Finally home.

I'm so excited to be back home. The plan was to post a photo of my plane coming into LAX - showing my joy to be back home - but I found out, after the fact (just tonight), that the phone was full... You can see my fantastic photo below.

What's missing in the photo is the view of downtown LA and the Hollywood sign over the front of the wing of that 757. Too bad too, because it was a really nice vista. Regardless of the artwork - I'm glad all is back to normal and that the kids gave me a great welcome back. I don't like that I'll have to do it all over again soon, but I'm looking forward to the welcome back then too.

A map for the trip - finally.

For a very long time, I've been trying to put a map on the Rig. There are several choices out there, but none, I thought, that fit our trip. The latest choices use license plate snipits for the states, and completely forget Canada. The past items I've seen have solid colored states (a must for me) and many have included Canada, but upon calling the manufacturer of that map, I've been told they don't produce it anymore. In fact, I was told that they get that call about three times a week, but have no plans for production. Now, I've seen some money opportunities squandered but, uh, hello - we're calling a company 'we (RVers)' need to research and are willing to pay whatever it takes to get your already produced map, and you aren't doing it... interesting choice.

So - I decided to just do my own. It is exactly what I want, in the shape, size, and form I want on my Rig. And while it took me some time to produce - I'm happy with what we came up with. Hours were spent designing the map, mocking the graphic, and deciding the setup. I went to a sign shop in town last week and finally - we've started our canvas - and I (I think WE) think it is perfect.

For those of you who are wondering - yes, there are places we've been that aren't represented here.  We chose a baseline, because of the trip and what it represents.  To fill in a state we must 1. Have stayed there in the Rig a week or more, and 2. Have explored a significant amout of territory to say we've 'done' the area.

In Rhode Island, of all places, we saw a Rig that put all the places they'd collected graphics for on their slideouts, and I made a mental note. They collected souvenir stickers of places they'd been, and I wanted to do the same.

So, we start here... toward the patio.  We're missing a bunch of places we've been - but I'm sure we'll catch up shortly.  There are some I need to buy, some I need to have printed, but I'm sure we'll  get everything figured out shortly.

I'm already thinking of what to do when we run out of room to plaster all the great places we've been... I've got some ideas, and I hope - for anyone reading this - that you get to see it soon. :)

We made it.

Sorry for the delay in posting, but we had a long couple of days. I just wanted everyone to know that we made it to our destination in CA, and we're planning on being here for awhile. We still need to turn the trailer around, get things set for the duration, and all will be well. I'm hoping that we'll be able to get all that set tomorrow.

Seeing family has been great, and leaving Iowa to make this trek, only to beat Kim and Julie here by a few hours has been a little surreal. Good times have been had the last couple of days, and I can only think they'll continue as we settle in and spend some quality time here.

Jill's going to post sporadically this next couple of weeks, and I'll put stuff up here and there between work hours, so please allow us a little down-time to recover from the cross-country trip. I think this will be a good stop-over and a nice rest. Catch-up is the name of the game for the next week or so - after that... we'll see. :)

Bittersweet Goodbye

Jill's Journal: Farewell Lexington. I’ve loved you so.

Louisville-bound and then the whole country…

Farewell Tour of Lexington

Jill's Journal: Much to our amazement, we remain near Lexington! We’re “camping” on 25 acres near Nicholasville, Kentucky, so it still feels like an adventure and a million miles from the home that we knew. Apparently we underestimated the amount of projects on Rob’s plate before we officially leave town, so we’re also taking advantage of the time to really get into the swing of things on the fifth wheel. We’re actually on Rob’s Mom’s acreage and now believe we’ll be here through early next week.

While Rob’s been working, the girls and I have been playing. We’re jokingly calling it our farewell tour of Lexington. We’ve had final playdate after final playdate with so many wonderful friends, including everything from a picnic with a jazz band at the lovely Ecton Park to the always-fun Explorium (Children’s Museum) to the insanity that is Chuck E Cheese to even just digging in the dirt and letting the kids be kids.

All these goodbyes have made me feel very nostalgic about Lexington. Today I took the girls to the Lexington History Museum in the ancient old courthouse downtown, where we got to experience some of the amazing heritage of this fantastic city, once called “The Athens of the West.” And really, what other museum can boast of its very own jockey silks right inside the front door?

