The Day We Said Yes to Adventure!

Ten years ago today, Steve told me he wanted to talk about our future. I was a little nervous. Usually those words can go in a lot of different directions. But within a few minutes, I realized this conversation was something exciting.

Steve had been thinking about what life might look like if we left our jobs, jobs we truly loved and were good at, and took a chance on something completely different. He talked about traveling together, sharing our experiences with others, and building a life centered around adventure, education, and making a difference. At one point, he told me that I had been the backup singer in the band long enough and that it was time for me to be the lead singer.

We talked about how fun it would be to travel together, work together, and spend our days creating something meaningful. We also talked about the uncertainty. We would be leaving stable careers. We didn't know where our money would come from. We weren't in a position to retire. There were plenty of reasons to stay exactly where we were. But for some crazy reason, those things didn't bother us as much as they probably should have.
In fact, the very next morning, I gave my 30-day notice.

And just like that, with a few roadblocks and detours along the way, we began a journey that would eventually become Expeditions in Education.
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Has it always been easy? Absolutely not. There have been moments of uncertainty and worry. I still wonder sometimes how we're going to pay the bills. We don't have sick days. We don't have the safety net that comes with traditional jobs. But what we do have is so much more.

We've traveled the country together. We've worked side by side every day. We've met incredible people. We've built friendships that will last a lifetime. We've connected millions of students and educators with national parks, scientists, and opportunities they may never have experienced otherwise. Most importantly, we've built a life that feels true to who we are.
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Today marks ten years of saying yes to adventure, yes to the unknown, and yes to a leap of faith that changed everything. If I could leave you with one piece of encouragement, it would be this: Take the leap. Jump in with both feet. Do something that matters. Be a good human. You never know where that decision might lead. For us, it led to the adventure of a lifetime. Tomorrow we begin Year 11, and I couldn't be more grateful for the journey. Here's to many more years of adventure ahead.

These are photos from those few months before we hit the road the first time.