We made it out in the nick of time!

We stayed in NY right up til the last week of October, and it was very, very cold!  The snowflakes began falling the week after we arrived in FL.  Needless to say, I have a greater appreciation for those brave souls who do cold-weather camping.

 

The highlight of this trip was when Jim and I visited some of his friends in Myrtle Beach, SC.  They hadn't seen each other in over 20 years.  I learned that very little has changed about my husband since his younger days.

 

We also had the opportunity to stay in a lovely RV resort next to the beach.  Never, have I seen so many golf carts in a single place!  It was so relaxing as we lounged around on the beach watching the few tourists that remained ride horses up and down the shoreline.

 

Some highlights of the trip included camping on the top of a mountain in Hancock, MD, waking up to the sounds of ducks in Savannah, GA, and seeing several cotton fields along Interstate 95.  Once we got out of the colder climate, it was nice to take our "sweet time" exploring each place we stayed at.  An added bonus was the minimal amount of traffic to contend with this time around.

 

I am so happy to be back in FL where we have both been warmly welcomed.  As far as work is concerned, I am swamped!  It truly does seem like "feast or famine" comes into play in the world of freelance.  I have been offered a "work-camping" job (part-time), which I will be squeezing into an already hectic writing schedule.

 

I do want to send a shout-out to my friend Lorraine Reguly.  She lives "way up North" and is running a giveaway on her blog.  If you get the chance, please stop in and play along.  I'm on my way over there right now to join the fun!  Just click on this "link" and let her know Aleshia sent you. 

 

 





 







My Old Pal

This has been a difficult month for us. We lost our loyal and faithful border collie, Charlie, to cancer. He has joined his two "brothers" across the Rainbow Bridge. Each one of our three boys was 14 years old upon his passing. Our beagle Shadow crossed with on Christmas Day from cancer, just before we became "snowbirds." Then we lost Buddy, our long-haired orange cat, to kidney disease on Valentine's Day of this year.

Each of our pets chose us, rather than us choosing them. Charlie came to us on an airplane from Florida to New York when he was 8 years old, after Jim's Aunt passed away from cancer. He was such a good boy, and I am so happy that he was able to return there one last time. Shadow was an abused and abandoned doggie when he appeared on our doorstep, but in time, he became the boldest one of the threesome. His endless energy filled our days with joy. Buddy came with our home, after we told the sellers "no, we really don't want a cat." But leaving that sweet, demanding ball of fur behind for us was the most wonderful, unexpected housewarming gift that we received.

With Emmie off to college, we are empty nesters once again, and even more so without our beloved fur babies to keep us busy. I have submerged myself into writing pieces for an upcoming anthology of memoirs along with a couple of nonfiction articles that plan to pitch this week. I am looking forward to our next trip down the East Coast in mid-October - the ocean reminds me that God is all-powerful and has prepared a grand reconciliation for all believers.

For richer, for poorer...

I don't know where exactly the rumor started, but before we embarked upon the journey, people believed we were...nearly rich. At work the whispers went something like, "rich husband - that's why she travels so much." My own parents and sisters were under the impression that I had "money in the bank." The kids didn't hesitate when asking for help with  car insurance bills and shopping money either. 

 

Everything changed this year, beginning when Emmie found out she was getting $0 in college financial aid grants (in addition to a $2,500 loan for her and a $10,000 loan for me). Jarrod (My stepson) found out when he made the decided to return to college without financial assistance from Jim. Thank goodness Daniel, my other stepson, financially supports himself. Immediately upon returning "home" after our long-term RV trip, a crisis arose in my extended family, and all involved were stunned when I could not "help them out." 

In order to obtain the lifestyle we desired, we made sacrifices and lived frugally. We didn't buy or lease "new" vehicles; instead, we saved money and bought used ones. I won't bore you with details, but we went without the things many people take for granted. Our stationary home is an old trailer - we weren't sure if it would still be standing when we returned.

When you want something badly, you must work really hard for it, and at times you must "go without," and put your money in a savings account. Emmie knows - she finished almost 2 years of college while in high school so she can afford the degree. Jarrod and Daniel know too - both took a longer route while learning to succeed in the "manual labor" workplace. These are lessons most of us learn the hard way, though they need not be. 

