Many people dream of when they can retire, buy an RV and travel cross-country. The thoughts of seeing the 50 states from the comfort of your home on wheels are daydream-worthy.
Jenn Bethune, her husband Kyle, three children and four dogs all decided to move out of their brick-and-mortar home to a home on wheels.
“We remodeled our 1983 Silver Eagle Bus from front to back,” Bethune said. “It took us about nine months to get completely done, and we moved on March 13, 2020. So far, we have been to 17 states and driven over 5,500 miles. We are a little bit crazy and a whole lot of fun. We aren’t really planners, so we never know where we’re going to end up. We love showing you America through our lens with our YouTube channel, Red, White, & Bethune.”
Bethune and her husband were born and raised in Brandon. Once the couple remodeled their bus, they realized they never again wanted to live in a brick-and-mortar home.
“We love being on the road,” Bethune said. “Traveling and making our backyard different places everyday is amazing.”
Living on the bus and traveling around the country gives their children a wonderful opportunity to see the entire U.S. as well as see different cultures.
“Our kids love it,” Bethune said. “They get to meet kids from all over the U.S. Also, being a part of a full-timing community is huge. There are over one million full-timers on the road today. The kids love seeing new places, and wherever we are at, we try to do a little bit of history lesson about the area, or if something historic happened in the area, we learn about it.”
Her children prefer learning on the road. “My oldest son, Ben, was not the biggest fan of traditional school,” Bethune said. “He loves homeschool. We do about two to three hours of school a day and then we are able to go on adventures. We truly learn about everything around us.”
Bethune feels the best part of living on the bus and traveling is that their family relationships have become stronger.
“Our relationships are so much better,” Bethune said. “Our marriage is the best it’s ever been. The relationship with our kids is phenomenal. The quality time that you don’t get otherwise is fantastic.”
To learn more about the Bethune family and their cross-country adventures, visit www.redwhiteandbethune.com.
