Challenges of close confines

One of the interesting things about this lifestyle is the closeness.  It's not only the physical space, but the mental "space" as well.  And I think having a child with ADD has greatly magnified that effect.  It's hard to write about ADD without sounding like a bad parent or feeling guilty.  The side effects in my son's case are extreme negativity (about any suggested activity), a reactive contrary response to any question posed and downright harassment if there's something he wants.  The medications help, but we have tried to wean him off of those to disastrous effect.  He tests our patience, and I see this improving only as he matures.  Meanwhile, we do the best we can to manage his symptoms. I think many people assume that retirement and the life we're living now is just bliss.  It's just not so. It is always, always about balance. There will be good days and bad.  No matter where you travel, you take yourself with you.  I knew this going in to this adventure and it remains true.

There are enough positives to outweigh the negatives, of course.  This was true in our suburban life and it's true now.  We are in Utah and have made some big decisions. We are so happy doing this that we feel we can do it indefinitely.  We are also acutely aware that we are missing attractions along the way.  Because we still have obligations and timelines that need to be met, we are not fully exploring the areas we've visited.  So, we have decided to put our sailboat on hold, maybe for several years.  I don't doubt that we'll still charter when we can.  But there's a lot to be said for the RV life, and we need more time.  We will not even make it to the East Coast this year.  And next year is already largely spoken for.  We'll be retracing some of the route we took in 2016 and spending more time in each spot.  Additionally, we'll be heading farther north.  We missed out on Banff this year because of repairs to our RV.  So next year, we head to Canada for at least part of the summer.

All of this leads me to the other crazy decision we made this week. We have decided to upgrade our current living situation. We are trading in the old girl for a new trailer.  This means we will have a truck to drive around.  No more insane mountain roads with a 33 foot RV!  More on this later, but we pick up the new trailer in 10 days.  I'll document that experience when it happens.

I leave this entry with the stunning beauty that is Zion National Park.  Of course, the pictures can not do it justice.  We'll be seeing more of Utah over the next month, and I suspect I'll fall even more deeply in love.  It's pretty easy to do:

On the Road Again!

And yes, we do channel Willie Nelson and sing that song every single time we add a leg to our travels.  It never gets old. 

The last couple of weeks have been amazing.  During our stay at the Travis Air Force Base, we took a day trip to Muir Woods.  I had been waiting to see the sequoias since we talked about coming to California.  It's one of my clearer childhood memories.  I was privileged to go to a camp in the 6th grade in the middle of the Redwoods.  They do not disappoint.  My imagination did not equal the reality. How many times in life can you say that?

It's so quiet that you can feel your soul healing. Well, except for the other tourists.  But even then, everyone was respectful of this magnificent and silent world.  I learned that diplomats had met here, in the Cathedral Grove, as the United Nations was forming.  What a perfect setting to contemplate grave decisions.  There's a sense of smallness here.  Our problems are so minuscule by comparison to the thousands of years in the lives of these trees. I wish I could conjure this memory any time I am feeling worried or overwhelmed.  I wish we all could. 

After Muir Woods, we went to San Francisco, a bit of a shock after the silence.  It's a city of my childhood, so I thoroughly enjoyed the piers and sea lions.  Fisherman's Wharf is just, plain fun to see. But a couple of unexpected surprises were actually better.  We went to a museum along the wharf that contained a history of coin-operated machines.  It turns out that is really, really fun!  We spent far more time there than I expected, putting our quarters into machines from the 1800s all the way up to pinball and PacMan.  Not only was it fun for all, it was cheap! I think we spent less than $20.   Parking in the ramp was more expensive.  I highly recommend the stop if you are ever in the area.  It's called Musee Mecanique. I'd put the accents on the words properly, but my computer-challenged self can't seem to figure that out.

The other highlights for me included a street musician playing a Chapman stick and a didgeridoo, and a tour of the Boudin Bread Factory.  So much sourdough!  So little time!  We also took a side trip on the way out of town to the historic Lombard Street.  Apparently, we may be one of the last as, true to the State of California, they are now considering regulating or charging for this privilege.  It is quite a view, though.

In a nutshell, it's a great place to visit.  After the relative quiet and isolation of our RV, the traffic in San Francisco (and actually, in California as a whole) is enough to scare me away.  If I did live here again, I'd want to live within walking distance to everything I need.  Add to that the sheer number of laws around things that in other states are unregulated and, well, I'm happy to be where we are, off the grid.  Getting a simple prescription filled was like trying to merge two corporations.  I have a feeling that Nevada is going to seem downright lawless after this. 

After another week of being pampered with my dad and stepmom, we are now off again. Tables like this will be a thing of memory for awhile. She really did spoil us rotten.

 We'll be making a stop near LA to see a friend in the radio business.  We're going to record a demo to send out. I'm nervous! I haven't been on the air since 1999.  My chops may need some polishing.  I'm not expecting anything to come of it, but I am open to the possibilities. From there, we are heading to Las Vegas to see the incredible woman who took over my dog training business. She will be there for a conference. And then?  All points Utah! We'll be spending the better part of a month seeing what there is to see, checking out the Grand Canyon (of course) and then heading back to Vegas for another rendezvous.  I think the plan after that is to beeline to Texas, where we will likely try to establish residency and renew my driver's license before it expires.  Not that I am doing any driving.  The RV is unwieldy, at best, and Henry has a lot of experience with it now.  It's a fair trade, I think. He does all the driving. I do all the dishes and laundry.   In my opinion, I have the better end of that bargain!