As a continuation of the journey of living life on the road and being responsible for remote work and client site visits, we are finishing a 3,400-mile adventure that has taken us through twelve states in eight weeks. During this time, I completed four on-site work projects for three clients, including a two-week on-site project for support.
Although there was a lot of work conducted during this time, there was also a fair amount of fun and enjoyable life moments along the way. This was our first “cross-country” adventure since starting our RV lifestyle, and we learned quite a bit! For instance, not all states post the clearance of bridges across the highways, and some states are much better at road maintenance than others!
Highlights of this trip were the Ark Encounter, the Corvette Museum, Mammoth Cave, the NFL Hall of Fame, visiting the original store of the American Pickers, taking a walk down the Mississippi River, and getting to see a real riverboat. Some of the more “interesting” things discovered were the Matchstick Museum, the Spam Museum (Yes, that is a thing!), the birthplace of John Wayne, and the house of Jesse James. Although we didn’t make it to see the “World’s Largest Ball of Twine,” we’re saving that one for another trip. Just for perspective, we lived 4 miles from the Cadillac Ranch in Texas when we started this journey, so “cheesy roadside attractions” are nothing new!
Even though it isn’t as easy as catching a flight, renting a car, getting a hotel, and eating out every night, the joys of this journey included home-cooked meals, sleeping in my own bed, seeing a part of the country very few people actually get to see, much less appreciate, and sharing experiences with my family. It’s not as simple as air travel but definitely more rewarding.
Of all the things we saw and experienced on this trip, I would like to share one particular “moment.” We were on a very rough road in Indiana and were running about 2 hours early to check into our next RV park. We pulled over in a rest area that had a huge truck parking area. We put the kitchen slides out and had a picnic with the dogs. We walked around the area, talked about our journey, and just rested. We had such a calming and refreshing break that we actually ended up checking in late at the next park.
It may not sound like much, but it just was. Peaceful moments like that don’t just happen…much less in airports. But that moment is why we do what we’re doing. Again, this is not for everyone. But if you ever get a chance to do what you love to do AND get to share the experiences of that with your family, then you are blessed, my friend. Just like I am!
