A FAMILY sold their home to travel around America in a van after just a week of thinking about it.
Now they say they have absolutely no regrets and claim they have even saved £30k.
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Jen Omohundro and her husband, JR, decided to travel around the US with their children – Kelsey, 14, and Lane, 10 – and their two English bulldogs.
The family made the decision after they listened to a podcast about another family doing the same thing.
The couple put their house up for sale just a week later, in June 2020, then moved into their first 300sqft motorhome in March 2021 after spending nine months renovating it.
Since then the family have visited 36 states, spending up to two weeks in each spot – ziplining in the foothills of Pikes Peak Colorado and kayaking in the Mangroves.
The family spent around £260,000 on their motorhome, spend an average of £650 in fuel a month and an average of £1,200 on site fees.
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They say they save approximately £1,600 a month in mortgage and bills compared to their life before.
Jen and JR home-school their children using an online programme and during experiences on their travels – such as visiting an archaeological dig site – and say their kids are academically “ahead of where they would be if they were still at school”.
They have now upgraded to a 400sqft van – which has a pull-out bed for the kids and a space in the back for Jen and JR.
Jen, who is originally from Richmond, Virginia, said: “It’s not an easy lifestyle but it is rich with experience.
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“We were travelling a lot at first, but we’ve now slowed down to spend longer in each place.
“We’ve had so many experiences as a family that we never would have had without doing this.
“We’ve done mountain hikes, swam with whales, and ridden on a pedal railway.
But, it has taken some getting used to, with Jen adding: “It’s a major difference to what we were used to – it’s not a lot of space for four people and two dogs.
“We started out by spending a few nights in each city, but it became very tiring.
“Our kids were really excited as soon as we told them about it, but we promised our daughter that we’d go back to see her friends.”
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The family find life on the road much cheaper, just spending £650 on fuel a month and an average of £1,200 on site fees.
Jen said: “It’s cheaper than our previous lifestyle, we save at least a couple of thousand dollars worth in savings every month.
“We spend so much more time together by travelling. The dogs love it too because we’re always around.
“But we always keep checking with the kids that they are happy to keep doing this.
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“We love this lifestyle, but we’ll always go with the flow and what is best for the family.
“We can buy a house again if we need to, but we can’t get time back.
“It’s unexplainable how travelling has deepened our bond as a family.”
Meanwhile, a couple have converted an old DHL van into a home that they now live in.
And another couple from Yorkshire spent £23k converting this van to live in.
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