Finding Our New Rhythm: Freedom, Flexibility, and Life on the Road

 Finding Our New Rhythm: Freedom, Flexibility, and Life on the Road 

In this episode of TravelEssary, we’re slowing things down and reflecting on how life has shifted since choosing full-time travel... not just where we go, but how we live.

We talk honestly about letting go of old routines and learning to build new ones on the road. The kind that bend with travel days, quiet mornings, changing scenery, and the freedom to decide what matters most each day. It hasn’t always been easy, but it’s been deeply rewarding.

With Jeremy away for work, Justin joins the conversation to share his perspective on this season, the independence, the flexibility, and the unexpected joys that come with life outside the “normal” schedule. His insight adds a fresh layer to what it looks like to grow, adapt, and thrive while traveling full-time.

This episode is less about logistics and more about life:
• Home versus the open road
• Trading structure for freedom
• Finding balance in constant motion
• And leaning into the excitement of a brand-new year ahead

If you’ve ever wondered what it really feels like to rewrite your routine, chase a little more freedom, or embrace a slower, more intentional rhythm, then this one’s for you.

Thanks for traveling with us 🤍

If you want to see that Owen Wilson video 😂 - https://youtu.be/vxiVYEjp0Ww?si=4ADVgsyQdG1G4e5j

Transcript

  We're the Essary family and we're exploring America one destination at a time. On today's episode of TravelEssary, we are going to be discussing our new rhythm. Our family is going through quite a bit of change, so stay with us and let's chat.

Thank you for joining us today. Jeremy is not with us today, but you know what that means. It means I'm here. It means we have Justin who is becoming quite a regular on this podcast. Wow. You sounded like Owen Wilson. Do you? Thank you. Do you even know who that is? No, ma'am. Okay. Well, that's what you sounded like when you did that.

I think he might be from Texas. I'm not a hundred percent sure. Huh. Anyway, so we have something interesting to talk about. Justin actually is going into this blind. He has no idea what I have prepared, like usual. But this episode was actually inspired by a conversation we had the other day. Oh really?

Yeah. So you'll be able to jump right in. So you were talking about how. You have a new schedule, like you created a new schedule for yourself. Now that we're back on the road and we had this whole conversation about how different things are, and so we're gonna actually dive into that a little bit. So little backstory, we have covered this probably on two or three.

Bonus episodes on our Patreon about how incredibly different our lives are on the road than they are when we're at home. But even now, this second time around that, we've left home, it's even more different. Because when we left in October, it was like October 4th or something like that when we first left and we started our full-time journey.

We knew we were only gonna be traveling for two months. Right. And then we were gonna be back home throughout the holidays. And so that first little bit, those first two months was really us just. Getting a hold of this lifestyle, kind of seeing what we wanted out of it, how we were gonna manage it, what it was gonna look like for us, things like that.

And then we knew, we were going back to, and I'm doing air quotes, the comfort of home. We thought the comfort of home, we found out that being home was actually not that comfortable. That is true. Okay. And then we went home and we had just started establishing rhythms and routines and what worked for us.

We were just like getting our foot into the door. Like, yeah, this, this feels good. This is what we like. I think we're going to, you know, lean towards this a little bit more. And we were just getting our rhythm. And then we went back home and. That rhythm. Like , I don't know about you, but I felt so out of place when we went home because it threw us off.

Yeah, it reminded me of our first week or two on the road of how like your dad and I were just kinda like, what do we, what do we do? Like, I'm just like, everything is so different. Like my brain's having a hard time comprehending it. And then we went back home and I felt like that again. Like everything was so different and all of these rhythms and routines we had established, it was just like they didn't exist.

Correct the entire time we were home for the holidays and then. Three days after Christmas, we got back on the road. Yes ma'am. And we finally are able to actually start creating realistic rhythms and routines and for you schedules and things like that. And I don't know about you, although I kind of do because of the conversation we had, but it feels fantastic.

