PET FEEDER FOR YOUR AGING DOG

Do you have an aging doggie who needs a little assist here and there these days?  My little Yoshi is 15 and slowing down. We decided he needed to have his bowls a little higher for comfort.  First I ordered one on the internet. When it arrived he could have slept in it. It was returned.

 So I decided to see what I could create.  I stopped in at Hobby Lobby and picked up a plastic basket. I turned it upside down and pasted a layer of hobby foam on the bottom. You could also use the skid proof shelf lining, but I thought this would be harder to clean.  I trimmed the foam to fit into the ridge on the bottom of the basket and then glued it down.  The final product was perfect! I put it on his dinner mat to prevent slipping on the tile floor, and presto! It was the perfect height and my little man seems to love it.  Total cost, $7.95 ( I went for the high end basket) but I'm sure you can get one for $1 at the Dollar Store!  Size the basket for your dog's height. This one is 5" tall, but you can find any size and accommodate your pet's favorite bowls.

BACK IN BLOGGER-LAND

Hello out there! It's been a long time since I have posted to my blog! In fact, I thought it had been deleted! I attended the Newmar Kountry Klub International Rally where I reconnected with The Geeks on Tour, and Chris Guld asked me a simple question... "Do you still have your blog?" I didn't know the answer, so I decided to find out. I went looking for my blog. It was there, but I couldn't seem to get into it.  Interestingly enough, I thought it had been deleted, but in reality it was just hiding from me! After a nudge from the Geeks, I found it! As it turns out, I forgot that I had two Google Accounts! Long story short... it was still there. Since it was the start of our journey more than 4 years ago, I decided to go back to the beginning and continue the journey.

We have been primarily in the Orlando area, working at Disney and living in our MoHo. We actually acquired a smaller vehicle, which was appropriately dubbed "Little Mo" for a business that Geoff started, inspecting RVs, sort of like a home inspection for a Motor Home!  Life is good and we continue to make it up as we go along.


Our first stop on the Rally trail was in Crozet, VA at Misty Mountain RV Resort. Inspired by the recent RV pad we bought in Florida, we decided to collect treasured VA River Bottom Rock to complete a waterfall in out Florida garden.  Like a scene out of "The Long, Long Trailer" we collected our rocks, (with the permission of our hosts,) and loaded it in out tow car. Needless to say, the Fit has smelled like a river bottom for the rest of the trip! I can't wait to get started on our waterfall!



After a visit to Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, and a round of golf, we moved on to a High School reunion back in Lynchburg, VA at Holy Cross Regional School.  We parked up on the school parking lot and hosted the Pre- and Post-Reunion party for the Class of '73, officially marking the "Turning 60 Year." We were a graduating class of 38, small but mighty!

Note car full of river bottom rock!

While in we made a side trip to Roanoke to meet my new Great-nephew, Gideon Whitt!  Gideon is a happy little boy and a flight to meet. We're hoping to welcome him to "the most magical place on earth" one of these days!

From Lynchburg we moved on to the Newmar Kountry Klub International Rally in Lewisburg, West Virginia. We had a blast catching up with friends we have met along the way, including our friends, the Geeks.

Home Sweet Home...sort of

We are alive and well in Florida!  Have you missed us?  For those of you who wondered, what the heck happened to those Bakers, we got to Florida for Christmas and liked it, so we are still here! I know, you guys up north all had a very mild winter but one does not make a trend!  We have established our residency in Florida on a concrete pad at Thousand Trails Campground in Clermont, Florida. It gives us a place to leave the spare car (which we re-appropriated from Sarah) when we travel and gives us a place to call home.

Geoff quickly found buses to drive here carrying happy little campers to and from the vacations of their dreams. No, he's not working for Disney, he's working for MEARS, the company that does all of Disney's transportation outside the parks. He loves it, and no, he will not be returning to PA to drive!  People have asked us how long we will be here. Our response is... "Until we're not."  We have a lot of Florida to explore, and we're planning a trip to Virginia in June for my 35th Reunion at Mary Washington College.


I have been busy building my SendOutCards business with workshops and other events at Thousand Trails while building my network in Orlando. I also opted for a Disney Annual Pass, as the options for Florida residents are irresistible, but more on that later!


on our way to the Techno-Geek Learning Rally in Bushnell FL next week, to get a "geek-over," but more on that in my next post.  I hope you are all enjoying spring wherever you find yourself.


Laura & Geoff ( and our little dog too!)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  It seems like forever since I have been in communication! 

