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Don't make me turn this van around! RV Edition

One family. A difficult diagnosis. An RV. And a new lease on life.

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About this blog

Until late 2015, life was exceedingly normal for the Kile family: work, school, little league, ballet – sweating the small stuff and missing the big picture. Then Jon suffered a ruptured abdominal aneurysm that required life-saving surgery. It would be the first of seven surgeries over the next seven months, including emergency open-heart surgery to save him from an aortic dissection. He was eventually diagnosed with a rare genetic condition called Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Sydrome, in which the most serious symptom is fragile arteries prone to spontaneous rupture. Jon has adjusted to a lifestyle which forbids him from strenuous activities and stress, while finding inner peace and humor against the backdrop of raising two feral children. Jon gave up business proposals and sales presentations for writing, car-line and PTA, while Monica traded committee meetings and budgets to take on the roles of patient advocate, genetics expert, cool mom and goddess of a 17 foot Dodge van. Together they’ve determined to “live in the moment” and fill the empty spaces in the calendar with family travel and adventure.

Featured Post: ‘Live in the moment’ because a moment may be all you have.

Before we got our sweet ride, I was a frequent passenger in another type of van.

Recent Posts

Seaside to Selma to Oxford: Contrasts in the Deep South
Vaxxed and ready to roll. But where are we going?
Weather or not to race
Down the final stretch of marathon training, we find that the most beautiful State Park in Florida is…
Our autumn in Florida: Still summer

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Maine is just like Florida, except it has rocks and mountains and extremely long views. And it’s 50 degrees. In June. Other than that it’s just like Florida. #maine #acadianationalpark #walkinginnature #familytravel #atlanticocean

What are the chances @keen will bring back these backpacks with built in seats? Mine is close to 10 years old and starting to wear out. Hello @keen, I need to know if you have any of these wasting away in a warehouse somewhere. #keenfootwear #keenbackpack #hiking

Not leaving #maine #acadianationalpark #barharbor #hiking

A few favorites from Maine. We may not leave. #acadianationalpark #popovers #jordanpondhouse #barharbor #maine #downeastmaine #cadillacmountain

If I post a picture of yesterday afternoon’s coffee on a rocky point this this morning, do I seem like a go-getter? #acadianationalpark #maine #coffee #familytravel

Perfect weather for our first day on this rocky coast. #maine

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