It does feel nice because we are gonna be on the road for a whole year, which means we really get to dig deep into those rhythms and this lifestyle. Yes, ma'am. Yes, it is. I'm, I'm very happy. , We're back on the road now. So now that we're on the road, just to give people a little insight, 'cause I'm gonna do the same thing, but tell everyone kind of what you were telling me the other day , of how different it is for you we're on the road, like what that looks like for you.

How does that change your rhythms from day to day compared to when we're at home and we're stationary? So when we're at home every day, legit felt like we were just taking it like one day at a time, kind of. Mm-hmm. Here it doesn't feel like that as much and it feels a bit more controlled, which sounds stupid, but it's true.

I don't think people can understand unless they actually live this lifestyle. That's possible. Yeah. Yeah. Go in their shoes for a mile. Yeah. Something like that. Um, but here I can walk outside, go on an adventure and talk to random people, which is my favorite thing to do. Yes. It's, uh, but at home I walk the same trail I can see my house throughout the entire thing. It, I think it's like an acre and a half or something like that. Oh, that's even worse. Yeah. No, and I didn't really have much of a scenery that really wasn't as many people to talk to except a random car as I waved to.

Yeah, because we lived on a county dirt road. Yeah. It was a lot of people, surprisingly, on that road,

. So before eight 30, it's kind of just whatever. Usually I'll do like some music something like that. And then at eight 30 I go out, walk for like an hour to an hour and a half, come back, uh, get lunch, and then , I'll play games for that set amount of time afterwards. And then around three.

I'll do stuff until like nine. So how is that different from when we're at home? From when we were at home? It, it was not that because I, I couldn't walk. It didn't feel like I, 'cause it was weird. Like every night it felt like we were doing something. Hmm. So I couldn't do. That much in the afternoon, which as, because we were so busy, because we were so busy, like us, being busy threw me off.

I, that's, and it's funny because your whole life, we've been busy. I know. And then for two months we weren't, and you were like, woo, what is this? I like this. I can do things. Yeah. And then we went back into the busyness, like, oh. Constant. Constant. Constant. And you know what's funny? Every day is your busyness doesn't even compare to, oh, I know.

To that of your father and I. , But now we're back into our not so busyness life where we can create our own schedules. Pretty much every single day , I don't have a daily schedule like you do because I have a 2-year-old and, and my days revolve around his happiness.

That's very true. Which means his meal times his nap times when he feels like cuddling. Like right now, apparently. Is when he feels like cuddling while we're podcasting, which almost always happens. Always. Yeah. But for the most part, I get to wake up every single day and be like, oh, I think I'm gonna do this today.

And it's such a new concept for me, but it's such a beautiful one and , I'm with you. It's almost like a shock to my mental capacity because it's not something that I'm used to, although we started getting a tiny taste of it while we were . Traveling those first two months. , And then being home.

It was like slamming into a brick wall like that completely stopped. I'm pretty sure like the first week we were home, you were saying it felt like we were done and you were so sad. Yes. Yes. So when literally pulling down our road. Following your father in behind the fifth wheel. As we were going down before we even got to our street in front of our house, I was like, oh my gosh.

It feels like we're done. Like I don't get to travel anymore. It feels like a vacation ending or it felt like a dream that was crashing. , It felt so final to me. And then those first few days we were home and. All the rhythms that we had began setting the two months prior, like all just fell to the wayside.

We couldn't keep a single thing that we had established during the two months. Not a single thing could we keep because of everything that was going on around us. And I felt like, wow, it's over. And I was so disappointed. Like I knew it wasn't , but like something in my brain, just kept being like, this is what you know when you're never going back. I don't know. It was a weird. Extremely surreal feeling that was happening. Um, I'm glad that's not actually what happened.

I'm glad that's not how it, it came to pass. And we are, yes, ma'am, back on the road, but 2026 is going to be us really establishing our new rhythms, our new routines, and I. Beyond excited for that because other than when we attend local church services and we go by their church schedules, we have nothing else that we have to follow

there's so much freedom in that I can't even begin to, I can't even begin to express it. Yeah, it's such a foreign concept to me. I'm sure there's a lot of people out there who would love to have their schedules freed up quite a bit. And I have to say that is a perk to this lifestyle.

