This week marks 15 years since Marissa's dad, Stan, passed away from cancer at 52 years old.

He worked hard his whole life. Raised seven kids. Held multiple jobs, everything from preaching to driving a bus. Did everything right. He had plans for retirement, that magical "someday" when he'd finally relax, travel, spend time with his grandkids.

He never made it.

Stan passed away before he could meet Hensley or Judah. Before he could take that dream trip. Before his someday ever came.

His death is one of the biggest reasons we've spent the last ten years living on the road with our kids. Not because we're reckless or irresponsible, but because we learned something most people never learn until it's too late:

someday may never come.

I Bought the Lie

For years, I just didn't think about death.

I was busy. Working. Building. Planning for that magical retirement at 65 when I'd finally get to live my dreams. That's what was sold to me every day, and I bought it.

I never stopped to question whether I'd actually make it to 65. I never thought about what would happen if I didn't. I just kept my head down and worked toward someday.

Stan's death brought it front and center. It forced me to realize something I'd been avoiding.

There Is No Perfect Time

Here's the truth that Stan's death taught us: there is no perfect time.

I'll never forget our second year on the road. We were at the Grand Canyon, backpacks on, getting ready to hike down into the canyon.

As we walked toward the trailhead, a tour bus pulled up.

Dozens of people filed off. Older travelers who looked like they'd worked their whole lives for this moment. They walked to the viewpoint. Looked at the Grand Canyon. Took photos. Fifteen minutes later, the guide yelled, "Alright, everybody back on the bus." They left.

I'm not judging them. At least they got to see it. But standing there watching that bus pull away, I had this realization: I was IN my someday. Right then. Not waiting for it.

Those people on the bus had probably worked their whole lives for that moment. And they got 15 minutes at a viewpoint.

We got to hike into it.

That's the difference between waiting for someday and living it now. Not better or worse, just different. And I knew which one I wanted.

Death and loss have a way of giving you that clarity. When you voluntarily let go of things, or when life forces you to, you suddenly see what actually matters.

Your kids won't be this age again. Neither will you.

The retirement myth tells you to save your life for later. But my father-in-law never made it to later. He was 52.

We Didn't Wait for Our Someday

Ten years ago, with the weight of Stan's death still fresh, we made a different choice.

We sold most of what we owned. We moved into an RV. We decided that making memories today was more valuable than planning for a "someday" that might never come.

Was it perfect? No. We made mistakes. We had the wrong rig. We dealt with breakdowns. We had no idea what we were doing.

But we were doing it NOW, not someday.

And that's the key insight: you don't need to have it all figured out to start. You don't need the perfect rig, the perfect plan, or the perfect amount of money.

You need to get to 95% and leap.

How to Break Free

Here's how to break free from the retirement trap:

1. Define what your "someday" actually is.

Most people don't even know. They just know they're unhappy now and hope retirement will fix it. Get specific. What do you actually want to do? Who do you want to spend time with? What memories do you want to make?

For us, it was simple: more time as a family, more adventures, less junk holding us back.

2. Recognize that "someday" shifts.

We've been on the road for ten years. That WAS our someday at first. Now our someday is shifting. Raising our kids, international adventures, and impact beyond ourselves.

Life has seasons. The point isn't to reach some final destination. It's to make the most of every day.

3. Take one step toward your someday THIS WEEK.

Not next year. Not when you retire. This week.

Maybe that's researching RVs. Maybe it's having a real conversation with your spouse. Maybe it's selling something you don't need. Maybe it's just admitting what you actually want instead of what you think you're supposed to want.

4. Accept that it won't be perfect.

The retirement trap promises that if you just wait long enough, everything will line up perfectly. That's the lie. There will always be reasons to wait. The perfect time is a myth. The best time is now, even if "now" is messy.

5. Remember: you're not guaranteed tomorrow.

This isn't meant to be depressing. It's meant to be liberating. Once you truly accept that your time is finite, you stop wasting it on things that don't matter. You stop waiting for permission. You stop letting fear win.

Stan never got to meet most of his grandkids. He never got his retirement. He never got his someday.

But here's what he DID get: he raised seven kids who loved him. He made an impact that's still shaping our lives 15 years later. He showed us, even through his death, the value of living while you're still alive.

Your Move

I know some of you reading this are waiting for someday. Waiting for the kids to graduate. Waiting for more money. Waiting for the timing to be perfect.

I'm not telling you to quit your job tomorrow and buy an RV (though if that's what you need to do, do it).

I'm telling you to stop postponing your life for someday.

Less junk, more journey doesn't mean you need to sell everything and live on the road. It means you need to clear away whatever is holding you back from making the memories that matter. Today. Not someday.

Because 15 years ago, we learned the hard way: someday never comes.

Until next time, see you down the road!

— Nathan

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P.S. If you're ready to turn your someday into today, join us and our friends @findingoursomeday for a 7-night, 8-day cruise around Italy and Greece, October 18–25, 2026, departing from Rome.

• Ocean balcony rooms
• Built-in excursions
• Smaller group (part of the Sail Away Reserve Collection), which means limited spots

This has been on our list for years. If you want to create your own version of the journey with us, find details and book here: https://driventoventure.com/fos-ljmj-sailaway-2026​