If there ever was a year to just say “what the heck, let’s take a road trip and get away from the madness,” 2020 would be that year! The Morse Family decided to do just that, and they are on an adventure of a lifetime!
Brandon Morse grew up in Weiser, about 8 miles outside of town on his family farm. He is a 2002 graduate of Weiser High. He met his wife, Amber of Meridian, at church camp in the eighth grade and later they both graduated from Northwest Nazarene University. They now have four children: Jadyn is 15, Hudson is 10, Brittan is 10, and Koen is 3. Needing a break from the same old routine of working a 9 to 5 job, constantly running from activity to activity for school, and everyday responsibilities, the Morse family decided it was time to change things up.
First, they decided to take a mini vacation and travel to McCall, Idaho for about 10 days. “We put the kids to bed one night and started dreaming about ‘what if’. What if we did this full time for a while? What if we could do it for at least a year?” thought Brandon and Amber. So, they started to make a plan by crunching numbers and figuring out what they would need to do to make it happen. “When we told Jadyn our 15-year-old, she cried. The thought of quitting dance and leaving her friends was too much. But then a few days later, after lots of thought and prayer, she came downstairs one morning and said she had really been thinking about it and thought we should do it,” Brandon recalled. With everyone in the family on board with the plan, they purchased an RV, resigned from their jobs, rented out their house, and downsized their family possessions to fit in “our tiny house on wheels.”
The Morse family plans to be on the road for about a year. They like the fact that they are able to homeschool their kids on the road and avoid the unknowns of the school year for public school during this pandemic. “It turns out, one of the best things about it is our twins, Hudson and Brittan, are fourth graders and they’re learning a lot about American History and Geography. We are actually seeing many of the things they are learning, which is a unique opportunity that Amber and I never had and many do not have,” explained Brandon.
The family LOVES their RV. It is a 2020 Open Range 328BHS, 38 feet long with a bunk room for the kids to sleep. The four slides make it feel extra roomy and a residential sized refrigerator was a must-have for a family of 6. “We love the huge u-lounge sofa that can seat our whole family, we love the outdoor kitchen where we took out the small fridge and converted it to our espresso bar…we couldn’t leave home without our espresso machine!” he shared. The biggest challenge for the family has been the limited space and settling on “needs” versus “wants”. Homeschooling in the RV has also been a challenge because no task is easy in an RV with a family of six. “But with COVID, most of our friends back home are in the same boat with virtual school. It’s not easy either way,” said Brandon.
The Morse adventure began by leaving Boise and stopping in Salt Lake first to visit Lagoon. Then they were off to Heber City, Utah, St. George next, then Sedona, Arizona. The Grand Canyon was on one of their stops, Harlingen, Texas, then South Padre Island. They’ve been through New Orleans, LA, then onto Punta Gorda, Florida where they are now. They plan to stay in the Florida Keys for a couple of weeks and then head up the East Coast to Maine. The West Coast will be on their adventure list for next summer. So far, their favorite places have been St. George, Utah where there is a lot to see and do. Also, the gulf of Texas “is awesome!” shared Brandon.
When asked what the best part has been, Brandon said just spending quality time with the family has been so great. Watching the kids grow closer together, having fun and playing together as they travel is a unique experience. “The freedom of knowing that your livelihood or everything you deem important enough to bring with you is either in the truck or on the RV is pretty awesome and stress-free. And just seeing this great country and realizing there are some spectacular places outside of our amazing little Idaho has been great too,” said Brandon.
One question everyone seems to have is how do they do this financially?! Yes, we are all nosy and want to know the answer. Brandon shared that they own some investment properties in Canyon County that do really well for them, so they receive an income from that. An interesting addition to that is Channel 2 News in Boise did a story on them before they left, which was randomly sent to the affiliates who played the story in Indiana where the manufacturer headquarters of their RV is located. The marketing director saw the story and got in touch with Brandon. They then signed a contract for Brandon to be a content creator and make videos and take photos of their experiences around the country in the RV! How crazy cool is that?! This little side bit has also added to their traveling income. Brandon also shared that Amber is a labor and delivery nurse, and she plans to take a traveling nurse contract starting in January 2021 for 8 to 13 weeks for some additional funding for their trip. The family is being as frugal as they can while still experiencing as much as they can. They prefer to not work during the trip but having a little extra income will be helpful. “We want this to be an incredible year for our family and know this isn’t a normal opportunity.” Brandon said.
If you are interested in following their journey, check them out on Facebook and Youtube! You’ll find some fun videos, photos, stories, and more.
Facebook: morses go mobile | Facebook
YouTube Channel: Morses Go Mobile https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChx_WRFvoO5TJCdv7TxoUIA (facebook.com)
