Three months. Three months of adventures, challenges, and figuring out what life on the road looks like for our family. Somehow, we've officially been living in our camper full-time for three months, and we're already kicking off month four!

This week took us from exploring museums in Washington, DC, to celebrating Halloween in Annapolis, visiting the National Zoo, and settling into a waterfront campground along the Chesapeake Bay.

There were astronauts, pandas, a baby elephant, volcano explosions, Halloween costumes, beautiful sunsets, and plenty of bike rides. There were also more dog messes, a truck that wouldn't start, and a leaking hot water heater. John has officially added mechanic and plumber to his ever-growing list of responsibilities.

And with November now underway, we're starting to look ahead to Thanksgiving, Christmas decorations in the camper, and a few exciting projects I've been working on behind the scenes.

A Harvest Host, Bikes & One More Moving Day

Wednesday was a slower morning of playground time, bike rides, and catching up on work before packing up for our next stop outside of Washington, DC.

We checked into another Harvest Host, where Lowina helped John get the camper level before both girls headed off to ride bikes around the parking lot. The dogs were especially happy with the fenced dog runs, which are always a welcome surprise when traveling with two pups.

It was a fairly uneventful moving day, which is exactly what we like.

Two Future Astronauts... Or Maybe Just One

Thursday started with another round of dog messes in the camper. Not exactly how we wanted to kick off our big museum field trip day, but after some cleaning and a rushed morning, we were on our way.

We drove to New Carrollton, hopped on the metro into DC, and met up with Molly for a day of sightseeing and learning.

Our first stop was the carousel on the National Mall because apparently we can't pass a carousel without riding it. Then we headed to the National Air and Space Museum, where the girls had a blast exploring.

One of my favorite moments was during a presentation about what astronauts experience in space. The presenter asked who wanted to go to space, and both girls immediately shot their hands into the air.

We learned about the different layers of a spacesuit, what weightlessness does to the human body, and even how astronauts recycle their own urine into water that can be used to rehydrate food.

By the end of the presentation, Lizzie was still ready to blast off. Lowina, however, had reconsidered her future career plans. Can't say I blame her...

Around the World in One Lunch & John's New Animal Identity

After more exploring, we walked over to the new National Geographic Museum for lunch and another afternoon of learning.

The food court was fantastic, with options inspired by different parts of the world. Naturally, we all ended up ordering something different. I went with Peruvian food and a pisco cocktail, which made for a pretty great museum lunch.

Then it was time to explore. The girls loved the interactive exhibits about animal behavior and how animals move & travel together. We spent time in the archives, watching videos and learning about different eras of National Geographic, before heading into the immersive Ark experience.

One of our favorite activities was answering questions to discover which animal matched our personalities. John took the quiz three times. He got a frog twice and a toad once. At this point, I think the universe is trying to tell us something.

We also picked up a National Geographic science kit to continue our learning back at the camper. After a full day, we headed home for dog walks, bike rides against the sunset, and a virtual Halloween dance class for the girls through Outschool.

One of those days where homeschool looks very different from a traditional classroom, and I love that we get to experience it together.

Volcanoes, Crystals & Halloween in Annapolis

Friday was a much needed slower day filled with homeschool, work, and following up on everything we'd learned at the museums. We followed up on our scavenger hunt from the day before then started the eagerly anticipated National Geographic experiments. The girls made a plaster volcano and started growing a crystal, with plenty of anticipation for more experiments to come. John also made a midday Nando's run, which was a very welcome surprise for me.

That evening, we got dressed up for Halloween festivities at the historic Hammond-Harwood House in Annapolis.

Getting there was an adventure of its own. The narrow downtown streets were not John's favorite, and our truck didn't fit in the parking garage we'd planned to use. After some circling and parking frustrations, we eventually found a spot near the harbor.

The girls made their own candy bags, collected treats, and got their faces painted. Twice because apparently one round of face painting wasn't enough. We also joined a superstition-themed tour of the house, learned a little about colonial life, and admired the architecture of a home that's more than 250 years old.

The evening ended with a Halloween parade around the house before we headed back to our little home on wheels.

Halloween at the National Zoo

Saturday was Halloween, and we spent it at the Smithsonian National Zoo! John and I hadn't visited in years, probably since around 2012, so it was fun to return with the girls.

We started with playground time while waiting for Molly to arrive, then spent the day exploring. Highlights included the giant pandas, the baby elephant, and, of course, John's reunion with his frog and toad relatives. After his National Geographic quiz results, it felt particularly appropriate.

