Living the dream: Family sells the house, hits the road, tours the country
Special to the Daily News
The Royal family visited Destin last December. This year marks their second trip to the Northwest Florida area.
By LEAH JOHNSON 315-4440 | @LeahJnwfdn ljohnson@nwfdailynews.com
Destin, FL
For one woman, spending all day, every day with a husband, four children and two dogs in 300 square feet of space has turned into one of the best decisions of her life.
That woman is Bryanna Royal. In May 2014, the 35-year-old stay-at-home mom and her husband sold their Wisconsin home and bought an RV. Since then, the family has traveled to 19 states and started a blog.
“It’s like an apartment on wheels,” Bryanna said. “Only we can change our backyard and front yard.”
If you were to drive by Camp Gulf in Destin, you’d see the Royal family, who has been staying at the RV site since Nov. 1. This is their second time visiting Destin and they have plans to stay until December.
“We are a beach family,” Bryanna said. “We fell in love with the area.”
Bryanna said her family has spent the last few weeks trying out local restaurants and beaches.
Bryanna said upending her family was about “deepening family bonds.”
“We had built the American dream,” Bryanna said. “But we had dreams of travelling. It’s done a lot for our family.”
To maintain their lifestyle, Bryanna works as a virtual assistant doing social media for clients while on the road. Her husband left his desk job in IT to work remotely and only part-time. The family also hopes to turn their blog into a business.
“Now we go where we want.” Bryanna said. “Living this lifestyle has opened our eyes.”
Bryanna said parenting on-the-road can be difficult at times. However, they take time to soak in the sights.
“We quickly realized being on the road with four kids isn’t easy,” Bryanna said. “We are in control of our life. We don’t rush.”
The family spent Thanksgiving in Destin with grandparents, who are transitioning to the RV lifestyle. Christmas will be in the Keys with Royal’s sister and her family who also have chosen the RV life.
“It’s a family thing,” Bryanna said. “Now we are all RVers.”