Could it be TRUE? Hitting the road - FINALLY!

T minus 2 (maybe 3) days!!  IF and that's a BIG IF things will stop happening to delay me longer.  I am feeling rushed because I have to head to Minnesota first to visit relatives, then to Nebraska to visit Egon, the builder of my teardrop.  After that I can finally head south then west.  Just hoping I can keep away from the fluffy white stuff!

For the most part, in the last week a lot of things have come together.  I have made good progress on the packing of the car.  I continue to purge more things and I think it is working out.  I still have a huge list of things to get done in the next day and everything takes me 3x longer to do than I expect. I so wish my brother were still here to help.  I think he would have enjoyed helping with the projects I've been working on and he would have been a HUGE help in getting things organized and set up - especially all my new tech stuff.  I am now the proud owner of a new smart phone (which I'm still trying to finish setting up) and mobile hotspot -Verizon Jetpack (which I haven't even gotten out of it's box yet!).

Oh, the car.  I'm sad to say that Tawanda will NOT be joining me on the road.  She suffered from transmission issues and I knew she just couldn't make the journey with me.  She did her darnedest to hang in there but I had to let her go - for her sake.  She is and always will be missed - she was an awesome car!  I now have a much more fitting vehicle for my adventures.  Meet Grania.  She and Zelda and I are gonna have a great time!

Meet Grania - A 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan

I wanted a minivan for 2 reasons.  1) They have a greater tow capacity than most mid-size SUV's and 2) I needed some more indoor space to work.  With the middle seats stowed and the addition of a small table, I now have a very comfortable indoor work space if the outside weather isn't cooperating.  An SUV doesn't give me that.  I just have to figure out how to pack her!  I know I am still taking too much, but I just don't know what I will and won't need out there so I'm taking some extras just in case.  I will be like the early pioneers heading west on the wagon trains, leaving a trail of belongings behind me that are extraneous - only I will donate mine and not leave them on the side of the road or in someone's front yard.

Well, I found out this past Wednesday that Zelda is dyslexic.  Turns out the wiring on the car and the wiring on the trailer for the brake lights and turn signals don't match up.  So I am doing some rewiring to make them work.  So far I have the turn signals working.  Those were easy.  I still can't get the brake lights to work on their own without the car's headlights on.  Hmmm, perplexing. . . but I'm not giving up.  Gonna try again tomorrow when I have daylight.  If I can't figure it out, at least Zelda is towable now as long as I keep my headlights on.  When I stop to see Egon hopefully we can figure things out if I haven't by then.

I want to get this update posted so you know that I am on my way finally!  I have a lot more projects and happenings to share with everyone, but I have to get some sleep tonight so I can complete my "to-do" list tomorrow.  Once I get on the road I'll have more time to post updates.  If you live where it is already cold and possibly snowy, I would be most appreciative if you would keep it to yourself until I get well south of you.  Thank You!

Wow - An update! Yes it really is true!

Moving out of my house and to Northern Ohio this past December was beyond overwhelming.  I never would have gotten out of my house in time without the help of my amazing brother.  I'd still be there today laying on the kitchen floor in tears.  Yes, I know I'm not supposed to be moving north for the winter, but that is where I had a place to stay, so northward I was bound.  It is also where I grew up so I was essentially coming home.  My amazingly generous friends took me in and let me stay with them on their farm.  They didn't have much space for themselves, so adding me and my 2 cats to the mix was beyond what most people would have put up with.  (I had to have my 3rd cat put down just before I moved due to an illness and the stress of the move being too much for him). 

RIP Yoda

At my friend's cabin I had my little corner to sleep and lived out of a bag and my car and was content.  It was good practice for my future simplistic life in the tearbaby and a useful lesson in flexibility!  We eventually got into a routine and aside from frozen pipes and the most wicked winter I can remember, we managed pretty well - as long as I could Bogart their gas fireplace heater round the clock!  

But due to many setbacks this past winter - specifically the WEATHER! - and a great loss in my life this spring (the sudden passing of my brother), my travel plans have been put on hold for now.  Once life for me and my family adjusts to a "new normal" I will be hitting the road. It seems that 2014 hasn't been a good year for many people I know.  I hope the second half is spectacular for everyone, to make up for the first half.  I'm counting on it!

I also don't have regular access to internet so have to grab it at the library when I can - thus the lack of posts.  However, I have several that I plan to get up soon with some new developments with the tearbaby.

So this summer I have been working on developing my online business to hopefully fund my traveling and helping my family as we transition to life without my brother. This summer my dear friend invited me to spend a day with her and her family at their cottage on Kelley's Island in Lake Erie.  I used to go there as a kid with our neighbors, but it has been more than 30 years since I visited.  What a MAGICAL day it was for me. Any time I can be on the water is magical, but this day was extraordinary in what it did for me.  I really needed it too.  We had such a fantastic day.  I am so grateful for such dear friends.

Ferry ride to Kelley's Island, Lake Erie.  Any time on a boat on the water is pure heaven to me!

Hanging out at my friend's "Cottage by the Lake" on Kelley's Island.
Boy did I need this day!

All great days must come to an end.  Taking a moonlit ferry ride back to the mainland.
Cedar Point Amusement Park is lit up in the background.
(picture is grainy - sorry)

I have also packed and repacked and repacked the tearbaby and car so many times trying to cut down my pile to what I think I will need, and trying to figure out how everything will fit.  It isn't easy trying to figure out what you might need while living on the road - especially if you are very limited on space and funds.  If you already have it then why re-buy it later if it might be helpful?  (Have to let go of that mindset.)  It reminds me of my backpacking days - talk about living minimally!  My first backpack packing experience was rather pathetic - I'm really quite embarrassed to admit to the giant pile of stuff I thought I couldn't live without that I tried to fit into that poor backpack. Thank the powers that be that I had a knowledgeable friend who educated me on proper backpack packing etiquette and amazingly I still survived, quite happily, without all the extras.  I tried for many years to keep to a minimalist lifestyle, but can’t believe not only the amount of stuff that you end up with, but also the speed of accumulation of said stuff when you have a house: "If you build it, STUFF will come!"  Like ants to a picnic or scandal to a politician. I'm sure I'll continue to purge as I adjust to life in the tearbaby.  If you've never watched the movie "The Story of Stuff" you really need to.  It really hits home.  I used to do a lesson very similar when I taught Environmental Education.  Here it is:  http://storyofstuff.org/movies/

One thing I've been enjoying is decorating my little trailer.  Zelda the tearbaby is getting decked out in an ocean theme.  You'd think decorating something that's less than 50 square feet would be easy, well . . . it's not.  Limited space means you have to be creative.  But I love the challenge!  The ocean theme and a few small personal items that were special gifts from loved ones will make Zelda feel like home to me.

My "totally awesome, coolest little nephew ever" & his mom visited and checked out Zelda.
He and "puppy" gave Zelda their Seal of Approval!
Actually he loved playing in her - just his size. 

Things are moving along!