Reflections After One Year on the Road

I just caught up with a few weeks worth of blogs and was looking back on some of this past years entries and it's just so cool to see how much we have done and how many places that we have visited.

We had very little idea of what to expect when we set off last year.  We left on a cold December afternoon in New Jersey and literally had no idea where we were headed.  Spent our first night in a Walmart parking lot and then made a B-line for warmer weather.

We had so many "learning" experiences those first weeks, including almost pulling the front legs off of the fifth wheel.

We have made so many great memories, seen so many amazing places, and, I think I speak for all of us.........are so grateful to have had this opportunity.

I asked Diego and the girls to make a list of their favorite and least favorite things about traveling the country in a fifth wheel.  Some were more prompt with their responses than others.

The first to reply was Sofia.  She likes not being in one place all the time, getting to make so many new friends, and getting to see her family along the way.  She doesn't like that she doesn't see her other friends very often, that she has to share a small space with her sister, and that she can't run or jump in her "delicate" house :)

Luna says her favorite has been making new friends and seeing so many new places, but she doesn't like the days that we relocate because they can be long and she doesn't like that sometimes it's cold inside the camper.

For me, I love travel days.  I love the feeling of all of my "stuff" with me and I'm moving.  I remember that feeling in college driving down Interstate I10.  Everything I own in my trunk and I'm on the move. Freedom is my favorite and that moving down the road gives me such a sense of it.  I love passing through towns, seeing beautiful landscapes and getting to know new places.  I have loved meeting so many great people along the way too.

My least favorite things have been making reservations, making reservations, making reservations. Looking ahead, checking reviews, distances, Verizon coverage, etc. can be very time consuming and tiring.  My next least favorite has been when after doing all of that research, pulling into the place and it's not that great.  And lastly not having a mechanic, hair-cutter, or doctor at my fingertips that I know and trust.

As we get closer to Las Vegas we are all feeling excited to have some down time with family and rest up.  We're not sure what our next plans are, but we know that there are still a few places left that we want to see and are hoping to travel lighter this next leg of the trip.

Getting on the Road

We picked up the RV this past weekend and after a couple of practice streets we were on our way. We went from the wide open spaces in southeast Jersey to the much smaller streets of Haddonfield. We arrived to our place in the dark and after 2 hours of backing up, moving forward and trimming trees, (all in 30 degree weather) we made it into our driveway :)  It was quite an accomplishment.

Got the Truck

We bought the truck!  We ended up with a 2011 RAM 2500 Turbo Diesel.  We are very happy with the purchase and really enjoyed the dealership that we used,  Lime Ridge Automotive.  We are getting decent gas mileage for a truck and are hopeful that the it won't be too bad while we're pulling the ole girl down the road.  The girls are so excited, but I must say they are pretty much excited about everything to do with buying something new :)

Fifth Wheel Purchase and Truck Hunt

We bought our fifth wheel a couple of weeks ago.  A Jayco Superlite 31.5 BH.  The girls are so excited because they each have 2 bunk beds.  It's a good size........not too big, not too small.  Of course we're not living in it yet, so I may feel differently later.  We are changing our mindset, to our living room being the world around us and our fifth wheel as our sleeping and inclement weather hang out.
We are still looking for a monster truck to pull this sucker.  I didn't realize how big of a truck we would need.  I thought a truck was a truck, but I have learned that is not true.  We have the search narrowed down to a couple and may make a decision this week.

Yahoo!

We have known for a long time that we wanted to have the freedom to be mobile and we have had several ideas of what we would do with that mobility.  The stars aligned and we have decided to hit the road.  USA here we come!!! :)