Time To Go Home

In Richardson, Texas, at Cheryl and Jackson's house, we are waiting for the mobile sun roof repair shop.  This has become a two-day process and quite an ordeal.  We have unpacked the entire car to give the repairman access to the interior so he can drop the roof to install the new sun roof.   

The exposed hole waiting for the repairman:

The unpacked contents, ready to be re-packed in a bit and then unpacked in two-days when we get home.

Alan and I have had a fabulous time trekking across the continent. We visited some oldies but goodies where we have been before and some places where we have never been before but were on our bucket list.  We also just came upon places that felt right at the time and were fun, interesting adventures.  

We are finally ready to head home, about a week sooner than expected.  I want to see "The Miracle Worker" at The Prizery which finishes this weekend.  But some other reasons why home is the right place to be are confronting us:

1.  Alan and I are both in desperate need of haircuts (and probably other grooming as well).

2.  Despite two occasions doing laundry, all of our clothes are dirty; and we are sick and tired of wearing the same old things, clean or not.

3.  The car is filthy (especially from the dust of the southwest deserts) and we cannot run it through a car wash with the car top carrier, the bikes on the back, and now a broken sun roof.

4.  I am thinking more about what I want to do or need to do at home, then about what city or landmark we are going to visit next.  (Alan is not yet thinking about what he needs to do at home and does not want to think about that.)

5.  We have caught up on our sleep (and then some).

6.  We think we drove on electronic toll roads/toll bridges without the approved payment device (EZ Pass just works in the East), and we need to get home to pay the fee within 10 days of the mailed bill or suffer penalties. 

5.  We miss our friends.  (Fortunately, we got to see almost all of our family on the trip).

6.  I want to start on some of my retirement projects, inspired by talks with Alan and family and arts and crafts seen along the way around the country.

7.  We feel ready for the same routine every day.  

8.  And we are starting to plan our next vacation!

FYI, the nomadic vacation will be on hold for a couple years.  Then we plan to "do" Europe with just a backpack and our washable undies.  That will be such a small geographical area compared to the continental United States.

In the meantime, we will stay in the same place for a week or two when we travel, becoming immersed in an area and maybe the culture and language if we are lucky enough to go to a foreign country.  My Spanish may get us by in Central or South America and needs refreshing.  Costa Rica, maybe?  Machu Picchu?

What we learned on our trip:

1.  The West is HUGE with lots and lots of miles between towns and landmarks (and Walmarts), much of which looks exactly the same mile after mile after mile after mile after mile after mile.....Get the idea?

2.  There are fun and interesting things to do in almost every city and town.

3.  Even the tour of an old, shut-down cannery can be fascinating.

4.  Sleeping in the car can be fun and easy and saves money.

5.  We tend to overpack clothing for our trips.

6.  We have the perfect equipment for extending camping which might be preferable to one and two-night stays.

7.  We want to take our kids and grandkids camping again.

8.  We still love each other after being within arms-length of each other mile after mile after mile after mile after mile after mile after mile....Get the idea?

Home sweet home is just a couple days away.

Thanks for your interest in our road trip.  Get out there yourselves.  Happy and safe travels!