It has been a hot minute since I have updated the world on the Culver Family Adventures, we have covered a lot of miles in 6-ish months! Take a ride down memory lane with me….buckle up!

We agreed when we decided this was going to be our new lifestyle that after one full year on the road, we would sit down and assess the last 365 days, and countless miles, and decide whether or not to continue this nomadic lifestyle. Not just a mental health checkup, if you will, for Keegan and I, but the kids especially.

We have been on the road one full year as of August 11th (can you believe it??? Seems like it has only been a few weeks….) and we can say for certain, it was the best decision we made since deciding to keep the kids (Calm down. It was a joke….:)).

We all know the Lord works in mysterious ways and as he would have it, Keegan received a call from his previous employer asking if he would be interested in coming back, which was humbling, but we could’t help but laugh at the timing. It is like God is telling us that if we are going to reflect on the previous 12 months, we need to be reminded why we made this decision in the first place.

We have been together for almost 11 years, married for the last two. We have been through hell and back and then all over again. We have had many laughs, many tears, and so many memories in between. But we have traveled more miles in the last 12 months as a family than in the last 10 years before August 11, 2022 and we are blessed.

We have been to Illinois, Missouri, west to California, to New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, back to New Mexico, Colorado, back to (take a guess!) New Mexico. Basically if you were to hand a crayon to a toddler and give him/her a map of the Southwest United States of America to doodle all over, that would be our breadcrumbs of where we have been the last 6 months. I know I-40 and Route 66 in the southwest region like the back of my hand, I almost put in another change of address (don’t worry, I came to my senses!!)

We spent a few weeks in Fort Sumner, NM after leaving the west coast, home of Billy the Kid. If you ever get the chance, stop through that quaint little town and step back into the wild west, go to the Billy the Kid Museum and then head south to see his grave. He lies 6 feet in the ground, under a cement pad, encased in a locked cage. Why you may ask? Because his headstone kept being stolen….

People have been curious about true crime from the beginning.

After Fort Sumner, we were able to go “home” for almost 2 months, to Amarillo, Texas. It was nice to be able to see family as much as possible.

After our pitstop home, we were sent back west on I-40 to a “quirky” (their word, definitely not mine) town west of Flagstaff, Arizona called Seligman, Arizona, the birthplace of Route 66, the road that is in better shape today than I-40 just one mile south. “A vibrant slice of Americana” – visitarizona.com, it is an interesting play to stop for the day, but 1 month was a stretch. But….

76 miles east and 46 miles south of Seligman is Sedona, Arizona, a gem in this country that EVERYONE needs to see, even for those who are not outdoor enthusiasts. We took a day trip and it was well worth every second. The drive from Flagstaff to Sedona is the perfect trek in a convertible or a motorcycle, slow and full of switchbacks and breathtaking views you must see to believe. We hiked 4 miles up to Devil’s bridge and had a picnic on a rock, overlooking the area. Take my word for it, put Sedona on your bucket list.

After Seligman, we had a brief stop in Williams, Arizona where my grandpa highly recommended we ride the train north to the Grand Canyon (we were entertained with live music to and from and even had “bandits” stop our train and “rob” us as they did in the Wild West. Jax was a hero and ran to tell the sheriff and helped him catch the bandits!!).

“There will never be a photograph of the Grand Canyon that can adequately describe it’s depth, breadth and true beauty”

Stefanie Payne

Time stands still at the Grand Canyon. Your problems and worries (except the sheer terror of the possibility of falling to a most certain death) fade away when you are there because her beauty is captivating. Thank you, President Theodore Roosevelt, for establishing the Grand Canyon as a National Monument and President Woodrow Wilson, for establishing it as a National Park to preserve its beauty for my family and I to see 120 years later. This is proof that your choices shape the world for future generations.

Next was a week in Winslow, Arizona (yes, we listened to the Eagles. We took it easy and we stood on the corner….if you don’t understand, just…go away!) then we rode off into the sunset to Albuquerque.

Let’s just say….it was there. Albuquerque is an experience. If you know, you know. If you don’t, consider yourself lucky and keep it that way.

We were able to leave the blue state of NM for a brief second to head to Rocky Ford, CO and see my dad for a minute and eat some amazing fruit from the local farmers markets only just turn back around and head to Raton….which brings us to today.

No matter how many times we have had to come back to New Mexico, this last year has been priceless. We have met so many amazing people, many of which will be life long friends and we have had so many experiences that Keegan and I are so blessed to be able to share with our children, most more than likely wouldn’t have happened had we not decided to take the plunge and leave our comfort zone.

“There is no growth in the comfort zone.”

Jocko Willink

Change is always scary, big or small, but beautiful things can come out of change, you just have to be open to the possibilities. It was terrifying making such a drastic change that affected every part of our life but looking back, we wouldn’t trade it for the world. Looking in our rearview mirror to appreciate the last year has us looking forward to the miles ahead and excited to find out what adventures await the Culver Family.

Time sure flies when you’re having fun….and it’s true! God is Good!