Reconciliation

9.5.07 Knoxville, TN
It’s no wonder my Muse had abandoned me. She was repressed, emaciated and pretty much fed up with my callous handling. Looking back, I don’t blame her. I can’t even recall exactly when she packed her bags and slipped away.

What is a woman without her Muse? I recall feeling numb, submitting to the overdrive in which my life was constantly running. Full speed ahead. I was a writer and a teacher; I never wanted to jump on the fast track, but there I was, trudging through 60-hour work weeks and commuting twelve hours beyond that. My Suburu begged for oil changes, but even for her I was too busy. After relinquishing most of what had previously defined me, I prided myself on creative multi-tasking. Colleagues marveled as I entertained conference calls, tweaked staff schedules and scarfed my Lean Cuisine linguini while still managing to answer their impromptu questions. I maintained an open-door policy and an internal psyche shut-down. And it seemed that no matter how much of a bonus I landed, I was drowning in debt. Life got complicated fast, and I gave it free rein.

Women are passionate, throwing ourselves, hearts first, into what we do. We love a good cause and set our aspirations high, extending in all directions to help others when we can. We also tend to neglect our own needs. Save those long walks and quiet reverie for another day. Frantic phone calls to the few women I could still call my girlfriends were scheduled in during rush hour slow-down on the interstate. We were comforted by each other’s chaos: managing careers that had taken on lives of their own, mortgaging houses and leasing cars, having babies or, in my case, birthing butterfly gardens. We were emulating the Superwoman model while cursing it on the sly, mollified by the elegant illusion of suburbia.

Joel begged me to leave my job, but I was no quitter. (Besides, look at how much I invested in these new suits!) I forged ahead until one Sunday morning he sat me down. There was laundry piled, dishes soaking, a garden in need of mulch. But I sat and listened. I think we should try again. I instantly knew what he meant. Eight years ago, we shared a dream: we longed to explore America by highway and byway, slipping in and out of those little towns you never saw on TV. By simultaneously searching and stripping away, we expected to shape our authentic lives. We saved up for a 32-foot motor home and after months of preparation headed out of Florida with campground jobs awaiting us in Tennessee.

Blissful liberty emboldened us. We did it! We were on the road. Then, the refrigerator leaked and buckled our newly-laid parquet floor. I cried, but we repaired it. Then, the engine’s flywheel broke a tooth and we couldn’t restart the coach after fueling up at midnight in the Everglades. I disliked sleeping in the parking lot of Jimmy’s Garage, but we did what we had to do. But when the engine caught fire just south of Tampa, we sat stunned on the side of the road. Our savings were depleted before we had even left the state. An ensuing year spent grounded at an oceanside trailer park oscillated between grim and comical. The novelty waned quickly, and we were worn out from being broke and confined. This was not our vision of freedom.
Now, he wanted to try again. Older and wiser, we had accumulated seven years of equity in the house. Why did we still long to do this? Were we reclaiming our deferred dreams? With what little imagination I could still summon, I envisioned days that didn’t revolve around daunting lists and deadlines. I wanted to explore freely and interpret the world around me. I wanted a full night’s sleep. But what was I willing to give up for these luxuries? Nothing I owned or experienced seemed worth hindering a more inspired path.

So we did what any responsible 30-something couple would do: we devised a timeline and set realistic goals. Selling the house was a must. After all, a large portion of our debt stemmed from endless home improvements. We could recoup most of that at closing. Attending weekend RV shows helped us assess prices and determine what type of vehicle would accommodate full-time camping. Joel, who had fortunately chosen a career in the medical field, investigated travel job opportunities. I embarked on a liberating purging process. What I couldn’t part with went into storage and would face reassessment just before the big move. Furniture became the enemy. I wasn’t going to let my belongings encumber me. In fact, we decided to offer the house up furnished.
Nine months passed before we claimed our new minimalist lifestyle. But, lo and behold, it happened. Family was nervous, friends were surprised and cats were skeptical. We bought our 37-foot RV, sold my beloved Suburu and paid off credit cards. We carefully selected our possessions: my new closet was two feet wide. To Joel’s delight, I packed up or gave away 20 pairs of shoes. Our entertainment was simplified: listening, reading and rambling around new landscapes. I figured if we removed the frivolous minutia from our lives, we could widen our lens and refocus on living. We didn’t know what to expect but extended our arms wide in anticipation. Babes in the woods of greater Knoxville, we were surrounded by mountains that just about knocked me out. My senses reawakened. We had finally made it to Tennessee.

“Won’t you get bored?” People have inquired. This concern forces a smile every time. It’s time to reacquaint with all the subtle blessings I had neglected and celebrate self among nature, waking up to the beauty of early morning meditation in the woods, my new backyard. My mind soars as I wander a new city. I observe the nuances of character that people display and welcome their friendliness to a curious stranger, trying to absorb the language and gestures. At the campground, it’s no surprise our transient neighbors seem disarmed and approachable; they all have a story to tell. I’m starting to feel connected. The enthusiasm for life’s mysteries has resurfaced, and wanderlust calls. I vow to honor simplicity for what it is: blissful opportunity. I practice ridding my mind of the nonessentials, shedding other people’s expectations of the good life, and listening. Turn the volume down, and Muse will visit again.

