Six months later—on a whim—we traded thee-ol’ 35-foot motor home for a 40-foot 2004 motor home—with slide outs! She was a beauty, just like new. We had hit the big time! Nothing could keep us down, or should I say, nothing could keep us home.
We spent most of 2016 on the road. We drove north to Lake Michigan to an RV rally, with many fun stops along the way. Three weeks after my knee replacement we drove west to California and parked on the oceanfront in the Huntington Beach parking lot, our former hometown. We hung out with family and friends, and of course basked in the warm California sun. If that wasn’t enough, we ended the year by hopping on the I-95 south to the Florida Keys for more sun.
Note: Don’t let minor inconveniences stop you from traveling. Check with your doctor, and then take off for that next adventure, even if it’s just to the next town. I used a cane for most of that year, and everyone—especially my loving husband—was very helpful.
We spent this past June and July in Culpeper, Virginia parked behind the CIA’s newly purchased warehouse. The truck’s parking lot provided us with water and electricity, and a place to dump. I volunteered in the CIA office while Rob worked in the warehouse. On our days off, local volunteers drove us to D.C. for a tour of our nation’s capitol. Arlington Cemetery was the highlight of this leg of our summer trek.
In August we jumped on the interstate to head out west to visit family in Missouri, then instead of turning left toward Texas—on a whim—we turned right and headed to South Dakota to experience Mount Rushmore and the Bad Lands. We’ll hit Texas next year.
A travel note (there’s lots of these): Before buying any type of travel vehicle, do your research. Some retired folks enjoy driving a smaller RV, (5th-wheel, trailer, class C), so do your homework. We were fortunate without doing much research, we’ve had a blast! Don’t get me wrong, Rob has spent hours on You-tube researching any motor-home challenges he has come up against, and we’re still learning as we travel down life’s highways.
Did I mention that Popcorn, our malte-poo, travels with us? She is our faithful companion through thick and thin. A real trooper.
Note: I carry a copy of our vet’s update on her shots, etc.
What now? you ask. Whether at home or traveling near or far, there is always something for us to do if we just look around at our surroundings. If you have any fear of pursuing your dream—whether it be writing, painting, singing, traveling—make a habit of taking deep breaths, praying, then walking—or running—toward that dream!
As much as your health allows, I encourage you to put on your travel hat (and shoes) and hit the happy trails!
I’ll be blogging a series, What Now? for those who are interested in doing more in retirement than re-watching their favorite sitcoms or the travel channel to view others living their dreams. So until next time, I wish you oceans of travel blessings.
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I love traveling with his lady. She keeps me young. And I hope I do the same for her. With or without a travel buddy, take a leap and plan a trip. Or volunteer locally. And take care of yourself.