Monday, January 14, 2008

Mission: Accomplished!




Anyone who happens to be reading this probably already knows that Dan and I are full time RV’ers, which by definition, means we travel full time. Granted, we’ve only been doing this for 5 months, but I am already recognizing certain patterns, an ebb and flow to this lifestyle. For most of my life there have been long stretches of time between moves to new places. Eighteen years in one house growing up, and then after brief moves when first leaving home, 5 to 10 year stretches between moves. And, most of my life has been spent in one town – Sacramento. So, I really didn’t know what I would feel when embarking on a way of life that has us pulling up roots every month or so. What I have found is the transitions are hard.

First I thought it was just the arriving. That’s hard because you don’t know the town, the stores, the people, what there is to do, and what is the area code, for heaven’s sake? Are you driving on freeways, highways, expressways, or business roads? And what is an F.M. road? (Found out that means “Farm to Market”). And pulling into an RV Park and a town for the first time always makes me apprehensive. I can’t always tell if the vibes are good. Is it a “nice” town? A safe RV Park? Will there be noise at night? Will I be able to take my runs without being chased by dogs? But then I discovered leaving is also hard.

Depending on how long you stay somewhere, you may have just learned all those things I mentioned above, and then its time to move on. Or, you may have developed some friendships that will be difficult to leave behind. Apprehension of another kind sets in. Where will we end up each night as we travel to our new destination? Will the truck and trailer be okay on the road? Is everything road-ready? Thinking about packing everything back up for traveling can also be overwhelming, as you have most likely become fairly spread-out during a several week stay somewhere. And there is something just sort of sad about leaving a place that you have called “home”, even if only for a while.

We are leaving Mission in two days. I’m not sure if we will ever be back, there is so much to see, so many places to go. We don’t want to establish a pattern of returning to the same place each year as many folks do. Maybe in a few years when we become weary of the road; when we find a place that seems too good to be true, and want to settle down there. But for now, we are “On the Road Again”, and I recognize why I am feeling a little blue, a little gloomy. I know this is the transition period, the Traveling Blues, and is only a launching point to our next new adventure.

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