I very carefully backed out of the car port Saturday morning, picked up my blocks and headed out. I am now on the road north. Last night I camped somewhere in Virginia. I am not totally sure of where I was and that was just fine with me.

Janet, Brittany, Tripp

Before I left NC I had an extra special treat. I met up with my niece, Brittany and her husband, Tripp. We met at a Presbyterian Meeting town or camp called Montreat. Britt used to attend before she went to college and then began to work there. I have heard of this area for years and it was so lovely. We did a hike, with stairs (I hate stairs) to a lookout sits of the surrounding area. Yes Zoe, I got a vista. What was most delightful was that I got to spend time with these 2 wonderful young people. It was a very good morning.

Vanderbilt Estate, NC

Virginia Countryside

After wandering around the town of Black Mountain I started the drive north and east. Last night I camped in the wilderness and I loved the quiet. I appreciate the moments in between visits. It allows me to regroup and get ready for the next act of gratitude. It is not always easy to be so up front with my feelings. Yet I love the fact they are so close to the surface. The regrouping time is important and I am thankful for that as well.

Nancy

Nancy, another San Diegan, has been my friend since I moved to San Diego. We have had wonderful times together and some rough ones as well. Our friendship has endured through it all. Friendships do not always need to be easy but the good ones endure and ours has. We have known each other for 28+ years.  That is a long time. She has been my hiking buddy, a good travel companion and a confidant. Jim was an introvert and he did not always feel comfortable around all people. He always felt comfortable around Nancy and I appreciate knowing that. Even though her life is often busy she has always found time for me, a phone call, a quick visit and sometimes just e-mail. Even better, is that Elsie, the cat has always liked her. She often runs and hides from guests but not Nancy. Elsie thinks she is better than OK and so do I. So thank you Nancy for being there and being so supportive to both Jim and myself. I look forward to more adventurous times with you. (I know you are reading this blog).

Right now I am in Charlottesville, VA, home to our third president Thomas Jefferson. he was certainly quite the man. I have been to Monticello numerous times and have been always so impressed about what an intellectually eclectic man he was. This is beautiful country, rolling hills and farms.

I am on my way to the small town of North Beach, MD to visit a friend I have known since high school, Joy. It is going to be nice to be back along the salt water coast.

This  morning I am thankful for the couple who took time out of celebrating their anniversary to helped me put my cute little RT on blocks last night so I could have an even and balanced night in my RT.

Janet & Jim on a very chilly morning in Yellowstone National Park.

There was once a woman (me) who decided to change up her life. Due to circumstances beyond her control, change came whether she was ready or not.

She went out and bought herself a small, very cute Roadtrek Agile SS RV, packed it up and took off to see the country. She wanted to meet up with friends near and far and and get lots of hugs. She really wanted to thank all these people for their support and kindness they had given to her over the past challenging three years.

Waiting for Janet, Gloss Mts, Ok

She traveled to Arizona and Colorado renewing friendships and seeing the sights. This woman found that she really liked living in her cool little RV. She traveled and camped through Oklahoma, Arkansas and Mississippi learning more and more each day about camping and sleeping and making her RV work. She took time to explore and learn new things, remembering to get out and stretch frequently. It was fun to see all these places she had never seen before. She was happy most of the time.

Snuggled In

After visiting family in Florida and a good friend in the “Peach State” of  Georgia she arrived in Hendersonville, North Carolina. Very good friends awaited her arrival and were so excited when she finally knocked on their door.  But…what to do with that cute little RV?  First they tried Kay’s house but the carport was too short.  Oh no, what were they to do?  They drove the cute little RV over to Zoe’s and they drove it very carefully, with a little shouting and encouragement into the carport. It went in easily.  Wait a minute it was not level. Out came the blocks. They were placed under the tires on the right side. With a very slow drive forward and Zoe’s good directions the RT was balanced and even, with an inch of room to spare.  One inch.

Now the neighbors saw this and were amazed.  How did they ever get this cute little RV in there, they wondered.  And the cute Roadtrek became the talk of the neighborhood.

A Closer Look

Janet & the Atlantic

On Monday I made it to the east coast and the Atlantic Ocean. The last day was a long drive. It was good to see sister and her husband’s new home.

