If it isn’t obvious, we are kinda in to the outside around here at Merrell. We’d all rather hike, bike, run and paddle instead of sitting at our desks all day. Heck, we’d rather get soaking wet in a warm summer rain than spend any time under fluorescent light.  We love making shoes and clothes that help us get outside as often as we can. Summer is one of the best seasons in Michigan and you can see people in the office leaving early on Fridays or not coming in at all as they head ‘Up North’ to the blue yonder of Lake Michigan.  School is out, kayaks are on car racks and our daily runs are becoming that much more enjoyable with the sunshine.  One of the members of the Merrell Team – barefoot running master, ultra-marathoner and all around nice guy – Jason Robillard is setting out on the summer vacation to beat all summer vacations. It’s a permanent one. We’ve all sat around and said “If I didn’t have to go to work every day, I’d definitely do….”. But, then we come back to reality and plan a weeklong ski vacation to Chile to fill our need for adventure. Jason and his family are hitting the road to explore, RUN, see the country and have a grand ol’ time. Jason and Shelly (his super cool wife) have had yard sales, given away clothes they haven’t worn in years, packed away their gear and are moving in to an RV with their three young children and niece. You can send their mail to “Jason and Shelly c/o The World” and they will pick it up along the way. They are taking the minimalist lifestyle to new heights. Jason and Shelly are going to blog about their experiences on the road, living the barefoot lifestyle and having fun doing it. Make sure to follow their various blogs to see pictures, video and fun moments from what will prove to be the barefoot adventure of a lifetime. We wish them all the luck in the world. We are extremely jealous.