Nine years!!!!!!

Nine years ago today we drove away from our jobs, a stick home, our friends and our family to join the full time RV'er lifestyle.  We have no regrets whatsoever!  Note:  Juanita has missed seeing the grandkids grow up however......

Our friends and family members were all busy leading their own lives, our jobs were a big pain in the butt and our stick home was an anchor.  Now, we travel when the urge arises, or stick around in places we enjoy for as long as we like.

The first four years were like an extended vacation...we moved around a lot.  For various reasons, the past five years have been much more relaxed.  Although we haven't made any plans to plant ourselves in any specific location at this point, we enjoy spending long periods of time in special places.

Two travelers in a very special place indeed!

Places we have visited over the years of travel have been spectacular beyond belief...the life long friends that we have made during this journey have been the icing on the cake.

I can't even list the huge number of friends that we have made over the years but should note a few that were special during this time.  Jim and Jan were the first full timers that we met on the road at City Of Rocks State Park in New Mexico.  We formed an instant and close bond with Roger and Pat at the McCall RV Resort in Idaho during the early summer of 2006.

RV classmates of 2006, Barb and Dave took us on our first geocaching adventure in Arizona in January of 2007.  We will never forget that excursion and these two intrepid travelers.   Mike and Sandy introduced us to warm (if not for a "rare" snowstorm) Texas hospitality, Will and Karen let two strangers camp next to their big red barn in Illinois and became great long term friends and Ed and Marilyn were good neighbors in Texas and hosted many afternoon sessions of laughter and companionship.

Dave and Toni keep us laughing, Steve and Karen have been awesome hosts (with beagle benefits) in both Idaho and Arizona, RV park owners Tim and Cindy are almost family in Oregon and Harry and Gayanne have become Oregon fishing buddies.

Canadians Wolfgang and Christine have forged with us a long lasting cross-border friendship, Steven and Linda add to our photographic and culinary interests and we took special pleasure in following friends Paul and Mary from their full time beginnings to current some-of-the-time RV adventures.  And who could forget our dear friend Randy...he introduced us to "The Red Green Show" and keeps his stick on the ice to this day.

Because this blog entry is already getting out of hand, I have left many fine people off the list.  I will probably be severely excoriated for doing so.  All of you, however, are not and never will be forgotten.

I need to mention that we have met dozens of people in the virtual travel world of the Internet.  Although we have laid eyes on only a few of you over the years, we value the friendship of our journal and blog readers more than you will ever know.

We realize that this journey will end sometime but have made no specific plans for that eventuality.  New places and more friends lie ahead.  After all, we live on wheels!