Today we’d like to introduce you to Missy Stone.
Hi Missy, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My family and I were living in Western North Carolina when the pandemic began. As many lost or changed their jobs during this time, my husband was one of them. Thankfully he quickly found another job further south in North Carolina. We needed to sell our home of five years and move rather quickly. We were not familiar with our new location, and I asked my husband if he would be interested in living in an RV full time until we figured our lives out in the new area. It only took him a second to answer with an excited, “Yes!” As we were in the process of getting our home ready to sell, we also began the process of RV searching. With that, we also began the process of downsizing. We were moving from 2,000 square feet into around 400. It was going to be a big change for us all! We only had about a month or so to do all of this, so we started right away. We organized our belongings into things to sell, things to give away, things to put in the RV, and things to put in storage. We found our RV, and the truck needed to haul it and set off on our new adventure. After several months at this new location and job, we did not feel like it was the right fit for our family. A position opened up in Charleston, South Carolina and my husband applied. We came down to visit in the RV, and our entire family felt at home. We didn’t want to leave the beautiful city and the beaches here. Thankfully, my husband was given the job offer and we made our move. This is when we were once again thankful that our home was on wheels, so moving wasn’t a huge hassle. We lived in a campground near Charleston for several months before we decided this was going to be a place we wanted to stay. The housing market was and still is booming so we are thankful we found a home here in the Holy City when we did. I had begun an Instagram account when we moved into the camper to share about our RV living experience. We would go places on the weekends and share about our trips and adventures under our “rollingstonefam” Instagram account. When we moved to Charleston, and out of our beloved RV, it was time to change my account name and focus more on the amazing new city in which we were now residents. So, after consulting with a friend, she encouraged me to change my Instagram name to “MomaboutCharleston.” On this account, I have a weekly schedule in which I am always sharing places to see, visit and eat in Charleston. I have two children whom I homeschool, and now three dogs, so we will share about that part of our lives as well. I always find something new and exciting in the Charleston area, and I love sharing the beauty of this city with the world.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Change always comes with its set of difficulties. Uprooting our family from our home, city, and friendships of five years was a challenge. Since the pandemic had just begun when we needed to move, it made it even more difficult to see people, say goodbyes, and create new friendships in our new location. We experienced the height of the pandemic in our RV. It was very isolating at times. We were grieving, yet remaining as positive as we could for the change to be easier for our children. There were times when we had to leave our camping spot due to previous reservations and had no idea where we were going to park our house next. We had to have faith and trust that the Lord was going to provide for us, and He always did. Moving during a pandemic was not something we ever thought we would have to do, but we made the most of it and learned so much through all of it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
First and foremost, I am a wife to my amazing husband of 16 years, and mother to two wonderful children. I homeschool my son and daughter and this is in itself, is a full-time job. I graduated from college with a special education degree and therefore felt truly called to teach my own children when it was time for them to begin school. Now my oldest is in seventh grade and my youngest is in fourth grade, and we are continuing on in this journey together. Other than teaching, I absolutely love to write and have my own personal blog on WordPress. I write about my faith, my struggles/achievements, and now, about amazing places we have learned about and explored in Charleston, SC. I have gone through many struggles in life, one of them being my constant struggle with anxiety, which I openly share with others in order to encourage others who may have this same challenge. I have been blessed to share that part of my story on a podcast called “Pause, Renew, Next” which is hosted by a friend from North Carolina. I will also be on her podcast sharing more about our year living in an RV! Once we entered the RV living world in 2020, I became part of this amazing community of full-time RV families all over the country via social media. There is a wonderful group of people in this country living their lives full time on the road. They are amazing people and I am so blessed to have connected with and kept in touch with so many of them. Even now that we are in a sticks-and-bricks home again, many have continued to support our new life in Charleston and I still enjoy seeing their adventures on the road. Especially during the pandemic, having their support and this community online was such a blessing, and continues to be today. I love relating to people of all ages and experiences. We have lived in many places, experienced many highs and lows. I am homeschooling my children and love exploring a new hometown. Since we currently live in such an amazing city, I feel honored to share its beauty and history with whomever wants to see it via social media. I enjoy taking photos of the Holy City, trying out different places to eat, and seeing beautiful historic homes and locations here. And a drive to any local beach-Folly, Isle of Palms, or Sullivan’s Island are always enjoyed by our entire family.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was an only child growing up outside of Charlotte, NC, and loved spending time with my friends. I was a complete extrovert! Now I am 50/50. Funny how things change as we age. My friends and I were usually doing something creative together. We never spent our time playing video games or being online. I was outside a lot, and even when I was alone at home, I remember riding my bike through the neighborhood or swinging on the swingset in the backyard. I didn’t own a Nintendo or anything like that, and I didn’t mind. I played various instruments growing up and was in several plays at my church. Writing poetry was a pastime for me, and even as a seven-year-old, I remember writing creative stories. I wrote some for school, but I wrote many just for fun. Writing was fun for me even then. And making people laugh was my other favorite thing to do. My name may have been on the chalkboard a lot in school for talking. Just maybe.
Contact Info:
- Email: stone.missy@gmail.com
- Website: missystone927.wordpress.com
- Instagram: MomaboutCharleston
- Facebook: Missy
Image Credits
Missy Stone