Getting back to writing is hard work, requiring retraining and patience. After wearing blinders for so long, I strain to observe the details around me, but it helps that everything beckons for attention; cicadas roar as I write, and the kaleidoscope of environment ever turns. In this way, I create a happy nest to hasten the Muse’s return. I cajole her with aimless morning walks along the Tennessee River, murmuring to her that it’s safe under the tall pines and poplars at our campground. There’s nourishment enough for us to coexist. Some mornings I light candles in her honor, showing her that, though I had doggedly tried, I cannot thrive without my Muse.

Published in Skirt! Magazine October 2007 issue

Thadra Petkus is an English teacher and freelance writer. She has recently moved from South Florida and is currently traveling throughout the U.S. with her boyfriend in an RV.

The Harley Hogs are Coming to Town

8.23.07
Knoxville, TN
Maybe it was all those Harley’s rolling in. I mean, I’ve had small realizations seep in here and there over the last few months and certainly moments of synchronicity surfaced when Joel and I looked at each other, wordless, and smiled in simultaneous recognition. But the roaring engines brought it home for me.

We don’t have to wait for leaves to fall to view an ever-changing landscape. This landscape has a current. Though we get level and remain stationary for a time, we feel its flow around us, acknowledging we are part of it, beckoning acceptance. Like a tide rushes in and pulls discretely away, RVs arrive and park for a week or even just an evening. Tent occupants wander wearily to the port-o-johns in the early morning. Barking dogs chase squirrels up trees for days and then disappear forever. Even when our own wheels are chocked and the 3 slides protrude from the belly of our odd-shaped vessel, our obvious transience molds affinity with others. An anonymous intimacy exists among the extended family of campers. Eager to socialize, they’ve helped us improve the vague neighborly wave we’d practiced on people whose names we weren’t sure of even after 7 years of cohabitation. Judgment dissipates as I find myself sharing recipes and relationship details with those who by chance parked next to me the night before. Knowing we may never cross each other’s paths again only unites us closer in the moment and you can easily observe the singularity of each passing day.

A permanent vacation? Not exactly. It was vital to establish routines, new routines we hadn’t needed until now. After all, we were here for business. We raced around our perimeter, scoping out the local grocery store, neighboring county park, and nearest station that served up biodiesel. Where could we stock up on good beer? What about a gym? A chiropractor? Maybe we can’t live forever in the confines of 34 feet, although I’m growing into the beautiful simplicity of it all. I’m diving in and submerging myself in the comfort of just getting by. Vacuuming, for example, takes all of 5 minutes. If I need to retrieve some cold bottled water, our basement is just 2 steps down. With only 3 burners and a small oven, I’ve learned to simplify our meals, though I’m mystified by the myriad spices we’ve managed to lug over 1,000 miles. Other than that, choices are limited so you quietly settle within your parameters.

But what of homeostasis? My mother questions, smiling but earnest, why we can’t just settle down. But, mom, we tried that. We did. We settled, but not in the right direction. It wasn’t a better life, and this new life isn’t as complicated as it seems. Sure, there’s the black water tank to contend with and it’s a bitch to park, but hey. Aren’t we, after all, just creatures of habit? Establish a new habit and you fall into that groove just as easily as anything else. So it seems a bit adolescent to wander aimlessly, following only the fluid curvatures of chance. Maybe we’re just stubborn, unwilling to succumb to our age, imposing on ourselves an early mid-life crisis. But even if I come back for another time around on this earth, it will not be in my current form. I will only be me this once, so how can I let all of the other possibilities slip by unacknowledged? She just doesn’t know what to say to that.

But suburbia took its toll on us. Emerson’s notion of “quiet desperation” gnawed at me during those little spots of space when I forced myself to be present, induced by an onset of traffic jam. Acknowledging a fitful struggle at best, I couldn’t resolve my longing to divert course, to cut loose and steer my Suburu into the break-down lane and head North! Yet I stayed: Another man-made dam in a dark river deep enough to drown in. Our house was ultimately on the market for nine numbing months.

It was a large life, brimming with obligations, lists and deadlines, weighted with expectations, effort, and good intentions. But it was not our life, and our high-ceilinged walls, though dense with comfortable furniture, enslaved us. Our life was big, but our hearts were withering. Some mornings, heavily shackled and clambering to the bathroom, I couldn’t feel it beating at all. When it got to where I was looking into the mirror but couldn’t see myself, I knew it was all growing too thin. Spread out and empty, I cringed at the vacuity I had created.

