July 2006 - All Roads Lead to Las Vegas (or so we thought)

Fuzzle

Bud
July 6, 2006, 12:30 p.m. we are ready to start our exciting new journey with our faithful dog Bud and our cat Fuzzle.  It's 78 degrees, sunny with a slight breeze, stopping to put the car in storage (remember we're newbies, didn't want to tow a car) we head towards I-65.  4 hours later we stop at the Welcome Center in Ohio and bed down for the night - whew!  

So we park away from the trucks and other cars that are bedding down for the night, have some dinner, walk the dog and just relax.  Time to go to bed, we open the window, we didn't want to run the generator because we were afraid we'd asphyxiate ourselves with the exhaust.  It was cool enough so that was ok.

Do you remember the Long, Long Trailer with Lucille Ball and Dezi Arnez?  Remember when they stopped at a gas station that was closed but they decided to stay there anyway, and as Lucy tries to sleep she hears all the trucks, cars, horns and sirens go by?  Well, it wasn't quite that bad, but we could hear the cars coming and going, the doors opening and closing, horns, semi's pulling in, but thankfully no sirens.

Just as we were starting to nod off here comes a semi, pulls up right next to us and of course they keep the truck running, so needless to say that was not a good night sleep.

Pulling out of the Welcome Center 8:00 a.m. sharp, sunny with a high of 80 degrees no wind (thank God - I'll explain later) we're back on the road heading towards Pennsylvania.  We were in route to my brother's house in Big Flats, New York.  Just outside of Youngstown we get behind a tar truck, a very dirty tar truck and wouldn't you know it, he's full of tar, he hits a bump or a pothole and out comes the tar all over the front of the RV since we couldn't stop right way, we waited until our next stop to clean off the front of the rig.

8 hours later we pull into a Wal Mart in Clarion, PA.  You can park free at some Wal Marts, just a word of advice,  be sure you check with the store manager before you settle down and do patronize the store too.  Check out the book I've posted here, it's available through Amazon.com, just click on the picture.

First we go shopping for food, to go food mainly, salads so there's not a lot to clean up.  After dinner we settle down, open the window, it's quiet so far, cool breeze so we should be able to get a good night's sleep.  There were a few other RVr's parked not to far from us so we felt pretty safe and we were under a parking light as well.  All of a sudden, this car pulls up right outside our window with it's radio blaring, just one person in the car, weird I thought when I first looked so I get up to check the time and it's 2:00 a.m.  He stayed there for quite a while then left.  Guess we'll get a better night's sleep tomorrow night!

July 2006 - RV Living - Life Changing

Any change is a good change, especially if you learn from that change or are willing to learn.  Again this goes back to what I said in the beginning, living your life the way YOU see fit, not how others think you should.

We literally walked away from great paying jobs with benefits, great benefits, cashed in our retirement savings and the security (at that time) of knowing we'll always have a job.  Was it scary and stressfull, yes, I'd have to say it was - was it worth it and would we if given the opportunity do it all over again - DEFINITELY.

July - 2006 A New Beginning

It really is isn't it?  Put aside outside influences, opinions and everyone telling you how you should act, what you should eat or wear or say, is it healthier to be a vegetarian or a carnivore.  Bottom line it's one person who can influence you......and that's YOU!