Sarah flew in to join us and we spent a lovely Thanksgiving in Columbia, SC with our friends, Bill & Carol Buck and their family. Then it was on a NC/SC Newmar Rally - Christmas at the Beach - in Myrtle Beach. We had a great time with our Newmar friends and as usual, enjoyed Myrtle Beach.  Then it was on to Orlando to spend Christmas in the sunshine and the shadow of Disney.  We spent Christmas Eve at Universal Studios munching on fish and chips at The Three Broomsticks and riding the Harry Potter ride ... followed by Midnight Mass and  We rung in the New Year with our new friends at Thousand Trails with music and dancing.  

The holidays are over and we are  busily creating the future. Actually, the future is NOW and it's time to GET UP AND GET BUSY!  Geoff has taken a position with a company here in Orlando that he really loves. He's driving coaches for Mears Transportation, taking people to and from their dream vacations.  I, on the other hand, am focusing on building my SendOutCards business.  I just returned from Salt Lake City this weekend where the company announced exciting new options to grow the business.  SendOutCards is on it's way to becoming a household name!  If you haven't sent a card on me, please go to my website at www.LauraSendsCards.com and send one now! It will get printed, stuffed and stamped, and mailed first class with my compliments!

So here we are in Orlando, enjoying the sunshine and settling in for the Winter.  In order to keep from moving around so much while Geoff is working, we have taken a seasonal site at Thousand Trails in Clermont, FL, just down the road from Disney! So if you are vacationing in the area, let us hear from you! Our phone numbers and e-mail haven't changed.

PS: for those of you who followed Yoshi's surgery, he has fully recovered and has more energy than ever.  He has made many new friends here in the park and loves everything except the "sand-spurs".

Best wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

Laura, Geoff and Yoshi

ROLLING VS. ROLLING WITH THE PUNCHES!

It’s been an interesting few weeks back in PA. Because of Yoshi's surgery and recovery, we ended up extending our time in the area. Yesterday he got a clean bill of health from Dr. Sadanaga at VRC in Malvern. We told him that Yoshi had a blog so he better get it right! Hi stitches would rival anything in my quilt guild! As it turns out Yoshi's tumor was not cancer, lucky little doggie, but it's out all the same.

While I was in the region I had the opportunity to attend a number of DBE (Daughters of the British Empire) events, including the Pennsylvania State Cocktail Party, The Annapolis Fashion Show and the NJ State Luncheon. All lovely events and a good deal of money raised for The Victoria Home in Ossining NY.

We spent our last weekend at the Jersey Shore.  On Friday we visited with Sister James Dolores at Villa Maria by the Sea, the IHM Retreat House in Stone Harbor. Sister James taught at Villa Maria Oak Lawn in Lynchburg Virginia from 1958 to 1966, where my sister and I both graduated.  Sister James is affectionately termed the Mayor of Stone Harbor and is perhaps best known locally for the fundraiser & surfing competition held each year on the “Nun’s Beach” in front of the Retreat House. We were absolutely “wow-ed” by the renovations that she has managed to accomplish over the last 13 years in full-time residence at the shore. She hopes to re-dedicate the newly renovated Chapel next spring upon completion of the stained glass windows rejuvenation and painting.

We set out yesterday for SC but alas, on the beltway in DC the alternator on the MoHo failed. We managed to get it to a Cummins shop in Manassas and by the end of the day today we were back on the road, albeit a day behind schedule.

Tomorrow we will pick up Sarah at the airport in Columbia and join our friends for some Thanksgiving cheer before heading to Myrtle Beach for some golf and hot-tub time at the Marriott Ocean Watch, but more on that later.

We have learned by now that full-time RVing is as much “rolling with the punches” as it is rolling on the road!  Both are part of the experience to be savored.  To our friends, family and fellow RVers, we hope you are spending Thanksgiving in good company enjoying the good life!

On the Road Again!

The Bakers

HALLOWEEN IN THE NORTHEAST...REALLY!

Halloween at Croton-On-Hudson, NY

We spent an eventful Halloween on the Hudson River with an Airstream Rally. Since power went out across the region we were all on generators, but that certainly didn't deter the Airstreamers. They invited us to join their festivities and, of course, we accepted!  They had a propane heated tent!!

Victoria Home, Ossining, NY

In case you are wondering, the reason that we are still in the northeast is because I held a meeting of the Eastern District of the Daughters of the British Empire, the organization that funds and operates four retirement homes in the US, including the Victoria Home in Ossining NY. In spite of the weather, we had an impressive turnout at the Home, even though we had to shorten the meeting once the snow was in full force.  My appreciation and apologies to those who had an arduous trip home.

