!

I've been really full on with my "penny pinching" techniques lately. I have to honestly say this is the best effort at sticking to a budget I have ever made. In all honestly, it's actually the first time in my ENTIRE adult life I have ever been able to stick to me self imposed budget. I'm feeling pretty proud about it and for the most part its been quiet easy.

I have picked up ALOT of "penny pinching" techniques from different online forums and just general common sense. Some of the things I have been doing?

- I bought 12 white facewashers, 12 brown face washer, a big (homebrand) bottle of nappysoak and two small buckets. Now I use the white washers to clean up my son after meals (instead of baby wipes) and the brown washers are for cleaning benches/floors/walls etc. Whenever I finish with one I pop it straight in the bucket to soak then every few days I run them through the wash.

- only using half the amount of products like shampoo, conditioner, body wash, washing powder, dish washing liquid, spray and wipe, hand wash, etc. Essentially this means all of these products WILL last twice as long so I will go from buying them once every six weeks to now buying them once every three months. (therefore 4 times a year instead of 8 times a year).

- cooking EVERYTHING at home, from scratch. Buy doing this I have eliminated MANY prepaged/jarred foods some of those are - variety pack chips, spaghetti bolognaise sauce jars, macaroni cheese sauce jars, curry sauce jars, stroganoff sauce jars, apricot chicken sauce jars, gravy (gravox), white sauce, cheese sauce, cakes, muffins, bread, biscuits, flavour sachets (eg. taco seasoning) and MANY other snack foods. I now make all of my husbands work snacks (such as meusli bars, cocnut slice etc) rather than buying pre-packaged snackfoods for him. We also have not been having ANY takeaway/takeout nor have we been out for a meal other than packing our food and taking it somewhere for a picnic.

- Three of the big things we spent money on were A) buying drinks at the service station. B) buying magazines (think: celebrity gossip/health magazines/etc). C) late night junk food cravings. We decided to elimenate ALL of these by A) buying the types of drinks we would impulse buy - with our groceries (they are WAY cheaper in 4 or 6 packs from the supermarkets, plus if you go in when they are on special you can get TWO 24 packs of cans of diet coke for $30 instead of for about $48. We then put a few in the fridge each week and grab them as we are running out to leave the house. B) I now get ALL my celebrity gossip fixes, health tips etc from the internet, duh! Its free, its accessable 24/7 without leaving your lounge/bed. Too easy! D) I learn a little recipe called "cake in a mug".... I ALWAYS have the basic ingredients needed for it so if im desperately craving chocolate I make one of these (but leave it slightly undercooked and gooey) and hubby and I share the one. It literally takes three minutes from pantry to mouth and tastes amazing (especially if you use brown sugar instead of white). (Cake in a mug recipe -

http://www.notquitenigella.com/2009/05/29/the-five-minute-chocolate-mug-cake/ )

We have many other changes too which I will outline further down the track but right now I can honestly say that just these few simple changes have made a MASSIVE change in our weekly finances. Cooking everything at home can save you so much money and cooking everything from scratch puts yet another noticeable dent in the grocery bill, you will be amazed. I feel like these changes are such a small sacrafice in the grand scheme of things.

I basically think about it terms of how much time my beautiful husband has to spend at work. Every minute is a dollar and if we are spending them as fast as he is making them then he wont be leaving anytime soon. I'd much rather park our caravan at a beach somewhere and spend every moment having fun in the sun with Brent and Zac as opposed to having takeaway food regularly. Ultimately I nearly always either feel sick after takeaway OR dont *actually* get given what I ordered. I could honestly say that about 95% of my "takeaway food experiences" have left me highly dissapointed aswell as shocked at their cost (upto $50 for one nights worth of dinner).

So the more I penny pinch the less he works - the more time we have together, as a family and as a couple. Sounds blissful to me.

Why in the world would I want to miss beautiful moments like the photo above which is of my husband and son on the beach at Lee Point in Darwin during sunset. We only live one life and I hate wasting moments.

Have a beautiful evening everyone.