Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Still Moving in the Right Direction

We continue to be excited about our future on the road and to work on the goals we set to make it happen.

Bill gave me an electronic photo frame for my birthday last month.  He saw parts of my Pinterest board "Let's Go There" loaded with great places I want to see, and thought getting them off the board and up where we can both drool over them was a good idea (smart man).  Today I finally sat down to get it loaded and after learning the importance of resolution (thanks Jeff) I now have 50+ photos of amazing locales scrolling beside me.

Some places either one or both of us have already visited but they are places we want to see together or places we want to return to for a longer stay.  Just thinking about spending weeks rather than days (in some cases hours) at Sedona, Arizona or the California Redwoods refreshes my excitement about our plans!

Everytime I read about another fun place that other bloggers already on the road have found, I can add that picture to the frame (if there is a photo available with the proper resolution of course....).

Not surprising, I did scratch my itchy feet and make arrangements to spend next weekend in Laguna Beach.  I have a great friend from high school who lives down the coast and we are renting a little beach cabin with no plans other than to walk the beach and have morning coffee on the patio.  I'm even looking forward to the drive down Interstate 5 so know I'm ready to be on the road.

Bill is doing so well on the medical fast!  He's down over 25 lbs in under two weeks and has been 100% on program.  Me?  Also 100% on program.  How much have I lost?  Yep - 7 lbs!  Enough to make every woman hate every man........almost.  Fourteen weeks to go, with 4th of July at Clearlake with the family to really give us a challenge, and I'm confident we will BOTH be successful in meeting our goals.  It sure makes you rethink how much time and money we spend on food for entertainment, food for comfort, food for socializing.  If we can hold on to what we're learning this summer we'll have a great start for eating light on the road.

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Itchy Feet

 

At the end of April we took a 9-day road trip in our little SUV.  It was wonderful in all possible ways and upon arriving back home both of us were ready to go again.  I started blog-binge'ing on every full-time rv'er blog I could find and Bill started logging all the places we had already traveled together.  We had been planning the big move in 2015 but it was that April trip that really sealed the deal.  If we could enjoy traveling together in a few cubic feet and hauling luggage in and out of numerous hotels, then certainly taking the comforts of home with us will be the greatest experience ever! 

And I want to do it now.

It is no coincidence that I started this blog immediately following that trip.  I found myself obsessing (one of my more endearing traits that comes as no surprise to those who know me) over motorhomes and campgrounds and hiking locations and weather patterns as if we were loading up and taking off in two weeks.  Preparation is certainly a key to success but I mean I was in the mindset of doing it all before Cinco de Mayo!  So the blog was a way to focus on the reality of time and those things yet to be accomplished before we can actually hit the highway.

And I still want to do it now.

Yesterday I was researching something completely unrelated to travel (part of my self-prescribed therapy) and found myself looking at weekend retreats (side effects?) for next weekend when Bill will be camping with the guys.  Living in Southern California there are numerous places within driving distance that make you feel like you have traveled to another world.

And I really want to do that now.

My best friend Janis and I make an annual trip to Bodega Bay in her motorhome and spend a week on the beach.  With the exception of one day trip in the beautiful surrounding countryside we spend the time reading and relaxing and walking her dogs.  We were scheduled to be there this week but the motorhome-gods felt this was not the right time to go and alas we are postponed until November.  Perhaps it is that missed trip as much as the great trip that have combined to create this compelling desire to travel somewhere else.

And I should do that now.

Maybe just a quick trip up to Ojai for a personal retreat, or down the coast to see a good friend and get my beach-fix.  I don't think it will take much to scratch these itchy feet - not time nor expense.  One true advantage of being on a full-fast is that food is no longer something to be planned or purchased.  I can take Tessa if I want and I don't have to go far.  The hotter weather is a factor but having the wind gone also opens up other possibilities. 

Okay, I'm totally doing that now.