We made our way back to Pennsylvania last Monday and hung out in the Walmart in Exton. There's a secluded area that RVs can park and be barely noticed, not to mention walking distance to restaurants and shops! You can't beat it.  While we were there Geoff got a few more divots taken out of his scalp and back by the Dermatologist to prevent future skin problems.

Now it looks like Yoshi may need some further medical attention, which may delay our departure from the Northeast!  He had an ultrasound on Friday and they shaved his belly, so we got him a "tres chic" sweater to cover the damage. He will have a biopsy next week to determine the nature of  a bladder tumor and if he needs surgery.  You can visit his facebook page at Yoshi's Great Adventure and leave him your words of encouragement!

It's great to be back on the east coast and we are ready to head south!  Keep your fingers crossed that Yoshi's tumor will be benign and his issues manageable. 

We are enjoying the hospitality to  The Elk's Lodge #2576 where there are 4 Big Rig friendly sites (2 with 30 amp/2 with 30/50 amp) and a bunch of frinedly people! We played the nearby Blue Heron Golf Course Today and are getting ready to join the "Shotgun Bingo" tonight!  This is what life looks like when it's working!!!!

Hugs from all!
Laura, Geoff and Yoshi on the Road... 

GO IRISH! and IT'S GREAT TO BE BACK!

Sr. C and Farley on the move.

Before we left Indiana we took a little road trip to South Bend, Indiana to visit Sr. Carrine... and her little dog (Farley) too! Sister "C" as she is known gave us a tour of the Notre Dame campus that she has called home for the last 19 years.  Sister "C" is the Rector of Farley Hall and has picked up her PhD along the way. We had a real introduction to the landmarks at ND, including "Touchdown Jesus" (sorry, no picture.) 

It was so great to catch up and share stories from our Villa reunion in 2009.  Sister C couldn't make the reunion because it was a home game at ND... understandable!

The Basilica of the Sacred Heart at Notre Dame.  What a gorgeous church. I don't know when I've seen a more spectacular tabernacle.

Here we are back in PA!  It's feels a little like what it must be like for the astronauts when they re-enter the earth's atmosphere! All at once we're back in the middle of everything!  We will be in and out for a few days at a time over the next few weeks, seeing a few doctors, making a few social engagements, then it will be off on a southern migration!

 

We are really enjoying the fall colors. tomorrow we are off to the Poconos for a few days. We should be very near the peak, so stay tuned for some great color pictures. Then it's off to the Hudson River for a week, and back in West Chester for a few days in early November.

It's great to be with friends. A special thanks to Caroline & Jim Hilton, whose driveway we are in at the moment!

All the best,

Laura, Geoff & Yoshi!

CHILLING AT CAMP NEWMAR

Here we are in Nappanee, IN at the Newmar Headquarters. We decided to have the carpet replaced in the rig, an item we put on the list when we bought it. The Newmar wizards agreed to work us in, so we are here for the weekend. While we were here we decided to check out a local RV furniture place, and, well you can guess the rest. We’ve done a little updating!  We should be out of here early next week.  In the meantime we have free camping with hookups in Camp Newmar with the rest of the coaches in waiting!

We have had some internet challenges over the past few weeks which is why the Blog has been a bit dormant.  I’m on my third Verizon 3G WiFi and now we’re in an area with no signal!  This is being sent courtesy of the local coffee shop!

What a great week we had at the FMCA 6-State Rally in Hutchinson, KS. We decided at the last minute to take a booth in the Exhibit area and talk about SendOutCards. It turned out to be a great few days, meeting lots of people, setting up new retail accounts for RVers, and even setting up a new distributor in who lives in Hutchinson, Janice Patterson.  Welcome to SendOutCards, Janice!

At the rally we heard that the Army Corps of Engineers maintains campsites that are lovely, well maintained and very inexpensive. We set off for a site on the Lake at Council Grove. Geoff too these pictures on our campsite. It's definitely a "must do" if you are in the area. We paid $9 with our Golden Pass, with full hookups!

This is what life looks like when it's working!

Laura, Geoff & Yoshi

ARE WE REALLY BACK IN KANSAS?

Our stop in Denver was a mixed bag.  We had a delightful evening with Laura Kagan at her home. We were all set to catch up with Sandy Speedy when she ended up in the hospital for emergency gall bladder surgery!  She's home and fine, but we missed seeing her this trip!  