The girls wore their Halloween costumes to the zoo because we weren't entirely sure what the evening would look like. We'd originally planned trick-or-treating around Capitol Hill, but by the time we left the zoo around 4 p.m., everyone was ready for a quieter night.

We said goodbye to Molly for now, headed back to the camper, and settled in for a lazy Halloween evening. Not exactly the traditional trick-or-treating we'd imagined, but we'd already had plenty of Halloween fun over the past couple of weeks.

And honestly, after a full day of walking around the zoo, I don't think anyone minded.

The Earliest Departure That Wasn't

Sunday morning, the girls woke up at 6:30, so we figured we might as well get moving. We packed up and pulled out at 8 a.m., feeling pretty proud of ourselves for what might have been our earliest departure yet.

Then we remembered daylight saving time had ended. So really, we'd left around our normal early departure time.

We took the backroads toward our next campground on the Chesapeake Bay. We could have stayed on major highways, but the smaller roads seemed manageable. John might have questioned that decision after hitting ten red lights in a row in the first hour.

We arrived around lunchtime at one of the largest campgrounds we've stayed at so far, included in our Thousand Trails membership. Multiple playgrounds, a marina, beach, pool, waterpark, and even a spooky Halloween maze still standing from the weekend before.

The girls wasted absolutely no time getting their bikes out, making new friends, and exploring every playground they could find while John & I caught up on work. They also painted their volcano in preparation for the next day's big eruption.

Science Experiments & Another Round of RV Repairs

Monday and Tuesday were a mix of homeschool, work, campground exploring, and the less glamorous side of full-time RV life.

The girls finally got to erupt their volcano, dig for gems, and finish more of their National Geographic experiments. We still have a tornado experiment waiting, but first we need to empty a couple of two-liter bottles. Considering we almost never drink soda, that may take a while.

We also spent plenty of time walking the dogs and enjoying the waterfront. One evening, Nelson and I watched an incredible sunset from the marina dock. No phones. No pictures. Just the two of us enjoying the view.

Meanwhile, John was having a slightly different experience. Rewind back to when our truck wouldn't start in NYC after Lowina and I went on our date night... We'd managed to get it jumped the following morning but knew the batteries were probably on their way out.

Well, their time was officially up. After getting a jump from a campground neighbor, John headed out to buy two new batteries. A few YouTube videos and an hour and a half later, he'd successfully installed them himself. His first official stint as our family mechanic!

And because apparently one repair wasn't enough, our hot water heater started leaking too. So John swapped his mechanic hat for his plumber hat and got that fixed as well.

There are days when I think living in a camper has made us more resourceful. And then there are days when I think John would probably appreciate fewer opportunities to prove it.

Campfire Dinner & One More Sunset

Wednesday morning, I slept in a little after a very late night working on some exciting projects for my travel business, including my holiday travel gift guide released today and turning the roadschool journals I've been creating for the girls into a yearbook that other traveling families can use (more to come on this soon!). I'd also stayed up watching election results, so it was a later night than usual.

John headed out early for golf while the girls and I spent the morning working through homeschool and enjoying some playtime. When he got back, he jumped into the school day too, and we eventually wrapped up our work for the afternoon.

We ended the evening cooking dinner over the campfire and watching the sunset together from the marina dock.

After a week of museums, Halloween celebrations, moving days, experiments, and camper repairs, it was a pretty perfect way to finish.

Our First Quarter on the Road

July 31 marked the beginning of a completely new chapter for our family. Three months later, we've traveled through new states, explored national parks, reconnected with family & friends, and learned that our girls can call just about anywhere home.

We're working on a special family check-in to celebrate our first quarter on the road, including everyone's favorite memories, biggest surprises, and thoughts on camper life so far. Stay tuned for that soon!

Three Months Down, So Many Adventures Ahead

October gave us an incredible finish to our first three months on the road.

We've gone from figuring out how to live in a 43-foot camper to navigating it through Brooklyn, visiting family across multiple states, exploring national parks, and turning museums, campgrounds, and everyday experiences into our girls' classroom.

We've also learned that full-time travel doesn't eliminate the ordinary challenges of life. Sometimes it just means dealing with them in a smaller space with a different view out the window.

There have been plenty of unexpected repairs, long travel days, laundry marathons, and moments where we've questioned our decisions. But there have also been bike rides until sunset, time with people we don't get to see often enough, and opportunities to watch the girls learn & grow in places we might never have visited otherwise.

We're heading into month four with more adventures ahead, a return to Greensboro for Thanksgiving, and the excitement of decorating our camper for our first Christmas on the road.

Three months down. Still figuring plenty of things out. And very glad we decided to give this life a try.

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