I didn't realize I was going to enjoy so much until it was taken away from me. Like I didn't realize that was such a huge. Positive of this., It was never even one of the things that I put on the positive and negative chart your dad and I made, what are the pros and cons to this lifestyle? It never even Freedom made the list, it never made either side of the list because I never even calculated that concept.

It was so incredibly foreign to me. And then I got a taste of it. Yeah. Then it was stripped from me during the, it was like a crazy idea and it was amazing. Yeah. It's just so in incredibly amazing that the freedom, it is the positive. it's unexpected. That's probably the word I'm looking for. That sounds about right. Yeah. It was so unexpected of one, how much freedom we have because yes, your dad.

Has to work and go up to Indiana and do halls, but like he gets to choose when he wants to do that. Yeah. So he doesn't have a set schedule. , He gets to choose that schedule. And yes, I have to get content done. You know, we have podcasts and YouTube videos and Patreon content that goes out every week.

But like, I get to choose when I do it, if I wanna edit videos and episodes. Three weeks early and then do nothing for two weeks. , I can do that if I want to edit them on a Tuesday or a Friday or a Monday morning, like it doesn't matter. I get to choose that. There's so little time constraints in this lifestyle, and it is, it's like my favorite thing about this, because it leaves so much space for us to create

true rhythms , for our family in this lifestyle. Yeah. So to add a little bit to that, being busy and. Having freedom are two very different things. Mm-hmm. Because while we have this freedom, I'm able to stay somewhat busy.

Like half, half the day I'm busy. Mm-hmm. But like the other half the day is just whatever I feel like doing. Yeah. It's not like. We have so much freedom, so much time that we're doing nothing. It's more like we have time to do the things we want to do, whether it's work or to learn something or to go explore, I have a kid in school still. It's so great that we're able to choose when we do those things because when we're at home, they're so. Much going on, and your dad and I do have an issue with being like, no, we can't do that. Like, no, we're not gonna do that. And people have no problems asking things of your dad and I, and it's almost like constant.

There was a time of my life where I took great pride in that because I was like, that means I'm reliable and people can depend on me , and it made me feel good. But now I'm at this point in life, and maybe it's because I'm older and I have a 2-year-old, and he just completely exhausts me. But now I'm at a point in life where I'm like, I want to step back.

And maybe go ask someone else. I do have a hard time saying no. Still though, so, oh, that's very much true. That is very much true. It, it is. Because I don't like letting people down or disappointing people. And if they're asking me, that means they feel like they can rely on, I'm learning to be okay with that.

If they ask me, it means . They feel like they can rely on me, and if I'm not reliable, then I feel like a bad person. Anyway. It's this whole nasty circle, and in doing that when we're home, it leaves very small little specific blocks of time that I can get my own personal stuff done. Little, yes.

Yeah. Like I have little blocks of time. , Where I can, , help your sister with school or get my content done or work on a book that I am trying to get published or something , in fact, when we were home the entire time. And I think we were home for 25 days. Okay. We were home for 25 days.

I didn't get to work on my book the entire time. We were there almost a month the entire time, because that's how busy I was. Oh, the humanity. I know, I know. But after getting so used to being like, Hey. I think I'm gonna jump on for an hour and a half, two hours and do some work on my book whenever I felt like it, , it was such a hard thing for me being home and

not being able to work on it for 25 days. That's fair. Like that was rough. So what do you think going forward? How do you think this next year, because it'll be a whole year before we go home, if you know people get married or things like that, we'll go home for a day or two days, but we won't bring the fifth wheel with us. We won't be there.

It'll be more like we're vacationing at home. We'll be in a hotel or someone's house spending a day or two.  . .

Without stopping, without having to, you know, put a hold on the rhythms we're recreating. What do you think that's gonna look like for you?

