Wanderlust, what is it and how it effects us.

What is wanderlust? Oxford dictionary describes it as a, "strong desire to travel", with use begining in the early 20th century as a German word. Merriam Webster has an even better definition of wanderlust: "a strong longing or impulse toward wandering". I love this definition because it brings into the equation the definite physical pull towards wandering away through the world that I feel. Merriam webster also puts the first usage of the word in 1875. While looking up the definition I found a site with other words that help to define what goes on in a mind like mine. My favorite one is also german, it is:
Fernweh (n.)
Origin: German
An ache for distance places; the craving for travel

This mixed with the Merriam Webster definition I think is the best way to describe what it means when I say the wanderlust has me and I can't wait to get out of here! :D There are many places I want to go, just because I haven't been. Do you ever look down the road and feel you could just keep going? Are you ok with leaving everything behind for adventure? Do you want to see a place, no matter how glamorous or developed? (maybe even it is better if it's just a forest :) ) Then you too may be struck with Fernweh or wanderlust!

How does this effect us? Well, like I've said before I have to do it or I get real grumpy! lol You could compare it to the same drive you feel to eat or sleep. The same drive that you have to create or bond. It just one more driving factor in our lives that determines how we live our life. Because of this I'm not interested in fancy living spaces, just ones that move with me. I'm not interested in having lots of things, but things that help me get down the road like a well maintained vehicle and something to sleep in while I move from place to place.

We've talked about the Introvert Cave before and how we believe this will give us the best chance of seeing the length and breadth of this country we love so much. We both want to see places across the pond, but seeing the amazing landscape of our home is where we are starting. This is just the begining of our travel life. We are so happy you are with us as we settle our wanderlust!

List of words that can also describe wanderlust: http://www.geckosadventures.com/tales/24-inspiring-travel-words-youve-never-heard-of/
Merriam Websters definition of wanderlust: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wanderlust

Our Store: http://www.zazzle.com/sleepybluekitty/products
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/sleepybluekitty
Instagram: @sleepybluekitty

We're Introverted Traveler, but; What is an introvert?

We call ourselves Introverted Traveler. But, what is an introvert?

Introvert is defined by dictionary.com as a shy, reticent person. The modern latin that the word is derived from is two words: intro (meaning to the inside) and vertere (to turn)

I also found a quote from Scientific American that says, "It’s also important to understand that introversion is different from shyness. Shyness is the fear of negative judgment, while introversion is simply the preference for less stimulation. Shyness is inherently uncomfortable; introversion is not. The traits do overlap, though psychologists debate to what degree."

I think when I was young I was very shy and then through my dads urgings and teachings I was able to break out of my shell. I can remember not really ever being into big parties or even small ones. I often don't always know what to do in social situations. I think, introverts go through stages as they grow into adulthood. I am still quiet and enjoy my time engrossed in whatever I'm concentrating on at the moment, I'm not as shy as i once was.

http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2015/06/apparently-there-are-four-kinds-of-introversion.html
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201403/nine-signs-you-re-really-introvert
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-power-of-introverts/

Our Store: http://www.zazzle.com/sleepybluekitty/products
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/sleepybluekitty
Instagram: @sleepybluekitty

Why we travel debt free and how you can do it too

Today we're talking about traveling debt free! We'll be going over two reasons we want to do it this way, a story about why debt lets you down and how you can travel debt free!

Reason 1: We're Christians and the bible says it's not the best. The one that is heard the most is Proverbs 22:7 that says, "The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender."
Reason 2: When you purchase something with debt it doesn't belong to you. It belongs to whoever you borrowed money from to make the purchase. For example: when you purchase a home traditionally, you get a mortgage and then purchase the home with the amount the bank says you qualify for. Until you pay the bank back, your home technically belongs to them and you can lose it. We want to purchase something and have it be ours. That's another reason we want to do the cargo trailer. They are built the same quality or better as rv's, they cost less and we can design it the way we want it.

Story: When my dad was younger he would travel around and use a credit card instead of taking cash. He would pay it off later. On one of his trips the whole credit card system went down for about a week (if I remember correctly), he did have a bit of cash to get back home. Cash saved the day!

How to travel debt free:

Utilize the free events and parks in your area. This doesn't sound very spectacular, but they are a great way to get out and explore. Most of the travel we do utilize these two things. This is especially good if you have kids and just want to get them out of the house and create some great memories. One of my favorite memories was an over night camping trip we took with my dad to the middle of nowhere.

