If there was one word to describe last week, it would be bittersweet. We officially closed the chapter for now on our life in Greensboro and began the one we've been dreaming about & working so hard for.
One Last Week at Home ❤️
Our final week in Greensboro was filled with playdates, one last field trip, lots of goodbye hugs, and soaking up every last moment with friends and family.
We wrapped it all up with a going-away dinner at one of our favorite downtown restaurants, Yokai. Lowina needed to get in her favorite Korean fried chicken, Ellie her edamame and John two Philly fried rice orders one last time. Seeing so many old & new friends one last time before hitting the road meant more than I can explain. To everyone who came out to celebrate with us… thank you. Your encouragement (and hugs!) reminded us just how lucky we are to have such an incredible community cheering us on.
Then it was finally time…
The truck was loaded.
The camper was packed.
And we pulled out of Greensboro.
Ashlee Wagner | Travel Advisor
Today wasn’t just another drive. This was the moment we pulled out of the driveway knowing we weren’t coming back to this house as “home” for a few months and even then, it’ll be a quick stop before we’re off on the road again. The house that held birthdays, holidays, late-night talks, first steps, and countless ordinary moments that somehow became our favorite memories. Instead of selling it, we decided to give it a new purpose as an Airbnb while we chase a dream that’s been on our hearts for a long time. Home is now a 43-foot camper. The girls’ classroom has no walls. Our backyard changes every few days or weeks. Our calendar is filled with places instead of routines. Is it scary? Absolutely. Will we miss this house? Every single day. Do we know exactly what’s ahead? Not even close. But we’ve learned that the biggest adventures rarely begin with certainty. Here’s to trading comfort for curiosity, possessions for experiences, and “someday” for right now. Follow along as our family of four (soon five ❤️ + plus four pets) travels full-time, explores the US in our camper, and then continues the journey to bring our daughter home from South Africa. If you’ve ever dreamed of traveling more, taking the leap, or simply seeing what’s possible, follow along. I’ll be sharing the real, unfiltered side of full-time RV life, family travel, destination tips, behind-the-scenes adventures, and plenty of inspiration to help you plan your own unforgettable journey. What stops should be on our US tour route? 🌎✨
♬ original sound - Ashlee Wagner | Travel Advisor - Ashlee Wagner | Travel Advisor
Hauling the Beast... Day One 😅
Our first official travel day was definitely one we'll never forget.
The girls and I spent our first night in the camper with the cats while Dad feverishly got the house ready for our first Airbnb check-in. The girls were champs in their new room until about 2am 🫠 which is about when Daddy finally finished up and got to sleep. Dad and the dogs rejoined us in the morning for some final camper prep before we took off.
The drive was about 3 hours and 15 minutes, and honestly? Everything was going really well...until the last 30 minutes.
Our GPS routed us onto a narrow, winding mountain road with switchbacks. Not exactly ideal when you're pulling a 43-foot fifth wheel, especially on our first long drive.
Then came two moments that made our hearts stop.
The first was a semi truck that drifted partially into our lane while we were climbing uphill around a blind corner. We were convinced it had clipped the camper. Somehow, by what felt like inches, it didn't.
Just a few minutes later, another semi drove completely into our lane on another blind corner but this time, we were heading downhill. John had to bring our entire rig to a complete stop to avoid a head-on collision.
Needless to say...we all needed a LOT of time to recover after that.
We're incredibly thankful for John's calm driving and quick decisions (plus some choice words). Everyone including the camper made it safely!
Let's just say we'll be sticking to highways as much as possible from now on 😅, plus we invested in RV LIFE Pro to manage our trip planning & help with RV-safe routes going forward.
RV Report 🚐
For our very first long haul, the camper held up surprisingly well!
Our list of casualties was thankfully very short:
- One storage basket got smushed against the trash can when we pulled the slides in.
- Another storage container decided gravity was more fun and took a tumble.
We'll definitely take that as a win.
Friends Make Every Campground Better 💛
Later that evening, our friends pulled into the campsite next to us, and instantly it felt like vacation.
We spent a few days at Jellystone in Natural Bridge and packed in as much fun as possible…
☀️ Pool time
🎨 Tie-dye
🔥 S'mores
🚲 Bike & scooter rides
🤸 Jumping pillow
🐻 Yogi hugs
🛝 All the playground adventures
It was exactly the reset we needed after such a stressful travel day.
One afternoon we headed over to Devil's Backbone Brewing Company for lunch. The food was fantastic, the atmosphere was beautiful, and my favorite drink was the Mango Pineapple Smash. If you're visiting Natural Bridge, it's absolutely worth the short drive.
Last Stop Before West Virginia
Before hitting the road again, we made one final stop down the road to Natural Bridge State Park.
What an incredible place.
The girls were especially excited to meet the resident black snake, Ms. Betty, and we even spotted what we think were otters (or maybe mink?) swimming through the river.
Nature has a funny way of slowing you down.
Haul #2 ✔️
Our second towing day brought us to New River Gorge, West Virginia.
John admitted he still had lots of nerves after our first experience, but he absolutely crushed it.
The drive was another three hours with very few issues, other than Wyatt climbing (and scratching) all over the girls and making sure we found a better campground route than last time. Lesson learned!
Impromptu Worldschool Class
Once we got settled, something pretty special happened.
The girls asked if they could do school even though we hadn’t planned on starting yet.
So we indulged them and kicked it off with our very first weekly travel journals (plus a Lowina-requested cursive lesson, which now is a daily request).
Each week they'll each fill out:
📍 Where we are
💛 Weekly affirmation
📚 Something learned
⭐ Favorite part of the week
🗺️ Where we're going next
🎉 What we’re most excited about
Watching our new version of "school" begin in a small way made this whole adventure feel even more real.
The rest of the week was exactly what we hoped this lifestyle would look like… bike rides around the campground, playground time, slime-making, relaxing at Lake Stephens Beach, finding our very first #AlmostHeaven swing (thanks for the rec, Jody!), and slowly figuring out what our work routines will look like while living on the road.
National Park #24 🏞️
We wrapped up our time in the area with a full day exploring New River Gorge National Park: our 24th U.S. National Park! 🎉
Like most days will be on the road, the morning started with Mom and Dad squeezing in an early work session before packing up for another adventure.
Our first stop was the Canyon Rim Visitor Center, where the views from the overlook behind the building completely stopped us in our tracks. Pictures don’t do it justice. Standing there looking out over the gorge and the iconic New River Gorge was one of those moments that reminds you exactly why we chose this lifestyle.
Inside the visitor center, we spent some time learning about the park’s history, the coal mining communities that once called this area home, and the wildlife that still thrives throughout the gorge. The girls loved spotting all the different animals on display before we headed out to walk the Canyon Rim Boardwalk.
Next, we took the scenic drive down & back up Fayette Station Road, a winding route that takes you beneath the massive bridge and gives you an entirely different perspective of just how incredible this engineering feat really is.
And because no adventure is complete without good food, we finished the day with lunch at Pies & Pints (huge shoutout to Jill for the rec - so yummy!).
Every day we're learning something new. Some lessons are about towing a giant camper. Others are about slowing down enough to enjoy where we are.
And honestly...both feel equally important.
Tomorrow, we start another drive heading to visit friends that we haven't seen since our time in South Africa, so stay tuned!
Thanks for riding along with us this week, and for letting our travels inspire your own. Your next adventure is closer than you think.🤍
Until the next stop,
The Wagner Family
