EMS Student Tours The Country In RV

February 2, 2021

On November 8th 2020, Elise Bozung, her 14 year old brother, her mom, her dad, and their German shepherd (Bearett) left their house, got in an RV, and began to drive around the US. Their plan was simple; until May, they would tour the U.S, staying in one spot for about a week or two–sometimes more. The idea had come to the family when COVID-19 hit (in early 2020) after watching people on YouTube do the same with their families. At the time this story was written, Elise and her family had been to Iowa, Colorado, Arkansaw, Texas, and Nebraska. They currently were in Santa Fe, New Mexico and headed to Alamorosa, New Mexico.

Elise described what it was like living in an RV. “I would say the best of living in an RV is being able to wake up and look out my window and see a totally new place and scenery waiting to be explored,” she said. She went on to say that one of the hardest things was the space. “I love having my family around more…. but I do miss having some privacy sometimes,” she said, adding that, “[one of the] worst parts are of course how cramped it can be sometimes. I personally enjoy doing art and I haven’t been able to do it as much lately because there’s no room.”

Another hard part about the trip has been keeping up with all of the school work. Elise explained that she had started the year in normal classes, but was switching to Edgenuity for second semester. She had said that first semester was “a bit difficult.” Because she was, “only getting the assignments and no instruction on what the subject is.” Khan Academy has been a big help to Elise, helping her understand all of her assignments. Elise added that she “appreciate[s] all of [her] teachers’ efforts,” while she has been gone.

The trip has been a learning experience for Elise. She shared that, “this has all made me realize all of the opportunities out there waiting.” And that she, “used to be very confident in the fact that I would never move too far away. But now I see that there are so many amazing places and cultures that I might reconsider.”

Elise also shared about her favorite stops. One of them was in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. “I had never seen mountains before and the skiing was incredible. I loved every second of it,” she said. Another fun stop was White Sands National Park. “It was beautiful…. there were sand dunes on one side and mountains on the other,” Elise retold. “It was so refreshing with the warm breeze and pure silence,” she added. On the other hand, the farmlands in Indiana were her least favorite because of the boring scenery.

One thing that Elise is hoping won’t happen is the trip being cut short. “I think I would be kinda sad if the trip was cut short,” she said. Elise also added that, “ I get homesick every so often and I miss my friends badly… the experience is overpowering.” Overall, the trip has been an amazing experience for Elise and very eye opening. “I would definitely recommend the RV experience to other kids and families. It’s such a special experience to see the different places, landscapes and cultures. It opens your mind up to all things you can do in the future. I have learned so much about my country, it’s amazing,” Elise summarized.