Ordinary Sherpa: Family Adventure Coaching and Design Heidi Dusek

Podcasting is a medium that has allowed me to 10x my network, have meaningful conversations with people I wouldn't otherwise have access to, elevate the stories rarely shared in the industry, and establish my voice and share my story.  It wasn't until working with a few podcast coaching clients that I realized that while there is more happening behind the scenes, it doesn't mean everything has to be official there for me to share this episode.  
Show Notes:
If you do have a podcast or are interested in starting one the link to schedule a podcast coaching call  or podcasting resources to help you take advance your podcast are available at my podcasting resource page 
Prior to discovering the financial independence/ early retirement movement, Jonathan Mendonsa followed the “normal path,” which ultimately led him to graduate pharmacy school at the age of 28 with $168,000 in student loans. He has since clawed his way out of debt and is aggressively pursuing financial independence.  He is passionate about the pursuit of financial independence and its power to change lives. He was the co-founder of Choose FI podcast, and the Founder of Talent Stacker, a dad of two young kids, techie, podcast guru, and inspiration behind Ordinary Sherpa taking action and bringing this podcast to life.  
Resources Mention in this episode
Choose FI podcast
Podcast Coaching Call

How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big (Affiliate Link)
 

The basis of our gap year is the foundation of simple and inexpensive adventures we do as a family. Within this episode, you'll discover 10 curated simple adventures that can be embarked upon with ease. From hidden trails to local landmarks, from unique flavors to thrilling challenges, each adventure is designed to ignite your family's imagination and create lasting memories. I know this because over the past 10 months (and quite honestly past 5 years) our bustling family of five has tested these simple adventures.

Why simple adventures, you may wonder? Well, they are the perfect remedy for our busy modern lives. These bite-sized escapades offer a wonderful opportunity to escape the ordinary, to bond as a family, and to uncover the magic that lies within the seemingly mundane. They allow us to see the world through fresh eyes, appreciating the beauty in every detail and cherishing the moments shared with loved ones.

Simple Adventures, I’ve learned, are the key to unlocking the magic of everyday life.  Simple Adventure brainstorming led to joy audits, which eventually led to a career break and family gap year traveling North America in an RV.  From exploring nearby trails to visiting local museums, trying new activities and uncovering hidden gems in our own region. Simple Adventures infuse joy and wonder in our everyday lives.  


Call To Action: Simple Adventure Subscription
If this episode is helping you think differently or infuse a simple adventure into your lifestyle you might enjoy the Simple Adventure Subscription. You can register at any time using the link: https://ordinarysherpa.com/simpleadv
The first 25 can use the code YES to get $2 off per month.  
Each week you will receive adventure tips, ideas, or support via email to help your family take small steps toward big memories.


Show Notes: Ordinarysherpa.com/129
Subscribe to the Simple Adventure Subscription: https://ordinarysherpa.com/simpleadv
The first 25 subscribers get 1 month free with code: YES
Read my Book: https://ordinarysherpa.com/book/ 
Follow us on Instagram: @ordinarysherpa

Periodically during our family gap year life in the RV, we have moments when we start to feel like we are missing the comforts of home.  When people ask what we miss from home the kids often - having a bedroom door (instead of a privacy black out curtain), a dishwasher, hot showers that don’t require us to turn on the hot water heater nor having to listen to the groan of the water pump.  Much like the novelty of travel, simple indulgences take us out of our daily routine and can offer a refresh.  In this episode I want to lean into how we might experimenting with indulgences without feeling the slip of lifestyle creep or justifying expenses that don’t align with your values.  
Before we get into this episode, I want to thank one of our sponsors, Elakai Outdoors is a company to help people live their  best life outdoors with high quality and beautifully designed yard games.   One of our favorite outdoor yard games is Kubb, a simple Scandinavian and family friendly game which I like to describe as a cross between chess and bean bag toss.  If you haven’t played, no worries each game includes a QR code to download the instructions for off-grid play.  The outdoor games from Elakai Outdoor  are built to last a lifetime, not just a single season. My husband awed at their custom crafted from premium wood and accompanied with a compact travel bag, you can see a short clip of us playing if you head to the show notes.  It was an indulgent accessory that was perfect for campgrounds or a friends backyard,  it’s a timeless addition to your outdoor adventures, bringing joy wherever it travels. You can check out Kubb and other stunning outdoor games by clicking on the link in the show notes.  Use code ORDINARYSHERPA10 for 10% off. Add a little indulgence to your outdoor play with Elakai Outdoor.
Show Notes for this episode: https://ordinarysherpa.com/125
Subscribe to the email List:  https://ordinarysherpa.com/subscribe/
Elakai Outdoors: https://glnk.io/r549q/ordinarysherpa Use code: ORDINARYSHERPA10 for 10% off your purchase