I’ve always loved the contrasts that make up Kentucky. We’re smack-dab in the middle of the Bible Belt, yet a huge percentage of people here (ourselves included) make their living on the vices of gambling (horse racing) and drinking (bourbon). Both the Union and the Confederate presidents, Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis, were born in Kentucky. And today we stood in the old square that in 1850 housed the largest slave trade of the antebellum South, literally just a few short blocks from the childhood home of Mary Todd Lincoln. One has to wonder if the bustling slavery business just steps outside her door influenced her husband, Abraham, a frequent guest in the home, in preparing the Emancipation Proclamation, one of the country’s best-known symbols of freedom.

But I digress. I love this city, founded in 1775, and all that it represents. Whether our travels eventually lead us back to Lexington permanently or to somewhere else, Lexington will always hold a very, very special place in my heart. Somehow in the Bluegrass, the grass is greener, the sky is bluer, and the world is happier. We came here 13 years ago and it hasn’t been enough.

This is Mecca to the horse racing world; it more than lives up to the billing of “Horse Capital of the World.” Lexington to Thoroughbred racing is what Paris is to fashion, what Hollywood is to movies, what Washington is to politics. It all happens right here. People think of racing as the Sport of Kings, but outsiders don’t know about the hundreds of thousands of regular people who work in the sport simply for the love of the horse. And that is the great equalizer: whether someone in this game is a billionaire or below the poverty level or somewhere in between, we’re all here because we love the horse. It’s as simple as that.

Yesterday I stole a few quiet moments and walked among the historic annals at the Keeneland Library, a cathedral to any student of pedigree. Seeing some of the horseshoes, the trophies, and the paintings of racing’s greats still gives me goosebumps after all this time. I’m not an overly emotional person, but reflecting on the heritage of the Thoroughbred right here in Lexington and what little bit Rob and I got to be a part of brought tears to my eyes. If you listen closely, the manicured rolling green hills surrounding Lexington still echo with the hoofbeats of historic champions the world over and the promise of more to come.

For all these reasons and more, I am head over heels in love with Lexington. But I also know there’s a whole world out there just waiting to be experienced. Life is short. We can always settle down again but we won’t always have such an amazing opportunity to travel.

But Lexington will ever be,
The Loveliest and the Best;
A Paradise thou’rt still to me,
Sweet Athens of the West.
--Pennsylvanian Josiah Espy, upon an 1806 visit to Lexington

Inspiration and Information - comes from everywhere...

In wandering the aisles at the public library, I came across a book that looked interesting, so I picked it up - Horatio's Drive, America's First Road Trip.

The book really discussed how it was back in 1903 - no paved or improved roads (gravel), no maps, nobody had ever done anything like it. In fact, there were towns along the way that had never seen a car. It discussed the circumstances surrounding the trip, what it took to undertake it, and how lucky we all are now to be where we are.

After reading the book we decided to check out the film that Ken Burns did (the book was a companion to the film). The film gave me so much more of an understanding as to how bad it was out there. The visuals were well done (especially the Horatio-cam), the audio was done by big-names (Tom Hanks, Tom Bodette, etc.), and the information was really well presented.

I won't go into detail about the entire story, because if you're interested in Road Trips, its a must-see, and I don't want to ruin it - the film and book basically show what happens when somebody has vision, drive and a wallet to support it :). BTW - if you rent the film, be sure to watch the outtakes. It'll give you a little more perspective as to the background of the film, and the trip! More information is available here: http://www.pbs.org/horatio/index.html

So much to talk about...

I have so many things to talk about, and no mind to do it. Tomorrow I promise, tomorrow.

Topics include:

• How fast things move when you pull the trigger
• Timelines change when things move fast
• How to grab the only trailer in inventory, while trying to sneak that you're doing it
• How many things have come about in the last several hours that might set aside the entire schedule.

More to come soon, but first, a little rest. :)

R.

They Know!

Jill's Journal: My parents came from California to Kentucky to visit us last week and other than enjoying their visit, my focus was in telling them about our RV plans. Truth be told, I was terrified! Here I am a responsible, grown woman with kids of my own, and I was afraid to tell my parents for fear of their disapproval. Crazy, right?

