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They came back from that trip and parked
the camper. The family did not buy this
camper to use as a home. However, the trips
kept getting longer and the breaks kept getting
shorter. When they were in Mississippi on a
break, they decided to park the RV by the
reservoir. They moved in for what they
thought was a weekend, and never moved out.
After two years in the camper, they pulled
everything out of storage, and sold it all. The
beauty of the camper was the simplicity. David
stated, “Our kids function so much better with
less stuff.”
The family was in Chattanooga, Tennessee,
when the lockdowns began in March of 2020.
They thought it would be best if they came
home. However, by August, the family realized,
“We have our own house on wheels, we can
self-contain. We are going on a trip.” The Ash
family was having a custom six-door truck built
in South Dakota. They began their adventure
by heading there to check on the truck’s
progress. The trip continued to North Dakota,
Montana, Idaho, Utah, and back home.
A typical day in the Ash home looks similar
to what it would look like in any home. David
works regular, but flexible hours, Monday
through Friday as an attorney handling
commercial transactions. He has his own firm,
but still has to seek new clients, and head up a
team and staff. During this time, Susannah
homeschools the five children. They spend
part of the day doing regular school work, then
spend the afternoons exploring. They love to
learn the history and geography of the places
they are staying.
The Ash family recently upgraded their
vehicles. The old ones, affectionately named
Whimsy (camper) and Fred (Excursion), were
traded in for their new truck, (Dakota) and
camper (yet to be named). They are looking
forward to their longest adventure yet; a
one-to-two year tour of the east coast,
beginning in Maine.
David Ash shared one of his favorite things
about living this lifestyle, “We have friends all
over the country. I knew I’d love the hiking
and the adventure. I was surprised at all of the
people we’ve met. There are some amazing
people on this planet.” Susannah added that
her goal in life was to “be with her people.”
That goal is being met.“We love to be together
as a family.”
The family came up with a three-point
mission statement:
Live life on adventure.
Engage the people we encounter.
Inspire others to do the same.
When you have “your people,” it doesn’t
matter what is going on in the world.
Adventure still awaits.
Follow their adventures on Facebook and
Instagram at Our Wandering Canvas.
68 • JUNE 2021