Although I didn’t know it exactly as we spent days loading up the POD, giving away the furniture, the generator, and the excess clothes, I needed to reconstruct myself. Joel kept saying we needed to “decompress.” I understand what he meant, and that’s worked for him. Mostly, he’s succeeded. But for me it was more about compression. It’s a process and after four months I am still collecting the frayed edges and reeling them in. Little by little, I’m pushing inwards, reducing mass, getting denser.

Occasionally, like today, the adrenaline pumps and perks up your attention. Good Morning, America! I guess I was expecting the Hell’s Angels. I was warned they would drink a lot and rowdy up the campground once they filled every available spot. Bring it on, I thought. The ebb, the flow. But the Harley Hogs have emerged as a vibrant crew living their weekend dream. More advanced in their middle-age than we, these people are clear on what it takes to have a good time. A strong engine roaring between your legs and the promise of a soulful drive on a clear day. I guess I’m damaged goods in this respect, having survived a motorcycle accident with two broken bones and a broken ankle, but I can’t deny my attraction to that quintessential symbol of freedom on the open road. People pour impressive savings and credit card advances into building their dreams. I’ve seen it; I’ve done it. Why not a motorcycle? If it gets the job done and brings you closer to Home.

Some people get it right off the bat; they smile approvingly, sharing stories of how they almost … or how they wish they… or how when they retire…. We invariably appreciate their feedback, though I for one feel a bit misunderstood. Others, like my best friend when entering our new home for the first time raised her eyebrows and deadpanned me with, “I could never live like this,” heighten my awareness that this is not for everyone, nor should it be. But why didn’t they understand that’s how we felt, too? Were we such anomalies?

Life is different now. We aren’t who we were, but evolving representations of who we’ve always wanted to be. Isn’t that the best we can reasonably hope for? Anonymity frees us, but deepens our universal bond with others even if we don’t know their names. I’m less about me and more about Us, all of Us. I’m learning, still learning, to detach from the nit-pickiness of life. I’m less obsessed with my split ends. I’m no longer acquiescing to monthly pedicures and though my heels have gone rough, my smile has grown wide. Isn’t that what strangers see anyway? So maybe I can’t cultivate a garden or pick backyard hibiscus blooms in my nightie. My backyard no longer has a fence, and I could walk along forever calling each pebble or morsel of clay my own. A quiet acceptance of everything permeates not only my miniscule dwelling but also the air surrounding me as I linger along the water’s edge, tripping under lazy willows because at the end of the day it’s all okay~~and I realize the (wo-)man-made struggles and the hells we create for ourselves are truly self-imposed battles. I cast my sword adrift. I wish I could have understood a decade ago that life doesn’t have to be a salmon’s struggle upstream; sometimes you just got to go with the flow and see where the river takes you.

The Chimneys in Smokey Mountains National Forest

The traveler was active; he went strenuously in search of people, of adventure, of experience. The tourist is passive; he expects interesting things to happen to him. He goes "sight-seeing."

~Daniel J. Boorstin

Exploring Cade's Cove

Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe. ~Anatole France

Impressions of Knoxville

When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money.
~Susan Heller

I guess it’s trite to say we didn’t have preconceived notions, but we were caught up in the action of moving. It was Joel’s first work assignment and there were lots of preparations to be made. We made reservations at the next campground, bought him some new scrubs, and reassessed the belongings we’d be taking with us, relieving ourselves of at least another thirty pounds of books and music in the interest of “traveling light” We were daily redefining that term: essentials drifted into nonessentials. It was no longer a matter of “what did I need?” but a matter of “what can I not survive without.” So we continued to sever ties with belongings we loved, even if they were just cheap paperbacks and replaceable CDs. Essentials screaming “take me with you!” were demoted into oblivion. When in doubt, we turned to each other for final decisions, knowing the other would opt to chuck it.

Having only once day-tripped to Gatlinburg after journeying through the Smoky Mountains National Forest, I was excited to check out the streets of Knoxville. Was it going to be a murmuring old country town or an undulating city? I knew it was a college town but, after all, so was Boca Raton. Not that you’d know it by the rampant smattering of artificial gated communities surrounding the growing campus.

So who knew what we were getting into? The first landmark I remember seeing was the old Rail Salvage yard. And then, the modernistic Sun Sphere constructed to celebrate the 1982 World’s Fair. That contrast of old and new continued to bombard my senses. Walking down Gay Street was simultaneously a testament to tradition and a burst of modern bustle. The enormous glass-faced Bank of America building dwarfed the funky late 19th century buildings, but highlighted their elegant window frames and architecture. The promenade didn’t extend for as long as I’d hoped, but branched out in different directions to reveal its many facets. The government section, housing the state’s Supreme Court and enormous library, was on one side. Old City, an in-process revamping of buildings going back to at least 1888, such as the old pub Joel and I took my parents to visit, was at the other end.




Interested in learning some facts about Knoxville? Check out http://wikitravel.org/en/Knoxville.

Studying at the School of Hard Knox in Knoxville, TN.

