Week One (May 5, 2017)

So it is the end of the first week of our adventure – one down and 51 to go?  LOL  And while I can’t say that we have it all figured out, we are working out the bugs and getting the last of the kinks worked out so that we are ready to head north in less than two weeks.

It’s funny how when you are open to it, inspiration can come from the most unlikely places.  Since Darryl and I are both trying to work along the way, internet and cell connectivity have become much more of a priority than we had expected.  We purchased a WIFI booster before the trip, and that has already come in handy to give us workable WIFI in the campgrounds that offer internet.  But state and national parks don’t always offer these kinds of amenities – and even cell signal can be problematic if you are even just a bit off the path.  And even though the state park we stayed at in Columbia is just yards from a commercial area, we were having problems getting our work done.

So we stopped at the Verizon store in Columbia to find out about personal WIFI hotspots and how it all works.  Have I mentioned how NICE everyone is in the south?  Our sales person was a stunning young lady with an engaging personality – and she could not have been more knowledgeable or nicer.  It is so nice when salespeople are actually helpful, no?  Anyway… we were still a little down about some of the challenges we were still working out, so we were telling her about our trip.  She said “you know, you’ve done the hard part – you started.  Most people never even start – they just talk about it, but never actually DO it.”

And you know what?  She is absolutely right.  And I don’t think any of us give ourselves enough credit for the things we do – big and small.  Sometimes you just have to say “yes” and see where you go from there… what a powerful message, and just the one we needed to hear.  There are angels everywhere – and she was ours that day.

We are still working to create our “normal” for this trip, and still working out the kinks.  But every day it is a little easier, and getting a little better.  It has helped tremendously that we’ve been in familiar spots, with friends and family close by to keep us uplifted.

We have been hanging out for a few days now in Charleston, SC with our good friends the Carretta’s – and decided to hang out for another night and rearrange a bit of our schedule for the next few days.  The weather here has been spectacular… time for a walk and a paddle on the pond!