Turns out I needn’t have worried. To my great and wonderful surprise, they took the news FABULOUSLY. Astoundingly well. Kristi thought my presentation helped: I told them how we never dreamed we’d leave Kentucky, but we’ve learned the only way to be competitive in the Thoroughbred industry here as breeders is to have far deeper pockets than we do. I told them we want a farm again someday, but we can see the benefits of a regional market as opposed to the top Kentucky market. I told them how our trip to the Central Coast of California last year opened our eyes to the realization that we could possibly live somewhere else. I reminded them how Rob already telecommutes and can work from anywhere. And I told them how places like Montana were considerations as a future home, but we very well might still stick with Kentucky – we honestly don’t know what the future holds. They’ve been hoping we’d move back West since we headed East 12 years ago and got very excited at all the above…

And then I told them that we had thought it would be so neat to “live” in various places for a few weeks at a time, kind of as a trial or test of future hometowns for us. I said that idea had morphed even farther and melded with our desire to travel the country. And then I broke the big news: we’d finally arrived at a plan of buying an RV and spending the next few years traveling before settling down again.

I waited for any sign of disapproval, but there was none. NONE! They took it amazingly well. In fact, to my great surprise, they were extremely positive about it! They were surprised at the plan as it is out of the conventional world they’re accustomed to, but they almost thought it was kind of neat and said it’s the kind of thing we need to do now while we can. You could have knocked me over with a feather at their reaction! It made me very, very happy and I don’t think I will ever underestimate them again. :-)

My parents' fabulous response surprised me so pleasantly that the next morning I worried if perhaps the margaritas and bourbon consumed during our “talk” had impacted their judgment. I asked them about it again just to make sure and the reaction stayed the same. It was like Christmas in July for me! As a few days passed, they thought of new questions to ask and had fun little realizations like wondering what would happen to my marvelous Dyson vacuum during our downsizing. (Side note: My Mom wants to volunteer to babysit it!!)

They took it so great!! I love my parents.

Next hurdles: telling Rob’s Mom and his employers. Yikes.

Article: Things every traveler should do

I ran across an article out of Real Simple, and thought I'd post it here to keep it in mind for when we hit the road. Though I've taken out a few that didn't make sense for our particular US trip, I thought it entirely appropriate:

Things every traveler should do

Visiting a new town is like having a conversation. Places ask questions of you just as searchingly as you question them. And, as in any conversation, it helps to listen with an open mind, so you can be led somewhere unexpected. The more you leave assumptions at home, I've found, the better you can hear whatever it is that a destination is trying to say to you.

Savor every moment of your first few hours

First impressions really are worth a thousand others. I often scribble a hundred pages of notes when I visit somewhere new. But then, when I get home, it's always the first page or two -- the taxi ride in from the airport, my first foray out onto the streets -- that captures something vivid and essential before my ideas and prejudices begin to harden.

So stay away from e-mail, the news and anything that reminds you of home and just soak the place in.

Embrace the prospect of being a tourist

Some snooty types will tell you that they're "travelers," not tourists. But if being a tourist means wanting to see all the attractions that make a town unique, then what's so bad about that?

Take the three-hour city tour on your first day in Atlanta so you know where things are and what you wish to return to. When traveling abroad, visit the shops recommended by tour guides, if only to see what's available from people who speak English. Don't be shy about asking a local stranger how to find the national museum; she may just offer you a guided tour along the way.

Run an errand for a friend

She's asked you to get, say, macadamia popcorn on Maui or to track down that wise monk she once met in Phnom Penh. The very search for what someone else wants or values (and it doesn't really matter what it is) will lead you to places you would otherwise never see.

Take in a performance or a sporting event

A ball game or a symphony is transporting and doesn't require you to speak the language. And watching opera in Beijing or soccer in Rio will be nothing like seeing opera or soccer at home. It would take a mighty effort to get me to "Swan Lake" in Santa Barbara. But put me in Beirut and I know it will be a night to remember.

Check out a bookstore

It's a great way to learn about the interests of the locals. On almost any street in New Delhi, for example, a bookshop is bulging with works on palaces, textiles, spirituality and the Kama Sutra; in Salt Lake City, the offerings are somewhat different.

And in a store like the independent-minded Elliott Bay Book Company, a local institution in Seattle, you'll find a universe so compendious that it seems to be an anthology of the city's distinctive grace notes. Poking into even the smallest of these places not only opens a new door to a city but also offers the promise of a good read to keep you company at night.