I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move. ~Robert Louis Stevenson

July 9th. Arriving in Knoxville. What a gorgeous drive from Asheville! For the most part, we were surrounded by mountains, which are hugged by these chain link fences to prevent the sliding rock from topling onto the road. We appreciated these fences, but never saw them in NC~~ Thin sheets of shale were visible through the links and looked fragile. Although it was nerve-racking, driving in slim lanes invariably shouldering massive semis, the trip was breath-taking and exciting. We had a good ride. Set up at Southlake RV just outside of Knoxville. http://www.southlakervpark.com/ Why do we love this park? Lemme count the ways:

1. Located on the TN River


2. Lush, woodsy campsites


3. Usually no neighbors

4. Only 6 miles to UT Hospital

5. Only 3 miles to Courtsouth, our new gym

6. cheap.

Clinging to tradition. We settled into our spot, unpacking, hooking up the RV and washing Hunter, who once again managed to avoid the litter box and POO all over himself during the short trip over here. I couldn't bring myself to administer to them the Xanex the vet prescribed, and I regretted it. I think he's just frozen to the spot, poor thing, and it was a bumpy ride. We were anxious to head into downtown Knoxville & check it out. From what we could see from I-40, it was a beat up old city with abandon buildings and salvage yards. We wanted to gain a more rounded view as soon as possible. Downtown is quite beautiful, in the process of revovation, mingling contrasts of old and new. I particularly like the old. The architecture is ornate and graying; the tall buildings accentuate the narrow roads. For as many buildings and sidewalks as there are, we were surprised by the few pedestrians. We quickly found Gay Street, the main drag (no pun intended), and sauntered. Actually, we sort of breezed through, in search of food. Again, no lunch. We spotted the Downtown Brewery, an old Woodruff's building, and simultaneously veered inside, relieved at what we saw. A hip, two story building with a view of the 2nd floor from the center. We were led upstairs and informed by the waitress that they were playing Monday night poker in the adjacent room. So that's what the muted yelling was all about. We indulged in some delicious guacamole and then through dinner. I think we both had the Downtown IPA, but Joel may have had the porter. Delicious. Again, dessert: a chocolate mousse. Lovin it. I think that's when we decided to join the gym.

At night, there's some wild campfires, as you can see. It's been too hot for us to be tempted to light one yet. Tent campers enjoy cleared spots right on the water. Our spot, A-17, is just across the street. We have a great view of the water as long as short-term RVers don't block our view. We're happy to be settling down in one place for three months. Regardless of its appeal, the getting up and moving again every few days is really a bit of a drag. I'm not complaining, don't get me wrong, but we're glad to call Knoxville our home until October. If anyone feels like doing a little tent-camping in Knoxville, come on up! We can be neighbors and we'll even let you use our bathroom! Thanks for sharing the journey with us....

Pitstop: Asheville, NC July 5, 2007

July 5, 2007. Saying "Farewell" to SC!! After 2 months of R&R (more than most adults enjoy in a lifetime, we realize) Joel and I have taken on a healthy glow and, unfortunately, a few extra pounds as well. Is beer weight easier to lose than those other types, like Cheese Puffs weight or chocolate weight? I wonder... and hope so. The chocolate weight for sure doesn't budge. It is time to say goodbye to my family, who has spoiled us rotten with good beer, good food, great company and exciting excursions. We're gotten our dose of warm and fuzzies, something I've been missing for a long time. I feel so fortunate to have spent time watching Dylan grow into a little boy bursting with personality and his own perspective and it's been years since I've spent so much time with Jessica. Mike always created a festive atmosphere to every get-together with a seemingly endless supply of microbrews. I've never met such a conouissour! We've certainly had our share of visits to Barley's and I can honestly say that my dart game is improving. Although it's sad to leave my family, I know we're not traveling too far away this time and we can still visit each other, at least for the next 3 months.


Before leaving, we were treated to lunch at O'Charley's with Grandma and Poppy. It was wonderful to spend time with both of them these past 2 months! Another hot summer day in Spartanburg. I truly hate goodbyes! :-(

xoxxoxoxxo



Joel's start date at U of Tenn Hospital has been pushed back to July 15th - October 12th. We're excited to have a few days to make a pitstop in Asheville and enjoy the city without having to travel but a few miles "home." I'll stop putting it in quotation marks after a while
This is funny: I was attempting to impose a little structure on our wanderings, trying to treat it like a real vacation. I searched RV parks on the web, did my research, and picked the top 3. I finally narrowed my choice down to one (cheapest) and made reservations. It was only a few miles from downtown. We arrived at the campground "on the river" and discovered that it was also on the highway. Trying to remain optimistic, we drove through the campground, noticing how close together the RVs on the river were, and searched for the office. At one point, I got out and knocked on someone's trailer: no answer. On our way out, we decided it was a sign and I called my 2nd choice. Come on over! They say. This park is also just minutes from downtown Asheville in the other direction. We climbed a steep, narrow country road and reached the "RV resort." That means it has a pool and caters to retires. Well, there's nothing but pavement and more pavement surrounding the resort and after an arduous drive-by, we bid farewell to our second choice and I call our 3rd. Taps RV Park. Still only minutes from downtown but in yet another direction, Taps was just perfect! 3rd time's a charm, right. Although our spot wasn't, the campground was situated on the river (didn't find out until about 2 am that the river is also adjacent to a railroad. Nonetheless, we enjoyed the park for 4 days~~not that we spent too much time there anyway. Here's a peak: http://www.ashevilletapsrvpark.com/

I guess you could say we're free as a bird now...

