Shortly after Buddy’s retirement (within 72 hours!), we hopped into an RV and took off up the coast for 19 days(you can find pictures in the Photo Gallery). We began planning this trip a number of months back after hearing the same advice from multiple already retired friends, “ GET OUT OF TOWN FOR AWHILE”. Once we knew we could pull it off- getting the RV rental and arranging doggie care, the planning part was a great distraction and gave both of us something to look forward to after ‘R- Day’. The last thing that either of us wanted was to wake up the morning after Buddy’s last day of work with the thought, ‘Ok, now what do we do?”
If there was any initial concern on my part as we finalized plans for this trip, it was the thought of spending 19 days in close quarters of a traveling box! Buddy and I would jokingly share w/ friends before the trip, “This is going to be a really fun adventure or we will be calling the divorce attorney when we get home!”
Picking up the RV included it’s own unique and momentary nail biting experience! And then navigating through mid day city traffic in a 25 foot motor home within minutes of being on the road was enough to question our decision to make this trip! There was a fleeting thought of ‘Uh oh, what have we gotten ourselves into?’ But… the arrival at our first stop at San Simeon State Park just as the sun was casting pink and orange hues on the horizon and later seeing the magnificent brush stroke of the Milky Way in the night sky cast any doubts aside!
We had pre planned our campsite destinations since summer is generally a busy time of year for many of the state and private parks. We determined locations by the average miles we wanted to cover each day without spending too much time on the road. Other than looking through the RV park reviews, we arrived at each spot in eager anticipation! Buddy and I both agreed that every travel day to a new location brought the discovery of at least one unexpected gem- beautiful ocean shorelines, scenic bike trails, magical rain forests as well as introductions to new friends!
The other gem we were given was the amount of time we spent with each other- I think we only hooked up the TV cable two or three times the entire trip and much of our day was spent doing things together- whether it was hiking or biking or just getting some laundry done! I was also more than pleasantly surprised that neither of us felt the need for ‘alone time’ or feeling that we were getting on each other’s nerves- especially in the close quarters of a motorhome.
Buddy and I had a wonderful time! God blessed both of us more than could have ever imagined. We spent time in beautiful areas of our country and traveled in a way that was a new and different adventure for us!
This trip was the perfect way to begin to ‘create the space’ that I wrote in my ‘About’ page. And the memories will help set the rhythm for our new dance together- whether at home or away on exciting adventures!