I don't know exactly if I stick to the current schedule I have. I'm gonna have a lot of free time, a lot of free time, a lot of free time, and I'm, I'm probably gonna work my music a whole lot more than I did last year. In fact, there has honestly been,, uh, I can hear an improvement in it. So it's almost at the point where I can show other people.

It's almost there. You mean since we've been full-time traveling, ma'am, you can hear an improvement in your music. Yes, ma'am. , Why do you think that is? Because I've had more time. Because you've had more time. I've had more time. Because you've had the freedom to be able to just work on your music when you felt like it.

Yeah, it's been nice. Yeah. Do you know we sound. Almost snooty a little bit. I'm realizing that, , but it's like I'm trying to get people to wrap their head around what we are experiencing. Because coming from a family that's busy, and I know there are a lot of people out there, especially Americans, like if you're living your American dream.

You've got the kids, you've got the house, you know, you've got soccer practices and you've got afterschool programs. And if you attend a church, you have all the events that come with that. Which don't get me wrong, I love our church and I love being part of the church community and all of the events. And your father and I absolutely adored the 10 years that we were youth leaders.

That aspect. Um, definitely glad that it's time to pass it down to someone younger who has more energy and can keep up with the younger people way better than we do. But if you have all of these things, you know, if you're going to a nine to five job and you have all the work stuff that come with that, you are a very busy person.

Yes. You've gotta get groceries, you've got doctor's appointments. It's like a constant from morning. To evening things to do, and you and your family have little blocks of time to do those things. Also, I'm pretty sure the American dream now is to stay alive. Is just to be alive. Yes. Just to exist into this never ending cycle of life.

But our family we're just kind of like, you know what? That's not what we want anymore. Like, that's not our dream anymore. And yeah, there was a time where that was our dream. , Especially when your father and I was younger, , we enjoyed. The community of our church, of your dad's jobs, of our actual communities that we were in and being a part of stuff.

You know, your dad's worked for the cities since 2014 or 15 or something like that. And being a part of those communities, like being heavily involved in what was going on. We enjoyed that very much, but not doing that anymore. It's so nice. It's like finally finding the oasis after a lifetime of a desert.

No, you know, I wouldn't say that because, we did enjoy that period of our lives. I mean, that is true. Yes. Yeah. And. I can see how, , as young couples, that is what people want. When we were younger and we had more energy and you guys were younger and we were busy, oh yes. We were surrounded old age of eight years old.

We were surrounded with community and during that point in our lives, it was what we needed. It was what we wanted. But now we're finding new rhythms. We're finding new community. True. And we have an entire podcast episode coming up soon about community on the road, and it's so interesting of how different.

, Your circles form. Oh, definitely. When you're on the road, definitely, definitely. Like you, yes, you can still build communities and build circles and it's still, you know, have that friendships and things, but it does look so very different. Very different. One of the things that looks different is like you have to put yourself out there.

You definitely cannot be an introvert in this community. No, you cannot. If you wanna be friends, but you know, I do find that most people. In this community are pretty extroverted. Like they're extremely friendly. Just this morning I was out before the sun was even up and your brother and I were taking a walk around this campground and there were so many people out like walking or biking or walking their dogs and

every single person we passed, like I chatted with or they chatted with me like it, everyone was so friendly. But that's a whole nother episode. I can't wait to get into that because it's so About the people, about the community. Oh, the community that you can establish when you're on the road. And this whole community as a whole, like the traveling lifestyle community.

Anyway, that's for another day. I can't wait to get into that, but right now , we're just talking about finding our new rhythms and what we want it to look like going forward. And I have to say, I want it to continue looking so free. I, I can't even think of another word to use.

Help me find another word. Liberating. There we go. Because free is just like what is on my mind. It's so liberating though. Sometimes I will be like, Hey, on Thursday I have a schedule for us. We're gonna go into town and then we're going to attend these events that's going on in the community, or we're going to go explore Houston here in a few days. And I'm looking forward to that.