We're starting a new tradition: after setting up camp and getting settled, we go out to eat, no holds barred. wine~~appetizer~~meal~~dessert. The whole shabang. This is a great way for us to push pash the quibbles that ensue while we unhitch, slide out, and reorient. Though we rarely argue while on the road, once we stop all hell can break loose. We saw that Orlando; we saw that in Stone Mountain, GA. So this new tradition helps us blow off stem and reminds us why we're doing all of this anyway. We found a fabulous fine dining Greek/Italian restaurant called Pomodoro's just down the road from Taps RV and had a feast. We had skipped lunch in the frantic search among our top 3 RV parks and were starving.

We've still been keeping our eyes open for hiking opportunities and enjoyed a leisurely drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We attempted a hike on a trail I forget the name of, but I think it was
something-Devil-something, which, if it was, proved to be an apt name: a straight up the mountain hike, like none we've ever attempted. Sure, we could blame it on our Floridian lungs, but I believe that our quads, gluts and hamstrings were the ones begging for mercy. We make it upwards maybe half and mile. When we stopped, it was nearly impossible to resume, but we did~~ a few times. Finally, as we stood there puffing & smiling at each other, another couple (damn 20-somethings) huffed it on passed us with their hiking dog, nodding at us. That was it: plainly defeated, we turned and headed on down. What you see in this pic is a view of one of our more successful Blue Ridge Hwy hikes. Made it to the top, really! It's not ALL about the mountains... look at that watercolor sky.



As close as we tried to get to it, we didn't spend too much time downtown on this visit. We did meet Jessica, Mike & Dylan on Saturday night for dinner and Shindig on the Green. Although Mike was looking forward to Barley's, we ended up eating next door at a little New Orleans style restaurant, which had a fabulous beer list. After that, we trucked on over to Shindig on the other side of town. It was hot and drizzling. We got there and discovered the bluegrass show wouldn't be happened thanks to the rain, but all the bands stayed and played where they stood, audiences gather around and moving between the dozen mini performances. Dylan was soon restless, so J & M headed home fairly soon, but Joel and I stayed a couple of hours, enjoying the wet music. Check it out! http://www.romanticasheville.com/shindig.htm There's some amazing talent in these hills, rain or shine!



A beautiful view at the "pinnacle" of our Asheville hike! :-)
I could stay here forever, but Joel reminds me that there's money to be made in Knoxville; after all, we hope to buy a piece of lush earth for ourselves someday, so off we went to Knoxville, only a 2 hours drive on 40-West from Asheville.

Recap of June 2007. Wellford, SC

June was a whirlwind month filled with expectations and free time. While we waited to hear back from recruiters, Joel and I decided to enjoy the moutains of SC.

Monday, June 4th. Thadra's mom, dad, & grandma took us to Table Rock Park in northern SC. This is a "bald" stone mountain which we walked around and saw an amazing panoramic view of the SC foothills below. It's comforting to know that ample treetops still hide the roads, and many of the houses, below. Then we traveled to Twin Falls in Estatoe Valley. We enjoyed taking our sneakers off after a short hike and soaking our feet in the pool of freezing water at the bottom of the falls. It's a gorgeous area, and we drooled over 50 acres we saw for sale just across the road from Twin Falls. With a large, level field in the center and a surrounding treeline that rolled upwards towards the back, this patch of land had everything but a view. You had to walk a few hundred feet down the road for that. That evening, Joel made stuffed chicken with pesto and we were all in for a treat!



Thurs, June 7th. Anyone been disc golfing? Well, it's really more like frisbee, but apparently it's enjoying increasing popularity and has certainly encouraged us to go trekking out in woods even in 90 degree weather. Today, we dragged Alex along. Literally. Getting him out of bed was our first ordeal, helping him wake up was another. We had a great time, though, starting the day with a little geocaching, finding an old tin box on the bottom of an old chimney, the kind which seem to pop out of no where on landscapes throughout the south. This one emerged next to a Carousel Shop. Couldn't figure out what they were selling b/c the store had closed, but they had beautiful stained glass lining the front windows. The course for disc golfing was strenous. I kept throwing my discs against trees and gained very little ground with each throw while Joel and Alex were pretty much neck and neck, mostly avoiding the little gorges and fields of underbrush. I gave up half way through and found an ice cream stand. The guys returned 40 minutes later panting and dripping with sweat. We were really conquering nature! :-)



Tuesday, June 12th. Today, we visted Jones' Gap with mom and dad. This is a beautiful park with fabulous hiking trails. We went on a mile hike (there & back) and saw a tall, dripping waterfall that dad says usually comes crashing down. We've all been short of rain this summer. Dad and Joel have discovered a new hobby: rock piling. This is a temporal art form that involves the piling of rocks in precarious positions, preferably near water. We've got some great pics and hope they inspire others to join in.



