~ OUR STORY ~
HELLO, WE’RE CHUCK AND SANDI MILLAR
Welcome to our virtual travel adventure blog.
ABOUT US – OUR STORY
It all started back in 2003 when we met, fell in love, and started playing music together. We are two musicians who have toured, taught, and traveled together for years. We started as performing artists playing across the US. In time, our music has been played on radio stations around the world and was featured in newspapers, television, magazines, and music associations.
GIVING BACK
After spending most of our lives on the concert stage, We felt a strong need to give back to new musicians that are starting their musical journey. With Chuck’s multi-instrumental background, and Sandi’s business sense, their idea to start a music lesson program was born.
LESSON PROS
Our business, Lesson Pros was founded from our love for teaching students. Soon we realized we could teach anywhere anytime via the internet (that is if we have a good enough signal lol).
Since then Lesson Pros has helped more than 100,000 students in 187 countries between the ages 4 to 98 find and nurture their musical talent.
HOW WE GOT HERE – THE DECISION TO LEAVE
We had been talking about full time RVing for years. One day in 2016 our 17 year old daughter said “Mom pick a date” that’s exactly what we did. January 1st, 2019. We thought three years is a long ways away. This would give us three years to get rid of everything we had and that’s exactly what we did. Well, three years went by very fast. We sold or donated everything we owned and hit the road.
THE CHUCK AND SANDI BLOG
The original idea behind this blog was to share our adventures and fun with family and friends but after traveling for a while we decided this would make a good platform for others that want to fulfill their dream of RVing whether it be part time or full time.
We have done a ton of research on roads routes, campgrounds, apps, websites and YouTube channels to try to figure out what we are doing and where we are going. Hopefully the lessons we learn along the way will help others problem solve faster.
OUR RV HOME (MIDNIGHT)
Our RV is our home we call Midnight. (Learn more about Midnight) We love to have guests over to our house especially after a long work day. It is nice to sit down with a glass of wine, a shot of Tequila or whiskey (depending on the moment) and shoot the breeze. We love hearing other people’s stories. If instruments are involved that is even better, but not necessary.
WHY TRAVEL
Mainly just tired of the same old routine and wanted to see different parts of the USA. Being we traveled and played music full time for 11 year on the road, we were used to living out of a suitcase. So instead of keeping a house, yard work and living in a little office in our house (Sandi) cubby at work (Chuck) we wanted to be able to work anywhere in the USA or even the world (maybe someday we will travel out of the US) with no regrets so far, this is the best decision we’ve ever made, well besides having kids lol.
WHAT’S THE PLAN
A few things we know, we want to go home to see our girls, family and friends during the summer months in Minnesota and Chuck’s Mom and Stan (stepdad) Texas for part of the winter.
Other then that we don’t have a plan and aren’t planning on having a plan. Many full time RVers told us to NOT make a plan because you will get in an area that you might want to stay longer and can’t cause you are booked somewhere else. If you are booked at your next campground you have to go. What works for us is living by the seat of our pants and winging it, this might not be for everybody but it works for us.
PLENTY OF PLACES TO CAMP
There are so many campgrounds, RV Parks, BLM Land, Corps of Engineers campgrounds, etc. We haven’t had any trouble so far getting a spot but here’s an example of when you may want to book in advance. Let’s say you want to see the fall colors at a certain time of the year you may want to book in advance and/or if it is a holiday weekend. Campgrounds tend to get filled up on holiday weekends.
ORDINARY PEOPLE
There have been many people that say I would love to do what you are doing. I say “DO IT”. Anyone can travel if they really want to. You do have some expenses and there are definitely things that you will need to learn but just like anything in life if you want it bad enough, learn how to do it. We are just ordinary people that didn’t know anything about hooking up a car, changing water filters on an RV, replacing a toilet when it needs to be done, finding campgrounds and things to do when you get in a new area. You just figure it out.
We aren’t rich at all as far as money goes but rich in love, love for travel, love for adventure, love for creativity, love to life. Ultimately we are just livin’ in the moment and loving every single second…well almost every single second.
THIS PLATFORM
This platform is meant for complaint free positive people interested in RVing, music and travel. To inspire, grow, discover, learn, explore, experience new things and research and brainstorm together. The RV and music community is one big extended family. Something that will work great for us doesn’t mean that will work great for you but it’s okay. In the end we have one common goal and that is to be happy.
A FEW TIPS TO GET STARTED
It’s okay to learn as you go.
Keep the gas tank on the top side.
Drive only 4 to 6 hour a day. Allow enough time to go slow especially with big rigs.
Don’t go buy everything you think you need. We did! We bought lamps, rugs, dish drying rack, towel rack, lots of storage containers, etc. It turns out we have donated most of it a couple of weeks after buying it and still our camper is full of stuff we don’t even use. Minimalism is fantastic. Less is more.
A LIFESTYLE
This is a lifestyle. A lifestyle we love. There are people who think we’re crazy but most think we’re brilliant! To each’s own I guess. Sometimes we wonder too, but again no regrets!
Others think we are on vacation all the time. That would be nice but we do really work and work very hard but the difference is we both enjoy working as much as we enjoy playing.
JOIN THE JOURNEY
Stay tuned in by subscribing with your email to the Chuck and Sandi Blog and/or the Lesson Pros Blog. We will keep you informed on travel tips, restaurants we’ve love, adventure posts, campgrounds we’ve stayed at, music festival we go to, etc. Also, when we move or do something fun we will add a new pin on our google map…You can find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
THANKS
We love to travel, teach and perform, thanks to all of you and the internet this dream has become a reality.
Enjoy the journey!
Chuck and Sandi