There are several journeys that I am undertaking all combined into one RV experience. My sister, Ruth and I have not really been close or known each other in years and we have not always gotten along well. I was hesitant regarding this visit to her and she (as I found out) was tentative about it as well. We really have had little communication with each other for several years. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer our silence was broken and we started to e-mail each other occasionally. With Jim’s diagnosis we picked up communications a bit more. I know she loved and supported both of us over the past 3 plus years through thoughts and prayers. What is this journey about with Ruth, you may wonder?

There were different parts to this visit and each one was good. I spent 3 nights with them. Ruth and I  really spoke to each other for the first time in may years. And yes, Virginia (my oldest sister) we did get along beautifully. I had the opportunity to thank her for her support and caring. I feel like this was a first step into a reconnection at a new level of understanding. This will need to be a slow and steady process forward. One baby step at a time. It was a very good visit.

Joe & Janet

The other part of this visit that I enjoyed was getting to know Ruth’s husband, Joe, of 30+ years. In all the years they have been married I have had rare opportunities to speak with him. We spent a greater part of a day together and I really enjoyed his company. Joe took me on a tour of the Culinary Arts program he started at Northern Florida State College. We walked on the beach and we talked. I hope he knows how much this time meant to me. Through him I know a little more about my sister.

Ruth  and I explored Fernadina Beach and Amelia Island. We found this rather unique house shaped like a boat and they had created a religious sanctuary in the yard. There was even a small chapel. We wandered through downtown on Amelia Island and went shopping. Even I, not the most excited shopper came away with a few new clothes. They certainly were better for dealing with the continuing heat and humidity.

The Sanctuary

Shark!!!

My HP laptop crashed so I am down to my I-pad and will probably go shopping for a new laptop, somewhere on this journey. Thank you, Adrian and Brian for you input on this subject. This was a laptop that was a year old and it was Jim’s. I still find it hard when I see or feel a little bit of him slip away. I remind myself they are only objects, yet they represent Jim, too. I find myself amazed that grief is still around. I guess I just expected to get over it but am finding it is an on going process. I am still working my way through this. I continue to feel vulnerable and loved and strong,  all at the same time. Sigh.

I am in Warner Robbins, GA at the moment. Today I am thankful for my family and all my friends. I am thankful, also for another chance with Ruth. Today I am just thankful.

Billy the dog – Ruth, Janet, Joe

Arkansas Capitol

I did it. Yep, I finally made it to the other side of the country. I arrived at my sister’s in Fernadina Beach, FL, on Monday evening. I am glad I am traveling with my I-pad and and a laptop. My laptop crashed and is now at the computer doctors. My I-pad is my best friend at the moment.

I spent a lovely evening in a state campground in Arkansas. It was hot and humid and covered with trees. Due to a misreading of the map I took a 5 mile hike instead. this trail is part of the Arkansas River hike and bike trail system.  It included an overlook of the Arkansas river.

Heifer International

Sunday morning I visited Little Rock. it was a lovely morning along the Arkansas river. Why is it that every state proudly declares that their capitol was designed to look like the US capitol?  I am not being critical but every state I have been to makes this same statement. Did you know that Little Rock is the home of Heifer International? This organization raises money for poor people around the world. You can buy a heifer for a family for Christmas. The building is totally green and architecturally beautiful. this was in the William F Clinton Presidential Library Complex.

In the afternoon I drove through southern AK and then into Mississippi. Here is what I know of this area. It is flat! There are miles of corn, okra and cotton. There are not too many people and there a lot of bugs, everywhere. Every day I clean the front end of my RT, get rid of all the bug juice just to start all over again the next day.

A list of things that remind me I am no longer in southern CA

• Really hot. Really humid.
• Armadillo road kill.
• Prisoners working along the roadside in striped prison clothes.
• Have I mentioned the heat?
• Where did all these trees come from? And, why is it so green?
• Vegetable stands that advertise okra.
• I get out of my RT and my glasses steam up.
• And have I mentioned the heat?

