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Becoming Barenaked
This isn't porn. Everyone always asks and some of our family thinks it is for sure...but it's not. This is our story of how we simplified our life. With kids and crap. So, no porn here folks, just a real emotionally written break up with the American dream. If that's your kind of porn, then I guess this is definitely for you.
We are BareNakedFamily.com and we did what lots of people are doing these days ~ dropping out of corporate America, selling all the crap, pulling the kids out of school, buying an RV and hitting the road in pursuit of a new American dream. One of simplicity and quality time together as a family. Trading in careers for self fulfilling entrepreneurial lifestyles and hands on education giving us unfiltered learning. Except, we had to pioneer this trail back in 2001, long before the popularity of this lifestyle took off.
The internet had a handful of blogs on it at the time and only two of them had to do with RV'ing. One of them turning out to be crazy religious nut jobs and not at all the kind of inspiration we were looking for. We spent months nearly breaking the internet trying to find some sort of proof that we weren't alone in our quest to break free from our successful lives in the American dream. Doing this at a time when social media, community, and connection were non-existent and if you wanted to share your status, you'd have to yell it from your front yard. At the pinnacle of our career and working for the two biggest companies in the world at the time, Dell and Microsoft, we had achieved success. A six figure income, three houses, cars, stuff, and a million dollar stock option we were defined as living the American dream. Meaning we also had no purpose, family time, and creativity left to do more of what we loved. Winning the mental lottery on a remote beach in Washington, we woke up. We decided to leave it all behind to pursue our vision of working, learning, and playing together as family and creating our own family business so that our kids would always be a part of everything we did. No more putting work above family, we set out to redefine what it meant to be a family in America.
This book is completely handwritten from our personal journals detailing the emotional side of getting out of the machine. With no place to go online, we had to sort out the tasks of transitioning from one American dream to another ~ life on the open road ~ by ourselves. What we had were these handwritten thoughts and struggles that took us to the brink of insanity and moments of clarity allowing us to feel the most awake and the most alone at the same time. Sharing our pictures from these stories throughout the book, ties the this piece of art to the personality of our family and the epiphany of a lifetime.
So, we invite you to read our most intimate thoughts and feelings of how we became barenaked. This is not a professionally written book and is not intended to be. These are personal writings coming out of our head and have misspellings and mistakes as they were being written in the moment. We have put this book together to share our personal journals unedited and raw. BareNaked.
We are BareNakedFamily.com and we did what lots of people are doing these days ~ dropping out of corporate America, selling all the crap, pulling the kids out of school, buying an RV and hitting the road in pursuit of a new American dream. One of simplicity and quality time together as a family. Trading in careers for self fulfilling entrepreneurial lifestyles and hands on education giving us unfiltered learning. Except, we had to pioneer this trail back in 2001, long before the popularity of this lifestyle took off.
The internet had a handful of blogs on it at the time and only two of them had to do with RV'ing. One of them turning out to be crazy religious nut jobs and not at all the kind of inspiration we were looking for. We spent months nearly breaking the internet trying to find some sort of proof that we weren't alone in our quest to break free from our successful lives in the American dream. Doing this at a time when social media, community, and connection were non-existent and if you wanted to share your status, you'd have to yell it from your front yard. At the pinnacle of our career and working for the two biggest companies in the world at the time, Dell and Microsoft, we had achieved success. A six figure income, three houses, cars, stuff, and a million dollar stock option we were defined as living the American dream. Meaning we also had no purpose, family time, and creativity left to do more of what we loved. Winning the mental lottery on a remote beach in Washington, we woke up. We decided to leave it all behind to pursue our vision of working, learning, and playing together as family and creating our own family business so that our kids would always be a part of everything we did. No more putting work above family, we set out to redefine what it meant to be a family in America.
This book is completely handwritten from our personal journals detailing the emotional side of getting out of the machine. With no place to go online, we had to sort out the tasks of transitioning from one American dream to another ~ life on the open road ~ by ourselves. What we had were these handwritten thoughts and struggles that took us to the brink of insanity and moments of clarity allowing us to feel the most awake and the most alone at the same time. Sharing our pictures from these stories throughout the book, ties the this piece of art to the personality of our family and the epiphany of a lifetime.
So, we invite you to read our most intimate thoughts and feelings of how we became barenaked. This is not a professionally written book and is not intended to be. These are personal writings coming out of our head and have misspellings and mistakes as they were being written in the moment. We have put this book together to share our personal journals unedited and raw. BareNaked.
304 pages, Paperback
First published February 3, 2015
15 people want to read
About the author
Jenn Barenaked
2 books2 followersLibrarian Note: Also writes under the name Jenn White.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 14, 2024
A truly unique book in its story, its making, its presentation, and its spirit. As a collection of unfiltered, unedited handwritten pages, Becoming Barenaked is the raw firsthand journey of a woman and her family who decided to radically question everything and redefine their own definition of the American Dream. They didn't just forge their own path, they forged a new way of thinking about our culture. You'll snort, laugh, cry, and roar right along with Jenn. She is snarky, wise, and unapologetic ... just like this book.
December 28, 2015
So reassuring to read that our desires to live and work as a family are not crazy! While many may read a book like this and hope for a "how-to", it seems that the how-to is not nearly as important as the layers of recognition that happen as you live with intention. Thanks BNF for blazing the trail before us and helping us feel more sane in daily living!