Friday, June 16th. Thadra's got a job! I started mentoring with Excel High School. A great opportunity to make a little cash while working from home, where ever that may be!

Sat. June 17th. More disc-golfing at Van de Mar Park. Still really hot. Thadra's improving her throw by practicing in large open fields. Joel retrieves the discs while Thadra aims for a garbage can. Each disc is weighted differently, and I'm finding the heavier ones easier to steer.

Monday, June 18th. Visited Keowee-Toxaway Natural Area in northwestern SC. Gorgeous, unpopulated area. During our hike to these falls in the above pics, we had a deer race past us only a few feet away. Later, we cut our hike short and headed back from where we came after hearing what sounded like a bear groaning in the distance. May have been ??? but we weren't sticking around to find out. Did a lot of driving in the countryside today~~ never seem to get tired of that!

Tuesday, June 19th. Thadra visited Jessica's classroom atthe hospital. Mom, grandma & I picked Dylan up from his classroom and brought him home to play by the lake. He likes going for SHORT rides in the kayak with me.

Wed, June 20th. Out go the captain's chairs! Most people would like having 2 captain's chairs in the back seat of their truck, but we've decided it's not practical as we gear up for long term traveling. Joel unbolted and removed them (we're keeping them in our storage unit for later) and installed in their place a plywood platform, which he covered with carpeting. He's got these plastic legs he's attached velcro to and we're going to use these to help keep items, such as our refridgerated cooler, from shifting in the backseat when Joel's driving cowboy. Yee-ha!

Friday, June 22nd. Joel and I ventured on another hike today, getting as much altitude as possible in hopes of keeping cool. We stopped at Ceasar's Head, took in the view and then headed off to Raven's Falls for a 4 mile hike. When we got to the wooden pavilion, we peered into the distance and saw a very tall waterfall. Too far to take good pictures, but a fun hike.

Tues, July 3rd. We celebrated Independence Day early! Mike brought the cooler and Dad manned the barbeque. It was a great day with Alex, Mike & Joel shooting off fireworks from the dock over the lake and while the rest of us viewed the show from the pontoon boat. Afterwards, we sailed around the lake, looking at the fireworks' displays from neighboring towns. Fun to celebrate with the family as we near the end of our stay in SC!

Tennessee, Tennessee Aint no place I'd rather be.....

OK, I officially have my first travel assignment.
It is in Knoxville, Tennessee

in the University of Tennessee Hospital.

It is a 500 bed hospital

(thats really big)

and a level 1 trauma center,

so it's gonna be interesting.

I start july 9th so we will leave South Carolina

around the 4th or 5th.

If anyone knows of anything

to see or do in or around knoxville,

let us know

May 2007 Excursions in SC

Tuesday, May 15, 2007. Visited Table Rock State Pock with Thadra's parents. Gorgeous opportunity to hike to several waterfalls. Dined at the Mellow Mushroom in downtown Greenville.

Friday, May 18th. Moved all of our belongings from POD into new Public Storage in Greenville. Happy to have the last of the moved completed, thanks to Alex's help!

Friday, May 25th. Went to Freedom Weekend Aloft in Simpsonville with Mike. Saw Government Mule and watched hot air balloons float overhead. Great opportunity to check out the locals and get a feel for the area.

Saturday, May 26th. Visited Milikan Botanical Gardens & USC Aboretum.

Tuesday, May 29th. Took Thadra's mom to Barley's Taproom in Greenville with Mike to check out the Terrapinator for ultra-hoppy beer!! Thadra's getting intensive dart training.

Thursday, May 31st. Visited Chimney Rock Park with Thadra's dad and Alex. Lots of great photos~~check out the link to our Chimney Rock Photo Album. Had dinner beside Lake Lure.

Can't See the Forest for the Trees Vol 2

A HUT, and a tree,

And a hill for me,

And a piece of weedy meadow.

I'll ask no thing,

Of God or king,

But to clear away his shadow.





6.22.07. Our Randolf Bravadowsky (see Jen's comment) was a wonderful find during our hike at Caesar's Head in northwestern SC. We hiked 4 miles to a distant waterfalls and enjoyed many mystical sites along the way.































6.12.07. Jone's Gap, South Carolina.

Can't See the Forest for the Trees Vol 1

TREES need not walk the earth
For beauty or for bread;
Beauty will come to them
Where they stand.

Here among the children of the sap
Is no pride of ancestry:
A birch may wear no less the morning
Than an oak.


Here are no heirlooms
Save those of loveliness,
In which each tree
Is kingly in its heritage of grace.