Our next overnight was in Garden City Kansas, and a wonderful gem in an otherwise desolate countryside, The Buffalo Dunes Golf Course! We played a round on the course which could rival any on the Philadelphia Mainline for maintenance and condition. Kansas is pretty flat, so it is a great walking course! We loved it!

 

 Then on to Dodge City. What's a trip to Dodge City without a taste of the Wild, Wild West!  We off-loaded the scooter and set off for Boot Hill, a reproduction of Front Street in the 1870s. Boot Hill is named for the cemetery where gunslingers on the losing side of the barrel were laid to rest in shallow graves, generally with their boots still on. The museum was very interesting.

In the gallery of Honorary Marshals of Dodge City I found a picture of Roy Clark, friend Susan Thomsen Clark's Dad, who visited the Museum in 1978 and was named a Honorary Dodge City Marshal! Small world!

Do I need to say anything about this?

And what Wild West Town would be complete without the requisite Stagecoach!  All in all it was good fun.  We're on our way to Hutchinson KS for the FMCA 6-State Rally starting Monday.


HAPPY TRAILS!


Laura, Geoff, and their little dog too!

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK AND THE GRAND TETONS

We arrived in the Park on Sunday and checked in at the Fishing Bridge RV Park. Given that the sites here were built decades ago we were very lucky to squeeze into our reserved site. We met a Bison on the way in strolling up the middle of the highway.
The following morning another (or maybe the same) bison trotted through the woods in front of our MoHo, ostensibly headed for the men’s room!

This was our first lesson  in fire management. This is a wild fire under observation by the park service. Current policy is that they only intervene where the fire is arson (human started) or where structures or people are at risk. This one was neither.






The geysers of Yellowstone simply defy description. Suffice it to say that living on an active volcano for 10 days is a life altering experience. The geysers are magnificent and mystical, no two alike, some predictable, many not so much.

The Riverside Geyser was kind enough to give us a show on cue although the picture doesn't really do it justice.  I made several attempts to video Old Faithful, with limited success, so you'll just have to go see it yourself! 


After a 5 day stint with full hookups in the RV Park at Fishing Bridge we moved down to Grant Village Campground where we boon-docked for the next few days with no hookups. It was much more spacious and we thoroughly enjoyed our tours on the Scooter to Biscuit Basin and surrounding areas.  From there we moved on to The Grand Tetons, with it's lovely Jenny Lake and rugged mountain profile. We took a dinner wagon ride out to the lake where we were treated to this spectacular sunset skyline over Mount Moran. 

As we left the wilderness of Wyoming we looked forward to reconnecting our phones and internet service, but it was a truly lovely period of relative isolation and tranquility with the bison, elk, geysers and the raw beauty of the Wyoming landscape. 


If you haven't been there, put it on your "Bucket List."


Laura, Geoff & Yoshi

SOUTH DAKOTA MEMORIALS - CRAZY HORSE & THE PRESIDENTS

What a great week with the Escapees RV Club in Gillette Wyoming.  Who knew there was so much to learn!  Many thanks to the RV Boot Camp Instructors for all the great tips and experiences shared!  The rally ended with a trip to the great monuments of South Dakota.  We were so inspired by the story of the Lakota Indians and there commitment to having a memorial representing their great heroes.  The memorial at Crazy Horse, SD has been under construction with no government assistance since the late 1940's out of the dream of a Lakota Chief and the commitment of a polish sculptor. Today his children continue his legacy to complete the memorial, a task which will likely take another 25 or more years!  For more information go to http://www.crazyhorsememorial.org

Scurrying around on the ground were there adorable little furry friends who came out of their holes to check us out. They are marmots and they all around the memorial sunning themselves.


Equal in grandeur but completed with federal dollars is the Presidents Memorial at Mt Rushmore. Every angle presented a different perspective of the men who left as much of a mark on history as their images have on this mountain. 

Now we are off to Yellowstone National Park, the never-neverland of internet and cell signals, so we will probably be offline for a week or two! Yikes!

Until then... Laura, Geoff & Yoshi

REMEMBER TO PACK YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR

Life on the road has some things in common with life back home. When systems bite the dust it’s usually on a weekend or in the middle of a heat wave, etc. We have two zone heating and A/C on the MoHo but the front unit decided to quit working as we were wrapping up our Las Vegas stay.  The good news is that the bedroom A/C is working just fine.  We called ahead and made an appointment to have the front unit serviced in Salt Lake City as we have learned that our emergency does not necessarily get us a spot on the RV service schedules, and most of them are booking one to three weeks out!

