Life in sunny Santa Fe for nearly twenty years has been quite an adventure, to say the least! Referred to as “the city different” this is a magical place that has a certain magnetic pull but has also been described as a place that can chew you up and spit you out. Many leave when the going gets tough, and the ones that stay are tough. I have had my challenges, but I am still standing. I suspect that I will always consider Santa Fe my home base. As one that thrives on change and new experiences…Santa Fe has the distinction of being the one place where I have spent more time than anywhere else in my life.

I am humbled and grateful to be a mother, grandmother, dog mom, caregiver and to have an extended family of friends. I continue to enjoy my varied life experiences enriched by all my supportive loved ones. The following more recent life events offer a glimpse about us and how and why the desire to embrace a nomadic lifestyle runs deep and naturally evolved.

My love for motorcycles began as teenager and after a lengthy parental riding hiatus, I resumed upon relocating to Santa Fe. After many amazing road trips, I became very passionate about touring and established a motorcycle rental and tour company. This was the most wildly satisfying business I have ever been involved in…until a phone-distracted-left-turn-truck-driver landed me in intensive care with shattered bones and a TBI. As soon as I had healed enough to resume riding, I was on the road again. That decade long adventure of motorcycle life ended ten years ago, and presently my travels are on four wheels.

Over the many chapters of my life; I have been exploring on motorcycle and auto road trips, camping and traveling, from Anchorage to Mazatlan, across the US and Europe. Back in the day, my mode of travel was in VW’s…van and beetles, then various autos and motorcycles.The last several years I have been exploring different nomadic lifestyle options and I was leaning towards van travel, so I rented a converted van to try on a trip which confirmed my choice. For some time I have been envisioning one day retiring and living the lifestyle that suits my wanderlust spirit.

My father had the wanderlust but was restricted to once a year vacations due to work and family obligations. A dream he had of visiting Alaska was fulfilled when I was living in Anchorage and arranged for him to visit. A small pontoon plane flight to an island to go salmon fishing was a highlight and he claimed the trip was one of his most memorable life experiences. Towards his later years he would tell me about his desire to downsize from their RV to a more manageable compact camper van for travels. Sadly, both my parents’ health deteriorated and that dream was never realized. The clock is ticking…lesson learned!

With my father’s legacy in mind and life zipping by, I recently fully committed to my dream. Sold my tiny casita, found the Ford Transit I was looking for…and finally my home on the road is in sight! As a former home furnishings creator, interior designer and DIY handy person, I originally planned to do a self build. I soon determined that was overly optimistic and ambitious for my energy level approaching my seventh decade. With no success finding local help to hire, I was prompted to start looking into various van builders elsewhere. I found a Colorado builder, TJ Rivers of Venturhaus, whose aesthetics, sensibilities and quality I really like. I just delivered the van, with completion expected in about six weeks. Looking forward to getting everything in place to hit the road when I retire from caregiving.

My previous city life wasn’t the time or place for a dog companion. As soon as I moved to Santa Fe I adopted Blanca, a Husky-Malamute-Pyreneese. She was a wild hooligan that was with me for 13 years. Then Maya entered my life, a much calmer Husky-Malamute-Border Collie mix. We had a great time together until a few months ago when my beloved companion passed. I thought it would be best to wait a while before adopting another, but I really missed that special spark of joy a little loved one brings to life! My newly adopted pup Sky, loves her cozy spot in the van, running at the park and lots of treats! We are having a fun time getting to know one another and she is the sweetest little one year old Husky-Shepherd-Malamute mix pup ever! We are working on learning commands so that she is safe off leash while roaming the wilderness on our travels. I will regularly update on our adventures…more will be revealed!

Our plan on the road is to meet and document the many wonderful dogs, their interesting people and amazing van habitats…should be really fascinating and fun…stay tuned!

…and that’s a bit about us! Rebecca & Sky