Another San Diego Friend:  Phyllis and I have been friends for many years. We worked together as nurses at  Children’s Hospital in San Diego. I am not sure how our friendship developed, it has been so long. What Ido know is that since my diagnosis of breast cancer and on into the present, Phyllis has unconditionally been there for me. The day I was diagnosed with breast cancer, Phyllis was there. When Jim was admitted to the hospital, she came to sit in the ER with us at mid-night. All I have ever had to do is call her and she is there. We walk together each week. She is a good confidant for me. I am very thankful to have such a friend in my life.

Janet &the Presidential Library in the Background

Comanche Grasslands

After a tire check in Guymon, OK, I departed across the Oklahoma pan-handle and ended last night near Oklahoma City. I have spent the last two days riding in the wind.  The country in eastern CO and western OK is flat with views that go on forever. As I drove through the National Comanche Grasslands I saw many abandoned adobe homes in many states of disintegration.  There is actually a driving tour you can do of these homesteads. These adobes represented the original homesteads of the people who were part of the Great Land Grab. I have read diaries of women who lived here. The loneliness was profound and the wind often drove them insane. I can imagine that after seeing these homes. It was beautiful country but the wind never stopped and neighbors were far a few between.  This open expanse made me think about the word vulnerable. I would describe my heart and emotions as vulnerable over the past year. I find I wear my heart on my sleeve. I feel what I feel when I feel it. I can laugh, cry, feel saddness and more any time I want to and it is OK. What I have found is that in this time of vulnerability many people have come forward to love me and help me. If I was protecting my heart this might not happen. I have had strangers on this trip help me with my RV and everything else. I have met wonderful strangers who have given of themselves because I have allowed them in, if only for a moment. This has been a good reminder to me to keep my heart open. I never know what might happen. I expect only good.

Gloss or “Glass” Mountain view

Yesterday afternoon I drove into the most beautiful red butte country. I stopped and did a hike up to the top of Gloss Mt. The Gloss Mountains have a high Selenite content that mimics a shiny glass exterior.The hike was a little over a mile and once I got to the mesa it was a beautiful casual hike to the end.  The Views continue to stretch forever. I met a lizard along the way but no other wildlife. Definitely a good stop for this road weary warrior.

Jim, Peru

I have a favorite photo of Jim on my dashboard. I look at that photo often as I drive. Yesterday I kept looking at how healthy he looked when I took this photo a year ago in May, while we were traveling in Peru. It is hard to figure out what happened that he died less than 6 months later. I don’t feel sad or angry or anything except amazed that this could happen to such a healthy man. I still wonder where he went. I ask myself, how did this happen? There are no answers. He was a such a part of my life for 21 years and then one day he was gone. I have memories and photos but I will never here his voice again or feel his touch and that I miss. Now I wander hoping to figure out what is next.Last night I took my first shower in my RT. I went to the bathroom at the campgrounds saw a scorpion on the floor and decided it was time to try out my shower. It worked well and there were no scorpions  in my shower.  They are some ugly looking creatures And that one made me nervous.

Lastly, for those of you who would like to know, my friend, Sharon is out of the hospital and doing well. Still feeling very thankful for her.

When I was in my early 30’s I was having a bit of a hard time with life. I ended up living in a small wood cabin in a trailer park near Pagosa Springs Colorado. My bed was a single bed that the manager of the park loaned me. I had no heat in this cabin. The bathrooms were a walk away. I had a pool table in the middle of the cabin. I had a job waiting tables at the Chimney Rock Restaurant. I waited tables, tended bar, pumped gas, took care of the small store and checked in people at the campground. The first morning that I lived there I had gone to the showers and when I returned there was a hot plate and 2 pots of flowers on my step. Later in the day I met Judy & Fred and their 2 girls. They quickly adopted me and I became part of their family. They loved me and supported me and never once asked what was wrong. Judy taught me about horses and I was soon riding in the high mountains with her and her daughters. They kept me busy and loved me. We have been friends ever since.  I have spent the last 2 nights with them in Alamosa, CO. They are still loving me and supporting me. I am thankful for their ongoing friendship every day.

