About Us

We are a family of six that lives and learns without the confines of school, but rather under the grace and freedom given to us by God. We have homeschooled since day one, found unschooling shortly thereafter, and have never looked back. In November of 2005, our journey found us moving across the country from New Hampshire to Arizona. This blog chronicles our adventures – and my thoughts, opinions, and ponderings – as we live, learn, and explore in the beautiful western part of the United States.

Us.

We never set out to be “different.”  When Mike and I married at 19, a couple of wide-eyed and naive kids, we weren’t trying to prove a point or buck the system…. we just knew we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together, and we wanted the rest of our lives to start as soon as possible.  We’d never heard of attachment parenting or unschooling, let alone set out to practice either one of them.  We never planned on having a big family.  We never talked about moving across the country (at least in the beginning), and we never knew we’d be happiest when we were smack dab in the middle of the desert.

But here we are.

We followed our hearts, we did take the road less traveled, and we would take it again and again.  The journey’s been oh so much better than any we could have ever orchestrated ourselves, and while it’s not always been an easy road, it’s been a GREAT road … an interesting road …. a happy road … filled with love and laughter and adventure.

We live without school, but not without learning.  We live without religion, but not without God.  We live without rules, but not without principles.  We advocate for unschooling, life-learning, free-thinking, mindful parenting, and living as simply and as joyfully as we can.

This blog is about our journey.

This blog is about us.

This blog is about me.

I’m a dichotomy. I would gladly strap on a parachute and hurl my body out of an airplane, but I’ll scream like a little girl if a bird gets too close to me. I am a neat-freak trapped in the body of a person who makes a mess everywhere she goes. I am a self proclaimed tree-hugger, but I drive a gas-guzzling SUV. I am painfully shy, but have a nervous talking habit. I love Jesus, but I’m also sort of fond of the F word.

Writing has always been my favorite outlet, but I love to create just about anything. I love books, movies, and good TV. Food, chocolate, and coffee in my favorite striped mug make me happy. I have a soft spot for kids, animals, and underdogs. I love to learn, as long as it’s on my own terms. I believe that life should be about trying new things and experiencing new places. I try really hard to live in the moment and not sweat the small stuff, because I have a million and one little neuroses that make me perfectly imperfect. I also have 4 things that bring me total, unadulterated joy. My kids are my heart and my soul.

This is my life… my messy and crazy and beautiful life.

Want to know more?  Listen to my interview with Pam Laricchia on the Living Joyfully Podcast.

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13 Responses to About Us

  1. Lynda Mitton

    Hi Jen,
    I’ve read your posts via Facebook links for a while now & love your ideas and posts. I’m going to be closing my Facebook account within the next few days, however, due to the upoming profile changes. Is there a way to subscribe directly to your blog without going through FB?

    Thanks!

    Lynda

    • jen

      Thanks Lynda! And sure, up in the right corner of the page are my subscribe buttons… you can click the mail one to sign up to have new posts delivered to your email every day, or the RSS feed to view it in something like Google Reader. 🙂

  2. Katie Spencer White

    I think you were meant to be my best friend, lol!  Love the blog – my husband are on a similar path with our kids.  Good stuff – thanks for sharing!

    • pathlesstaken

      LOL It’s nice to meet you, new best friend. 🙂  So glad you found my blog, and I hope you stick around.

  3. Octavia George

    Hi, can I contact you via email? There’s something, or I should say, many things to ask. It is urgent for me, I feel so burden to not follow Jesus, but still very hard to keep in His road. And I read your post about Tridentine Mass and I really want to hear more about Jesus from you.
    My Name is Octavia George from Jakarta-Indonesia and now is active in LifeTeen.
    Thank you

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  7. Hi there 🙂
    I’m curios to know what motivates you toward obtaining degrees, in your areas of study?
    Thanks!
    Bethany

  8. Karina

    Hi Jen,
    I am a Christian who has been doing research about yoga. I became “concerned” about the practice after going to a yoga class at the YMCA with my mother. It made me very uncomfotable in so many ways.
    I am a spirit filled Christian who reads the Bible and prays fervently everyday. My prayer is to know God, to please His heart. To seek His will and way. I am learning that it is a very narrow path that leads to life, and few will find it. I read the Bible from cover to cover, continually.
    But I didn’t know anything about yoga, or why that visit to my mom’s class was so disturbing. I started searching online, and came across a 2012 blog of yours. And many other articles. After all my research, the following article is the best summation of my findings. I send this to you prayerfully, with love, as a sister who is also seeking God’s truth. I hope you will prayerfuly consider this message.
    https://www.cai.org/testimonies/spiritual-deception-yoga

  9. Sarai

    Hey, Girl!
    I just found your blog! And I’m pretty sure you’re my long lost soul sister! I have just kept reading and reading…and nodding…and agreeing. So much of what you have written I’m 100% onboard with. Thanks so much for this!! (Btw. My husband and I also have 4 kids and we are Unschoolers too.)
    Much love and many blessings,
    Sarai

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