Hayden and I are currently in the car driving home for Christmas as I write this post. This gives me around 7 hours to reflect on the last 3 months of our life, as we end 2015 in a place I never imagined we would be or could be. As the year wraps up, I once again marvel at the crazy direction God has taken our lives. I can still remember very clearly the moment Hayden suggested we actually live in a trailer when we move to Oklahoma. I laughed at first because the idea was obviously ridiculous and never going to happen. Then I argued and whined when I realized he was serious. And then slowly it grew on me more and more until excitement set in. Now here we are!
(Also, update….I’m not actually in the car driving home for Christmas. We are now back in Lawton after a wonderful 10 day break with our families. I never got around to writing over Christmas break, so I’m continuing where I left off. Just wanted to clarify. )
So what’s new in our lives? I’m glad you asked. First and foremost, I have started working as a substitute teacher in Lawton. Though I only got started right before Christmas break, I loved the couple of days I spent in the classroom and can’t wait to continue through the spring semester. Each day brings something different and challenging and I love that. Who knows…maybe when we get settled somewhere long enough, I’ll have a classroom of my own. “Mrs. McGhee: Fifth Grade Teacher” has a nice ring to it. Or fourth grade. Or third. You get the idea.
Also, we managed to miss some big Oklahoma freezes over the holidays, but we are gearing up for some serious winter temps in the near future. We dipped into the upper teens right before we left and I hear the coldest time of year is typically January to February…so please keep our bodily temperatures in your prayers. It gets a little chilly when you live in a metal box. Praise the Lord we restocked our propane supply.
Much to my delight, there was actually snow on the ground when we pulled up to the trailer last night. Of course, it was only on the sides of the road and in random places where the sun hadn’t melted it already, but it was a wonderful “welcome home” surprise nonetheless. I’ve been hoping to wake up one morning and find the ground covered in beautiful, white snow. (Preferably on a Saturday when we can just play in it rather than scrape our cars and rush to work…but I’ll take what I can get) I love snow. Let me repeat…I love snow. That is part of the reason Hayden and I honeymooned in the mountains rather than on some warm, sandy beach. Snow is just so much more magical and exciting.
Also, it’s my dream to watch our dogs frolic in a winter wonderland. There is nothing cuter on this earth than Corgis playing in snow. Just saying….
Hayden and I have also started some New Years resolutions of sorts, primarily in the area of finances. After spending too much on Christmas (a common newlywed mistake I’m assuming since you double the amount of family members to buy gifts for) and then realizing we only have 3 more months of trailer living, we have decided to use the rest of our days in Oklahoma to save up as much money as possible. We sat down and wrote out a budget for the very first time and made a detailed 3 month plan. Yes, I realize this is probably something we should have done upon getting married because that is what responsible adults do. But we didn’t. And even though we had no financial problems that we ran into this last year, 2016 is the year Hayden and I will become uber responsible and organized with our finances. This adult life thing just got so much more real, and I’m strangely excited about our new budget. By April, this trailer experience will have paid off…literally.
It’s crazy how short our remaining time feels with everything written out. We are halfway through this whole experience, and I know that in the blink of an eye, we will be back in Texas with our trailer blazing adventures behind us. Truthfully, the thought of that makes me sad. I’m not sure if I’m ready to get back to “normal” life. Everything is just so simple when you live in a trailer. We have only what we need, and although clutter sometimes happens when we don’t keep things put away, we aren’t bogged down by all the stuff like we used to be. I’m actually dreading that day when we open up the door to our storage unit in Rockport and have to unpack it all somewhere. Now that I’ve been living like a minimalist of sorts, the thought of going back to all the possessions and things we have seems daunting. I am now a believer in the minimalist movement. Although my version is still full of so much more stuff than the true minimalists, I can attest to the fact that living with less is so much happier.
Hayden and I have so much more than we need. Living in a trailer has taught me what I can happily live without. I remember being so sad about packing away all our dishes and platters and pretty things for entertaining. I actually shed a few tears about all the wonderful wedding gifts I wouldn’t get to bring with me, and I definitely cried at the idea of not having a “home” to make.
As a new wife, creating our home was something I felt was my duty and something I wanted to put time and energy into. It was hard giving that up, and part of the reason I fought living in a trailer for some time. But as more and more time passes, this trailer doesn’t feel any less like “home” despite its tiny size. I may not have a dining room table to set, and decorative accents all over. I may not have an area to entertain or space to host people. But our little trailer has been filled with laughter and love and memories. It has even been filled with guests and dinners at our little table. We have had cookouts and conversations around the firepit and good times with good friends. I’m not missing anything at all actually. Sure, it’ll be nice when we have a real home to open to friends and family. I’m excited to finally start using the adorable dishes I picked out on my wedding registry. And I am dreaming about my inner Joanna Gaines that I’ll get to bring out once I’m back in an actual house. (Hopefully HGTV will have a Fixer Upper marathon that I can binge watch for inspiration)
But at the end of the day, I’m going to miss this little trailer we get to call home for the next 3 months. I never thought I’d be ending the year where we are, and I am absolutely sure that 2016 will bring just as many exciting twists and turns. I am so thankful for our current chapter in life and will cherish the memories made in our humble home on wheels. I look forward to all the lessons and experiences we have left as we continue trailerblazing into this year. And as always, I look forward to sharing everything with you through this blog. Thank you for reading and being part of our lives. We love you!
- H & B
Trailblazing McGhees 