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It’s been about a month since we made the decision to do this and have been sharing our news with family and friends as we see them. So far, the response has been pretty positive and love all the support we have received to date!

Naturally, there are questions. Some are funny, some are annoying and some are valid. Here they are:

Q: Is everything okay?
A: Yes, everything is okay. Actually, everything is great! Terence and I are not getting a divorce, we are not filing for bankruptcy, we still have our jobs, our health is in order, not going through any kind of mid-life crisis, kids are doing great and staying at their prospective schools (St. Matthews and Holy Names), and our cat Uh-oh is adjusting fine to all the commotion at home, she probably doesn’t care.

Q: Where are you guys going to park it?
A: Wherever we feel like living, stealth parking! We also have an amazing group of friends who has given us the green light to park on their property/street, how cool is that?!?!

Q: Where is everyone going to sleep?
A: Ummm…in the van. On beds.

Q: You’re going to live in an RV now? Isn’t it a cold time of the year to start that?
A: It’s a perfect time. It’s a pretty modern van with heaters and stuff. And in the summer, we’ll turn the AC on.

Q: What about the kids? Where are they going to live?
A: What about them? Why wouldn’t we take them? It would be silly for us not to. I mean we are still responsible for them until their 18 right?

Q: What are you going to do with all your stuff?
A: We are going to sell and donate the “stuff” we don’t need and store the “stuff” we can’t part with.

Q: How will you shower and go to the bathroom?
A: In our bathroom which has a shower and toilet. We also have gym memberships so the days we workout, we have the added bonus of taking a shower there. But yes, our van has a bathroom.

Q: Where will you dump your stuff?
A: At a dump site. Terence will own this task so I’ll defer all questions to him for anyone wanting specific details.

Q: Are you going to rent out a storage unit?
A: No. We have a few bins will take to his mom’s house.

Q: Why not just buy a condo or smaller place?
A: Because we are opting for a van.

Q: What made you guys decide to do this?
A: It’s really our way of planning for our retirement at 50. We have no debt outside of our current mortgage and car so why not. The house goes on the market on Monday, 12/11 and once it sells, it will put is in a position to save a pretty penny or two over 9 years.

Q: You guys want to retire at 50?
A: Hell yeah! Why not? I want to spend the remaining 30-40 years of life living it and not working. I want to ride bikes, swim in every lake and ocean and run where my legs take me. But in all seriousness, it a goal we have and this is our plan “A” to get there. If it doesn’t work out, there’s always a plan “B”!

Q: What will you do for money? This is usually a follow-up to the prior question.
A: What we do today will give us the financial stability needed to retire. Proper planning, saving, and investing. Plus I think Terence still has a stash of GI Joes that will be worth millions by then.

Q: Why?
A: Because it will be fun! It’s the next chapter for the Shelton-Borromeo household and we are ready for this crazy adventure!

Been busy decluttering the “stick” house. A term I’ve heard thrown around by full time RVers. Sticks and bricks. You buy your starter house “stick” then want to upgrade cause your got kids to “brick”.

Getting close. The rooms are looking bare. The Christmas decorations have been taken down. Furniture is getting sold, given away or being spoken for. Most of the plates, cups, and party platters are gone. Wo helped with the finishing touches. We decided to skip on fixing the ice maker/water in the fridge. Almie has been crushing the paint. They match so well using technology at the store. House should get listed on the 11th. We got a cleaner coming today.

All in the meantime. Life has been going. Soccer, dr appointments, schools, sleep overs, work, etc.

We are picking up the RV on December 18th and driving it back. Just Almie and I. Kids going to stay behind cause they got life things to do.

I have been doing the goodwill/value village, buynothing, selling on eBay for a few weeks. We’re making dents but it seems like there is just so much, much more. But we will get there.

Coach update. Looks like we are going to be picking it up mid December. Almie is waiting to get her days off or work remote approved. My boss was cool with it. Then we go and drive it back. Working with the finance guy. I am so glad my credit is clean. I basically said to finance RV guy my bank can give me a better rate, no now he has to do his thing to get this better rate so he can score his commission.

