April 17, 2024

NB REP SPOTLIGHT

Michelle Musslewhite

Michelle lives and travels full-time in a renovated RV with her husband and three kids-- a seven year old son and two dogs. Michelle has been a Nature Backs Rep for about three years now and always brings the inspiration to our community.

Michelle has been living with her family in Baja, Mexico these past few months and the adventures have been amazing to see. Get to know more about Michelle and her journey in this Q&A.

Give Michelle a follow and find out more about her life on the road @wandermoremichelle.

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Get to know Michelle

Where did you grow up? How has that inspired your life on the road?

I’m originally from Texas and grew up as a kid spending most of my free time outdoors climbing trees, building forts in the forest, and bringing home stray animals. I had every pet you could imagine, including a pet monkey.

My adventurous spirit and my passion for nature and animals is just who I’ve always been at heart since I was a child. As I’ve grown older, it has transpired into a passion for hiking and traveling to learn about other cultures as well.

How long have you been living on the road full time? Where are some places you’ve traveled?

We have been living on the road for 1.5yrs, and have no end in sight. We have spent time in 12 U.S. states, and have traveled to several National Parks in British Colombia, and all the way down the Baja, Mexico peninsula as well.

What’s it like traveling with an RV? What do you like about it? What are some challenges?

A typical weekday is actually pretty average, we spend the day working remotely, homeschooling, doing household chores, and socializing with other nomadic families within the campground. Our weekends are almost always spent out adventuring. We do a lot of hiking, sightseeing, trying out new activities, attending nomad rallys, and occasionally backpacking.

I love the freedom and adventure it brings into our lives. I love that it’s stepping outside of society’s norm. I also love the large community of nomad families out there, and that we are always making new friends from a variety of backgrounds. The nomad community is absolutely AMAZING! If I need a cup of flour for a recipe or if Jacob needs help fixing something on the RV, they are always there to lend a helping hand.

As for challenges… The toughest part is you have to learn to be your own mechanic, plumber and electrician, because rv’s require a ton of maintenance. It can also be challenging at first learning to live in a tiny space, constantly being around your spouse, and not having as much privacy. Traveling also involves constant planning and reserving campgrounds or hiking permits months in advance, but I personally enjoy that part.

What did you like about exploring Baja, Mexico? What advice would you give to someone wanting to travel there?

We love Baja so much that we plan to spend next winter down here again! There is still soo much more we have remaining to experience. It’s honestly hard to choose one single favorite thing that we’ve done in Baja, but snorkeling with whale sharks and sea lions is probably top of our list.

My best advice for someone living on the road is to be flexible, because plans will change, things will breakdown, but you have to just laugh & roll with the punches. As for traveling to Baja, I would recommend not just coming down here solely as a vacation, but to also immerse yourself with the locals, learn about their culture, try new foods, get involved and help give back to the communities as well.

How long have you been a Nature Backs Rep?

I have been a rep for about 3 years, and I absolutely LOVE IT! The Nature Backs community is so inspiring to me! I love that it has connected together so many people from all over the world whom all share the same passion for nature and adventure. I feel like I can travel anywhere in the states, and have a Nature Backs friend I can go adventure with.

I have been to a few of the rep meet-ups, and honestly I love them all! My favorite part is after adventuring all day, we come back to sit around the campfire and have a drink while everyone plays their guitars.

What’s coming up next? Where are you headed?

For summer, We plan to head back up the West Coast to Canada, and then down to Baja again for winter. For the future, we would like to explore the East Coast and eventually take the RV all the way up to Alaska. We also really want to begin traveling to other countries to stay for longer periods of time.

I have been to a few of the rep meet-ups, and honestly I love them all! My favorite part is after adventuring all day, we come back to sit around the campfire and have a drink while everyone plays their guitars.

We love following along with Michelle on her adventures. She is always finding new hikes, new experiences, and new ways to move in life that reflect what she believes and loves.

It's truly inspiring to see her living on the road with her family and we are so grateful to know her and get to meet up with her along the way. We're excited to see what adventure we find ourselves in together. See you out there, Michelle!

"I think when you do step out of your comfort zone and stray away from the norm, you learn a lot about yourself and it also opens your eyes to the world around you."

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