After years in public accounting as a CPA, Brad reached financial independence at the age of 35 through diligent savings and investing. Brad Is passionate about everything from saving money, to living a more healthy lifestyle, to ‘boring’ things like tracking your finances and cutting down on your tax bill. But his favorite topic is leveraging credit card rewards to save more money, and take trips you never would have dreamed possible for pennies on the dollar.Co-Founders and Co-Hosts Brad Barrett and Jonathan Mendonsa, ChooseFI has become home to the largest Financial Independence community in the world. Every podcast episode, video, and blog article is packed with relatable, real-life content crowdsourced from the FI community. Each week they share the best life hacks, strategies, stories, tools, and resources to help you take control of your money and get 1% better each day on your journey to FI.
Worth noting, I have found that I really enjoy podcasting and having conversation without all the ads and interruptions many podcasters use.  If you enjoy the ideas, find joy or inspiration from my work, you can buy me a coffee to say thanks and support the show.  If you want to go deeper with the content and/or get more engaged you can find additional ways to support the show through the links below.  
Website for this episode: https://ordinarysherpa.com/127
Subscribe to the email List:  https://ordinarysherpa.com/subscribe/

Resources Referenced in this episode
4 Hour Work Week
Flippa.com site to purchase ecommerce sites
Beyond Normal: a field guide to embrace adventure, explore the wilderness and design an extraordinary life with kids (my book)
buy me a coffee  and reach out regarding your questions on how I might help you on your journey

To Connect with or Follow Brad Barrett
Podcast: Choose FI Podcast
Email List: ChooseFI.com/subscribe
Website: Choose FI
 

As you heard in the last episode we are 9m into our family gap year.  This recording comes days after meeting up with a previous Ordinary Sherpa guest from episode 109| Living your Childhood Dreams.   and continually grateful for the stories and connections that have helped us in taking steps and moving forward on this journey.  We love meeting up with friends and strangers and the best platform to do that is through Boondockers Welcome, a part of the Harvest Host family.  We’ve had over 20+ stays through this platform this year and are always intrigued by the connections and unique stories and generous people we meet.  If you are interested in RVing I highly encourage considering a membership or becoming a host.  If you use my link in the show notes: http://Ordinarysherpa.com/HarvestHosts to do so you’ll not only receive a discount but support Ordinary Sherpa in the process.  
Our guest and I met in a natural hot spring in Stanley Idaho.  We were experimenting with the idea of a gap year traveling in an RV with 3 kids on a 34 day sabbatical to test our current gap year potential.  Carissa (and her husband Chuck) were already traveling full-time in their 25' RV with their two kids and dog. They spent the past few years becoming debt free, minimizing their belongings, working hard, playing harder, and homeschooling their kids. In 2020 they sold their  house and hit the road to travel around America so they could focus on spending more time together, living a healthy lifestyle.  
Meeting people ahead of you on the journey offers adventure sparks sometimes igniting new ideas or experiences.   From that interaction we began following each other on social media.  Our kids bonded over Harry Potter stories and through their daughter's suggestion my daughter has since begun the Percy Jackson series and her interest in Greek Mythology.  It was even one of their taco recipes that sparked us trying tajun seasoning which is now a must have for so many of our meals.  (If you aren’t familiar, Tajun is a chili lime seasoning that is not spicy).  Through their examples of  prioritizing self-care, clean eating, and fitness to maximize this time in their lives, they inspire others to live a healthy lifestyle and embark on their own adventures.  Carissa from Feed Us Adventures, Welcome to Ordinary Sherpa.  
We’ll have a conversation and share a bit of your backstory, what intrigued you to the RV lifestyle, what’s important to you. How do you do this life with kids. I’d like to talk about your focus on health and well-being and stead the conversation towards any action you’d like the audience to take. 
Worth noting, I have found that I really enjoy podcasting and having conversation without all the ads and interruptions many podcasters use.  If you enjoy the ideas, find joy or inspiration from my work, you can buy me a coffee to say thanks and support the show.  If you want to go deeper with the content and/or get more engaged you can find additional ways to support the show through the links below.  
Website for this episode: https://ordinarysherpa.com/126
Subscribe to the email List:  https://ordinarysherpa.com/subscribe/
Join Harvest Hosts using our link to access our favorite type of travel, get a discount and support Ordinary Sherpa: http://Ordinarysherpa.com/HarvestHosts (Boondockers Welcome and CampScanner are our favorites)

Join us for a quick update on our family's gap year journey! We'll share what's been working, what's been challenging, and what we've learned so far. We'll also talk about our plans for the next few months.
Worth noting, I have found that I really enjoy podcasting and having conversation without all the ads and interruptions many podcasters use.  If you enjoy the ideas, find joy or inspiration from my work, you can buy me a coffee to say thanks and support the show.  If you want to go deeper with the content and/or get more engaged you can find additional ways to support the show through the links below.  
Website for this episode: https://ordinarysherpa.com/125
Joy Audit Tracking Form Digital Download: https://ordinarysherpa.podia.com/joy-audit-tracking-form
Subscribe to the email List:  https://ordinarysherpa.com/subscribe/