Ride a bus to the end of the line

It isn't wise to do this everywhere, but riding the bus to even the next six stops can be useful. At the very least, you'll see something of the city, get a front-seat view (literally) of what the Romans do in Rome and end up in surprising destinations. I did this in Miami once and found myself in a spicy part of Little Havana that nobody would have mistaken for South Beach, and yet it seemed to capture the essence of the city.

Read the daily newspaper

Almost every big city anywhere has an English-language paper, and even papers you can't read will startle you with their pictures and their different types of tiny print. Whether it's pages of "matrimonial" ads in The Times of India or headlines in the Key West Citizen (300-POUND MAN SMASHES HEAD IN WALL), newspapers always tell you much more about a place than they think they're telling.

[http://www.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/traveltips/06/25/travel.pointers/index.html]

Where do you Thrive...

Jill found a note that I wanted to publish here to show it to the world, and to give a little insight as to our trip and the many reasons behind it. I like what he has to say, and I think that's going to be a large part of what we are doing. I've seen this first hand over the last year or so, and I'm even more keen to watch for it in others now. There is something about being happy where you are bringing a sense of happiness to other aspects of your life.

So, without further ado and no more gilding of the lily...

Today, June 08, 2009 • Michael Davis

Comedian Patton Oswalt gave a commencement speech to his former High School where he told the story of man who told him about the 'Five Environments'. The story resonated with me. I grew up in San Diego, a lovely city that most people would feel lucky to live in.. I hope it makes sense to you too.

"There are Five Environments you can live in on this planet. There's The City. The Desert. The Mountains. The Plains. And The Beach. You can live in combinations of them. Maybe a city in the desert, or in the mountains by the ocean. Or you could choose just one. Out in the plains somewhere, perhaps.

"But you need to get out there and travel, and figure out where you thrive. Some places you'll go to and you'll feel yourself wither. Your brain will fog up, your body won't respond to your thoughts and desires, and you'll feel sad and angry.

"You need to find out which of the Five Environments are yours. If you belong by the ocean, then the mountains will ruin you. If you're suited for the blue solitude of the plains, then the city will be a tight, roaring prison cell that'll eat you alive.

"He was right. I've traveled and tested his theory and he was absolutely right. There are Five Environments. If you find the right combination, or the perfect singularity, your life will click... into... place. You will click into place."

RV FAQ

Jill's Journal: At this point, we’ve shared our RV plans with just a very few people. They all seem to have the same questions. So, without further ado, here is a list of common RV FAQ, complete with answers!

What about Rob’s job?

That one is easy – Rob already telecommutes, so as long as he has a computer and an internet connection, he can literally work from anywhere. We’re envisioning doing most of our driving on the weekends and setting up base camp for a week at a time, giving him an uninterrupted work week. I’ll spend lots of time exploring kid-friendly activities with the girls to give him plenty of peace and quiet for work.

What about school?

I’ll home school the girls. Erika will be in first grade, Madelyn will be in second-year preschool, and Victoria will still be too young for anything at all official. My girls love to learn and we already do little educational sessions here at home for fun. I don’t think this will be a difficult transition for them. We do worry a little bit about a lack of social interaction for them, but it’s only for a year. They have each other and we have lots of friends we plan to visit who have kids their ages. And surely we’ll find other kids to play with at campgrounds and various places. I also have no qualms about hunting down parks and all sorts of fun places in new cities where kids come in spades. In addition, we have many kid-friendly activities already on our developing itinerary (i.e. Crayola Factory, Sesame Place, etc.).

Are you crazy, doing this with little kids?

Maybe! It’s something we’ve always wanted to do and for a long time we entertained the notion of doing it sometime in the future. But when? The kids likely won’t enjoy it when they become teenagers and we don’t want to wait until they’re all out of the house because we’ll be too dang old! We’ve decided there’s no time like the present. They’re young, enjoy adventure and travel, and still like our company right now! What a wonderful life experience and incredible education for them. Plus, we want them to always follow their dreams. This is a pretty good example for them.

Do you realize how tiny an RV is? Especially for five people?

Oh yes, we know. But we’re already in a very small home and Rob also works from home, so we’re all used to spending lots of time together in a small space. Lots of larger families in history lived in a smaller space with a lot more people. It’s only a hardship if you believe it is.