What kept each of us going? The adventures ahead of us; allowing ourselves a week in Virginia Beach, VA or Myrtle Beach, SC every 2-3 years, and taking weekend trips in between. We also found joy in spending time together, as well as in the daily events of life. We looked at everything inside our little world with humor.

My words of encouragement to help readers reach their "dreams" are simple:

• forgo instant gratification, work to save money, and do something EVERY MONTH that brings you closer to your goal. 
• think about the brevity of your dream - will it sustain your happiness over the "long-haul?" 
• material items decay, but a way of life is irreplaceable. 

 

Donald Duck & Mickey Mouse & Goofy - Camping Trip

So, I came across this on YouTube today:


                                               


Disney has captured the "essence" of RV living with this old clip & I just had to share it.

And that's exactly how the journey "feels" to a newbie.

RV Living: The Journey Continues

A leaky window in the midst of a terrifying thunderstorm dampened our second night in Port Orange, Florida. Jim quickly repaired it while our dog Charlie was being comforted on my lap. Our cat Buddy stayed calm throughout the ordeal, happily settled in after two long weeks on the road. The rest of the week was went well as we explored our new neighborhood. With temperatures in the upper eighties, the campground pool was an oasis from the sweltering October heat, although big, scary insects often bobbed around on the buoy divider. Everyone in the campground was super friendly - we were going to fit in very well here.

Marye, our new friend as well as the campground office manager, graciously let us tag along whenever she ran errands. We avoided driving the motor home with its 9.8 miles per gallon of gas, as well as the issue of unhooking everything. We soon learned that interesting and unique people ride public busses, but I felt confident having pepper spray tucked discreetly away in my purse. Jim took the scooter out occasionally for short distance trips. Tired of feeling confined, I bought a bicycle after a few weeks, and had a blast zipping around town with it. Jim followed suit soon after. We outfitted our wheels with handlebar baskets and carried backpacks for additional storage space. We still used the bus for longer trips. The only downside to our modes of transportation was not being able to travel after dusk.

Our daughter Emmie had her college freshman meltdown shortly after we arrived. She was working at her first paying job in a campus café when a co-worker fell, gashed his hand, and was rushed to the hospital. Her stress level was already high due to her roommate’s personality and behavior - they were completely opposite to Emmie's quiet, studious ways. I found out later that the roommate had no inhibitions whatsoever, and my daughter had been avoiding the little vixen's frequent overnight male visitors, by sleeping on the floor of a friend’s room. I was livid about the "education" my girl was getting, and the fact that we were spending $7000 a year for a room that Emmie was afraid to sleep in. I seriously considered booking a flight and bringing her down to Florida, but she wanted to stay in New York near her friends. Against my better judgment, I agreed to let her handle the situation on her own, as an adult.

We never left our 14 year old boys alone in the camper for too long, and we always made sure the air conditioner was on in our absence. Buddy and Charlie enjoyed being outside on their harnesses, but Buddy got scared if we walked too far away from the camper. I don't think he understood why the scenery kept changing as trailers pulled in or out. Charlie was a campground favorite, especially with the children. They loved his quirky walk. Buddy suffered from a long-term inflammatory bowel condition that flared up occasionally, so I was always worried about his health. Thankfully, the Biketoberfest motorcycles didn't traumatize him, although the notoriously rowdy Bike Week was scheduled in February.

Apparently, Floridian employers don’t like hiring "snowbirds." I was confident about finding a job with my impressive resume, and I had done my research on the job market prior to the trip. After applying for over 50 jobs, I was finally hired for a seasonal retail position. This was not exactly my intention, but I couldn't find a per diem counseling job without a Florida drivers license. On my third day of merchandise handling, I got sick from riding my bike to work in the cool, humid mornings. I couldn’t speak or swallow by the sixth day, so I took a taxi up to the primary care clinic. Thanks to the medicine, I survived the hot, physical labor while working the following 10 days in a row.