View from Fred & Judy’s

This morning I left Judy’s & Fred’s home in Alamosa. I have spent the last 2 nights with them. The Alamosa Valley is amazing in it’s diversity. Yesterday we traveled to Great Sand Dunes National Monument and Preserve. These dunes are amazing and the area around it is too. We climbed on the dunes that are formed by wind and water. They range up to 700 feet high and their backdrop is the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.  I learned a new term while we were there, “The Surge”. Because the streams carry so much sand in the water ripples of sand form under the water and then break. The water then surges down stream. It was really cool.

About 10 minutes later we drove to over 8,000 feet and hiked into Zapata Falls. The most fun part about these falls, to see them we had to hike in very cold water into a slot canyon. I love being able to shake my normal life off, if even for a few minutes and do something a bit out of the norm. Even though my feet were chilly, I loved every minute of it. What makes this valley so diverse is that it is the highest desert in the U.S., yet it has wetlands, dunes and Mountains that rise to over 14,000 feet. And…it has my wonderful friends, Fred and Judy living there.

Sand Dunes

This morning I departed and drove through the Trail of Legends and right now am taking a break in Trinidad, CO before I head to Oklahoma. I am making my way east. Sweet.

I have become part of clubs or groups that have either worked out for me or not. I have also joined groups that I did not want to join, such as the breast cancer survivors, or the widowed. I have now become part of another group. I am now part of the small RV, Roadtrek group. I love it when I see another RT on highway. Lights flash, we wave frantically and then go on our way. It is fun. The people on the Roadtrek facebook page have been terrific in answering my questions and following along on this journey. I like this group. I continue to feel loved and supported by so many people. Some I know and some I don’t and they all still fall into that category of friends.

Janet in the Dunes

Janet, Judy, Fred

Zapata Falls

Tuesday, mid-morning, after one more visit to the hospital, I departed Flagstaff and began the drive across Arizona on I-40. I chose this route for a few reasons; since I have spent so much time in Arizona and New Mexico I have decided I might linger more in states and areas of the

Monsoon

country that I have not been to before. This was a very hard choice because I love these two states. There is so much diversity in each one. The summer monsoons are in full swing across this high desert country. I got to witness the summer clouds forming up and watched the rain coming across the desert plateaus. Just beautiful. There was even a flash flood on the west bound part of the highway near Gallup. I am glad it  was on the other side of the road.

La Posada

I did stop in Winslow, AZ and took a stroll through town. Raquel suggested this stop. Winslow is known for a few things but mostly it is a railroad town. Here are the two things that people do in this town. One attraction is to stand on the corner made famous by the Eagles song. And I did.  The other feature of note in this little town is the La Posada Hotel. This was one of the Harvey Houses. It was built in the 1920’s by Fred Harvey who believed that even if you were in the wild west you could still have a fine place to stay with sliver and the finest of linens. He built his houses along the railroad. After it’s hay day it fell into disrepair but now has come back as a beautiful hotel. You too can stay in this hotel right on the rail.

I did not make it to Colorado as I had planned and instead stopped at a campground on the Rio Grande River just north of Albuquerque. I was very proud of myself for being able to hook up to everything on my own. It is amazing how this feat is so, challenging for me right now and how I am so proud of myself when I do everything right. I miss Jim and his loving support and I feel extra proud that I am beginning to figure things out for myself and they are working. It feels good to regroup after such an auctioned packed couple of days in Flagstaff.

Sunrise over the Rio Grande

About 2 weeks before I left on this journey I changed my status on facebook from married to”It’s complicated”. That term feels more accurate than widow or single. I feel that it is very complicated for me right now. I still feel in limbo between being in relationship and being single. I am officially not married any longer and I certainly don’t feel single. I don’t feel like I am anything except Janet trying to make it through each day in the most positive way that I can. If I look at my full adult life, that is who I have always been, even when I was in this incredibly loving and supportive relationship. Janet, making my way through each moment of my life doing the best that I can do.

Janet has been a friend of mine for many years. We met contra-dancing in San Diego. Our friendship took off when we both started to English Country Dance together. We also started hiking together with the Sierra Club, Wednesdays in the Mountains. Janet has always been my friend and her friendship has never wavered. The one thing that I really appreciate and enjoy about our friendship is that there is not one thing that defines it. We like doing all kinds of things together. She has been there for me, steadily over the past three years. After Jim died she started e-mailing photos of birds. Now I love birds and nature and this has been such a delight for me to be able to see these beautiful photos. Janet also has been so right there when I need her. All I have to do is ask and she is there. This past week when I wasn’t feeling well, who shows up with gingerale and things I needed? Janet. Today I want to thank Janet for being part of my life and I could not ask for a better friend. I am very thankful for her on-going love and support.

