Sad (but exciting) end of a three year trip
Xena The Princess Pooch
We are now Instagram pet parents…
It started off so innocently – we were hanging out on the patio at the brew pub in town, chatting with the couple at the table next to us. They had their dog Zelda (@zeldathewonderpooch) with them and they mentioned that she has an Instagram account. We thought – “oh, that might be fun to do for Xena. So that evening, we created her account (@xenatheprincesspooch) and posted a few pictures to get things going.
I have been in Instagram for over a year now, and I have exactly 112 followers. Xena already has over 450 followers – and it has only been a few weeks! It’s kind of crazy… but people out there LOVE their dogs (more than people apparently – and I can’t say that I blame them).
Of course, now we try to get a cute picture or video of Xena to post everyday – which is easy because after all, she is the cutest puppy dog in the world! Not that I’m biased at all…
Give her a follow to join in on all the cuteness!
Start of a new year – 2020 is here
So… it’s 2020… the start of a new year and a new decade… so I guess a bit of look back and a look forward is the order of the day.
Looking back, I guess you would call 2019 phase two of our big adventure – a little less adventure in some ways, a little more in others. While 2017 and 2018 were all about traveling often, 2019 was about trying something new – workcamping – the lifestyle of working at a campground in return for your rent and a little folding money. From February through November, we were (for the most part) workcamping in Moab, UT. There wasn’t much to write about – lots of working with a few weekend trips thrown into the mix every once in a while. Being in Moab for so long really allowed us to get to know the town and everything it has to offer – we did tons of hiking, riding, and off-the-path adventures.
But the summers in Moab are brutally hot, and by the time August hit we had to take a break – so we headed north and spent about five weeks in Whitefish, MT. We headed back to Moab in September and finished out the season – and then headed to Napa, CA (where we are now) to finish out the year.
I can’t really say if the workcamping thing was a “success” or not – it was better in some ways, worse in others. I suppose the fact that we aren’t planning to do it again tells you everything you need to know. So, on to bigger and better things in 2020!
Looking forward, I think we’ll be calling this phase three of the trip. We’ve been doing a lot of talking about what we want for the next 1-2-3 years – and where we want to be for the next phase. As you may recall, this whole adventure began as a way to figure out where we wanted to live next… and since we haven’t quite been able to figure that out yet we’ve stayed on the road.
But unfortunately, we are beginning to question the financial sustainability of this lifestyle for this stage of our lives. With me still working, and Darryl not working, we find ourselves in this “no-man’s land” – we can’t spend time off-grid because I have to work, but we can’t really afford to be “on-grid” like we have before. My job is taking more and more of my time (and causing me more and more stress) so it isn’t allowing for the flexibility we had at the beginning. We are kind of stuck in a cycle of having to go back to the same places we’ve been to ensure that I have what I need to work. It has put a bit of a damper on the adventure part of the adventure – something we don’t take lightly.
So we’ve been thinking… and talking… and thinking… and talking… and a plan is (sort of) coming into place. Big changes? Maybe…. we’ll keep you posted. Meanwhile, hope your 2020 is off to a great start – here’s to a great year!
Round Two – North to Alaska
Round Two – North to Alaska
When we decided to extend our trip beyond the initial 12 months, one of our first thoughts was that we wanted to go up to Alaska again this summer. But this time, we’d do it a little differently. Last summer we bolted through Canada to make it to Anchorage in time for me to fly all the way back to DC for a meeting the first week of June. So this year we are taking our good sweet time and trying to enjoy the ride!
We love our Airstream – Marvin has been a fantastic home for us for the last year. But pulling the trailer all the way to Alaska last year was a bit stressful. No issues or problems – but not knowing how the roads were, or what the ride would be make it a bit daunting. So if we were going to head to Alaska again this summer would the Airstream make the trip with us? If not, what would we do?
Meet Bullwinkle…
The Cirrus was one of the very first trailers we ever looked at – and from day one we thought it was way cool. Perfect for weekend trips, more nimble and off-road friendly than the Airstream – we thought a truck camper would be the perfect home away from home for us for the summer. So a few months ago when we were in Arizona we picked one up, and Darryl drove it to Colorado to be stored until last week when we made the equipment switch!
Not to worry – Marvin is safely tucked away in storage taking a well-deserved break for the summer.
It’s pretty cool… but it is TINY! It has been kind of like starting all over again… when we first sold the house and tried to cram everything into the Airstream we had NO idea where anything was stored for weeks and every cabinet and drawer was overflowing! After a few weeks (and a few reorganizations) it got better – but those first few weeks were stressful! Same challenges this time – we brought way too much stuff AGAIN!!
And of course, this time, there are 2 ½ of us – counting our new furry companion Xena!
We have been in the trailer for just about a week and I guess you could say we are all adjusting – new truck camper, new puppy, and lots of new adventures to be had. Look out Alaska… here we come!
Welcome to Ride Camp Eat 