Hello! We are Andy and Dawn – an Oregonian and a Californian who met in New York City and fell in love. A forester and arts administrator, we decided to spend our lives together and promised each other that some day we would travel the world. Thirty years later (and with three grown children launched) we are making it happen. The journey is just beginning.

We have spent our lives together camping, hiking and backpacking but the idea of living in a camper truck was inspired by our son Trevor who showed up last year with his Ford F250 and a piece of junk $350 camper he bought off of Craigslist. As he re-built it piece by piece it became clear that the camper he purchased was merely the model for the new one he completed. We were intrigued by the idea of travelling minimally with a home on wheels, giving us access to more remote areas and solitude.

As a test, in 2018 we went to Botswana and rented a truck with a rooftop tent. After three weeks of driving around that extraordinary country we were converted to the concept of self driving travel. The lions roaring in the distance, grapefruit stealing monkeys, hippos walking below us at night and the generous and hospitable people of Botswana more than made up for the challenges of getting stuck in the sandy back road tracks.

So here we are, selling our home, putting our possessions in storage, preparing to leave Ashland, Oregon on May 15. Soon we will complete the build, pack up, drive across country and ship our vehicle oversees. We hope our stories may inform others with similar dreams.

Thank you to our three children – Trevor, Nicholas and Claire for their support – our three adventurers who constantly inspire us. The game’s afoot!