This spring, I did a big countdown to my summer adventure and hit the road. Less than two weeks later, I limped back into town after blowing a tire and replacing my RV batteries. It was not much of an effort or expense to come back. Most of the places on my list for May were in the same county! It helps when that county includes a huge chunk of a National Park. Now, everything with my van and RV is back to normal and I could charge off again. However, I am a little nervous about driving my van all through the mountain passes. It is just a little voice in the back of my mind telling me to be cautious, but that is a voice I have learned to heed. So, I have altered my plans. 

First, I decided not to do the (July) camp host gig, which, as I mentioned, requires an arduous 450-mile drive over two mountain passes. For August,  I am talking to someone about a Whidbey Island site, which would be quite close. I would have to take the RV over on the ferry which would be a blast. The Ranger at the tentative spot for September hadn’t completely made up their minds yet, so I checked out some other opps. Turns out the closest State Park to me (Sequim Bay State Park), had their Sept and Oct host fall through and were looking for someone to do those months. Wow! Right down the road. I can be hosting but also be right next door to my home base. That is just perfect. I talked to the head ranger for quite some time and ended up getting the assignment. I am so excited. New plans, closer to home are coming together.

As for May, June, and July, I will stay in Sequim and do short camping trips in the van. I have many, many places on my list in this immediate area, including Whidbey Island, Vancouver Island, and more.

The lesson here is to not be afraid to shuffle things up when the situation changes or when that little sensible voice starts jabbering. Nothing at this point in my life is set in stone. I can reassess and change the plan at any time. Besides, the less I drive, the more I can do some plane travel. Maybe I will conserve so much of my carbon allowance that I can take several plane trips next year! Who knows.

I learned something else. I really love Sequim. It has everything I need/want and I feel at peace here. Doing short trips in all directions suits me just fine. In fact, if I had known earlier that I could stay at the Elks RV park, I might have started out with that plan in the first place. BTW, that is where I had stored my car, Alice, so it was easy to get her dusted off and back in use.

And something else: wandering endlessly down the highway is not as appealing as it was. I still love to wander and will probably do so as long as possible. However, I don’t need to travel in months-long stretches. I have done that for over 3 years and enjoyed every mile, but I also love being semi-settled (and I feel guilty about burning all that gas). The best of both worlds (travel and settling down) calls to me now. And I have so much to explore where I am.

So, onward, into the Memorial Day weekend. Tango and I will be doing more walking on the regional trails and doing low-tide beach hikes. We are especially fond of walking on the beaches, even though it takes so much more effort.

Happy Holiday Weekend!