Here is but beauty’s wisdom
In which all trees are wise
Trees need not walk the earth
For beauty or for bread;

Beauty will come to them
In the rainbow—
The sunlight—
And the lilac-haunted rain;

And bread will come to them
As beauty came:
In the rainbow—
In the sunlight—
In the rain.

Settling in South Carolina

May 11th - May 13th. Finally arrived in Wellford, SC! It had been over a year since I'd seen my family and longer than that since Joel had been here. The weather was gorgeous; it was still cool, but also fresh and sunny. We finally got to enjoy spring! Everyone seemed a little surprised by our RV. They thought it was pretty luxurious and roomy inside. We had a visit in Cunningham Campground and we proudly showed them around our little place, in groups of 2 and 3 at a time, of course.

We celebrated Mother's Day and my 34th birthday simultaneously. This was the first time in many yrs we had all been together, and, as you can see, Dylan was overjoyed! He's already 3 1/2 and with a mind of his own. His favorite expression is currently "No, no, no!" He follows around Opa (my dad) incessantly, but dad's had to take a bit of a back seat since Uncle Joel's been around~~mainly because Joel spins him around and throws him on his shoulders, encouraging him to "walk on the ceiling" upside down, much to Jessica's dismay. Needless to say, Joel's back has been hurting a bit more than usual these days. Mike's created a virtual beer fest every time we've gathered together, filling a large cooler with dozens of different microbrew and high gravity beers. I've discovered a love for extra hoppy beers, which all started with Sierra Nevada. Now, there's the Hop Monster, Hoppy Devil, Indiga, and Hazed and Infused along with a slew of others. Joel's still searching for the perfect brew, but really loves Rogue products, such as Dead Guy's Ale.

Mom surprised me with the most amazing gift, an incredible hand-made quilt that took her several months to stitch, embroidered with the comforting words: "May All Roads Lead You Home." It's a gorgeous piece of art and a family heirloom I will always cherish, especially knowing how many hours of life had gone in to creating such a unique piece. I only wish we had a blank wall somewhere in the RV where we could hang it, but our only option would be to drape it over the window, and there's no way I'm letting the colors fade. We'll save it for the next house.

The Last Stop Before South Carolina

May 10th & 11th. We had an easy ride to Atlanta, which was good b/c at this point we were both really cranky. We vowed that after this we would allow more travel time to anywhere we were going. The thing is this: RVing is very different from road tripping in, say, my Subaru. Not just for the obvious reasons of spending 8 times the money on gas or towing 37 feet of love behind you. It's the setup time that kills us and it's something we still need to get used to.... even though Joel truly does a kick-ass job of setting up. Even if we are staying overnight (like we did in Ft. Walton, FL, Eufaula, AL and here in Stone Mtn, GA), we still need to level the RV, hook up our electric, sewer, and water lines (assuming we have the luxury of all 3), pull out the slides, rearrange all the living & dining room furniture, pull the cats out of the kitty camper and clean them up and calm them down, move everything that was onto the floor back in their usual positions or at least out of the way so we can access the kitchen~~all this AFTER we spent 40 - 60 minutes backing in the RV and parking it close enough to our electric box without hitting any low-hanging branches or dips in the road. Do this for 3 consecutive nights (in the dark, late at night, after many hours of driving under our belt for the day) with the promise of one more soon to follow and you get grumpy.

Atlanta traffic sucks. It's just like South Florida, maybe worse at times. No one seems to notice or care that if they speed up and cut in front of a dually towing an RV, they could get squashed if we can't slow down in time to acknowlege their ignorance. So, we kept slowing down and slowing down~~a real drag for Joel, who still won't let me tow the RV with it fully packed

(overweight) like it was. We made it to Stone Mountain, less than an hour south of Jen and Jay's new home. Our campsite was beautiful, with a view of the lake across the way, but also very curvy and unlevel. Similar to our feelings in Eufaula, we wished we could stay in this beautiful, natural park for more than an evening. Settled in and sped over to visit Jen and Jay for dinner. They graciously received us with wine glasses in hand. It was the first time Joel had seen their new house, which is mind-blowing. Gorgeous and nestled on the lake. Jen took us for a whirl around the perimeter of the lake on their new golf cart and we checked out the neighborhood park. It was a whirlwind of an evening. After going out for Mexican, Joel and I had to call it a night because we were zonked and were heading for SC the next day. Here's a pic of all of us from New Year's 2005 in our old bedroom. We all spent quite a few New Year's eves together, but this was, sadly, our last one to date. Looking forward to the next time we can all celebrate together again! :-)

