Tag Archives: Travel

Getting Ready To Roll

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mapsTwo summers ago I began a new adventure in travel. I bought my cute little Roadtrek RV and traveled the United States for two and a half months. I felt a strong pull to visit as many of the people that supported Jim and myself through three plus years of struggle. I wanted to thank those people for their support and have fun and some adventure along the way. It was a marvelous summer.

Little did I know that this journey would contine on past my travels that summer in my RV. I have been overwhelmed at times and continuously grateful for the ongoing support of all those friends, near and far, older and newer that have continued to love and support me as I have traveled through the uncharted territory of grief. I am blessed.

In two weeks I am packing up my RV and traveling to the east coast and beyond. I am planning to be on-the-road for about three months. Where am I going this time?

EventPhotoFull_horsedriveposter-2015 aI have a date to ride in the Hells A’Roaring Horse Round-up in Gardiner, MT May 21-23.  I am so excited about this. I love to ride horses and you know even though Jim was not fond of horses, he would have done this. Oh my, he did try so hard when it came to horses, yet I know that he was not fond of this activity. It did not stop him from trying. Hmm…there might be a lesson here somewhere.

After spending time in Yellowstone National Park and Montana, I am driving east. When I began to plan my departure, I knew I was attending the wedding of my niece, in July, in Connecticut. Now good friends are getting married in June in North Carolina. If you have been following my blog you may remember my visit to Zoe and Kay in North Carolina in 2013. In early June they are getting married. I am ready for a grand celebration. Does anyone else want to get married while I am traveling? Terry?

In between do I know where I am going? Well kind of, and kind of not. I like the idea of planning my touring from day to day. I want to be spontaneous and let adventure take me where it will. I am hoping to connect with many of my friends and family along the way. Heads up all you northern United States people. The journey of thanking others continues.

Elsie in Patagonia

Elsie

This year I am not traveling alone. Miss Elsie, the cat is going to join the adventure. So far I have had her on two short trips and she did OK. I really did not want to leave her home this time. I will need to consider her needs a bit. I have decided to stay in one place for more than one night. This way she gets adjusted and you know I don’t need to be in a rush. I can enjoy different places and enjoy relaxing and exploring along the way.

I am already so thankful for those friends (6 of them) who are going to love and support my home while I am away. My neighbors are also going to help. For the first time since I have lived here I now have the most marvelous neighbors. There is so much I feel thankful for on a daily basis.

A week from Sunday this new adventure begins. I am opening my heart and mind and am ready to find the expected and unexpected. Please join me as I blog my way through the summer. It will be fun to meet up with some of you along the way.

Marking Year Two-Off on an Adventure

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005October seventeenth  marked the second anniversary of Jim’s death. Sigh.

The first year was hard yet I kept myself busy and that year seemed to move quickly. All of a sudden he was gone a year. Now I don’t mean to imply that it was easy because it wasn’t. I missed him in a large all encompassing way.

This second year has gone by slower. I have had a much tougher time finding the energy to stay positive and delightful. This year I have missed him in the small ways.

  • A touch.
  • His voice.
  • His kisses.
  • His help around the house, for sure.
  • Kayaking solo because my buddy isn’t here.
  • Bicycling solo because….
  • Conversation. I think I miss this most of all. He was a very intelligent person and we had conversations in depth. Now I find that when I meet someone, like Silver Hooligan (Kat), and we have that kind of conversation I pull it in to my brain, my heart, my soul, through the pores of my skin.
  • Where is my waltz and polka partner?
  • Goofing around the house and being silly.
  • Laughing at the Simpsons.
  • Getting Ready to Raft the Grand Canyon

    Getting Ready to Raft the Grand Canyon

    Planning marvelous adventure trips together.

This gives you an idea of the small things. The list could go on and on.

This past year I struggled. I met new people to help me out, my acupuncturist, Gayle, a new therapist, Heidi (my other one retired, sigh). I chose to meet this grief and sadness head on this year and you know, I feel better. I am not done yet but I feel better. I feel better, about me, about life, about others, about my house and more. It feels good to feel better. There are times that I still curl up in my house and that is OK, as long as I come out again.

I have found that work helps. I work part time locally as a tour guide. I love my job and I truly enjoy the other guides I work with. I go to some mundane places (the airport) and some lovely places (La Jolla Shores). Mostly I enjoy being out and catching up with others. It is fun to see people have a wonderful time. I meet interesting people in this job.

I worry that others will forget Jim and yet when I speak with his close friends I realize they will always remember him in their hearts. I find I am now starting to tell Jim stories and others share theirs with me. This is a new development and I find I enjoy it and it feels light.

Kat and her pups. Bicycling to the east coast

Kat and her pups. Bicycling to the east coast

Travel also helps. Tomorrow I am going to head out in my RV, the cute little Roadtrek. I am traveling through the deserts of southern California and Arizona, where I will meet up with Kat (Silver Hooligan-see my last post) for a night. Next will be Flagstaff where I hopefully, will be seeing a much different Sharon than I did a year ago in July. For those of you who have been following my blog, she was the one who ended up in the hospital while I was there.