Won’t you get sick of being on the road?

That’s always a possiblity. But we don’t think so. Rob and I have always loved road trips. Loved them with a passion. We really can’t think of any better way to travel right now than in an RV. To be able to move our home and necessary belongings pretty effortlessly, to see the country but still sleep in our own bed every night appeals to us tremendously.

When your trip is over, will you still live in Lexington?

Honestly, we don’t know, but that’s part of the reason for our trip. We had been planning on buying a new, bigger house in 2010 and really had no intention of living anywhere but Kentucky for the rest of our lives. However, lots of things have made us rethink that stance lately. We really do love it here, but since we got out of breeding Thoroughbreds (a whole ‘nother story but primarily because our focus is 100% on our children right now), it’s not as crucial that we live in Thoroughbred “Mecca.”

Moving is something we’ve been thinking about for a while – are we 100% certain we want our children to call this area of the country home forever? We’ve been here for 12 years and it’s a lovely place to raise a family, but is it a perfect fit for us? We’re open to other areas too.

This RV trip is partly to let us “live” temporarily in a few of the places on our list that we’ve been considering and let us “scratch the itch,” so to speak. We hope it will tell us if Kentucky is going to be our “forever home” or if that might be somewhere else. High on our list is the Central Coast of California, a place we fell in love with on a recent trip and, as an added bonus, a place where Kristi and Adam will be moving after school. The four of us have had many conversations about the “compound” we want to build together! Another place that really appeals to us is Montana. Or we may find somewhere else…or we may recommit entirely to Kentucky. We shall see, but we don’t see any point in buying a new house until we know exactly where we’re going to live for the rest of our lives. Enter the RV plan. Perfect timing.

Why?

Think of the adventure! This will be something to remember for a lifetime. We only live once and we’ve always believe in making the most of it.

Google Earth

Jill's Journal: Google Earth is a man’s best friend, or at least my man’s best friend these days! Rob is obsessed. For weeks now, he’s been spending every spare moment mapping out interest points all over the U.S., plus adding the addresses of friends and family members we’d like to visit.

At this point, just about every place is a potential stop and an itinerary of sorts is starting to form. We can already see we’ll be spending a significant amount of time in both the Northeast and the Northwest and not so much in other areas. We may entirely skip the Southeast for now, as that could be a whole separate trip on its own. And we’re also thinking a year may not be long enough! TWO years is a distinct possibility, especially as we’d also love to do the Alaskan Highway…

Can you imagine what an education this is going to be for our girls? Yes, they’re young, but when they learn about ... oh, say, the Mayflower in school, they’ll have actually seen it (or at least the replica of it). How cool is that?

Wanderlust

/Jill's Journal: A new year; another step closer to scratching our wanderlust itch. We think this will be a quiet year for us as we prepare for the RV launch in 2010. We have just two major family goals:

1). Keep the status quo with our little family. In other words, keep everybody healthy and happy as we enjoy every day together.

2). Conquer that tax debt! Barring any unforeseen setbacks, our very aggressive goal is to be debt-free by the end of October. It requires commitment and sacrifice, but we’ve already made some major headway over the past six or seven months. We are dedicated and determined.

By the way, I’ve always loved the word “wanderlust.” I remember discovering it as a kid and thinking it was a positively delicious word! It also sums up an affliction I’ve had since I was very young. I’ve always loved to travel, always craved travel. I remember being 13 and literally begging my parents to let me use my life savings for a trip to England (especially as my fave band, Wham!, had just broken up and planned a farewell concert in London, but that’s beside the point). Naturally, my parents said no (I can’t imagine why!), especially as I planned to go by myself, and I thought I would just die from their stamp of refusal!! Somehow I managed to survive the crushing blow (!) and got a job as a travel agent before high school graduation. I put myself through college on my meager travel agent pittance and was fortunate to do more traveling in seven years than many people get to do in a lifetime.

I finally did get that trip to London and over a dozen more to Europe during those years (and certainly have visited a good portion of the U.S. and a few other countries), but like anyone stricken with wanderlust, I ache for more! I’m fortunate to have a husband who, although he probably doesn’t quite crave travel the way I do, definitely enjoys adventure and seeing the world.