On the flip side, living on a 40-foot bus with your mom, dad and three dogs is not exactly a teenager’s dream. The teenage years are all about claiming your independence, which may be tough when the only privacy you can get is behind a curtain in a 6’x 3’ bunk.

We talked through all of this extensively both with the kids and also independently as parents. After hearing everyone’s opinions and considering everything, we decided that living on a bus and traveling full time is likely to be a healthier alternative to remote school and COVID-19 restrictions at home. Two months into our adventure, this seems to be the case.

Given our desire not to eat indoors and avoid unnecessary COVID risks, we have been picking up a lot of takeout on this trip. We have also been observing mask etiquette and noting that the adherence to local ordinances requiring the use of masks varies a lot based on where we are, which makes us avoid public spaces even more, especially indoors. 

We have spent decades in the health, fitness and wellness industry and have learned a lot throughout the years. The following information is a result of our decades-long learning and subsequent implementation of these healthy lifestyle practices.

Apart from following COVID safety guidelines, we also proactively make sure to boost our immune systems. We know that a healthy and diverse gut microbiome (the amount of healthy bacteria strains in our gut) is a key factor in a strong immune system. Many people rely on probiotics to boost their microbiome, but those offer a very limited number of strains of bacteria. Each strain is responsible for a different communication function in our bodies, so the more strains, the better. 

We need around 10-30 minutes of sun exposure several times a week (without sunscreen) to get enough Vitamin D.

The kids have remote school Monday – Thursday from 12:30 to 4pm and Grant and I also work remotely. We make sure that the kids get outside, even if it’s just to walk the dogs every day before school. On most days, we also get outside in the afternoons after school and work. Grant and I get out first thing every morning and swim in the ocean every chance we get, even in the winter (depending on where we are). We also take our shoes off outside and walk barefoot as much as possible, as “grounding” or “earthing” has been proven to be powerful for human health and wellbeing. This is a good reminder that we are a part of the Earth and the more connected we are to Her, the healthier we are likely to be.

Takeout food is rarely organic or very healthy and the confines of a bus on top of a busy work schedule make cooking tough at times. On top of that, some places are food deserts and organic produce is impossible to find.

But we make sure that there is a balance and never overdo it on the takeout. We also take advantage of opportunities like the wild caught fresh fish market across the street from our campground, or the local community’s farmer’s market.

Hydration is another important health element that many people struggle with. We know people who only drink coffee all day long and we know people who only drink Diet Coke all day long, but neither actually qualifies as healthy hydration. We make sure that we always have a bottle of water that contains minerals (important for absorption) and we also love to drink a lot of herbal tea throughout the day, especially in the winter.

For the last several years, Grant and I have always exercised outdoors. We love to trail run, mountain bike ride, stand up paddle board, kayak, or even just walk or hike.

This is most suitable for the COVID-19 environment where exercising outdoors is the safest option. It is also the most suitable option for traveling. We love exploring different trails in the places we visit and finding waterways to paddle in. It’s a big part of our Gamble Family Adventure and we love it.

We believe that the best strategy for developing a stress management practice is through baby steps. Start small, explore, see what works and build on that.

Here is an easy start: pause and take three conscious breaths right now. Now take a pen and draw a little circle on the top of your hand. Every time you notice the circle, pause and take three conscious breaths. The next step is to pause and take three conscious breaths every time you feel any degree of stress or anxiety. This takes practice, because we are usually not present while experiencing these emotional states and it is difficult to remember to pause and breathe while in a fight of flight state.

The magic of conscious breathing is that it brings you back to the present moment. If you talk to anxiety experts, they will tell you that anxiety does not exist in the present moment. It only appears when we’re contemplating either the past or the future. Conscious breathing also calms your nervous system and brings on the healthy parasympathetic state. 

Back home, Jana spent a lot of time in her art studio painting. Obviously, the bus won’t fit an art studio but there are other great opportunities for creative expression, such as photography and writing. She’s always loved taking photos while traveling and this time is no different. Grant shares this passion for photography and also takes hundreds upon hundreds of photos. He also loves to build and fix things and tinker, so he spends some time every day fixing or making something better. He is also a best-selling author and enjoys writing the majority of our daily travel blog entries.

Jack has discovered his passion and talent for photography and spends a considerable amount of time taking and processing photos. Stellie is an artist and has become interested in character design, so she is learning how to draw anime characters on her computer. She can also build a mean sandcastle on the beach, which most definitely qualifies as a fun time.

To sum things up, we believe that in order to have a healthy immune system, an overall healthy lifestyle is key. This includes the obvious things like diet and exercise, but also the less obvious ones like spending ample time outside, having an effective stress management practice and perhaps most importantly, have fun and be creative as much as possible.

We hope that you can find little tidbits here that you can easily incorporate into your family’s lifestyle and boost your chances for a healthy, fulfilled life full of adventures and joy.

We wish you happy and safe travels, both on the road and in life.

Travel Diary

Travel

Related Articles

Related