Maybe solo travel isn't so bad after all - Traveling with family. 10/13/19

On the road again, it feels so good to be....actually, it feels like a lot of work and anxiety to be on the road again. You may wonder why it feels like this. I will tell you why. I started planning my 'winter' migration about a month ago, with my father. My dad is at a time in his life where he can take some days off of 'life' and tag along with me to explore the U.S. for a little. When he first expressed interest in joining me on a road trip I was pretty excited but I wasn't sure if it would really happen. As days ended and weeks past he showed greater interest in joining me and committed to joining me on a leg of my trip.

After some back and forth, being wishy-washy, and guessing, he expressed that he wanted to see South Dakota, Mount Rushmore, & Yellowstone. This is great news, because I have been to these places, I love them, and I know what to expect. I genuinely had no issue going back to any of these places because I enjoyed them so much. The only problem is that it is October. And October in these places mean winter. Im talking, 12 degrees, a foot of snow, and closed campgrounds winter. So,  I expressed my positive and negative feelings about making the trip up West. I was ready for the challenge but shared my fears with my father and let him know I was up for it if he was. I would make it happen. Of course, he listened (I think) agreed that it wasn't ideal, but still wanted to try. Okay cool. I mapped out a plan on google maps, I wrote out our itinerary on a excel file which is very detailed, made reservations at one place in Bozeman, MT, and sent him the information. Which is what he asked for. I'm not really sure he looked at the information but he asked, I created, and I sent. 

To days before we leave, we start to pack up little things. Originally he wanted to bring his motorcycle. Well, I tow my Honda behind me and I need it for the winter because I am not driving home after he leaves me. So, he looked and looked for a trailer that would tow the Honda and the motorcycle. Couldn't find anything, I finally reminded him again of the weather and how cold it was going to be. There is no way he could ride it until we got down to Arizona. So, he finally gave up on that idea. So, he decided to bring his golf clubs and his bicycle. Long story short the Honda is packed. 7 bags of dog food, 1 bag of golf clubs, 4 gallons of water, and 2 bikes hanging off the back of her...poor thing. But, that's okay. I want him to have a good time and I want to prove to myself that I am flexible. 

Day 1: First drive day. The plan versus reality is what follows.

Dad to arrive at RV - 8:00 AM 

Pull RV out of drive way and leave - 9:00 AM 

Head to Harvest Host Location in Edwards, IL. I've already called them and made arrangements. 

Okay let me just stop right there. 

Reality: Dad arrives to RV at 9:15 AM with Starbucks in hand. :Everything is okay: Dad has 3 jackets , they all have to be hung up in the closet :Everything is okay: Dad looked at weather and now thinks its a bad idea to go North: Starting to melt down: Dad asks Cara if she knew the weather was so bad up North. :Visibly starting to meltdown: Dad wants to head South instead until the snow storm passes. :Physically shaking: Dad just wants to start driving South and see what happens. :I excuse myself and go cry in the bathroom. My sisters stay outside and play mediator between myself and Dad. 

Here's the deal. I am not the person that just jumps in my RV FOR THE WINTER and starts heading a direction without any plan. Funny thing is, I had a plan. I had also communicated the weather was bad, it would be freezing, it would be snowing, it would be rough. I communicated everything. I sent a plan. I prepared. And on the morning that we are leaving my partner shows up an hour late, with Starbucks, and wants to head South. :dfghsdfk;gdfklghs;diog: And my partner is oblivious to how this change has affected me and that I am upset. Partially my fault for not communicating that I was disappointed that he didn't listen to me in the first place and that I am now flustered because I have to find us a new place to spend the night, I have to think of temperatures for the dogs, I have to think of gas, etc. When you live in a RV full time with two dogs you can't just drive wherever and stop on the side of the road when you're tired. Thats not how this works. After 2 trips to the bathroom to cry by myself, one 10 minute meditation session, and an hour of going back and forth we came up with a 24 hour plan. We would just head South towards Hot Spring, AR and then in the generally direction of Arizona/Utah. And figure out the next 24 hours as we go. Okay, I can be flexible for 48 hours. It's fine. Everything is okay. 