Journeying to South Carolina

Tuesday, May 8 - Friday, May 11. Sometimes I wonder if the kitties will ever forgive us. They did not take to traveling well and were really strung out by the time we reached, after an 8 hour drive, Ft. Walton Beach late Tuesday night. When we opened their kitty camper (a 2 ft by 3 ft canvas container with windows that we stored to keep the kitties safe and stationary in the 5th wheel while we drive), we discovered they had turned over their water (which was in a "spill-proof" container) and mixed it with litter they kicked out of the box to make a thick layer of clay, which naturally embedded itself into their paws and fur. The smoke we encountered along the way was really scary. It turned the sky a hazy pink, burned our eyes for hours, and made it feel like all of FL was going to burst into flames before long... if we didn't get rain soon. Beyond that, this trip tested Joel's towing skills with hills, bridges, and innumerable potholes. We thought once we had reached Destin, we were pretty close... and we were... but we weren't expecting to start island hopping the way we had to do, and in the dark. Joel was a little tense and a lot tired, but I always feel confident that when he's behind the wheel everything will be okay. He has that effect on me. On Wed, we had the truck fixed and I worked on an article for http://www.catalogs.com/ while Joel explored the Ft. Walton area on bicycle. It was still smoky outside, but we were near the beach so it wasn't nearly as bad as inland. While Destin felt like an overdeveloped beach town similar to Ft. Myers Beach, Ft. Walton felt like old Florida and was really charming. By late Wed, we were ready to hit the road. One of the transmission mechanics recommended we try a different way out, one that required us to travel north into Alabama and then east. We were jazzed not to return on those crazy, bouncy suspension bridges, but little did we know what was in store for us instead.
Unintentional Detour in Alabama. We left Ft. Walton about 5:00 and figured we drive as much as we could, then "boondock" in a roadside Wall-Mart somewhere in GA, as close as possible to our friends Jen and Jay, who left FL over a year ago and settled just north of Atlanta. Didn't happen. Hours of driving late into the night... and no Wal-Mart to be found. Anywhere. We drove through AL and into GA, only to find ourselves driving 30 minutes in the wrong direction at 1:00 am. We were not prepared for the mountainous, late night drive and desperately tried to negotiate a plan. We could stop and park at one of the many Baptist churches we saw. What about behind the Waffle House? There was a semi stopped for the night. We kept thinking that if we could go just a little bit further.... But when we ended up back in Alabama, we knew we were licked for the evening and aimed ourselves back towards Eufaula, a destination originally recommended by the transmission mechanic in Ft. Walton. When we finally settled in and slid our slides out, Joel grabbed my hand and led me outside. It was completely silent and pitch black. The smell was astoundingly earthy and primal. Realizing we had no human neighbors in sight, we sat on our picnic table and gazed at the stars, in wonder not only at where we were, but that we had made it through the night.

The next morning, I walked my plastic mug of coffee down to the edge of the land we camped on and discovered an enormous lake. See?

Joel followed me down, and I think that's when we both let some realizations sink in. We really were doing this. We had finally sold the house and embarked on the journey we had been planning for years. We didn't know what roads lay ahead of us, but we were excited to start our journey. Leaving FL behind was a huge milestone for us, even if we did ramble in and out of Alabama in the middle of the night.






Joels Comments: The amount of stress we experienced in these few days was incredible. To start the 5th wheel was overloaded which occasionally made driving really scary. I know that we were in safe limits but steering was tricky and braking would occasionally make the hair on my neck stand up. As we passed the Ocala area the smoke from the forest fires got really thick and lasted for the better part of 3 hours. We just plugged along at 65 mph. After Tallahassee it cleared up a little bit but the roads then got really hilly. It was beautifull country but about 2 hours of constant --up the hill -down the hill --up the hill -down the hill--up the hill -down the hill, you get the idea. Driving through Destin was a challenge. Imagine driving a tractor trailer at midnight through 22 miles of downtown Delray and you 'll have some idea of what that was like. Fort Walton was a nice town, but also had forest fires that smoked us out at our campground. The work done on my truck completely transformed it. As we were leaving I had to get onto the interstate, from a dead stop at a light and pulling about 15 thousand pounds up a steep on-ramp I was able to get up to 65mph before the merge. Alabama/Georgia-please look at a Google maps to follow all this........... we left fort walton and took 285 to I-10 east , after that we took SR231 to Dothan AL. At that point we should have got on 431 and taken it all the way to Columbus GA. For some reason that escapes me now we decided to go the back way... we took 52/62 out of Dothan east to GA. This was an OK road and it was still light out so no big deal. then we turn onto us-27 heading north out of Blakley Ga (which is a really cool old looking town). Two lanes of curving hilly winding road in the middle of nothing........ when I say nothing, I mean nothing. There are more 7-11s on 80 miles of any random road in Florida than there were people or houses on this stretch of highway. It took us hours to navigate this stretch, we made wrong turns and finally ended up in Lumpkin GA. If you look at Lumpkin on the map you'll see us-27 coming up from the south and continuing north. but if you look closer you'll also see that the road that comes in from the west and heads east is also, you guessed it, us-27. Considering that it is now 1:30 am, is it any wonder we made a wrong turn? Of course we didn't realize we were going the wrong way until 30 minutes and 20 miles later when we see the sign for Eufaula. I hope to at some time be able to go back and spend dome time in Eufaula the town was really cool with great architecture. The Park itself was incredible with some of the tallest trees and brightest stars I think I have ever seen.