Family put their house up for sale to travel around America and say they've no regrets having saved £30k
A family put their house up for sale to travel around America in a motorhome after thinking about it for just a WEEK - and say they've no regrets having saved £30k. Jen Omohundro, 42, and her husband, JR, 42, decided to travel around the US with their children - Kelsey, 14, and Lane, 10 - and their two English bulldogs after hearing a podcast about a family doing the same. The couple put their house up for sale just a week later, in June 2020. They moved into their first 300sqft motorhome in March 2021 after spending nine months renovating it. Now the family have visited 36 states and spend up to two weeks in each spot - zipling in 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. 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 works in sales and marketing, originally from Richmond, Virgina, said: “It’s not an easy lifestyle but it is rich with experience. “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. “Home schooling has been great for the kids as we use an online programme but back it up with real experiences. “My son is now a year ahead of where he would be if he was still in school.” Jen broached the idea to travel around the country with her husband, JR, a business owner, when she listened to a podcast which referenced a family travelling in a van together. “The family was talking about how incredible it was and what the kids were then experiencing,” she said. “I thought it sounded so unique and cool, but I never thought my husband would go for it. “But he surprised me and said he would be up for it. “We started researching how we’d go about it and a week later we’d put our house up for sale.” Jen sold their house in June 2020 and bought a motorhome but rented a place while they renovated it. In March 2021, the family moved into the van and started their travels. “It’s a major difference to what we were used to,” Jen said. “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.” The family work remotely and home-school Kelsey and Lane using an online programme and do activities to enrich their experiences further. “We took them to an archaeological site where they were digging up mammoths,” Jen said. “It was amazing. “The kids like the flexibility and freedom of home-schooling.” 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. “It’s cheaper than our previous lifestyle,” Jen said. "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. “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.” Some of the travels and adventures from places the family have visited - Nebraska- Chimney Rock Mangroves- Kayaking Mount Washington - Cog railway Iowa- Rail explorers Colorado- zipling in foothills of Pikes Peak South Dakota- The Mammoth site South Dakota- horse back riding