Claeys Road Diaries
“Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt" ~John Muir
Being Home
Back in early March Dave said he wanted to stop in NJ on our way north and I said “No way!”. I was vehemently against the idea. I didn’t want to go home; not yet. It would feel too much like our trip was ending, or worse: over. But honestly, since Charlotte, NC, the weather hasn’t been great. We mostly endured cold, rainy days with a nice day sprinkled in here and there. It was a typical Spring, but we hadn’t really considered that last June when we began our journey. Then, when we arrived in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, the campgrounds were not open yet and it snowed the next morning causing nearly 60 miles of Skyline Drive to close due to snow & ice. We checked the weather forecast and it was more of the same for the next 7 days. So, what do we do? Do we camp outside the park and stay the course in spite of the nasty weather? Is it just something to check off the list or do we want to enjoy it ‘in season’? How long before the trees bud and the flowers bloom?
The conversation came back once more to going home for a respite but, again, I fought against it. Dave assured me it would just be a short ‘break’ to allow the winter to have its final hurrah and Spring to arrive. He argued that we could get some unpacking done and so many other things accomplished rather than leaving it for June when we return. He planted the seed and waited for it to germinate. And we went on with our trip traveling through Virginia, D.C. and Maryland visiting Civil War battlefields, national monuments and family and having a great time. And, then, while we were in Maryland, out of the blue, Dave cracked a tooth. Crap!
So, the decision was made for us; we were going home to see a Dentist. I wasn’t thrilled by the idea but I had an awful earache that I was sure was not good news so I figured I could see my doctor to see what was going on. And, also, I realized I had a book club meeting that Thursday so I became very excited about joining the group live and it was all I could do to contain my excitement. We talked and planned out our schedule for the week. We agreed it would be best not to announce our return and simply sneak in and out without much notice so it felt more like a pit stop versus a return. With two exceptions: (1) I would go unannounced to book club; and (2) Dave would go to the school and surprise Debbie. Other than that, we would go to doctors, unpack, schedule RV maintenance, complete tax returns and then be on our way again. We were NOT going to get too comfortable.
After visiting the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland on Easter Sunday, we made our way North towards New Jersey. Oddly, our cousin Bev made a comment on an earlier Facebook post when we were in Georgia, I believe, that we’d likely be home by Easter (at the rate we were traveling). I laughed then but here we were heading home on Easter day. I thought we might drive a short while and camp and complete the trek in the morning but Dave insisted on driving through. We hadn’t driven much at night during our trip except for those first few days when we set out last June rushing to get to Iowa for our RV appointment. I don’t care for driving at night mostly because you cannot enjoy the scenery and also because there are a ton of tractor trailers. But, by now, I was really anxious to get home. Owassa. “Our little piece of heaven”.
As we made our way from Maryland to New Jersey one of the first things that caught my attention were the license plates. It seemed all of a sudden there were a large number of New Jersey plates. Something we hadn’t seen it for nearly 9 months! And, oddly, it was not comforting, but rather off-putting. NO! We aren’t back in NJ. No, let’s go back. But Dave drove on and the signs became familiar and the traffic was heavy and then we arrived in Sussex County: “Nature and People Together”. And, although it was late and completely dark, when we were about ten minutes from home, Jackson jumped off the couch and came up front to sprawl on Dave’s lap. He craned his neck toward the windows watching the road intently. How do he know??
I was excited about sleeping in my bed after 9 months on an air mattress (actually, four different ones but that’s another story!) but I realized as we got closer to home we weren’t going to have water in the house. No toilet. No shower. Nothing to drink! But, by the time we arrived around 11:30pm I was too tired to care. We plopped into bed and slept soundly in our home-away-from-home retreat, now our permanent home that we haven’t settled into because we’ve been on the road for 9 months. We awoke Monday morning to SNOW! Beautiful, but not what we wanted to see, exactly. Dave immediately got to work on the water and I tackled the many boxes/bins in the living area. After, of course, going to the RV to brush my teeth and pee. What a task; to unpack things from our 2,000 something square foot house and to find space for them in a 1,300 square foot home. And, then, we saw two comments from neighbors on Facebook saying they saw us ‘home’. Oh, no! The secret was out! But we were going to ignore them and hope we wouldn’t be discovered.
We went to the doctors: Dave got a root canal and I was diagnosed with TMJ. Of course! We have been paying $2,300 a month for medical insurance but we do NOT have dental! %$^*#(@! We took the RV in for service, unpacked boxes and organized cabinets and closets, finished our taxes, all the while staying off social media as to not divulge our location. I showed up at book club Thursday night and was delighted in the surprise gasps and I spent my first night away from Dave and Jackson in over 9 months! Friday morning Dave pretended to be a transfer student and surprised Debbie in her classroom. It was fun! And, then, that night, we announced via Facebook we were home, temporarily. And once we did that it became clear that we couldn’t sequester ourselves. It was OKAY to visit and reconnect. It didn’t mean we were ‘back’, but simply visiting.
We spent time with family and friends and even went to our local haunts. Jackson had play dates with Molly and Taz (and did VERY well with his old pals!). It was great. But, it started to feel a little too comfortable. A little too familiar. I started to second guess myself and thought maybe we should just stay; get back to work and making money. I mean, we’ve had a great experience. Nine months. That’s enough, right? Why be greedy? But, I knew in my heart of hearts that we were not done. We planned on 12 months and by God, we were going to do 12 months. If we don’t finish this now, we won’t get another chance for many years. We were just waiting for the weather to turn and then it was back on the road.
And, so, during our pitstop, I took pleasure in the luxury of a full shower (constantly running water that is), a comfortable bed, larger living space, our beautiful lake and the company of our friends and family. I enjoyed every minute of it but I wasn’t ready for it to last. I was anxious to get back in the RV and hit the road. And then, unexpectedly she failed us. We weren’t getting any power to the house batteries and the scent of propane permeated around the rig. No power; no propane; no deal. Dave called to schedule repairs and they were booked until mid-May. I thought maybe it was the universe telling us we should call it quits. Game over. BUT, he called back to say it was an emergency and they agreed to fit us in. Our friend and fellow RV’er, Bob Kelley, came to our rescue for like the hundredth time and got our solar panels functioning again. Power, check. Propane, check. Back in business.
As I sit here Sunday night preparing to depart again for the road it is, honestly, with mixed emotions. I have so enjoyed being here at the lake, our new full-time home with all it’s awe and splendor, with our wonderful neighbors and friends and the birds and foxes and deer. And, without saying, being able to connect family and friends has been so great. BUT, there is that part of me that aches to be back on the road; to complete the journey we set out for last June. I am excited to visit the last three national parks on our list and other beautiful spots in the northeast. I’m ready; it’s time! The weather forecast is better, not great, but better than it was two weeks ago. And we got so much accomplished in our two weeks home. Our hearts are full; our souls are enriched. We purged the RV; will be traveling lighter in the last 2.5 months. She’s washed and ready to go. It is with happy, full, excited hearts that we set out on this final trek of what could only be explained as the best damned freaking adventure of a lifetime ever. Audios! See you in June, friends.
Claeys Road Diaries 
Oh I wish I knew you were around for Easter. I would have insisted you come for dinner. Enjoy your last hurrah and look forward to you coming down shore .
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