Switcheroo
We did a thing.
What’s that old saying? New Year, New Rig?
I think that’s how it goes…
It’s 2021, my friends, time for some new energy up in here, so… meet Riveted Rosie!
She’s pretty, ain’t she?
Want to know how this happened? It all started with rainbow walking sticks…
You might remember, back in September we were camping at Grand Teton National Park. One day we were walking through the campground and came across the cutest little girl selling hand-painted walking sticks. The rainbow one caught my eye, and we stopped to peruse her wares. Her parents soon wandered out to join the conversation, and by the time we continued our walk we had cleaned out her entire inventory, and made friends with the Edwards family.
It was an instant connection, kids and parents alike. Jackpot!
These new friends invited us to follow them to Driggs, Idaho to meet their crew of traveling families, which changed the entire trajectory of the year for us. It opened our eyes to How and Why we want to continue this journey.
Sadly for us, we met the Edwards family on the last leg of their full-timing journey (for now). With their kids getting older, and other life events pulling them back to Georgia, after 6+ years on the road, they were saying goodbye to the traveling lifestyle, just as we were saying hello.
We said our goodbyes and see-you-laters, not knowing if and when we would all see each other again.
Cut to December, when we hightailed it back to Vegas to find some sunshine and downtime. Turns out, the crew we met in Driggs (minus the Edwardses) had made their way to Lake Mead (just 45 minutes from our old house in Henderson), where they were getting ready to set off on their next adventure.
It was so amazing to find our way back to this group, especially since we were in the process of scrapping Itinerary #3 and trying to figure out what to do next. In the course of reconnecting with these families, we realized that the best parts of this journey have a common theme: Freedom & Community
Freedom- Camping in RV parks and packed campgrounds does not feel free. When we started this journey, I envisioned us pulling up to remote campsites, down by the river, with no one else around. When you are limited by water/electricity hookups, that dream dies. We wanted to be more rugged and nimble; able to access and stay in remote places, and have a setup that worked without needing to be plugged in all the time. We could have modified Bucky to add solar, but nothing will change the fact that he is one cumbersome beast. Nimble, he is not.
Community- Most of the frustration in regards to lack of community is Covid-related, and this just goes back to why RV Parks and campgrounds are not ideal for us right now. Being surrounded by strangers you are desperately trying to avoid interacting with is difficult on all of us. We felt most comfortable on the road when we were able to create a small bubble of community with other families, and provide social opportunities for ourselves and the kids that felt safe.
So, when this wonderful group of families invited us to tag along on the next leg of their adventure, our answer was a resounding “HELL YES!” followed quickly by “BUT NOT IN BUCKY!”
Which brings us back to the Edwards Family… I sent an awkward text to Wendy… “Hey, uh, you know that beautiful truck and Airstream you love so much that brought your family so much joy? You know, the one that is perfectly set up for a family of five and equipped with solar that is calling out to me to live my best life? Any chance you’d be willing to sell the whole darn setup to us?”
Turns out, they were.
So we did.
And we sold Bucky.
And it all happened so fast and easy, it’s like the universe wanted it that way. (Shout out to Manifestation, careful what you wish for… ;).
So, here we go. The iconic silver baton has been passed from one family to another, and back on the road she goes with a new crazy crew on board.
I’ll end this post with an ode to our big, beautiful Bucky-
Bucky, my lumbering love, you were perfection. You were just what our family needed to start this journey, and we will be eternally grateful for the memories you allowed us to create. You carried us safely to each destination, and gave us a cozy home wherever we went. Thank you for holding and protecting us so well during our season together, and now we release you to spread your joy to another family.
Right now we are back out at Lake Mead with Riveted Rosie, getting to know each other and preparing for the next part of our journey. Everything is coming together, and we are hoping to leave by the end of January. We’ll let you know soon where our first of many Adventures with Rosie will take place!
In Joy, Truth, & Love,
~lisa