We got some stuff coming up, but it's like I get to choose that. If you've never been in a situation where you have this much freedom. Life. I'm not sure you can grasp what we're trying to say or how we feel about it. And you know what? For the people in this lifestyle, it's probably not that big of a deal.

There's probably people out there like, okay, y'all are making such a big deal about this, because it's so incredibly different from what we're used to. Yeah, it's like, how do I explain this? If you were always doing something 24 7 and you had your schedule packed, and then suddenly you had nothing to do for a month.

What would you do with yourself? Yeah. That is legit what we are finding out. Yeah. Who are we? Who are we when we're not busy? What do we like to do? Like we have time for hobbies and. Interest. And if we wanna go learn a new skill, oh my word. We have time to do that. Wow. Oh my gosh.

It's the second time I've done that. We go Owen Wilson again, after this podcast, I'm gonna make you YouTube. Owen Wilson. There's an entire video of him just going, wow, wow, wow. Over. Is it really? Yes. And for all of you curious, I will link that in the show notes, just, oh no. For the fun of it. But yes, you sound exactly like him.

Ah, so that's funny. But it is a breath of fresh air. And going into this, when we first started back in October and we did our first little two month stint of full-time travel, I didn't feel like I feel now because, um, I didn't feel trapped before. I didn't feel trapped at all. Right. It just felt like part of my life.

And then we started and I was like, oh. And actually when we first got into it, I was kind of like. Thrown off a bit from so much freedom and so much time and so much liberty to choose when I do things that , it actually kind of threw me and your dad both, like it threw us for a loop and we were trying to find who we are and what we're doing and how things are gonna work and so that was a fun little experience.

But then we went home and it was like, I felt so constrained. I felt so completely constrained after that little taste of freedom. Yeah. I felt so constrained. And then now that we're back on the road again, it feels like I can breathe. I mean, don't get me wrong for a time it was, it, it was great having a home, having a place where we could gather.

Under the Christmas tree. Why are we under the Christmas tree? Look, there were some cats. At one point. It was an entire thing with Cookie. We don't get into that. Oh my gosh. That was like 10, 11 years ago. Yeah, but those were the good old days. I told you. The golden age of eight years old. Oh my goodness.

But for a time, it absolutely . Was amazing. But then we had things changed. We, our life was great. Yeah. Like, we had a fantastic life and I feel like now we have a fantastic life. Yeah. Five years ago was also good, but, uh, since, well , I'm not gonna say since Jasper's been born, but it almost feels like that.

Mm-hmm. Where , it feels like , we've had to change. Yeah. In the last like two years Yeah. Or so. Yeah. And it's not like we were unhappy or anything. We very happy in our life Oh. And our community and what we were doing and where we were. But I don't know. Your dad and I both were just feeling this constant pull.

To doing this like constant. I'm glad we did. Yeah. Well now that we're in it, what's your favorite thing?

What's my favorite thing? Yeah, what's your favorite thing about being on the road? Uh, the adventures, the adventures, , the sites. I'm able to see , like legit. I have not gone all the walking trails here yet, but on the ones I have, I found some really good spots. Yeah. Yeah. Well that's one of the great things about the campgrounds.

We stay in almost every single one of them. If not every one of them is located along a river or a lake, which is perfect. So you get some beautiful scenery. Yes, ma'am. Actually got a picture yesterday that was really good. I liked it.

So 2026 is looking extremely promising. We had a few hiccups once we got started into this lifestyle. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, Jeremy's truck broke down two times. Yep. That, that did happen. Well, , it broke down once and then the second time it had some issues , that took a chunk of our savings.

Um, being home, we spend so much more money than we do on the road.

Which I know sounds crazy, but it is 100% true.

 📍 But now that we are back on the road, I have high hopes. And now that I know what to expect, I have high expectations for this year, and I cannot wait to share all of our adventures with everyone. Woo. Yeah.

. So make sure you stay tuned , because Travel RY 2026 is coming up. Woo.