Almost Pavement Bound

As we wind down to the last few days before we hit the traveling trails I look back at what these past six weeks have involved. It’s been a lot of errands, fine-tuning, storing of items not required, and spending time with family and friends. Dan has equipped our travel trailer with a wood burning stove to ward off the dampness and chill of the PNW and anywhere else we need it. Propane is great, but if you run out, don’t have the electric hookup or your generator goes on the fritz and isn’t able to provide the power to run the furnace, you might need another way to stay warm and dry. That is when I rely on my husband and his “out-of-the-box” brain. His style may be a bit redneck at times, but he hasn’t disappointed me yet, and he gets the job done.

This lifestyle may not be for the faint of heart unless you do the one/ two-week travels and then back to your solid foundation home. Adjustments can be taxing on anyone, and I am not above those troubling times. I’ve had to work hard on my OCD when it comes to neatness. One item out of place, or extra items on the table and the place looks like a hurricane hit it…yes, that is an exaggeration, but small spaces equal big messes in my view. Day after day my OCD has been a struggle. One of the hardest has been the inability to have a perfectly made bed. My bed doesn’t have to just look good, it’s made to perfection. It’s always been my reward for a hard days work to crawl into a perfect bed and snuggle in with a good book. I’m learning to deal with an imperfect bed, but getting to this point hasn’t been pretty. If you knew how many times a day I wanted to quit this adventure you’d surely be disappointed in me. Add my husbands healing – or attempt to heal – foot issues causing crankiness, and well, it’s been interesting. I am temperamental at times, but a lot more than usual. The edginess that has filled this travel trailer could be cut with a knife. But with every storm, there is a calm, and that is when I finally let it go for a while and realize everything is temporary, and to simply sit back and enjoy the ride.

In less than a week the real adventure will begin. Soon having a perfect bed to crawl into at night won’t matter. The process to secure everything to eliminate a disaster in the trailer while driving won’t be an issue. The lack of order will be (somewhat) liveable. All the adjusting will be managed and replaced with days in the sun, and evenings with a glass wine lounging in our gravity chairs under the awning or a star-filled sky. Leaving my daughter and granddaughters will be the toughest, though I remind myself it’s temporary. Leaving other family members and friends is never easy either, but it’s our children that hold our hearts the most. Thankfully, they still make airplanes, so if I get too homesick I’ll fly home for a visit. By the time I write my next blog, I hope to have some fun adventure to share with you.

I look around and see so many homeless and I berated myself for being so self-absorbed to worry about whether my sheets are neatly tucked in or not. Life has a way of humbling us and bringing us back to reality. I am lucky to have a warm (thanks to my husband) home, wheels included, and good food in my belly. Will this really keep my OCD from creeping in now and again…nope…but hopefully regrouping my thoughts and priorities will be ever so slightly easier to attain.