Week 7 - Hello Kentucky! Our Journey to the Bluegrass State - 5/8/20

Day 1 - Ready for take off!

I am so grateful for my life. I'm currently wrapped in my leopard print fleece blanket with Charlie laying at my feet listening to the Kentucky rain. Gregory, Charlie, and I arrived Monday afternoon which was 2 days ahead of schedule. We've had 3 days of beautiful cool weather and 2 days of rain. After being in the desert for 5 weeks we welcome the calming rain and low humidity. Everything is so lush and green here! Last night all three of us spent the evening at my Dad's house. My sisters made dinner and 8 of us sat around the kitchen table exchanging stories and playing a dice game. The game ended around 11:30 PM which was perfect because we had just emptied the Vodka bottle. Ha! We all laughed so hard...I think I even cried at one point. So, it feels good to have a nice rainy quiet day on the couch listening to Gregory typing away for work. Saying all of that, it was a journey to get here! So here we go!

Night 1 sunset

We left Casa Grande, AZ on Thursday the 30th and said goodbye to Gregory's family. Which is always hard after you have spent so much time with them. It's also hard to leave your routine and stationary life because now you are going back out on the road and into the unknown. But, we left for Tucson which was a 65 mile drive once Gregory got to a stopping point with work that evening. We stopped in Tucson so we could have the tires replaced on Gregorys rig the next morning. We easily found a free campsite off of Campendium on some BLM land. We witnessed an AMAZING golden hour and sunset! Once the sun disappeared the temperature dropped drastically and we slept great.

Night 1 Set up

The next morning Gregory worked while Charlie and I explored. Around 11:00 AM we dropped the RV's off at the tire shop. Replacing the tires took about 2 hours and we didn't want just sit in the hot RV's so Gregory and I went and explored. Which is hard since everything is still shut down due to COVID-19. We also didn't want to take Charlie with us so we had to turn the generator on in my RV, then turn the AC on, and leave Charlie. Which was anxiety inducing for me...to leave her by herself. But, we both made it! We explored, ate, and when we returned to the RV's everything was ready to roll! We hopped into our captains chairs and drove about 280 miles to Las Cruces, NM.

We spent the evening in an empty Walmart parking lot and had no issues. When I pull into privately owned/business owned parking lots I always get nervous! I like to check free campsites.org and Campendium to ensure where I am parking is legal and I'll even call the business and double check with them. The last thing I want is someone banging on my RV door at midnight or placing a warning sticker on my window. Yeah...Gregory doesn't worry about these things. lol Which gives me anxiety! But, to each their own. (is that the correct wording for that saying? lol) So, we are still respectful by parking in the back of the parking lots, parking close together so we don't take up to much space, and being quiet. Of course, it was fine and we got a great nights sleep.

Night 1 Set Up

On our third day we drove a little over 500 miles to Abilene, TX. It was a Saturday so we basically drove from 9:00 AM (cause I like to sleep in...hehe) till 6:00 PM You're probably thinking that 500 miles isn't a lot in one day but when you are averaging 60 MPH, 10 miles to the gallon, and caravanning 5 vehicles in one day...trust me... it's a lot! We found the most amazing dry camping site! At one point we both talked about just spending the weekend in Texas because it was so beautiful! We stayed at a City park which allowed tent and rv overnight parking. When we arrived I read all of the signs and rules as we entered. Per the signs you were only allowed to park in designated camping areas. Well...they were all FULL with tent campers. My anxiety started too heighten. Of course, Gregory was fine with parking in the grass along the lake. Which in my head was against the rules...which were posted! lol for a reason! (in my head) Thank goodness about the time my brain started to freak out a Park Ranger drove by. He gave us permission to park in the grass and told us to enjoy ourselves. Phewwww did that make me feel better! We set up our rigs, made some drinks, and walked Charlie down to the lake to swim. It was such a wonderful night. We swam, had a great dinner, got the telescope out, slept terrific. I'll tell you what...it was hard to leave in the morning.

Night 3 - Lakefront Property

The 4th day we drove 504 miles to Little Rock, AR. Sunday's drive was uneventful as we watched fields of golden wheat turn into fields of yellow flowers. The longer we drove the more the flat landscape turned into rolling hills. At one point we found a gas station with a grassy fenced in dog park. Charlie had it all to herself. Charlie also helped us score some FREE Tri-tip from a BBQ shack that was nearby. The cook explained that he had cooked it longer than he wanted and dried it out. He was going to throw it away and then he saw Charlie and thought she'd love it! We got about 5 pounds of free meat! And to tell you the truth we all had it for dinner...what?! It was delicious! Ha! Sunday night we stayed in another WalMart parking lot. It seemed a little sketchy but the lights were bright, security cameras were everywhere, and we kept the windows open so we could hear if anyone got to close.

Day 4 - Rest Stop Time 

Day 5 was a Monday. Gregory had to get back to work so we decided to wake up at 6:00 AM EST and drive a few hours before his first conference call. The plan was to drive for a few hours, park in a rest stop so he could work, and then drive for another 150 miles or so and stop around Nashville. Well....we had some events happen. As they do in this lifestyle. Sometimes it doesn't matter how much you plan, attempt to stay on track, or stay aware. You can't predict everything. Eventually you just figure out the unexpected is going to happen and be prepared to roll with it. We had some things break in the RV's and frustration set in. At that point we decided to just keep driving...and keep driving...and keep driving. Before we knew it we were crossing the Kentucky state line and we could almost taste the bourbon! Day 5 was by far the least fun day. Just imagine...you sit in one position the entire day, your house is vibrating at 60 MPH down a highway, a dog is panting in your ear, all you've eaten is gas station pizza, and you haven't had a shower in a week. Oh...and you haven't had electric because you've been sleeping in parking lots and the only reason you've had warm water is because it's been so hot outside your RV is like a Sauna. So, it's actually harder to get cold water at this point.

I just like to share these things because they are our reality. Our reality isn't an edited and filtered photo on Instagram. Sometimes it gets so hot the smell from your black tank leaks into the RV, sometimes you hit a curb so hard your cabinets fly open and your favorite coffee cup flies out, sometimes your dog gets so anxious she tries to sit in your lap as you're driving. During these times you have to remember to breathe and give yourself grace.

By the time Gregory and I pulled into the Shepherdsville KOA we were both looking and feeling a little rough. And yet we were so thankful to be at our new home base! RV life is already interesting but then remember that normal life doesn't stop either. So, just imagine living this lifestyle and then dating in this lifestyle! Even though RV lifestyle is not knew to either of us, we are still somewhat new to each other. Everyday I think we learn something new about each other. And I have to say I think we did great during our migration to Kentucky. Yes, we had some bumps in the road but we ultimately supported each other and acted as a team along the way!

We no longer know what mile we are on or what day it is!

Between the both of us we transported 5 vehicles over 1,900 miles in 5 days. Combined we had 22 wheels, capacity for 140 gallons of gas, 100 gallons of fresh water, 10 gas station stops, 3 showers, and 1 tired puppy.

We have now spent 4 nights in Gregory's RV surrounded by friends and family. Laughing, drinking coffee, introducing, playing games, sharing stories, and soaking up al the puppy love. The plan is to stay here for the month of May and possibly the month of June. And wait and see what COVID-19 decides to do.

Until next week I hope you are also surrounded with love and light from your friends and family! Thanks for reading!

Cara Ostara

Our favorite view to walk to at our current campground!