September 28, 2015
Oh, how many times I've fantasized about dropping the mic on the corporate world and just....walking away. But it's just not feasible, right? I mean, it sounds cool, but I've never known anyone that did it...not by choice, anyway. Sure, like a lot of us I've played it out in my head...Bid farewell to my coworkes, sell off all the stuff, pack what's left into a road-battered Airstream, and hit the road without a final destination in mind. Ignore the GPS lady on the dash, and just turn down any road with an interesting name...stop when we see a place worth spending some time.
But I'd never really do it, you know? It sounds terrifying. I'm in too deep! This is -- so I'm told -- the American Dream(tm). You can't just walk away!
And then one of my friends told me about this...Barenaked family. They did just that; in the middle of the climb up the corporate ladder, they just...jumped off.
I mean....can you even do that? Just...stop racing the other rats? See this whole corporate game for what it is and just decide not to play any more? It sounds incredible, but that's just what they did.
And they didn't stop there. They sold or gave away almost all their stuff. They homeschooled/unschooled the kids. They figured out the optimal assortment of shoes a family really needs, piled into the RV, and went off in search of a better version of the American Dream....one without corporate sponsors and safety nets. A road truly less traveled.
Handwritten copy, unedited, hand-numbered pages; a unique bit of character in a world increasingly dominated by the pre-selected fonts of digital delivery. This book won't tell you exactly how to walk away; I'm pretty sure that path is a little different for everybody...this is the story of one family who found their way.
But I'd never really do it, you know? It sounds terrifying. I'm in too deep! This is -- so I'm told -- the American Dream(tm). You can't just walk away!
And then one of my friends told me about this...Barenaked family. They did just that; in the middle of the climb up the corporate ladder, they just...jumped off.
I mean....can you even do that? Just...stop racing the other rats? See this whole corporate game for what it is and just decide not to play any more? It sounds incredible, but that's just what they did.
And they didn't stop there. They sold or gave away almost all their stuff. They homeschooled/unschooled the kids. They figured out the optimal assortment of shoes a family really needs, piled into the RV, and went off in search of a better version of the American Dream....one without corporate sponsors and safety nets. A road truly less traveled.
Handwritten copy, unedited, hand-numbered pages; a unique bit of character in a world increasingly dominated by the pre-selected fonts of digital delivery. This book won't tell you exactly how to walk away; I'm pretty sure that path is a little different for everybody...this is the story of one family who found their way.
February 9, 2016
We had been considering doing this for quite some time and finding this book was a deal clincher. Nowadays, there are a plethora of resources and examples of people traveling with their families and exploring the country. However, a few things make this story very different. 1. Back when they did it, they were truly pioneers in this space - very few examples and little-to-no support/internet resources. 2. While many families plan this early on, this family was already deeply entrenched in the corporate world and public school systems. 3. They had a vision of being able to return to a time when an entire family could WORK together - make a living together - as a whole family. Gone with the paradigm of "parents make money and work and kids play and go to school".
Written by hand adds a very special touch - a voyeuristic view in to a personal journal of a very public life. It is raw and written from the heart - with wit and many great anecdotes. We absolutely LOVED this book. Apart from that, the author is very accessible online and willing to engage with anyone who has interest in this lifestyle.
Whether someone is actually looking to do this or not, this book is incredibly entertaining and engaging. It will make you think and challenge yourself as to why we continue to just accept the status quo without much inquiry.
You start with a great deal of questions (bareNAKED???) -- but end up at the end feeling like a "friend of the family".
I can't recommend this book enough!
Written by hand adds a very special touch - a voyeuristic view in to a personal journal of a very public life. It is raw and written from the heart - with wit and many great anecdotes. We absolutely LOVED this book. Apart from that, the author is very accessible online and willing to engage with anyone who has interest in this lifestyle.
Whether someone is actually looking to do this or not, this book is incredibly entertaining and engaging. It will make you think and challenge yourself as to why we continue to just accept the status quo without much inquiry.
You start with a great deal of questions (bareNAKED???) -- but end up at the end feeling like a "friend of the family".
I can't recommend this book enough!
September 27, 2015
This is a wonderful read. The journey you will take with the family is one of hope, renewal, change, challenge and triumph; all while struggling to find that accepting place in a society that frowns upon those that do not conform, an extended family that was certain they had rebelled one step too far. Raising children in a way that instills gratitude, love, compassion and ambition is not an easy task; throw away the classrooms and typical education, and you will find yourself paving a future along the unearthed horizons of the unknown. Greg and Jenn White had no idea what their future held, but they knew they couldnt miss another moment of it, with their children next to them. Getting 'barenaked' was not as easy as throwing caution to the wind, it was more like using caution to drive the wind. Choosing ones own direction, ones own trail. If one didnt exist, it was ok, just bulldoze that sucker yourself!
There is a piece of all of us in this story, and the very fabric that has woven this family to America, stands as the tapestry we should all find ourselves so lovingly wrapped up in.
There is a piece of all of us in this story, and the very fabric that has woven this family to America, stands as the tapestry we should all find ourselves so lovingly wrapped up in.
September 23, 2015
I found this book to be enlightening, this family did what so many of us wish we could do but don't. They got away from the hub bub of every day life of working to live, instead they lived to work on any number of adventures. It shows how their kids were able to grow up "free", being able to explore and learn hands on. This book is a great read, I would recommend it.
September 23, 2015
This book is amazing! I loved every single bit of it! From the front to the back. It was funny, encouraging, and sad all at the same time! Becoming Barenaked is an absolute wonderful read. Highly recommend it.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews