Year Two - And Still Going Strong

Us, 2 years later

It is so hard to believe that it has been 2 years since we drove away from Clifton Park and started on this amazing adventure.  As always, when you hit a landmark, it makes you stand back and look at where you are, and where you are going.  Sometimes the best way to make that assessment is by listening to other people and thinking about the questions they ask.

The Grand Tetons

Probably, the most common question we are asked is “Where is your favorite place that you have been?”   You would think that this would be easy to answer, but it is very difficult.  We talk about it all the time and really can’t pinpoint any place in particular.  We have definitely learned that we are not City people.  While being 
close to a city can come in handy when necessary for a close airport or a big event, traffic is one of the things we gladly left behind.  Having to park a “big-ass” dually doesn’t help either, so we avoid cities whenever possible.  I think Iowa comes to both of our minds when people ask, and we know it’s a favorite because of the people. Everyone we met was so kind and so genuine. When we left there, we truly felt like we were leaving home and look so forward to going back again.  
Arkansas, of all places, was probably our favorite place for motorcycle roads.  Rolling hills, no traffic, lots of good pavement and lots of simple destinations…all the things we look for in a good day of motorcycling.  I guess we’ve made it clear to ourselves that Tucson is also on the top of our list …since it is the first place we are returning for a long period of time.  And the best part is, we are both really looking forward to being back there.  It’s a big enough city that there is a ton of stuff to do but small enough to feel comfortable.  And you can’t beat the weather!  The great thing is, while it’s hard to pinpoint our favorite place, there are very few places that we would not want to return to.

A little snow in Arkansas

I think the next most common question is “What was it like to leave your house?” and “Do you miss having a house to go back to?”  This is a much easier question to answer than I ever thought it would be.  Driving away that first morning was probably one of the hardest things I have ever done.  We were both like deer in the headlights – in a bit of a daze, wondering what we had gotten ourselves into.  It amazes me now that I was able to get past that.  Do we miss having a house?  No..we very easily came to think of the RV as our house and our home.   We made it into exactly what we want and the only difference for us is that we have a different view out our windows every few weeks.  The most difficult part was certainly leaving behind the memories of where our kids grew up, and truth be told, I still have twinges about that.   But I know, even if we were still in the same house, the kids would still live in other states and they wouldn’t be around all the time.   I like to think it’s easier for them because we travel to them instead of them having to travel to us.  Their homes are where all our new family memories will be made.   We certainly don’t miss the upkeep and responsibilities of having a big house and we very quickly learned the difference between “house” and “home”.  As the Billy Joel song goes “Wherever we’re together, that’s my home” and we couldn’t say it more perfectly.

Our tiny tree in our tiny house

Which leads me to “What is the hardest thing about your new life?”   Again, an easy one for me to answer…  Being away from our kids, our family and our friends.  I can remember a few weeks before we left NY, standing and looking at a map and looking at Idaho (not really sure why I chose Idaho) and thinking “I can’t possibly go that far away from everyone I know and love.”  As I have mentioned before, I don’t think I could do it without modern technology.  I talk to the kids on a regular (sometimes daily) basis, I know what is going on with them at all times and I know when I need to hear their voice, they are only a call away.  

Pine Valley, Utah

While everyone may not be a fan of social media, I love that I know what is going on with everyone at the same time that everyone else knows.  I always hated being left out.  And I am amazed and thrilled with how blessed I am with strong friendships that truly last over time and miles.  Everyone has been so genuinely interested in how we are doing and where we are going.  There are those who know at any moment where we are on the map, down to our travel days and our “hit the road” times and our “beer in hand” times when we are settled in a new place.  For a brief moment before we left, I was concerned that I would lose those relationships, and yet now as I sit here in Idaho, I am overwhelmed by how strong they have stayed and how much joy they still bring to my life even from this far away.

Air Museum in Tucson

“Is being on the road what you expected?”   Again, there can be multiple answers to this one – we have had lots of surprises.  I think for me, one of the big ones is, how very little I actually know about anything.  I was a good student all my life and I always liked to learn new things…but I am astounded by how much I have learned, and I am completely aware now that what I do know is simply a drop in the bucket.  While I used to take pride in the fact that I knew the capitals of all the states (thanks to my kids elementary school classes) I am now very proud that if someone mentions a state to me I know exactly where on the map it is without even looking.   I have drawn so much on my earliest education in Geography and History and have been able to take all those little pieces of the puzzle and put them together in reality, and begin to have a picture of how this amazing country really came to be.  Our favorite places to go are small, local museums that dedicate themselves to just a couple of topics, where we can actually comprehend what they are talking about.  We have been on the road long enough, that some of those museums are starting to cross over and we are able to see how everything is connected.   It is amazing to me how each State has its own feel, its own pride, and if you are there long enough you start to feel the same thing, or at least understand it.  

