Well, here we are on our way to Arizona, doing something I never thought we would be doing. We are leaving our home, family and friends to set out on adventure. We have packed ourselves (my husband and I), my two children, our dog and turtle and are traveling over 2,200 miles in our new 32-foot bunkhouse Class C RV.
How it began
My friend, Risherrah, and I took a moms’ weekend trip to the mountains of Western North Carolina. I felt as if I needed this trip, to get away and refresh for a bit. It was a relaxing weekend. We did a lot of driving and talking and drinking coffee and more talking. We decided to get on the Blue Ridge Parkway, ride around and enjoy the views. Along the way, we stopped at the Folk Art Center.
While at the Folk Art Center we were looking at the national park passports for kids. The kids take their passports to different national parks and have it stamped. Each park has their own unique stamp. Risherrah and I were discussing what national park was the closet to us when a man nearby answered the question for us. We got into a discussion with him.
He was very knowledgeable about the parks. We came to find out that he and his wife sold everything they own at home and bought a travel trailer. They have been traveling the United States with their two children. The husband works a month or so at a time and then they travel about nine months out of the year. They travel frugally and take advantage of free activities and campsites that are low in cost.
Their philosophy was this: why give corporate America the very best years of your lives and then hope to live/make t to retirement where you then may or may not be able to enjoy it. They themselves were in their early to middle 20s. I remember standing there thinking that their story was amazing and realizing that this is my dream. I have always wanted to travel and see the world.
As we continued to talk I mentioned that I am a nurse and they both told me that this lifestyle would be easy for me to maintain as a travel nurse. I’d never thought that a travel nurse position would have been something I would consider because I enjoy the comfort of being familiar with my surroundings.
After Risherrah and I left the Folk Art Center we continued to talk about how we would love to be able to travel as this couple is. We both left feeling that this meeting was one of things that were meant to be.
And this is how it began, the seed was planted.
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