At a time when the economy is in the tank and fear has taken hold, the Ezgur family looked at what lay ahead and realized one commodity working in their favor was time.

Michael (42) and Wendi Ezgur (41), and children Aidan (11), Charlie (8) and Rosie (6), have decided to take their life and family on the road in an RV to discover and explore an “Off Track” lifestyle. The choice to disconnect from the everyday track offers the opportunity to take time to reconnect to family, life and learning in ways that would otherwise never be possible.

Their reasoning is simple: The moment it looks as though all is lost is the precise moment you have nothing to lose.

A mom that Oprah dubbed ‘little bitty dynamo’.
A father that has been instrumental in changing Chicago’s landscape.
And three beautiful children that have been blessed with parents that are anything but ordinary.

They perform in a rock band… compose, write and sing restaurant jingles… conduct brainstorming sessions at home… swing off ropes into jungle waterfalls… play outside in torrential rain storms… build igloos… and are always on the lookout for unique opportunities.

This is one family who will take notice of the little things and embrace what life on the road has to offer.

The ‘rules of the road’ will have a new meaning in the Ezgur’s RV world. They will work together as a family community to take on life’s responsibilities while learning to live with just the necessities. Based on their individual strengths, each child will take on a road responsibility: 

Eight-year-old Charlie, dubbed ‘digits’ by his classmates, will track the daily budget, so the family can make financial decisions together. Six year-old Rosie, the ‘free-bird’, is lending her artistic vision by composing a picture journal slide show of their experiences. Eleven year-old Aidan, the ‘vocab-man of a thousand words’, is narrating the video journal adventure and utilizing computer software to put music to the videos.

The children will be “road schooled” with school work from their classrooms, but the major learning will be driven by the children themselves. Each child is researching the different states they will visit. Whatever inspires them about that state determines what and how the family will explore in that state.  

As for staying away from junk food on the road, “It’s a chance for the kids to take charge of their own eating,” says both parents.  “There won’t be a huge pantry on the RV,” says Aidan, “so we need to limit the food to healthy choices.” Rosie is the breakfast smoothie chef, Charlie is the panini chef, and Aidan has just mastered the art of the stir fry thanks to 6th grade cooking class. In addition, it is the perfect time to incorporate physical activity into each day. Hiking and biking will be the top two choices.

After a recent family road trip out east the unanimous decision was made to GO WEST! The Ezgurs have a temporary route in hand but will be staying off the beaten track, and seeing what feels right. They will get out of the tourist mindset of ‘what do we have to see’ and get into the curious mindset of ‘what do we want to know more about’.

“We have always truly enjoyed road trips," says Michael. “I guess you could say we have ‘good car-ma’," Wendi adds.

Here are just a few…

“Really? You’re serious? Seriouisly?!”

“Wow… this is fabulous!”

“That’s why we’ve been friends forever. This is so perfect for you and I can’t imagine anything more unappealing.”

“This is amazing you guys.”

“As an ex-school teacher, I am moved beyond words.”

“You sir are either a genius or the stupidest mother ‘bleep’ I know… I’m not sure we’ll know until you return.”

“I sincerely wish you all a great journey. I’m jealous your kids will get an experience like no other,,, there is no way I could ever do this.”

"I will follow you closely...it's funny but I asked my wife if I could go away for six months in a camper alone..."

“Hmmm, let’s see…
Buy lottery tickets in every state then check them at the end of the trip.
Look for a place to retire.
Do ten push ups on the first day then add one more each day.
Get tattoos… maybe not.
Don’t pick up any hitchhikers; your trip will be exciting enough, you don’t need any serial killers hanging out with the fam.”

“I look forward to my early daily coffee and instead of the depressing Tribune business section, I will embrace updates of your adventures. We will miss you, but are proud of your courage and creativity.”

“OMG… can’t believe it’s really happening.”

You are invited to follow the Ezgurs as they embark on their Off Track adventure. A family blog is available so that others may follow the journey here. School children can keep up with the Ezgur kids and ask them questions and learn simultaneously. The RV is completely WiFi enabled and laptop computers will help each child keep up with research and journaling. As business owners, both Wendi and Michael will share their entrepreneurial growth and experiences and keep in touch from the road. When asked about sharing the experience, Wendi says, “Maybe our experience will inspire others to follow their curiosity and ask themselves ‘what if’ and ‘why not’.”