Hot Air Baloon Ride in Sedona

I think the second biggest surprise for me is the people we have met along the way.  I knew we would meet people, chat with them, and then move on, but I never imagined that we would meet people, stay in touch with them and look forward to seeing them again.  Again, social media is paramount to be able to do that, and it works for us.  We have met other RVers, people who are just on vacation, and even local people who we know we will meet again some day.  It makes the world a much smaller place.  I will always remember talking to a woman in Texas who was also a full-timer, on the road a little longer than we had been.  After we talked for a while about what our lives were like, we said our goodbyes and started to walk away.  She turned back to me and said “Can I ask you a question….do you miss hugs as much as I do?”  with a little choke in my throat, I said yes, and we gave each other a hug as if we had known each other all our lives, and then moved on.

Fun with 3D chalk drawings

Another favorite question is “When are you going to stop?”  I totally understand that question, because it’s hard for people to understand that we don’t have a “permanent” house.  That is a security that we all grow up with, and it’s hard to think about a life without it.  It certainly was one of the most difficult parts for me.  For us, if you will excuse the cliché, this adventure is totally about the journey, not the destination.   We worked hard to get where we are, we have been blessed with incredible kids and with good health.  Every day is new for us and we have no idea what the future will hold.  As long as our kids are good, our health is good and we are happy, “stopping” doesn’t come up as an option.  Certainly, we will make adjustments as we go along, we will slow down, we will roll with the punches.  But in the meantime, we will take each day as it comes and each new place as a whole new beginning.

The Golden Spike - East meets West

And finally, the question we love the most – “How do you stand living in that tiny space 24/7 with just each other?”  While that sounds like an extremely negative question, it’s the one piece of advice we give to anyone who is considering this “wandering” lifestyle.  It is a small space, you are together all of the time, and you have to be sure that you really get along before you even consider it.  Do we ever have our bad days?  Absolutely.  It would be unrealistic to think differently.  I think we have become much more in tune with each other on those days, and we don’t have a problem saying “I need some space today, I’m cranky”.  For the most part, we have the great outdoors to escape to.  Our RV site, wherever we are, has become Cliff’s workshop where he works on the truck, the RV or some other project he has come up with or he finds the closest mountain to challenge himself with.  It is also my giant phone booth, where I walk and talk and keep those family and friend connections alive and strong.  But for the majority of the time, we are just sharing the journey.  We both have the same goals, the same interests and the same love for each other and for what we are doing.  If we are not making a new memory, we are talking about one that we just made.  While we have our “down” days where we just stay home and do normal, everyday living, the majority of our time is spent immersing ourselves in the area around us, learning together, being in awe together, and most importantly, laughing together.

Cliff Falling through the sky

The one question that I know many of our loved ones have had, but never asked, and I asked myself a thousand times over is “What the hell are you doing?”   I have always been a person of strong roots, and never, ever liked change.  I have only had 2 sets of dishes in 35 years of marriage, and I still use the same brand of paper towels that I used back then.  I am a creature of habit.  

Bonneville Salt Flats

So what am I doing in this crazy, ever-changing lifestyle?  We all have our bucket lists of things we want to do, and one of mine was to become a braver, stronger person.  I never expected to learn so much on the road, and some of the most important things I have learned have been things about myself.  I have learned to let go of things that aren’t important and to hold on to the things that are.  I’ve learned that I can adapt much easier than I ever thought I could and that if I face a difficult situation head-on rather than freaking out about it, it is much easier to deal with.  Most importantly, I have learned how very fortunate and blessed I am.  I have a husband/sidekick/friend who is more than willing to chauffeur me around everywhere we go, who does all the "guy" jobs (most of them which are the worst jobs to be done), who wants to learn as much as I do and who wants to have fun along the way.  I have fantastic kids who encourage us all along the way, and friends and family who are always there for us, no matter how far away "there" is.  Not a day goes by that I don't thank God for every step of this journey.  If every day can be as amazing as these past 2 years have been, we are in for a very bright, incredible future.