We get on the road around 11:00 AM. If I continued to type out the happenings of the first 24 hours this entry would be a novel. I'll spare you some of the details. But, I'll include some highlights below. 

• Communicate that we could drive to Hot Springs, AR in one day if we stay on the road. That is our goal.
• We stop before we get out of Kentucky. Visit a Corvette museum. Buy a toy model car.
• Stop in Memphis, TN. Visit Bass Pro shop with hotel in it. Actually a cool stop. Suggest maybe we just stay here for the night. It's cold and already dark at 6:00 PM. 
• Eat dinner on Beale St, walk around, and listen to singer. Cool street. 
• We're not going to make it too Hot Springs at this time. It's 8:00 PM. Still 250 miles to go. 
• Doesn't want to stay in Memphis. We get back on the road. 
• Drive for an hour and a half. I manage to find a free boon docking spot using freecampsites.net (This is my go to! It's a life saver) 
• He's finally ready to quit driving, we pull into the spot. It's always difficult to set up camp (safely & comfortably) in the dark in a new spot. You never know if there will be an open space, will the ground be hard enough, is it safe, can you pull through or back in, etc etc. 

We had a pretty uneventful evening after we set up, thank goodness. I'll admit I was in a bad mood at this time and it was showing. I think my travel partner was oblivious. I was thankful that the dogs were so quiet and patient. They just laid on their bed and waiting for me to feed them, take them to the bathroom, etc. They also slept the entire night which was wonderful! No cold midnight walk in a dark forest. The next morning as soon as our eyes popped open we were ready to go. 

The next day things were even more 'eventful.' That is the keyword I will use for this trip. :insert laughing crying face: We eventually made it too Hot Springs, Arkansas. After a trip to Kroger, Planet Fitness, and a couple of gas stations. The location I had us camping in no longer allows camping so that was great. Because, we stopped so much during the day and messed around it is now getting dark...again. Shocker.  Find another park for us to stay at. This one is not free, it's $15. First come first serve. 40 sites. No problem, we will just drive over before dark and snag a spot, no way they will be all full. Show up at park. NO VACANCY. It's after 8:00 PM, its dark and cold. The dogs are hungry and my entire body and mind aches. I'm on the verge of tears again. After 30 seconds of mentally freaking out. I manage to find a local KOA, call them, they have one spot left. :Rubbing my St. Christopher necklace at this point, saying thank you: 

Pulling into the RV park and getting a spot was a blog entry in itself. But, fast forward and we are in our spot, $34 spent, electric hooked up, and public bathrooms and showers. Yay! 

After setting up, feeding and walking the dogs, I lay in bed. Practicing. Practicing patience, love, and grace. I talk in my head. Saying thank you to the powers above for keeping us together, healthy, & warm. Saying thank you for helping the dogs be so patient and quiet, saying thank you for no mechanical issues, and very grateful that we found a safe spot to sleep. I fall asleep to Dad messing with the television (which is not working...it worked fine during the last trip.) I'm not sure what's wrong with it but I don't have the energy anymore to look into it. We're camping. there's no Television in camping. 

900+ miles driven...more details to come. Thanks for reading and I hope you got at least one good laugh out of this. Also....I do love my father (if he ever reads this. I also respect you, like you, and I learn a lot from you) Frustration is just part of traveling together...and learning about each other. Some of this may come off as harsh but blogging helps me get my feelings out, manage my stress, and diagnose sometimes how I am feeling.  I practice sharing the whole truth in my entries and I wasn't going to stop today. Family and traveling is wonderful, stressful, hilarious, frustrating, unbearable, and magical all rolled together. It's how you make the most of the time you have together.

But, when it comes to tomorrow....