We had reservations for a dinner and cruise down in the New Smyrna Beach inter-coastal waterway the day after Hurricane Sandy arrived. Even though the rain had stopped, the ocean surf was extremely rough, but Marye convinced us that river would be calm. It was dusk by the time dinner ended, then we boarded the boat. We were having such a fun time when the captain made us sit down and hold on tight. He took us out near the ocean jetty at full speed to see (and feel) the huge crashing waves – never in my life have I been so terrified, yet so thrilled at the same time!

The holidays were strange with temperatures in the seventies, and we felt the absence of our extended family. Thanksgiving dinner was spent in the rec-hall among people we hardly knew. Marye put lots of effort into Christmas planning, and we helped "adopt a family" of seven who were currently living in a hotel room. The father was a maintenance employee at the campground. JC Penney was having a promotion where you could collect cute little decorated buttons from the cashiers for a chance to win prizes or cash discounts. We went every day for our buttons, which were later strung as a decoration for our table top tree. On Christmas morning, we awoke early and followed a marshmallow trail to the rec hall. What a delightful time we had watching the kids open their presents of toys and clothes - all purchased at a discount thanks to those buttons! Later on, we enjoyed a lovely brunch at the Golden Corral followed by a charming movie at the local cinema.

On December 27th, we picked Emmie up at the airport for her semester break. She loved the campground. After relaxing by the pool for a few days, we took her to Daytona Beach Shores, the flea market, and the International Speedway area. Marye arranged a tour bus trip to Port Canaveral for a casino cruise ship adventure. It was a wonderful experience, and Emmie won $75! Our "adopted" daughter, Jaynie arrived from Pennsylvania the following week. We rented a car and took the girls to Orlando, where we spent two days hanging out at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. The 19 year old girls enjoyed the roller coasters, purchased a ton of souvenirs, and delightfully drank their butter-beer at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

We settled into our routine once again after Emmie and Jaynie flew back home. I decided to try my hand at freelance writing to supplement Jim's retirement income. Surprisingly, I sold articles for cash with minimal effort. Jim and I also did "odd jobs" for various people in the campground whenever an opportunity arose (shopping for an elderly woman, selling coffee and bagels, etc.). Our estimated living expenses were significantly less than we had expected - thank the Lord! As an added bonus, my unemployment qualified our daughter for financial aid the next year. We finally stopped worrying about our finances.

Then the unexpected happened. On Valentine's Day morning, Jim awoke to find Buddy was sleeping on Charlie's back. Even more peculiar; Charlie didn't mind. Buddy seemed somewhat "sluggish," but Jim had a dental surgery appointment, so we decided to call a vet afterwards. The surgery took nearly two hours. Upon our return, as I frantically tried to contact a vet, Buddy took his final breaths. He was cremated the next morning. My world turned very dark for the next two weeks as I grieved the loss of my dear, sweet, old friend.

See Part I of The Journey:

The journey Into RV living, as Snowbirds

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Trials and Tribulations

My week has been...interesting in many ways:

• Lightening struck a tree perilously close to our motor home. 
• My laptop screen is on the verge of death, and I'm ready to euthanize it!
• My daughter (Emmie) lost all of her shorts - it was 85 degrees most of the week.
• We carried a few "hitch-hikers" back from Florida - ants and lizards.  
• The radiator in Emmie's car  (our only other set of wheels) blew up.  :(

 
On the positive side:

• Jim & I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary. 
• My new laptop should arrive next week.  :)
• Emmie passed all of her spring classes - even Chemistry II!
• Our house is almost ready to move back into for the summer.
• I ran into several old friends while running errands.

I think the worst is behind us now. Three people living together in a 24-foot camper is difficult at times. Each one of us has had a minor melt-down within the past two weeks. Although we don't like troubles pressing in on us, we know they are temporary, and we are going to keep moving forward.

 

Prester clipart
from Clker.com

A Different World

Now that I'm back online, I am working on catching up with many things! It is a bit overwhelming, but at least I'm starting to feel settled. I always warm up by writing poetry. And this is my latest:

"Buddy"   Photo by Aleshia Clarke

Coming Home
   My journey is complete,
 or so it would seem;
I'm back to the familiar,
the home, and the dream.