Be frugal. A budget each month or even each time you get payed helps you see where your money is going and helps you control it. Coupons, discount racks, and some sales can help keep you under budget and set aside that money for travel.

Save. I've mentioned this before but just sitting down and calculating how much it would cost, like a travel budget, and then saving towards that goal. What's great about this is that it can be a big goal or little goal, wherever it is you want to go. I've met a couple who save two months worth of bills and however much they needed to go on their trip. This way, they go on the trip they want to go on and don't have to worry about whether or not the bills would be payed.

That's all I've got for today guys, thanks for joining us we really appreciate it! See ya next time :)

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sleepybluekitty
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/sleepybluekitty
Instagram: @sleepybluekitty

Why Knowing Laws and Getting Engaged matters

Today I want to talk about why staying informed about the laws in not only your area, but the country is important. Here is a quote from RoadTreking.com about find free places to park overnight and how these places are slowly going away due to legislation.
"What so many of us object to are discriminatory laws and local ordinances that prohibit traveling RVers from overnighting in places like rest areas, Wal-Mart parking lots and other places. I'm not talking about setting up camp, putting out the chairs, starting a campfire. I'm talking about spending a few hours sleeping overnight before hitting the road again as we are on our way somewhere. Often, we're on our way to a campground where we'll stay for several days. Overnight Parking is not camping, it's parking. Lots of places welcome us. Wal-mart company policy, for example, is to allow overnight RV parking. Sam Walton, the founder, was an RVer and also realized that the RVers who overnighted in his lot bought groceries and supplies from his store. But corporate policy is trumped when a local ordinance bans overnight parking."
http://roadtreking.com/finding-free-places-overnight-in-rv/

Whether we are talking about camping or larger issues, staying up to date on the laws of a country, state, city or town is important. I think it's also important we realize where these laws are coming from. Who wants to put these laws into place? Do they want to help people or does the law create problems? In the example I just read larger camp grounds like KOA are getting together and attempting to make this law everywhere. This way no matter what you are doing, you have to stay in a camp site.

I'm a small government conservative and where I can understand the desire to keep people from stopping over in a neighborhood, stopping for a few hours at a rest stop shouldn't be prohibited. Isn't that what we are constantly encouraged to do? If you feel sleepy; stop and rest. Better to stop and rest than be on the road endangering people. Isn't that why rest stops were created?

When it comes to businesses allowing over night stops, shouldn't that be allowed according to the business policy? I'm not a fan of creating laws just to line pockets or because someone just feels the need for it. Instead I would like to see the camp sites be creative and provide the service that Wal-Mart does. Make a place to stay over night where I can also load up or get a bite to eat. I wold be more likely to patronize your camp grounds if I have this good interaction in the first place.

Being able to maintain freedom in your area is why it's so important to pay attention to what laws are being passed and who we are putting into office to pass or reject those laws. Ultimately we are the guardians of our own freedom. What do you guys think?

Our Store: http://www.zazzle.com/sleepybluekitty/products
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sleepybluekitty
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/sleepybluekitty
Instagram: @sleepybluekitty

Story time | We were followed, stay safe while traveling!

So, one of our first trips we went to Savannah Georgia to experience their river walk. After walking around looking like tourist for about half an hour, I noticed a person walking behind us and stopping to sit and watch us. Not completely weird, for all I know he likes to people watch, same as me. I continued to keep an eye on him while we walked and my husband took pictures. By this time we made it to the restuarant/shopping/hotel covered area and this guy had been ducking behind trees and sitting and waiting then following us after we had walked a bit. I don't know who this guy is or what his intentions are, so we walk past the covered area and duck into a shop and wait. When we walk back out he's gone and we continue the rest of our journey, keeping our eyes open for him or anyone else who would do the same thing. The thing for you guys to keep in mind is to always keep a weather eye out for the people who are looking to hurt you. My dad taught me to always be aware of my surroundings, to travel armed and in a group of trusted people (if you can find them). Listening to that advice kept us from who knows what with this guy. Just remember to always be aware of your surroundings. Just take a minute and look around. What do you see? Can you see the potential for harm? If you do or you become uncomfortable, just leave, you can always come back again if you want to.

Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/sleepybluekitty
Our Store: http://www.zazzle.com/sleepybluekitty/products
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sleepybluekitty
Tumblr: http://www.tumblr.com/sleepybluekitty
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/sleepybluekitty
Instagram: @sleepybluekitty

Wanderlust and Disappointment

We recently visited Finlay Park in Columbia South Carolina. It's a beautiful park with many sitting areas. You can enjoy the breeze and the sun set while listening to the squirrels scurry across trees and the fountain splash water on the man made lake. Although it's cooler weather made for an excellent break from the heat and humidity of Charleston, we did run into some disappointment on this wander. We went here specifically to see the waterfall fountain they had created. We did some research before leaving, but during our digging didn't see that the fountain had been broken for a year. Sometimes you can do research and still not know how things are until you get there. That's part of the wonder of travel as well, your eyes are opened to how things really are.
That brings me to the second, but different, disappointment. During the research phase of our wander we saw comments that the homeless utilize the park and what we saw when we got there broke my heart, but in a way also revitalized it. When you walk the park there are the expected locals and kids that have nowhere to else to go. When we came to the second stage they have we saw at least two lines of people sleeping. You could tell by the state of their clothes and the bags they were carrying they have been homeless for awhile. While walking through we saw what appeared to be a recent vet scoping out a place to sit with only his pack and some water. He looked as though he had been without a roof over his head in awhile. We also saw the homeless in the tree seating for the grass island stage.
These are the people touched by disappointment, by hard times and forgotten futures. Seeing them reminded me that the human spirit, although crushed, can be revitilized when we help each other. So, I was reminded that when you travel through this life to help your fellow man. Don't be part of the disappointment that others go through, but instead be part of the rekindling of the human spirit that exists in us all. You can do this by volunteering time or money to outreach programs and through prayer God can lead you to the right place. I think it's important to remember when we wander that disappointments are part of life, it's what we do about them that determines whether it's a lesson or a pit.

Our Store: http://www.zazzle.com/sleepybluekitty/products
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sleepybluekitty
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/sleepybluekitty
Instagram: @sleepybluekitty

Introverted Traveler | Travel IS for everyone a response to Sian Ferguson on Matador Network

I think what bothered me the most about this article was the negative tone of it all. You can't, you can't, you can't; when people have been over coming you can'ts for as long as the human race has been around.

1. When you don’t come from money, the idea of travel rarely ever crosses your mind.
Response: I do not come from money. I have been so poor that many times I ate once a day and I have also been homeless. I never believed anything was out of my reach. If anything the poverty levels that i experienced drove me to work hard to reach my goals. If that meant working extra shifts or sacrificing what I want in the "now" to reach those goals, that is what I did.

2. “Traveling on a budget” doesn’t always cut it.
"At this point, you might point me to a guide on how to travel on a budget. For sure, some of those money-saving tips are super useful – but they seldom cover airfare, passports, and other unavoidable costs. They also don’t account for the money you lose out on when you take time off work to travel."
Response: Traveling on a budget DOES always cut it. You must take your budget and add travel in. You can reasonably predict what it will cost you in gas and food to do something. There are several ways to budget for travel. I met a couple who saved a pay checks amout of money to cover the bills while they were gone so they didn't have to worry about being able to pay them. Then saved for the travel event itself. They traveled every 2 years to wherever they wanted. Think about where you can save money and then put that money aside toward your travel goals. Another way to do this is to live simply and save as much as you can for several years. That's only 3 ways, but there are more and I may do a video on that.

3. The ability to travel depends on your level of privilege.
"Having a disability, whether physical or mental, can make it incredibly hard to visit new places."
Response: *buzzer to the negative* I will give it to this writer that disabilities make it difficult, I would however, draw the line at incredibly hard. Again, this is just one more hurtle for you to overcome. Many if not all places that you can visit are handicap accessable. They are also handicap accomidating as long as they know you are in need. As far as the transgender issue; don't go places that would be detrimental to your health to go. There are places I will not go because I am a woman and just don't want to risk it. We all have to make those decisions. I would love to climb Everest; will I? No. Why? Because my asthma and physical ailments prevent me from doing so. Staying safe is just as important as the other things I have discussed in this video. Planning your trip is a must, but that doesn't make it incredibly hard. I personally know several people in wheel chairs that participate in charity walks, travel state to state and have been across the pond. If you set your mind to things, plan and save you can make your goals happen. Will you be traveling every week? Probably not. Will you get to where you want to go? Definitely!

Link for reference: https://matadornetwork.com/life/lets-stop-pretending-travel-accessible-everyone/

Our Store: http://www.zazzle.com/sleepybluekitty/products
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sleepybluekitty
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/sleepybluekitty
Instagram: @sleepybluekitty