How do I feel about homeschool on the road?

Truthfully, I'm nervous about the whole trip. Driving around the country is kinda scary and planning is nerve racking. But I will see so many things I would probably never have a chance to see.  Some cool highlights we have planned so far:

• Niagra falls
• Dinosaur National Monument (1500 dino fossils!)
• The Smithsonians
• Mumford and Sons in Canada (Mumford & Sons - YOU are awesome!)
• and Yellowstone National Park thermal pools.

But homeschool alone is also my time to shine. I've bounced from school to school and I've always been the new kid (though it doesn't matter all that much I have experienced a lot). Now I can do my best without a teacher with too large of a class.  I like to ask questions and debate things and get really in-depth with certain topics like ancient civilizations.  I will still juggle six subjects and six expectations and deadlines.  My mom and I created an organizing tool a lot like the video game Plants vs. Zombies that helps me visualize my work and time.   Topics I will work on are Latin, Spanish, Writing, Spelling, History, Geography, Science, P.E., Ancient Civilizations, Music, Guitar/Bass, and Pre-algebra.  Our goal is that I can write a stellar essay on any topic easily by the end of the year. 

On the road I will miss my amazing Dad, my great beagles Cooper and Cadie, my warrior hunter cat Titus Pullo and my beautiful home which was a log cabin. After being farmers for the last four years raising all our own food and living off the grid it will be a huge adjustment being in a small RV with no garden and no animals. We are trying to find ways to make this Home Sweet RV.  We played around with names for the Winnebago.  The top ones were Swiss Family Winnebago, Swagger Wagon and WayWard Wind-ebago named after the farm we are losing, WayWard Wind Farm in Buckley, WA.

Have a good name for the rig?  An exciting sight you want a picture of? Want me to try out a awesome restaurant or unique treat? Challenge us, help us research cool things because MAN! research and planning and mapping are A LOT OF WORK!  Please sign up to follow along and be sure to leave me comments or write letters introducing yourselves because my biggest fear is being lonely on this trip.  (I know I have you Mom).  I will start taking pictures soon to post as we are currently on our shake-down cruise making sure everything works!

Have fun wherever you go,
Jack

What is Charter?

Well, C.H.A.R.T.E.R.  TRIP RV SCHOOL  is what my school this year is. Charter stands for:
Cross-country
Home School
Adventure
Rv
Traveling
Educational
Road trip

For sixth grade, I will be traveling across the USA and seeing what there is to see. I will start in Buckley, WA and visit Nova Scotia, Canada, then drive down the east coast and spend the winter in Florida and Southern states. Then,  I will cross over to the west coast and go up finishing on the edge of Gulf Islands, Canada and dropping into Buckley. Along the way I will be blogging what i'm doing for school (& fun),  and posting pictures and videos. I will be traveling in a Winnebago with my Mom as Dad has a new job.  Excluding Alaska and Hawaii,  I will hit every state!! (I have already been to those two states, anyways.) By the end of the year I will have seen every state, and have a blog full of my journeys!!!! But before I can have all the fun we have to research.  We research where we spend the night, cool attractions, hidden adventures, festivals and boring stuff like weather, travel time and gas costs. Thanks to AAA trip planning and Dana, who works for their Puyallup office, routing our way across the continent is so much easier. She made us cool trip books so we won't get lost. If you are a AAA member and you don't use this free and painless help, you are missing out an all-helpful service. AAA is so cool!

After all the planning we are going on a shakedown cruise in September, then we leave on October 1st, then hit NY by Hall-o-ween and arrive in Florida before Christmas.

Have something to suggest we not miss along the way?  World's Largest Ball of Twine?  Hotel shaped like a beagle?  Want to have us see something for you and take a picture?   Email us, Post Comments or Challenge us to do something cool or funny and sponsor the activity by donating money to our MILEPOST ACCOUNT at Wells Fargo Bank. (Must be kid appropriate).  We'll get proof of our challenge being completed and send it to you so you can feel like you are on the trip too!

You can follow us on Facebook soon, this blog or my moms blog.  Our email is ChartertripRV@gmail.com.  

Happy Trails!
Jack