We got to Salt Lake City last night and had a great visit at the SOC Headquarters today, and planned to stay over for our service appointment tomorrow.  We met Kody Bateman, CEO of SOC, and he told us that we were living HIS dream! Imagine that! What an amazing operation. We got the grand tour Shua.

Next stop, the RV place where they told us they had our A/C units in stock.  Well long story short, they don’t have our unit in stock and it will take a week to get it there!  After a little “lateral thinking” exercise we scurried off to the nearest Home Depot and bought one of those little free standing A/C units made by LG. For $250 we don’t have to worry about Yoshi getting heat exhaustion, not to mention us!  We off to Wyoming where we will have a unit delivered and installed while we are at the rally there next week, or maybe Friday if we are lucky!  We have learned to keep out sense of humor and look for the opportunities in the breakdowns, because there will always be breakdowns!

So we headed off into Wyoming a little earlier than planned in search of lower temperatures. Tonight we're in Evanston, WY as we work our way over to Gillette, WY for the Escapees RV Boot Camp and Rally, and hopefully a new air conditioner!

You never know who you are going to meet in the Walmart Parking lot! We had a lovely evening swapping stories with Shirley and Dave Hinds from Golden, CO... and the temperature has dropped to 59... yipee!

From the open road with open windows...

Laura, Geoff & Yoshie

FREEDOM ISN'T FREE

What a week in Las Vegas! as we set off from an overnight at Zion National Park, I can reflect on the events of the last week.  What a spectacular SendOutCards Convention in Las Vegas. Among other things, the company has introduced new product videos and a several new retail options that remove all of the upfront costs, and allow you to get started sending cards for as little as $9.80/month (plus postage.) As I ride down the road in my MoHo, MiFi on and sending cards along the way, I just can’t believe how easy it is. I can take pictures along the way and as soon as we’re back on the road I’m uploading them and sending them to friends and family! How fun is that!  For more information check out the new video at www.LauraSendsCards.com

While the Convention was sizzling, it seems like we have been in temperatures above 100° day and night since we left Pennsylvania!  Oh, did I mention that our front Air Conditioner went out on Saturday? (We plan to get it serviced or replaced when we get to SLC. Last night in Zion National Park the temperature dropped to 67° and an amazing cool breeze swept through the Canyon. We opened all of the windows and slept all night with the cool breeze blowing through the MoHo, no bugs, no humidity, just a constant cool breeze!

We will be in Salt Lake City tonight and planning to tour the SOC production facility tomorrow! I have been there but Geoff hasn’t, and there are several new processes since I was there last year. We’ll be boon-docking on the back lot! 

Come on! Send those cards today!

From the Utah Canyons,

Laura, Geoff & Yoshi

NATURE'S CATHEDRALS

The view from our campsite at Heaton Bay, Dillon CO

This is my first trip across the country “on the ground” and each mile seems to be more magnificent. We have been through the tornado warnings in Kansas (once is enough), through The Rockies and onto the desert bluffs in Utah. We are guests in spaces that have been here for millions of years and only rarely infringed upon by mankind. One cannot help but be humbled by the vastness and desolation that those who pioneered these places must have felt. Pictures don’t do the magnitude justice, but alas it is what we have to share. This is such an amazing way to see our beautiful country!

 We have had periodic breaks in the heat, first in the Colorado Rockies and now in the cavernous canyons of Utah. Before we left Colorado we visited the Monument National Park near Fruita, CO. We camped at a CO State Park, one of many struggling for survival.


Yesterday we left Fuita and drove the scenic Utah Route 128 along the Colorado River through the canyon lands into Moab, UT, but not before a brief respite at the Red Cliffs Winery. You can’t help but stop along the way to catch your breath and take in the massive canyons.

We reached Moab in late afternoon and set off to The Arches National Park.  The redrock monuments appear to defy gravity at times. It often feels like you are in a huge natural cathedral that has been waiting for you to arrive for millions of years. The majesty rivals any manmade cathedral on earth.

We are pressing on to Las Vegas tonight where we will be for the next week, attending the SendOutCards National Convention.  It is really SendOutCards that has given us the opportunity to generate income while exploring this wonderful country together! We are so blessed.  Thank you all who are joining us on our adventure.

By the way, Yoshi now has his own Facebook page! You can find it by searching Yoshi’s Great Adventure on Facebook.

From the Wild West!

Laura, Geoff & Yoshi

GATEWAY TO THE WEST

 What a great stopover in St Louis! This is the view from I-64 as we entered the City. 

