Tomorrow I leave Akron and return to my nomadic lifestyle. Excited? Yes! Sad? Yes! After spending 2.5 months with my elderly parents, it is time to head west towards my in-utero grandson and his parents. I go northwest for a short trip up to Michigan and the Lake Michigan dunes, then:
- South to Albuqueque
- North to CO
- Further North to MT to pick up my RV
- Finally to Spokane before the baby arrives.
Total mileage in the next month: around 3000-4000 miles. The van (125,000 total miles) is prepped after an oil change and alignment.
I talked to Kerry and Meghan last night, and hearing their voices helps to ease the sadness I feel about leaving here.
Today will be a flurry of activity: washing heavy blankets and my sleeping bag. I will finish loading the van. I have lived among hundreds of books and Marvin offered me any books I want. However, I cannot load the van down with books. I did accept from Mom a lightweight paperback: Oaxaca Journal, by Oliver Sacks.
Tango is ready to move on as well. He has a short traveling haircut and will never look back on his time living in a high-rise apartment building!
The day is overcast and muggy, a normal August day in Northen Ohio. We have had a lovely cool summer but are ready to go!
Hello Jane,
I just found your wonderful blog/website while doing a web search about the Ordway-Swisher Biological Station in Florida. I was excited to see that you workcamped there. I read much of what you wrote about the experience – and started perusing the rest of your site, which I have bookmarked and plan to revisit often. Thanks for all your effort at sharing your experiences with the traveling lifestyle. It’s truly helpful for a newbie like me.
That said, I have a question or two regarding Ordway-Swisher.
I am just two months into my own full-time RVing adventure, heading shortly to the SD Badlands and Black Hills. And while it’s only August, I lived in the Virgin Islands for the past 27 years and am planning ahead for finding somewhere relatively warm for the winter without spending a fortune. My options seem to be the southwest and southern Florida.
My questions re: Ordway-Swisher:
How did you secure the position? (I can drive a stick shift, by the way.)
How were the people to work with?
Would you do another stint there?
Well I won’t bug you further. I see you are getting back into a busy travel schedule. However if you get a minute to consider my questions it would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Gary Metz
Hi Gary! Sorry for the delay in answering, been on the road! Thanks for your interest. I found the position at OSBS on Workers on Wheels, but they advertise on several work camper sites. The people were awesome! I would do another stint at the drop of the hat, except that I am soon to be a grandma and will stay close to my family in Spokane, in other words, on this side of the Mississippi! Regarding winter spots, NM is awesome and southern NM is quite affordable. Thanks for reading. Do you have a blog?