Lusting for Wander

The Earlywine Family

Stacy Mercier Earlywine

Stacy’s first taste of wanderlust came after hearing stories of friends just returning from Nepal. At the time, she didn’t even know where Nepal was on the map but after seeing pictures and hearing tales, she began dreaming of going there. In 1995, she and Randy took their first “leave”. Together they traveled around the US on a rock climbing road trip, camping and climbing in amazing places such as City of Rocks, ID; the Needles, SD; the Shawangunks, NY; Red River Gorge, KY; Hueco Tanks, TX and Joshua Tree National Park, CA.

A few years later, in 2000 the travel bug bit again. Stacy and Randy quit their jobs and after a few more months traveling around the US, they flew to Asia and began a 6 month adventure starting in Nepal. After experiencing the magic of the Himalayas, they traveled to Tibet, India, Thailand and Cambodia. Randy then returned to the States and Stacy stayed on for a few more weeks of solo travel in Laos.

Back home they settled into new jobs but still managed to sneak away for an extended trip to Mexico, Belize and Guatemala in 2004.

Determined not to stop traveling post kids, they hit the road when Bodhi (baby #1) was barely a few weeks old and traveled across Canada from Vancouver to Nova Scotia in their 1986 Volkswagen Vanagon.  When Bodhi was 2, they spent a few weeks in Puerto Rico initiating him to travel overseas.  When Josh was born in the month of February (baby #2) they took another 3 month family road trip, this time to the desert southwest.   Then in 2011, The Earlywine family of 4 left for one year of traveling, and this travel blog was born.

When not traveling or dreaming of traveling, Stacy enjoys reading, climbing (not nearly as much anymore), backpacking and hiking, skiing, playing outside with her boys, drinking wine with friends, gardening and cooking. She completed a 4 year program in Structural Medicine in 2017 and has a growing private practice.

Randy Earlywine

Randy’s wanderlust has enabled him to visit all 50 states, Mexico and Canada and he has explored and adventured in parts of Asia, South America and Central America.

Randy started exploring and adventuring as a boy growing up in the Midwest and visiting his grandparents home in the “country”.  A 3 month motorcycle trip back in his college days brought him through Washington and he fell in love with the place.

Randy and Stacy met in a mountaineering class in 1995 and they have always included adventuring as part of their lives together. Randy’s adventuresome spirit prompted his “popping the question” to Stacy after topping out on a climb of Devils Tower in Wyoming. They have made several memorable trips together over the years and share a passion for adventure and travel. They would like to share these same passions with their children as well during this extended trip.

“Taking time to travel and explore is a very fulfilling way to experience the rhythms of life. We feel privileged to be able to take advantage of our desires to experience spending time in this way. Having done a bit of traveling before, I am especially looking forward to seeing more of the world, exploring cool landscapes, interacting with different cultures and spending time with Stacy and the boys.”

Randy enjoys biking and spending time out in nature. He loves exploring the landscapes of the Pacific Northwest and beyond when opportunity permits. An avid climber, Randy has climbed and explored extensively in Washington. He was also part of a team of climbers to travel to South America and recorded four (4) first ascents of mountians in Chile. Randy has worked as a rock climbing and mountaineering instructor for both non-profit and profit based organizations.

Bodhi Col Earlywine, age 12

When Bodhi was 2 months old, he took his first trip. With his parents he set out from Seattle on a 2 month road trip. In the family’s 1986 Vanagon, they drove north to Canada and then east along the Trans Canadian Highway all the way to Nova Scotia. Back in the States the journey continued down the east coast and westward to the desert southwest. Bodhi spent hours soaking up magnificent scenery and sleeping on the road.

Bodhi has also traveled to Puerto Rico, Alaska, The Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Peru, Ecuador and Mexico.  Additionally, he has accumulated many frequent flyer miles flying back and forth to the east coast and the midwest to visit Grandparents.

He loves traveling, listening to the rain, backpacking, camping and simply being in the mountains. He’s recently discovered hockey, he’s a national archery competitor and he’s into baseball and water polo too.  He plays the cello, though he’d rather get teeth pulled than practice.

Now that he’s almost a teen, the hardest part about traveling is leaving his friends behind.  He used to say when he grew up he wanted to live on a farm in the Amazon Rainforest with his brother, Joshua.  We’ll see how that plays out. The two of them are best buddies, except when they are not. 🙂

Bodhi is named after Bodhinath, a sacred Buddhist Stupa in Kathmandu, Nepal and a very special place to his parents.

Joshua Sky Earlywine, age 9

Joshua took his first trip at the tender age of 1 month. With his big brother and parents he headed out on a road trip to the desert southwest. The family spent 2 months camping and adventuring primarily in Arizona and Utah and Joshua soaked up some rays while watching his brother dig in the dirt with his trusty dump truck and shovel. He nearly turned into an infant popsicle when camped at Joshua Tree National Park. Warm, sunny weather turned to snow and as temperatures plumeted changing diapers in the middle of the night in an unheated tent proved a challenge. The family headed further south reaching the Mexican border and warmth once again.

Though his brother has a good head start on him, he holds his own on the trail. As a 2 1/2 year old he walked unassisted on every hike and backpacking trip we took including a 5 mile round trip backpack in the North Cascades. At age 7 he walked 100 miles around Mt. Rainier, completing the Wonderland Trail in 14 days with his parents and brother.

Joshua has a very competitive nature.  He loves baseball and soccer and he gives both games his heart and soul when he plays.  He’s an avid chess player, a little ripper on the ski slopes and he is learning to play the trumpet.  To balance all this competitiveness, Joshua is passionate about art, he’s the best snuggler in town and he loves a good graphic novel.

Joshua is named after Joshua Tree National Park and the magnificent blue desert sky.