So its been a teeny while since my last post. Sorry 'bout that. Life has a way of kicking you in the ass now and again. Lots of stuff has happened in the last few years. If you need to know, you already do; if you don't then let's just start anew, shall we?
Here is our life as it stands at the moment:
Katrina and I are currently living in an apartment in Midvale while we wait for our house to sell. It's July... The offer on our house was accepted in January but there is a problem with the buyers's financing or something, and we are waiting for the bank (Bank of America- those crooks) to get their act together and MOVE already!
The move was facilitated by Katrina's recovery and the fact the the house is one hundred years only and falling down around our ears. It just wasn't a great place for Katrina to find her emotional or mental well-being and it was beyond time for a change. We lived there for fourteen of our nineteen years together- longer than I have ever lived in another domicile. Actually, I have lived with her longer than I lived with my parents, even.
The move has been great for us. The apartment is eight miles from work (compared to twenty-six from town), has space for visitors and even has two potties!!! The potties were the real selling point, I think.
Plus, they let us park the RV, have all four kitties and Fritz, and have covered parking for Molly McBlue.
We love our neighbors (ever characters, but what else would you expect?) and our little place is comfy cozy. The heat works and so does the Air Con. The floors are even, and don't slope, the windows open and close and are even double paned. The plumbing and electrical work and we can plug in and run two items at the same time without blowing a circuit. It's amazing.
With that being said, my gypsy blood is really boiling in my veins and now that we are (almost) free of our one worldly tie, I am ready to hit the road. We had originally planned on living in our big class A motorhome, but the cost of gas for one of these behemoths, coupled with the antiquated age of our ride (did you know that many RV parks won't allow old RV's to stay even one night?)- we decided that some stability in the early days of Katrina's recovery was probably a much safer bet. I think we made the right choice at the time.
Now that Katrina is happy and well and working her program beautifully, we are both feeling that old itch, and this time we would like to stay closer to home than Southeast Asia (for the sake of the fuzzy friends in our lives). Enter the Fourteen Month Plan.
FOURTEEN MONTH PLAN
To be free to roam by September 2013 at the very latest!!!!
We are trying to pay off some of Katrina's old debts and one of my tax obligations and we are selling or giving away as much of our worldly crap as humanly possible.
This time, however, we will be traveling in style in a newer, smaller, more affordable coach. Hopefully a Winnebago Rialta, but second choice would include and class C home that is twenty-two feet or shorter. We don't plan to retain a stick residence and I already have some potential camp hosting positions lined up for the future.
The plan is for me to continue to work at my current b job remotely (already discussed with employer and given the a-okay) while Kat primarily hosts as we travel slowly on our chosen circuit:
September- Leave for Boise, spend a week or so. Head to Seattle for a nice paddle in the San Juans before the season changes. Make our way down the WA and OR coasts on the 101, exploring along the way.
October- Yosemite, Redwoods, Northern California, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, San Diego
November- First two weeks in Quartzite, AZ for the gemstone (Katrina), One week in Padre Island, TX, Thanksgiving in the Wooodlands with my Dad.
December to March- Make our way along the Gulf Coast to Florida, where we will spend the next three months traveling slowing and camp hosting for the winter.
April to May- Make our way slowly along the southeastern seaboard to Charleston, where we will slowly and carefully make our way to Asheville, NC (the slowly and carefully is to make sure that we miss every LAST snowstorm in the mountains- I have NO intention of being snowed on again, if possible) where we will spend the next two months visiting most of my family.
June- Make our way along the northern route back to Salt Lake, side trips probable... Washington DC, UP Michigan, Yellowstone, Glacier... wherever the winds take us.
June- August- Home sweet RV!!! Visit with the in-laws, check in at work, maybe camp host somewhere locally.
September- Start it all over again....
The nice thing about slow travel is that it's not as expensive as you think.
Between campground hosting and boondocking, RV site costs should be minimal- maybe the occasional dump fee after boondocking. Since we plan to buy our RV outright, like we did with our last one, there are no rent or automobile payments and no utilities bar our cell phones and internet. Gas would be our largest expense and even if it cost $2000 one month, we would probably sit for the next two months.
We really want the Rialta because it gets the same gas mileage as my Astro van (16-21) and will go anywhere that I can take the van now (which, if you've ever traveled with me, you know is quite extensive). The Rialta is manufactured on a VW Eurovan chassis so it gets great mileage and you can find parts anywhere.
Until then, we will keep saving and dreaming and having a great time right where we're at.
Which reminds me, the Jeep is packed, the top is off and the mountains are calling to me, so I must be going!!! See you soon!!!!