With grass overgrown,
and the house in a mess,
tears overwhelm me -
the return of my stress!

Feeling quite empty,
all alone in the sticks,
not knowing where to start;
there’s too much too fix.

I want to go back
from where I just came.
I knew this would happen;
it is just not the same!

My sweetheart comforts me,
saying “wherever we roam,
as long as we're together,
we will always be home.”

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Greetings from West Virginia!

Blue Ridge Plateau, NC

New River Gorge, WV

We are having an exciting time traveling through the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains!

The scariest part of the trip was the climb up Grandfather Mountain in Blowing Rock, 

North Carolina. 

In the midst of rain, fog, and road construction, we were only inches from plunging over 
the side! 

But the views are absolutely breathtaking, and I'm glad we chose this route.

New River Gorge Bridge, WV

Blue Star Memorial Highway Sign, SC

Mystery Hill Vortex Room, NC

Charlie Napping

Just a couple of notes

I will be leaving in the morning for my next adventure! My husband and I are looking forward to seeing some old, familiar faces along the way. Posts may be far and few in between due to spotty cellphone coverage while on the road. 

I will try to post a few pictures of the trip when we are in camp for the night. Thank you everyone who took the time to vote for my Hub in the rising star competition. Voting ends tomorrow, so I'm hoping to find out shortly afterwards. 

There is some excellent competition, and I feel quite honored to be considered among their ranks. 

Happy trails to all!   

~Aleshia

 

The journey Into RV living, as Snowbirds

Photo Credit: Aleshia Clarke

To the surprise of our friends and family, my husband and I packed a few belongings into an RV, and went south for the winter. People thought we were crazy. Few had believed we would actually follow through with our plan, but those who did were quite envious of us.

The Turning Point

After 10 years of hard country living, the joys of home ownership had lost its charm. My husband was planning to retire from his job of 30 years. I worried that he would hurt himself trying to fix the house up. I was also concerned about how he would deal with being home alone most of the time. My job was very demanding; a struggle for daily survival, and I was starting to feel burned out.

Our turning point came on the day of my first stress test, when I nearly died. It was a terrible morning at work. Management had various surprise assignments for me, and I dealt with a couple of angry clients. I sped along the highway to my appointment after escaping work…late again. My next memory involved taking two nitroglycerins and getting loaded into an ambulance. I nearly died again the following day, after transferring to a different hospital, where I proceeded to fail another type of stress test.

The director promised that things would change when I returned to work, but I knew better. I wanted out, and my husband agreed wholeheartedly. “Let’s go to Florida,” he said. My response was, “We could close the house up and live in a camper!” I gave my employer a full year notice in writing, and we purchased a small motor home. I had something to look forward to, and Jim started preparing for the trip.

Project Snowbird(s)

While we were closing up house, I brought some pantry items over to my sister. I will never forget her asking, “You guys will be back by Thanksgiving, right?” My employer finally hired a replacement 10 days before I left. During the interview, the Director assured her that I would provide my cell phone number to her before I left, should she need to ask any questions. I thought, “you must be kidding me!” I politely declined when the new employee asked for it, by telling her that I needed to focus on the road ahead of me.

Our daughter, a senior in high school, had applied to a college near her stepbrother’s residence. She was not accepted. We offered to bring her to Florida, but she wanted to be near her friends. Her words were, “Mom, what is the difference between a kid going to college out of state, or the parents going out of state to leave their kid at a local college.” She opted to attend a local college instead. In the end, the decision was entirely hers; still, people thought it was selfish of us to leave her behind.

The Journey Begins

My impatient husband, Jim, insisted that we leave on time - in the middle of a torrential downpour! We spent over 150 harrowing miles trying to keep the rig on the road, to keep Charlie (our dog) off Jim’s lap, and to keep Buddy (our cat) from having a stroke. I finally convinced Jim to pull into a Walmart parking lot until the tornado warnings ended. When they continued to active three hours later, we decided to spend the night in the Yogi at Shangri-la Jellystone Park Campground in Milton, Pennsylvania. Just our luck; it was adjacent to the Chillisquaque Creek, which had a long history of major flooding.