Now it is time to get on-the-road to Alamosa, Colorado where I will be visiting long time friends.

Guess where I am? First thing I want to tell all my friends who I am coming to visit, you are not allowed to repeat this photo. This morning was concerning, this evening Sharon is stable and doing better and all her family and I are entertaining her in the ICU. Tomorrow I am planning on heading east to my next stop. One more visit to the hospital and I will be on my way.

Sharon is sending us home so she can flirt with the night nurse. Tonight I am thankful my friend is doing better.

Friday morning me and my Roadtrek took off. Yes that is right, I am now officially on-the-road. It was a beautiful drive across the California desert and into the mountains. I am in Flagstaff for the next couple of days.

Elsie the cat is not riding with me. She was bit too stressed out about the RV. After some very painful decision making I decided to leave her in Santee with Raquel who is taking care of “everything Janet” in CA this summer. Elsie, who usually runs from everyone (the original scaredy cat), was taking treats out of Raquel’s hand and being petted by her as well. In her cat way, I think she was demonstrating the good choice I made. I will certainly be missing my furry friend, yet the last thing I want is for her to be stressed. I am leaving her picture on the blog. I will be able to see her face when I check this site.

I am an east coast girl, raised in the second smallest state in the nation. Any guesses? That is right, Delaware. When I first moved west, it was to Utah. There are 2 reactions, it seems, from “east coasters” when they move west. They love it or all they want to do is go back east, away from those wide open spaces. I took one look around and fell in love, with the deserts, the mountains and all those “see for miles spaces”. Driving across the desert was such treat in my new Roadtrek (RT). I loved sitting up high and I got to see everything from a new advantage point. It was not too hot. The highest temperature I saw was 102 F. But, wait for it…..It was dry heat. I always love it when people say that.

Here are some of my thoughts as I drove yesterday.

The desert

• In the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the desert there are these deserted and often gutted trailers. One was sitting on the top of the hill with the back end sticking over a precipice with nothing to support it. What are they doing there and where did the inhabitants go? And, the one on the top of the hill, did they ever worry about tipping over when they walked to the back? I almost thought of starting a photo journal of the ones I saw. Such an odd thing.
• What am I doing out here?
• Where did Jim go when he died?
• Why couldn’t they fix route 66 so the road was better, it would have been fun to drive more of it?
• Should my inverter be on or off? This part of my RT confounds me.
• God I love these places where I can see for miles. And the big puffy monsoon clouds were such a delight.’

Profound thoughts, right? I love to let my mind wander and go where it will. And, trust me, these were just a few of the millions of thoughts that traveled with me yesterday.

I am staying in Flagstaff for another night. This is the gateway to the Grand Canyon’s south rim. It sits around 7000 feet up and is incredibly beautiful country. The San Francisco Peaks are the home of the Kachina Gods of the Hopi Indians and a wonderfully beautiful year round outdoor playground. I have been here several times before and always look forward to returning.

I am staying with my friend, Sharon. We met years ago when we got involved in building an all women’s sweat lodge on a near-by property. She is a feisty woman who is currently dealing with breast cancer and is in the middle of chemotherapy. This has all occurred in the last few months. When I called to let her know I was coming and she told me this piece of news, she said she hadn’t called me because this was just another passing moment in her life. She is having a tough time with the chemo. I am glad I am here helping to create a diversion for a few days. She is a reminder to me that while I have been going through grief and all my own stuff, life is going on and others are dealing with continuing issues both good and hard in their lives. The lesson for me is that life does go on. She is so honored that she is the first stop in my journey. I am glad I planned it this way as well. We, her daughter and the 2 of us sat up into the evening talking and enjoying each others company and laughing over our past adventures and catching up on her large family’s lives. She knew Jim as well and it was good to reminisce. I have many strong role models in my life and Sharon is definitely one of them.

Janet & Sharon