Yesterday Teren and I went to a neighbors house to ask about parking the RV there. She wasn’t really having it. She looked confused. I think she sold her RV but they have a giant parking area for it. I told her I would rent it.

Spoke to my coworker yesterday about the RV. I told him about it a few weeks back. Apparently he thought I was kidding. Maybe now he will ask his wife if I can park there. If not the church and the school right by his house are prime candidates.

Almie told our school carpool guy about retiring at 50. Then he got on our Dad’s group chat with about retirement and posted funny pictures of RVs being pulled by horses. Some people don’t get it. This is my box and that is your box. Your life/ family will not fit my box nor will mine in yours. Stop it, it’s not flattering.

Throw in some random pics of goodness I have found that we own or have to get rid of.

Replacement dishwashers old

New

Tara’s Team winning the state cup, but no advancing to regionals.

SO MANY MORE PICS I COULD POST

So back in 2000 I started an eBay account. About a year later I started buying up GI Joes Real American Hero. I wanted my childhood back. Especially since I just helped create my 1st child. These action: figures, dolls, brought me back to a time playing with my buddy Jessie, Kenny the midget, Gabriel the neighbor who liked Star Wars who had an autistic brother (before we even knew that term), my cousin and his he-man collection, going to NEX and Sears to looks at Joes, that time when my parents bought me a terror dome and mamba helicopter for Christmas, those cartons, ninjas, saboteurs, and the ever going fight between good and evil.

I amassed a pretty big collection. Sold some here and there. Then about 2012 I used them to help potty train my second child. Every time he used the toilet he got something. Soon he was opening unopened packs, then vehicles, then the whole collection.

Fast forward to about 3 months ago I moved my whole collection downstairs in hopes to sell them off piece by piece. I did some here and there. It was still a huge effort.

So last week I put he whole collection up on EBay. It took all night to count and take pictures of 237 figures a bunch vehicles, file cards, weapons, vcr tapes, comics

Today it was bought. My 1st child and I took all of it to FedEx to ship. I didn’t get what I wanted and I undercut myself in shipping. But I have gained so much physical space to declutter and mental space to not have to think about them from this selling.

Thanks GI Joe and Cobra – you brought me so much joy over the years. But today my heart hurt a bit.

Now I guess I can really think about getting that Arashikage tattoo.

Video that got the guy to buy it, but of course I got lowballed.

Meanwhile….I am off to work to drop these off to mail tomorrow and look at places to stealth camp.

Here some pics of the collection:

Thanksgiving was cool at my sisters house. Rode bikes in the morning and left the after ride party early to hurry her house, cooking of the food was two hours late! Told my sisters about RVing, Jessica was totally down with it.

Friday went to work for a few hours and made a trip to Value Village to donate some stuff. Put up some stuff in buynothing. I swore I wouldn’t because two people lagged on picking stuff up. But I can’t let some bad apples ruin it for all. Most notably I gifted a guitar that I had since high school. That cut a little bit, but I haven’t played it for 3-5 years, can’t even remember.

Today Saturday, got up early to take Tara to DMV to get her permit. Turns out she can’t get till 10 days from her driving school class. Hit her up to possibly contribute to to the blog. She wants to “pimp” it out. Hit up McDonald then dropped stuff off at goodwill. Napped and then more riding bikes. Today after riding I went to work left my bike in the bike cage and showered. While I love that bike, I am transitioning to not being attached to it. It will live in my bike cage at work and I will learn to get it when I go hit the dirt. It will make bike commuting to work non existent. I have insurance, if it gets stolen it can be replaced, it is after all just stuff.

Almie and Teren will be back early from their SD trip. Can’t wait.

eBay items getting bidders. I think I’m going to list more stuff on there.

Sad it to see this go.

Shirt from OverStand, definitely brings back memories.

A couple of the many many bike/runt events. A shoebox full of numbers and medals. But I took pictures of all of them.

I think this was my fathers, from the 70s.