We managed to survive the night without incident, so we left the following morning for New Market, Virginia. Charlie had developed an attachment disorder, which became evident when we came out of a welcome center to find our 50 pound dog on the dashboard, nose pressed into the windshield. Shortly afterwards, the tire pressure monitor system alarm began sounding off. After we stopped to check it for the fifth time, Jim deduced that the left rear dually tire was overinflated. He also learned that going up and down a steep incline is a bad idea. Our rear hitch-mounted trailer, loaded with a 2-stroke Honda Zuma Scooter, scraped the pavement on the way up, and again on the way back down the Mobile Gas Station entrance ramp.

I drove for a bit to make amends for snapping at Jim over his carelessness. I came upon an extremely narrow bridge in heavy traffic, and made a hasty decision to drive right down the middle of both lanes to prevent passing traffic from sideswiping us. The terrifying maneuver worked like a charm. As Interstate 81 took us down through West Virginia into the Appalachian Mountains, we both began to relax while enjoying the breathtaking vistas. There were slightly unnerving emergency pull-offs for trucks with break failures, but driving deeper into the region’s beauty helped to melt our stress away.

We entered a garden of stone on the side of a deserted mountainside when we pulled into the Endless Cavern’s NASCAR RV resort. I finally had the chance to purchase souvenirs for our daughter at the camp store. With an entire section to ourselves, we enjoyed the solitude and natural geology of the resort. During the next two days, the pets calmed down, we caught-up on our laundry, and everyone had fun exploring the trails. Due to the nearby epicenter of a recent strong earthquake (the earthquake had cracked the National Monument in Washington D.C.), we avoided going down into the caverns.

The Halfway Mark

The next leg of our trip was mostly enjoyable and problem-free. There were no shortages of Walmart stores on Route 77, so there were no worries about low provisions. Our confidence pushed us all the way down to Fort Mill, South Carolina. By the time we arrived at the KOA camp, we were exhausted. To make matters worse, Buddy peed on our bed. This was a new behavior, but unfortunately, it became one of many future incidents. After washing the linens and taking a nap, we walked over to a local bar, had a couple drinks, and listened to the band play. The following morning held a surprise for us. It turns out that Jim’s nephew lives in Fort Mill. Finding us via my Facebook update, he and his wife brought us over a bottle of wine, and spent the day showing us around their town.

After the third day, we were back on the road again. The next destination was Edisto Island, where we planned to spend nearly a week camping at an oceanside state park. It was a beautiful, rustic, seaside jungle! We had to get jugs of drinking water from the public water tower, due the salty island water. Over the next several days, we zipped around on the scooter along the salt marshes and into town. The park has a breathtaking beach; it was barren, unspoiled, and loaded with seashells. The oceanfront village houses were up on stilts. Listening to the native folk accents made it felt like we were in Jamaica. Aside from the vicious mosquitoes, and a serious late-night car wreck on the remote road next to our camp, it was almost paradise.

The Final Stretch

The final part of our trip was underway. I was getting the sense that our daughter was having trouble at school, but she did not offer any information, and I did not ask for any. I could not afford to lose focus yet, because Jim had clearly lost it. Nearly four hours later, we made it off the island; the last five miles spent stuck in traffic, waiting for a huge piece of culvert to creep down the street. Thankfully, we did not run out of gas. Jim was upset over the delay, and over every other thing that he could not control, so I decided it was best to stop speaking to him!

Late that night, we pulled into a KOA camp in Kingsland, GA. Buddy was on our last nerve with his new habit of soiling our bedding. We also had our first experience with tiny lizards and weird bugs. We found the campground to be very charming; there were plenty of souvenirs to buy, and the reservations included a complimentary hot breakfast. After getting a good night’s sleep, we felt much calmer, as we eagerly pulled onto the highway to finish the journey.

Pure excitement made the hours go by quickly. When we finally arrived at the Nova Campground in Port Orange, Florida, it was a pleasant surprise for the manager to come out of the office and welcome us. Our site was very large, and pretty, with a variety of flowers and perennials all around it. As we started to unpack, we knew we would enjoy living here as snowbirds through the winter.

See Part II of The Journey:

RV Living: The Journey Continues

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