Who would have thought that our cousins would have a ready made RV pad between their condo and the pool! Well actually it was tennis court/pool parking but nobody seemed to mind. We were the neighborhood attraction!

We had a wonderful visit with Val & Don Fitzpatrick and we now know that we always have a "slip" in St. Louis. The heat was intense but the martinis were good, we were well fed and caught up on lots of family stuff. Thanks for the great hospitality!

 We're on to  Independence MO tonight making our way to Denver, where we hope to catch up with another member of the Fitzpatrick clan, Don & Terry and little Lola!  

Yoshi is doing great and making friends along the way. Geoff and I are learning a lot and getting our routines established. It takes so much more than you think to move your home around the country! We're fast learners and happily enjoying the journey.  Rushing is not allowed, we stop when we stop and we get there when we get there.

Until next time, happy trails,
Laura Geoff & Yoshi

IS WALMART THE BEST, OR WHAT!

We have been on the road a few days now, working out the kinks and getting our routines down.  Wilmington Ohio was a two-nighter at the Thousand Trails Campground. It was just as well since we started to hear a grinding noise at the rear of the bus which we couldn't figure out. A quick trip to "Fox Towing & Truck Service and $75 resolved the issue... and adjustment to the "air suspension ride height controller" and everything was back to normal.

Next I realized that Yoshi had developed a little medical issue for which I had neglected to get extra drugs. A quick call to his Vet, Dr. McGrath resulted in a consult with the Pharmacist at the nearby Walmart. When I arrived at the counter to pick up the Rx the cashier asked for my name and birthdate. I was a little stumped as I didn't know what Dr. McGrath had told them. Just then from behind the counter I heard, "Is that for Yoshi?" The Pharmacist gave me a wink and passed the Rx to a confused cashier.  He said "He has 5 refills that you can get at any Walmart in the Country!"  Now that's "knock your socks off service," and all for $4!


Last night we parked up overnight in the Walmart at Washington, IN. We shared a glass of wine with a couple who are headed up to Indianapolis to check out the purchase of a 2005 Newmar MountainAir and were very interested in ours. Mary Roark and Bob Wake of Midwest Realty, good luck with the Newmar. We love ours.


We're on the way into St Louis now for a visit with my cousins, Val & Don Fitzpatrick. They have managed to find a small "landing strip" in their development of us to park for the next two nights.  The sun is out and life is good!


Happy Trails,
Laura, Geoff and a happier Yoshi!

The sun has set on Gettysburg, PA as we toast our first official day on the road. It's hard to believe that a year ago this was just a "someday, one day" kind of conversation. Here we are, headed west and loving the next phase of our adventure. Today we managed to get nine holes of golf in at Phoenixville CC courtesy of Mr. Ochroch, owner of Werner Coach where Geoff has been driving for the past two years (thank you very much Fred!)


Geoff weighed the rig yesterday when we got to Allentown and we came in right AT the Gross weight of 31,000 lbs (rig, fuel, tanks, cargo etc.) so we are looking for ballast to heave overboard. We have managed to offload a few things on our way out of town, but I think we have a little more to do. It's amazing, just when you think you have gotten rid of everything you can, you find things that have no real purpose in your new life!  And so it goes. Maybe I will eventually tell the story of what it takes to actively divest your life, but for now I will just say that it's a rigorous process that evolves in stages. Each time you think you have reached a plateau, a whole new opportunity opens up to get rid of more stuff!


The most rewarding thing I have noticed is that your dearest possessions will find their way to where they want to be.  I carried some things around for weeks because they didn't go where they were supposed to go, and then "wham" there it was in front of me, the place they were supposed to go.  I think the access lies in the commitment to something beyond what you already know and have that makes it easier to let go of the stuff that is right in front of you. 


Stay tuned for the adventures of Yoshi, Laura & Geoff. Who knows where this road will lead. Thanks to all who have helped us to launch this dream and supported our preparation: Caroline Hilton, Monica & Keith Gosling, Fred Caramanis and the folks at Stoltzfus RVs, Donnie and Sarah, David MacElree at Coldwell Banker Preferred (Go David!), Carmen at Brandywine Creek Campground, Hopewell RV, Gail Feustel (for loving our house and buying it!) Debbie McDowell (for taking on the Rotary Youth Exchange Program) Dr. McGrath for getting Yoshi set up to travel, and finally, Rosemary, for the Champagne for our first night on the road. We love you all!


Goodnight, 

Laura, Geoff & Yoshi