Reality Check!

 

Okay, here’s a dose of our Reality Check! Guess what? Sometimes the pace catches up with us. Not everything may appear as it does from the outside looking in at us. Warm and fuzzy times meet cold and prickly moments! The reality is that sometimes not everything is a bed of roses, but thorny cacti!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we’ve read in blog posts or Facebook posts of other folks who are full-time RVing, there are details galore to which to tend, that frankly sometimes just knock us to our knees. One couple wrote that downsizing drastically into a small storage unit and their trailer made them feel a sense of grief similar to what one feels when going through a family member’s estate after they’ve passed away. Definitely, grief has hit several times throughout our own process. We are also not setting aside time to enjoy just a few hikes or walks and have not bicycled at all. Yes, we’ve been a bit prickly and crabby with each other at times, despite loving and adoring each other overall.

There has been a large chasm between our last post and this one. A great deal of this hole is due to our somewhat “breakneck” pace that we’re keeping.

On the Go

We’ve made four major trips since March 23. Fortunately, having purchased our used 2011 Ford F-250 pickup a couple of weeks prior to the road trips, kicked us into our trailer-search mode.  All four of these trips have been absolutely fantastic as they included time with family and friends.

Trip #1: UT, ID, WA, MT, WY, CO (March 26-April 10)
Drove to Washington State to spend a week with our son and daughter-in-love. The drive through parts of UT and ID were beautiful. Prior to the trip, we researched Northwood Manufacturing and Lance trailer brands in the above listed states in case we could find one. Bingo! We found our 2018 Nash 26N in Helena, MT. Placed our downpayment and made an appointment three weeks out to return for it. Drove to Bozeman, MT for several days with family and friends. Then home to Colorado. Total: 2,600 miles

Trip #2: UT, ID, WA, MT, WY, CO (April 21-May 1)
In the nick of time, we had our custom SnugTop truck bed topper that we purchased at A&A Topper Sales in Littleton, CO installed the day before we left on this trip. Loaded yard and gardening tools, planters, a table, and four bar stools into truck bed. Also had numerous items for the trailer. We drove to Washington and delivered items to our son and daughter-in-love. We spent only two days before heading to D&D RV Center in Helena, MT to meet with a wonderful  RV technician over several hours to learn the ropes of our new Nash. We drove away in our new home! Our maiden voyage began with our first night at the KOA in Townsend, MT. Then onto the Sunrise Campground, Bozeman, MT for two nights. This gave us a little time to get acquainted with the trailer and to visit family. From there we had one night at the KOA in Buffalo, WY and one at the KOA in Cheyenne, WY before returning to Denver. We pulled our trailer into its space in outdoor RV storage. Total: 2,600 miles

Trip #3: VA (May 11-15)
Came to our senses and booked flights rather than driving. Flew from Denver to Richmond, VA via Atlanta, GA. We attended the college graduation of our niece from University of Richmond. It was great to celebrate her achievements plus spend time with family while in Richmond and Charlottesville.

Trip #4: NE, IA (May 23-27)
Drove across Nebraska and as far as Davenport, IA on this trip. Made stops across Iowa to donate my great-grandfather’s book that Diane co-edited and self-published. Several public libraries and the State Historical Society of Iowa in Iowa City now have copies to enjoy. Spent overnights and had enjoyable visits with family. Attended the high school graduation celebration of our other niece. Diane donated her wedding dress and three vintage dresses of her Mom’s to Diane’s high school alma mater’s drama department to be used as future costumes. Drove 775 miles and 14 hours in one day to get back to Denver. Fortunately, we made this trip sans trailer. Total: 1,700 miles.

The Checklist

The list is getting shorter, although some of what’s left is the most difficult, requiring more of an emotional process of sorting and letting go of household items that have been a part of our home for up to 42 years! This is some of what we’re accomplishing together or dividing and conquering.

• Downsizing: gleaning treasures, cataloguing items that we’re keeping, packing for storage, donating or re-homing.
• Calendar: appointments for truck maintenance, lawn sprinkler system repair., meetings, gatherings
• Scanning: dozens of critical documents have been scanned, moving to the Cloud
• Going Paperless: contacting various accounts to stop receiving mail.
• Planning ahead: making reservations for 30 nights of stays in August and/or September, contacting family and friends to visit upon launching our journey.
• Rearranging rooms: taping off a 10’ X 10’ section of the office to simulate what the storage unit size will be. Moving items for storage to that section. Moving items to sell to the living room. Items to scan to 2nd bedroom. We live in disarray!
• Equipping the trailer (after discerning what in household can be repurposed): shelf/cupboard liners, linens, tubs, baskets, dishes, utensils, clothes, outdoor rug, heavy duty chocks, tools
• Sending Mass Mailing/Email: notified family and friends of our plans and our shift to Traveling Mailbox and preferences of texts, calls, social media to remain in touch
• Preparing to close business: Diane to close her Heartfelt Legacies business tomorrow!

A Deep Breath at 42!

We blew the whistle and claimed our 42nd anniversary yesterday to be a day off. Instead we selected a brand new trail from our brand new Colorado Benchmark Atlas. It was great to hike to a place we’ve never hiked, to drive rugged Forest Service road to get there, and to soak up amazing view from Devil’s Head Lookout Tower along the Rampart Range.