“Everyone’s On Their Own Journey”

We’ve always been up for an adventure and tend to do things unconventionally. Our courtship was fast. Parenthood came even faster. We’ve moved more often than most military brats. And we jumped into careers that were “unplanned” in order to be responsible.

Our situation has changed a bit now that we’re empty nesters. One of our kids recently married and has a great career. The other is the very definition of fiercely independent and is living his best life. But Cortney and I find ourselves looking for a change. It feels like the right time to reset, to step away from the grind, to gain new perspectives, and begin a new adventure.

If one thing’s for certain, Cortney and I are consistent. And in that spirit, we’ve made an unconventional, nomadic, and adventurous decision. Starting mid-September, we’re going to rent our home in Boise, take to our bikes, and cycle the country for a year.

No, we didn’t stutter—and no, we’re not crazy. (Well, maybe a little.)

We could stay put and keep it business as usual. But that isn’t us. We’re ready for a new experience together, something to push us and help us grow. Something to help us find our next big thing. This isn’t a vacation by any means. We’re calling it an “alternative lifestyle.”

And if we don’t do this now, we never will.

So we’re taking a step outside of the box and choosing (for a LIMITED-TIME) to go down this path. Here’s how THE OLSON BICYCLE ODYSSEY will go down:

1. We’re renting our home for a year and will be living off of our bicycles.
2. We’re going to document our journey: via blogging, Instagram, and all the things.
3. Most people who cycle the country are in a hurry and ride crazy miles every day. Not us. We’re going to keep our mileage closer to 35-40. Party pace. Some days there will be more pedaling, others less.
4. We plan to mostly camp and travel quieter side roads. Don’t worry, we’re not going to be super remote. We plan to always be within an arm’s length of restaurants and the other perks of civilization.
5. We’ll mix it up with hotels and Airbnbs, as well as Warm Showers.
6. I’ll freelance my way across the country and Cortney has a beautifully-curated Ramble Tamble Design storefront to sell her art. She has more pieces and brilliant ideas in the hopper to help her shop grow, evolve, and be even more awesome.

I’m sure many of you will have a ton of questions. In the coming days and weeks, we will share answers to some FAQs, breakdown our gear, and document our shakedown ride. And if you haven’t already, please take a moment to subscribe to get email updates and share our crazy adventure with others.

Thanks for your support. Much love.

-Erik