Thursday, January 15, 2015

The Honeymoon Phase

Everything is perfect. 

The motorhome is beautiful and all its surfaces are shiny. I get excited every time I realize it's ours and has everything we want. The mechanical parts all work as designed, and the electronics are easy to understand. The interior storage is sufficient, the exterior storage is huge, we have room to spare. Driving it is easy and comfortable, it almost drives itself. The dealership loves us and the upgrades, additions and inspections are on time and without incident.


Perfection
We haven't picked it up yet.

The weather is ideal. Blue skies, warm temps, and no wind. None. Windshields are no longer frozen in the morning, and the afternoons are comfortable in a t-shirt (maybe with long sleeves). All signs point to an early Spring with perfect travel conditions. A February weekend in the desert will be fabulous.



Always

Good thing we don't have historically unpredictable weather in SoCal.


One of the reasons I read blogs and forums is to learn from others who are living the fulltime life. To learn from their mistakes, and from their successes. The biggest takeaway is that there is no one right way to do this. Still, there are some consistent do's and don't's - like waiting until you get out there to buy a lot of gizmos and gadgets that you may never use. Makes perfect sense.



Necessary

Over half our Amazon Wish List items are now in the garage, purchased in the last two weeks. They look really cool.

Another helpful part of following the veterans out there is paying attention to customer service reliability. Even better than reviews on Yelp, this information is from people I have grown to trust over nearly two years. It is so smart to avoid places where these folks have had consistently bad experience.




thebayfieldbunch.com
Exceptional

We're getting our Invisabrake and Roadmaster tow kit installed at Camping World. They're across the street......they're "nice guys"......every CW can't be horrible.......

Because when you're in love and all your dreams are coming true, you want to hold on to that feeling for as long as you can. You expect perfection. Regardless of the little but, but, but in the back of your mind, and the well-meaning reminders from others, you keep dancing to the music that keeps your feet from touching the ground (Al gave me that one...).

This "phase" of our journey is So Much Fun! With the sale of the house behind us and the purchase of the rig complete, we are free to focus on the exciting stuff. Like a child with a new toy, or a teenager with their first car, or a couple newly married, we feel only the joy of having gotten what we most longed for.

Not only longed for, but worked for. There's also a feeling of reward, of crossing a finish line of sorts. In this case the finish line does not indicate an end, but rather a most wonderful beginning.




Bill still has ten more Mondays to work, and I know for him that crossing that finish line will truly mean freedom. It will be another huge milestone, but not one there is any doubt about the if or when. Like Richie's graduation on June 2, it is a date on the calendar that gets closer every sunrise.

We know there will be some bumps moving forward, there always are. We'll do our best to limit them, and get through them with as much good humor as possible. We'll do it together. But in the meantime......

The honeymoon is perfect :-)







25 comments:

  1. I'm so glad to hear that the honeymoon is perfect. We have found Camping World to be one of our favorite places to but RV supplies and have things done if we can. Sure, people complain a lot about it but they also complain a lot about other places. The difference with Camping World is that if they blow one repair in Los Angeles, you can get it redone again in Florida for free. Or, if the item you bought broke a few months later in San Antonio, the Camping World in Portland will replace it. There are very few other places that offer that same insurance.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is so reassuring! One less thing to second guess :-)

      Delete
  2. It's wise to take the recommendations of others. Use your own judgement too because, as you said, they can't all be horrible. I'm sure you're having lots of fun planning where you'll go first, what you'll make as your first dinner, how you'll personalize your new home. I'm sure Bill is crossing off the days! Pretty soon!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes! We are doing all those things - finally pulling out the Benchmark maps and looking at real routes for March and June is great fun. He might be down to hours by now......the closer he gets, the harder it is :-(

      Delete
  3. What a wonderful time! You are so close to the finish line. I'm excited for you please post your adventures. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wonderful indeed! I am looking forward to having pics and tales to share from the road :-)

      Delete
  4. Oh that was the best time! So many wonderful firsts happening so close together! Soak it all in and enjoy it! It just keeps getting better!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And it seems like only a week ago you were doing the same - time flies when I look backwards :-) Better is good!!

      Delete
  5. Beautiful motorhome! We seem to spend a lot of money at Camping World. Our wish list never grows short.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's like a toy store! Even though so much of our stuff is from Amazon, we always find something we have to have in Camping World :-)

      Delete
  6. Jodee, you have planned so well and this Baby looks like the ride of a life time! Can't wait to see where you first take 'her' or 'him'. Do enjoy your honeymoon!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thanks Maura! Initially we're thinking "him", but are hoping to have a name after the first trip :-)

      Delete
    2. Funny, I thought "Her'...so elegant and all!

      Delete
    3. :)...actually I have already named her TAJ..as in 'Taj Mahal!'..ok, ok...Not my Rig...not my journey LOL :)

      Delete
    4. Great name :-) Gender aside, it is definitely elegant and regal!

      Delete
  7. Absolutely NOTHING BETTER than being in love and watching your dreams come true. I loved reading this post. It made me smile from ear to ear. Perfect is a word we don't get to use very often. Wonderful to hear that it is your life.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Sherry, I am very blessed. So glad I could return a big smile - sharing happy is a good thing :-))

      Delete
  8. So happy for you two:) This is such an exciting time. I can still remember this time for us.

    We had Camping World in Bakersfield do our Invisabrake and Roadmaster tow package. They did an excellent job.

    You MH looks beautiful. You need to post more photos!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Definitely good to hear more positive CW experience! I can't wait to take more pics, especially when it has some personal touches :-).

      Delete
  9. Such a great time in your life, one that is well deserved. Your excitement shines through, so great that you can enjoy each step. Beautiful looking MH, can't wait to see inside pictures.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you :-) It was work, but we really have enjoyed every step!

      Delete
  10. Here's hoping that honeymoon phase continues for a long, long time!! I can feel that excitement in your words!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's the plan - hoping to hold on to the joy for a good long while. Lots to keep us excited out on the road :-)

      Delete
  11. How delightful! It sounds like you're having a glorious honeymoon -- and I'm betting it will be even more wonderful as soon as you get on the road. Congratulations again on getting the rig of your dreams. :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think so too! Bet you're also having a wonderful time making your new rig all yours - and enjoying that extra space :-))))

      Delete