On our bicycle tour, Tyler and I were living in what we've now dubbed "Adventure Mode." That is to say, every day was an epic journey unto itself, containing within it the highest highs I've ever felt, along with the lowest lows (and enough crammed between to last a lifetime). It was an exhilarating and exhausting roller-coaster ride of a lifestyle that changed and challenged us emotionally and physically in almost every imaginable way.

Out here in Vermont, we're in full-on "Adventure Mode" once more. Somehow, this reality took me by surprise, but I'm starting to reacquaint myself with the sensation of "building character". At the moment, the essential goal of survival feels paramount in our lives, and any success above and beyond that simple aim is cause for celebration.

For example, a blast of warm air successfully spewing forth from our furnace (something we took for granted just a weeks ago) is enough to elicit a happy dance and a joyful yelp. Watching the moon rise, full and orange over the mountains, brings deep peace to our souls. Fat snowflakes falling like feathers onto our land is sheer magic.

At the same time, this whole project is incredibly overwhelming and exhausting. There is so much we don't know, so many lessons to learn, and so many challenges to navigate that it feels like we're barely managing to keep up with a game of whack-a-mole. Usually, the moles are surprises we never could have foreseen. I know we'll get the hang of things eventually, but until that happens, each day can be extremely taxing.

Forcing our achey comfort zones to expand and grow can be difficult work. Lately, by the time evening rolls around we're utterly exhausted, collapsing into bed like zombies nearly as soon as it gets dark. Which is at about 5:00pm. Even though it's hard, it's extremely rewarding to be out here following our dreams.