The First 5 Days
Our Winnebago parked in his snowy MN home before we left
During a phone call I had with my mom the other day, she said to me, “By the time this is all over, just think of how much smarter you’ll be.” Well, my mom is an optimist and also my mom, so I think instinctually, it’s her natural default to try to make me feel better…
Needless to say, the first 5 days of this journey have been…well…a learning experience. We thought we’d just drive our RV home from where we picked it up in Arizona. The sun would be shining. Maybe birds would sing us an anthem as we casually packed up to leave about a week or so later. HA!!!
All I can say is, it wasn’t meant to be. That path wasn’t the one we were supposed to walk. The one we were meant to take was the winding one with the hairpin turns and multiple stops along the way. As my dear friend Vanessa said to me, “This is RVing. You chose the slow road. These detours are just preparing you for that.” She is a wise woman.
After many weeks of visiting the RV doc so our Walter could get a little more TLC, waiting out two snowstorms, and then another week waiting for our tow car to be all set up and ready for us to hook up and bring with us, we were finally able to leave on Friday. It was only a measly three and a half weeks later than we had planned (she says sarcastically). But seriously though, three weeks seems very inconsequential when you think about what we were waiting for – our house to be ready to put through an earthquake every day as we drive it from Minnesota to California and back.
The last 5 days since we’ve been on the road have been eventful. We have gone from 20-degree weather to 60-degree weather and climbing. We have seen flat prairie and rolling hills and more cows than I ever thought possible. We have braved crazy crosswinds that threatened to push us off the road or rip our awnings right off of our rig (courtesy of North Texas). We have learned a LOT of stuff. Dos and don’ts and everything in between. Here are some of the highlights:
Even after you have checked and checked and checked your roof again for possible leaks, water can and likely will find its way through one of the various entry points. Carrying a healthy supply of sealant is mandatory.
So is a healthy supply of dark chocolate.
Having a bathroom in your vehicle is awesome.
Trying to use said bathroom when the vehicle is moving (especially in Oklahoma or North Texas - see wind comment above) is…tricky.
When you are towing a vehicle behind your motorhome, YOU MUST read the vehicle manual to make sure you aren’t forgetting an important step, like, say, putting the key in the ignition so that your steering wheel isn’t locked while going down the road, thus completely destroying your front tires… (This happened to a friend…)
You will feel like a new human being who can conquer the world once you are able to have running water and a shower. It is magical. Who knew?
The InstantPot is the BEST ever.
Chris is one hell of a driver. Seriously. We’re so proud of him.
I’m one hell of a packer. Seriously. We got everything, and none of it moves while tooling down the road at 65 mph.
Jonah is one hell of a car seat rider. We’ve driven between 5-8 hours (which, in a motorhome, is sooooo different from riding in a car) every day so far and he hasn’t complained at all. What a trooper.
All in all, it’s been a pretty good several days so far, chock full of all kinds of new experiences and lots of new learning together. We know that we’ll need to make up a bit of time in the next few days after losing a bit of time waiting for new tires in Kansas City (okay, okay, it was us…RV rookie mistake). But, for now, here we sit in an RV park in Alamogordo, New Mexico, getting packed up and ready for the next leg of our journey. Fed (thanks to amazing Mexican food down here) and coffeed and happy. Feeling clean (again, hot water is such a glorious thing), and able, and free. Today, Arizona!🌵🌞🐍⛰🚌