Travelers Tuesday and the families we love are back this week with Karlie Kidd and her adorable group of nomads from Graham, WA. I’m going to turn the reigns over to Karlie and let her tell you all about LineLife on the road!
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About the family: Hi, we are the Kidds!! A family of four living in our 30ft 5th wheel trailer. We didn’t necessarily choose this life, it choose us. My husband, Brandon, is an Apprentice Lineman with a little less than a year to go before he is a Journeyman. I am sure if you are reading Emily’s blog you know that being a Lineman and traveling come pretty hand in hand. We never thought we would be living in a trailer, thousands of miles away from where we call home. But here we are and right now home is Wichita, Kansas. A lot of people call Kansas God’s country but I am partial to the PNW! It’s hard to find beauty in the plains when I could see Mt. Rainier from my home growing up. We have two littles, Hudson and Hadley Jo. Hudson is three and gives every RV park a run for their money. He makes friends everywhere he goes. Hadley Jo is just one and has only ever known life in trailerhood. We try and make living small fun. Sometimes we love it and other days we crave space and a yard of our own. Someday I am sure we will miss this small little simple life.
Do you plan on homeschooling? I have actually always planned on homeschooling so being on the road hasn’t changed that.
What got you and your family interested in living this lifestyle? We were kind of thrown in to this lifestyle by chance. My husband is an apprentice with the Southwestern Line Constructors JATC. We never know how long we will be in one place. We got tired of the boxes and apartment living and wanted a place to call our own.
Was getting on the road easy or challenging? Do you have any advice to those just starting out? We made the decision to hit the road in such a hurry. We didn’t do enough research about what our needs for 5th wheel would be. My biggest piece of advice is to RESEARCH. How will our trailer do in cold weather? Are there more than 3 electrical outlets in the trailer? Will this trailer grow with our family? We have a long list of must haves for our next trailer!
What are your travel goals? Goals? What are those? But really, national parks. We were lucky enough to live near Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park while Brandon was in college. We love the outdoors, so anywhere that has something pretty to see. Let’s get out of Kansas!
How many states have you visited? Since we have been traveling we have lived in Texas and Kansas. Home is Washington State and our second home is Idaho. As a family, we have visited Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Oklahoma and Oregon. I have been lucky to visit my sister when her husband was stationed in Hawaii and Louisiana is next on the list.
What has been your favorite and/or least favorite trip, site, experience so far We lived in Denton, Texas for about a year and we really loved the Texas community. My favorite might seem silly to some, but we stayed in Greensburg, Kansas for 8 months. If you Google Greensburg, you will quickly see that the entire town was wiped out by a EF5 tornado in 2008. The tornado damage is still visible, but the sense of community and to see how far they have come is amazing! We could walk everywhere and got to know a lot of local people. It’s also very special because Greensburg was my Hadley Jo’s first home. My least favorite has been Wichita, where we are now. I just don’t like the city; it just doesn’t feel like a place I could ever call home.
What is your favorite and/or least favorite thing about traveling as a family? My favorite part about traveling with my family is that we get to be together. My husband gets to see his kids every day. He isn’t missing first steps or words. My little family is my pride and keeping us together is what motivated us to travel. My least favorite is being away from our extended families. Goodbye is always so hard.
A glimpse into the mom behind the family: What is your favorite book? Pride and Prejudice. It is tried and true. I could read Jane Austen over and over and it would never grow old. What is your favorite season? Fall! Anne of Green Gables couldn’t have said it any better. I am so glad we live in a world with Octobers. What is your favorite food? Is there something you love that you’ve found somewhere but you can’t easily find elsewhere? I’m just a steak and potatoes kind of gal! But if you are from the Pacific Northwest, I’m sure we can all agree you won’t find a teriyaki joint anywhere like you kind find in the PNW! Do you have a favorite genre of music? Country, did I tell you I am going to Garth Brooks next month! Dreams are coming true! Are there any unique favorites/passions you would like to share? I love to sew, but my machine in broken and my kids are in a season to make it pretty difficult right now anyways.
Is there any other information you would want included? If you are traveling with small children, my biggest piece to advice is to just go with the flow. Nothing in life is ever predictable. Does your baby not sleep because there is no private place for quiet? Try co-sleeping. Invest in a good baby carrier and babywear. This lifestyle is such a change compared to modern life. Keeping our families closer together and growing tighter bonds, or just getting on each other’s nerves is easier. Living in a small space is so fun and also the biggest challenge. Some days, I truly feel like a modern pioneer making my way across the plains. I am so glad that my covered wagon has heat, running water, and all the conveniences of a home, just a bit smaller.
