When: T-9 days!
Where: Almost “home” to Kingsburg from Tuscon
Why: Cut our trip a couple days short 1) so we could see my son’s first race and 2) because we have more to-do’s on our list than time to do them!
What: We’re returning from Escapade 57 – an Escapees National RV Rally
On the drive home Tom and I have been going over the lists off all there is still to do to be out of the house in 9 days. But for the past week we hardly gave those tasks a thought!
We’ve been in Tuscon among over two thousand other RVers and it was great fun. We reconnected with some friends we made at the Xscapers Convergence in January, and we met a couple more new life-long friends. All full-timers. As were many others at this event.
It was a jam-packed week of seminars and socials, information and interactions. From Sunday to Thursday they had a schedule that kept us busy from 8:30 am to 8 or 9 pm. For a brief overview, see our Video-log about it here. At night they had entertainment such as a local Native dance troupe, and a Beach Boys/Eagles cover band, and the oh-so entertaining Talent show!
We also found time to spend with college daughter Jessica. So it was a very fun, but very exhausting week (including two days of travel each way).
Several of the sessions had such interesting topics that Tom and I had to split up to attend multiple seminars. Tom already had our solar installed, but I attended that session just so I could understand it better. Tom attended the Maximizing Mobile Internet to get even more tips for connectivity while traveling.
We attended technology classes taught by Geeks On Tour, Chris and Jim Guld, and learned trip planning with Google Maps. We attended a class on selecting your Domicile state which was scary, and I attended an even scarier one on Taxes and Accounting for Full Time RVers. Scary because there is SO much to consider and so many ways to get you messed up if not addressed properly.
Together we attended fun topics like Relationships for Full-Time RVers (by Marc & Julie Bennett of RV Love) and “Living Large in Small Spaces” which gave a his/hers perspective on tight quarters.
I went to a class on the Total Solar Eclipse happening this August and got a brief Astronomy lesson. Tom went to a class on “Gold, Ghosts and Gravel Roads” and learned of some interesting places to visit. We also attended a class on Fall RV Travel in New England and it made us excited to go. In fact all of it – especially visiting with people and learning about where they’ve been or where they’re going – really made us anxious to get this party started!
But alas, we are not free yet. Business and finance loose ends need to be tied up, the never ending sorting, purging, and packing still remains, and then the biggie: actually moving (anything we’ll ever need!) into the RV.
But the trip was a nice break from reality and stoked our enthusiasm for gettin’ ‘er done. So tomorrow we’ll wake up and get to it!
Happy Travels,
Peace & Love, Joy