On Friday I am going to a private ranch, Kane Ranch, on the north rim of the Grand Canyon to take a water color workshop. This is a big step for me. I have tried a few times since Jim left to paint. It has never worked out. I decided to go where I might get some inspiration. The Kane Ranch is owned by the Grand Canyon Trust. I support their cause and they are the organization that is sponsoring this workshop. If I can’t paint I can always pick up my camera and just enjoy being there.

full moon over Zion National Park

full moon over Zion National Park

Lastly I will be on my way to Zion National Park and a visit with my dear friend Sharon. You can scroll back to September of 2013 to read about this very special family. Since that time David has gone on to join Jim. We have a lot to talk about.

Adventuring off on my own takes a bit of courage for me. I have at times been anxious and stressed in preparation for this trip. Yet I persevere. I know that once I get behind that wheel I will be happy and ready to explore where I am going. I take all my friends with me. I feel everyone’s love and support and encouragement. Thank you for getting me through year two.

On to year three.

Roadtrek Versus Chicago

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Driving into Chicago

Driving into Chicago

Wow, a week ago I was in Vermont. Yesterday afternoon I drove into Chicago. What has happened here?  Yes, I am traveling west. I am missing the big open spaces and feeling the urge to move towards home.

Pauline, Nugget at Salmon Falls

Pauline, Nugget at the brink of Salmon Falls

Where have I been?  I spent 2  nights on Lake Ontario camping in a huge camping park. I have found that owning a small Class B RV immediately adds you to a group of devoted followers. Pauline has been following my blog and invited me to meet her at her camp in Pulaski, NY. I met her and her hubby, Harris and Nugget the dog. I was shown around the small town of Pulaski. This town is known for fishing fresh water salmon. We did an easy hike into Salmon Falls. A few nice features about this area is its proximity to the 1000 Islands, the Finger Lakes and the Canadian border (1 1/2 hrs north).

From New York I headed south and west. I camped for a night in a cornfield in NY state. This night I became a full time RVer using all my bathroom facilities for the first time. I will not say more. LOL

Tripp & Brittany

Tripp & Brittany

I  traveled to Ohio to visit my niece, Brittany and her husband, Tripp. Tripp has started his first job as an assistant Presbyterian Minister in Granville which is just outside Columbus, Ohio. Brittany is successfully employed at another Presbyterian Church in Columbus. I did not know my two nieces when they were growing up. I have had the opportunity to get to know them as adults. I enjoy both of their company very much. Britt and I explored Granville. On Sunday morning while they both worked I got on a bike and did a 12 mile ride through the country-side and explored the Dennison College Campus.  What a delightful town this is. We also attended the local polo matches and had the opportunity to stomp the divots. Remember that scene in “Pretty Woman”? I am thankful to have relationships with both of these ladies. I am glad I finally got to know them. They have been lovingly supporting me and Jim with e-mails and cards and prayers. I am glad they are in my life.

Polo in front of the Bryn Du Mansion

Polo in front of the Bryn Du Mansion

Stopping the Divot

Pretty Women Stomping the Divot

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was concerned about driving my RT into the big city. with some encouragement from my good friend, Helen I finally braved it and drove into Chicago during rush hour. This was not good planning on my part. Even then, it was manageable. When I got Rogers Park I drove down and alley and successfully parked my RV behind the building and even found a plug to keep my house battery charged.

Here are my tips for driving a small RV into a big city.

  • Pick a lane and stay in it. Don’t change lanes until you have to.

    Driving down a Chicago alley

    Driving down a Chicago alley

  • Be nice. If there is a merge area slow down even more and let people in. I purposely let a motor scooter in so the driver was not behind this huge vehicle. I have a scooter and trust me everything looks big.
  • Be assertive not aggressive.
  • Watch the signs so you don’t have to turn where you don’t want to.  Get out of those right turn lanes.
  • Remembering it takes longer to stop, I made sure there was enough road space between me and the vehicle in front.
  • if I was too close to a light that was changing I just continued to move along with many others.
  • Go with the flow.
  • Take pictures out the window when sitting at a stop light. (wish these posts had smiley faces)
  • Be Courageous. This saying has been up on the wall of our house since Jim got diagnosed with metastatic cancer. It is now in the Roadtrek. It Is often a good reminder to me.

My adventures, so far have been large and small. What I do find is, that with a plan, a little bit of courage and a great sense of adventure I am up for almost anything. If I am nervous about something it helps to talk with someone. If no one is around making a plan, remembering to breath and just taking one step forward will get me to my destination, be it physical, mental, emotional or spiritual.

One time Jim and I had taken our snowshoes to Palm Springs. Yes that is right, Palm Springs. We took the tram to the top of San Jacinto Peak and went snow shoe hiking at 10,000 feet. The trail we decided to hike was steep, with sections of it being very steep. We started pointing to a tree a little way up the trail and made it our goal to reach that tree. When we arrived we looked toward another tree further up the trail and that was our next goal. By dividing it into small, manageable pieces we finally made it to the top of a saddle. after that when something would come up that was challenging or difficult, our motto became “just one tree at a time”. I have remembered that motto often over these past three plus years.

Today, I am thankful for my friends and fellow readers of this blog for their loving support and interest in this journey.

Snowshoeing at the Top of The Tram

Snowshoeing at the Top of The Tram